August 30th, 2010 by

Some of the most popular of museum replicas are those famous Italian marble statues everyone knows: David, Augustus Caesar, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. They are some of the most prized examples of marble sculpture anywhere, with a fine smoothness and absolute realism.

No wonder everyone wants a copy! They truly lend an air of elegance and even authority – gravitas – to a setting. They’re veritable objets d’art in themselves, though can also stylishly serve as bookends and even paperweights!

No, those are not ignominious fates for such masterpieces of Italian marble. After all, there’s no shame in being practical in addition to being stunning, and if anything making use of miniature versions of beloved marble statues in novel ways can only further cement their reputations. For what is the purpose of art if not to lift us above the everyday? And what better way to do that than to suffuse the everyday with art, in the manner of a deus ex machina!

Having replicas of museum works of art in your home or office can put you in a great mood all day long if you truly enjoy art. You will go through your day surrounded by some of the most inspirational works ever produced by humankind, landmarks of human achievement and imagination. Who knows, they may possibly even “rub off” on you and inspire creations of your own!

Ultimately, the point in owning such things is how they put us in touch with the cultural heritage of our species. We are reminded of where we came from and what we can achieve. What they teach us is that the human capacity for imagination is boundless; they put us in a spiritual realm where we can all take pride in the legacy of the ancients. Sounds too good to be true? Get your own and see!

August 30th, 2010 by

As legendary as the team is, it is an open question whether Dallas Cowboys merchandise would have been as popular as they are without the equally legendary Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. These ladies are not just any ol’ football cheerleading squad members, but make up a veritable franchise in themselves.

No less than two made-for-TV movies have appeared about them, not to mention any number of Dallas Cowboys merchandise bearing their likeness somewhere on the product! For when you think of Texas football, you think the Cowboys – and when you think Cowboys, you think of their cheerleaders.

For sure the die-hard fan might prefer his Dallas Cowboys clock “straight-up” but several others who aren’t so hard-core would probably welcome a shot of the cheerleaders illustrating their fan merchandise! No other collection of young ladies so epitomize the American woman: young, fun, and fit; spirited; glamorous; intelligent.

Yes, regardless of the voyeurism involved these beauties know how to comport themselves and market themselves. Team try-outs obviously focus on athleticism and physical beauty but as spokesmodels for the team a great amount of social savvy and hence intelligence is necessary, too.

The only other set of females that have left such a deep impression on popular culture worldwide would have to be Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Bunnies. Interestingly, the Cowboys’ cheerleading squad really started out mixed, with both males and females, as was high school and collegiate football tradition.

And indeed, it was local high school students that actually made up the squad back in the 1960s. In 1969, however a deliberate attempt was made to increase in-game attendance by offering only female cheerleaders whose routines were unlike those prevalent at school games. By 1972, all cheerleaders were over the age of eighteen as their moves became increasingly a lot more like sexy dance routines.

August 30th, 2010 by

In the popular culture, horse racing tips have traditionally been akin to great Florida real estate deals or fantastic bridge sales in Brooklyn. But the web has allowed for the proliferation of computerized horse racing systems, not simple programs that ran your input through a set of magical algorithms but dedicated servers that can be contacted in real-time for near instantaneous updates right from the track.

Best of all, modern racing systems like these allow you to bet anytime, anywhere – even at work (or church!), as long as an internet connection is available. Evidently working on somewhat similar models that has been successfully utilized by the hobbyist day trader, you can now bet and seriously handicap your game thanks to the power of 21st Century “cloud computing.”

Precise details are understandably vague, as no one likes to divulge trade secrets, but what is claimed are a number of benefits: real year-long staking records, consistent profits, and better than three-fourths strike rates. This kind of near-miraculous outcomes come from a close analysis of several factors, for example the ages of the runners, the classes involved, and the overall number of competitors in the field. The main difference, besides any improved methodologies, seems to be an ongoing maintenance that ever fine-tunes performance and results.

Also unlike the old handicapping programs of old models, it’s no longer a basic matter of paying for software once. Such a powerful service can only be feasible under a subscription model, as ongoing improvements need to be made. Essentially, it’s like hiring a money manager for one’s portfolio of stocks and bonds and other holdings – only we’re talking horse racing here! Finally, in the spirit of our times, try-before-you-buy trials are available. It’s now possible to easily see for yourself whether the horse racing system actually works!

August 29th, 2010 by

Arsène Lupin III is a formidable thief capable of cracking all the safes in the world. A fictional character introduced by the mangaka (Japanese for “comicbook artist”) Kazuhiko Kato, better known as Monkey Punch, in the 10 August 1967 issue of Weekly Manga Action, Lupin is meant to be the grandson of another fictional character, Arsène Lupin, a French gentleman thief and detective created by Maurice Leblanc, the best-selling early Twentieth Century pulp fiction writer. As the world’s number one thief, in addition to safes Lupin is also a master at disarming traps and alarms. His escapades have proved him quite a talented driver and pilot as well, and he is an expert shot – with a pistol, no less.

For all his skills, however, Lupin has a doltish, even idiotic appearance. Yet they belie his ferocious reasoning abilities and social charms; Lupin is able to get past folks with about the same ease as when negotiating safes, particularly booby-trapped ones.

When not practicing his art – he seems to steal a lot more for the challenge than for any personal gain, often discarding treasures or not caring if he should lose them after first conquering the quest of acquiring them – Lupin enjoys fishing, gambling, and dating beautiful women – not necessarily in that order!

Giving rigor to the dubious proverb about honor amongst thieves, Lupin will frequently foil other criminals who are engaged in activities of a violent, murderous nature. In fact, most of his adventures involve not only the police, epitomized by his nemesis Inspector Zenigata, but truly sinister characters of deep malice.

Immensely popular and voted amongst the Ten Most Iconic Anime Heroes, Arsène Lupin III has been ubiquitous in three television series, five feature films, almost two dozen television specials, and several original video animations and videogames.

August 29th, 2010 by

Online CPE courses are a great way for experts to brush up on the latest developments in their fields from the comfort of their own homes. Very much better than old-fashioned correspondence classes, today’s offerings are interactive and actually fun, making learning simple for busy professionals with sixty hour workweeks!

It’s small wonder then why “online CPE” is one of the most popular of keyword phrases entered into search engines these days. While ongoing professional accreditation has existed for decades, it’s only with the explosion of the worldwide web that tele learning, as this form of instruction is know, has truly taken off.

And in this economy, online CPE courses are crucial in helping licensed specialists maintain their professional skillsets. New doctors, lawyers, and accountants are churned out each year by the hundreds, and though seniority and experience does count for a lot, much of the routine work – which comprise the overwhelming vast majority of any firm’s business – can be quite competently handled by new hires. That’s why continuing education is so crucial: it helps one distinguish oneself from the recently graduated class entering one’s profession every year.

In that respect, however, one important point bears repeating: It is everyone’s own responsibility to ensure that any continuing education course taken actually counts with the most important professional bodies in one’s field. While more knowledge almost never hurts, a CPE isn’t a matter of exploring your own interests on your own time!

You’re paying money here, so make sure that any credits earned would be recognized by whatever governing board that oversees your profession. And speaking of paying money, here’s one more great tip: See if you can find pilot courses that may be taken for free. That’s right, free of charge! Check specific policies for details, but usually you only need to complete the course and provide some feedback.

August 28th, 2010 by

We could have brought a backpacking tent along. Instead, being young guys we relished in challenging ourselves and flirting with danger. We cavalierly enjoyed our mountaintop landscape even as the sun was about to dip, and by the time we had turned home we could scarcely go another thousand yards before we realized that we could not see very well.

Real hikers would have just easily pitched or otherwise assembled a backpacking tent but of course we didn’t have one since we are novices and in no way imagined we’d need to have one. This was meant to have been a casual day-hike, after all. And yet, here we were at the end of the day and barely started out on our descent. What we did not count on was how incredibly fast darkness could grow in a forest.

Though light was still in the sky, it wasn’t getting to us because of the thick canopy of leaves. Even during high noon the ground would be mostly shaded, never mind now, right before nightfall. And in one of the most awesome experiences ever, I saw my own hand fade away right in front of me, literally in seconds, melting away into the enveloping darkness like some movie fade-out.

Except that it was happening all to me; We were still nearly two thousand feet up from the trail head; and we didn’t even have a backpacking tent!

Thankfully, friends below summoned local volunteer park rangers and we were finally rescued. But not before spending six or seven hours shivering in the cold and dark! Though it had been a humid summer day, it felt more like late fall in rural New York at night. When I started to finally shiver and shiver I thought it was going to be the end of me! So never,never,never – ever – go hiking without a tent or sleeping bag.

August 27th, 2010 by

Plastic water tanks are a far cry from the armored behemoths also referred to as tanks, but they do have a curious historical connection. Yes, that’s correct, modern plastics were invented after World War II, while tanks first made their debut in the waning years of the Great War, but there is something of a relationship.

Although not plastic water tanks, military tanks had been first so named by their British creators in an effort to disguise their research and development. It was hoped that by classifying these inventions simply as “tanks” on paper, any German spies who may have gotten a hold of the secret documents that referred to them could perhaps be mislead. As it turned out, the label stuck and tanks have been known as just that ever since.

In English, anyway. In German, and many other languages, they’re known as only “armor,” a much more appropriate term which is a recognized synonym in the English-speaking world, particularly among military circles. A far cry from today’s plastic water tanks indeed, but the notion is never far away in the minds of military history buffs.

The connection is a little more than simply etymological, really, as the earliest designs did look like nothing more than simple water tanks to those who had the security clearance to see them. Tanks have dominated the battlefield for over sixty years, and even nowadays they form the core of most conventional land warfare tactics.

The introduction of attack helicopters and guided missiles have significantly reduced their striking power, and the asymmetrical warfare prevalent in conflicts today render them ill-suited for most missions, but nothing on the horizon can match the tank in its useful combination of firepower, maneuverability, and defensive capacity. Though less used, the tank still figures eminently in offensive tactics and grand strategy and should find a role for itself in the decades yet to come.

August 26th, 2010 by

Severe headaches? Squinting? It may well be signs of declining eyesight. So what do you do next? You set off to see an eye doctor (of course) and it might be that you will require eyeglasses or contact lenses. Now there is always the option of laser surgery but this post will not talk about that.

Go for the glass? Eyeglasses have been around for a long time – think Benjamin Franklin, an iconic wearer of eye glasses. Glasses are either created from plastic or glass. The frames for them also come in a wide variety of materials. And, if you’re nervous about not finding the proper frames, don’t stress they at present have frameless types. And if you are one of those people who can’t even consider putting their finger in their eye and flinch at the idea of it, spectacles may be your best option.

On the other hand contact lenses provide you with some advantages over eye glasses. One advantage, the rain, I think you know what happens. Two, fog, glasses tend to fog up. Three, moving down your nose whenever you perspire, etc.

Whichever you decide on, the most crucial issue is the fact that you see clearly.

August 24th, 2010 by

Ah, summer – baseball, backyard barbecues, and swimming pool resurfacing. That’s right, swimming pool resurfacing. Once an occasional chore every other year, it’s now practically a once-every-other-decade spring or even summer pastime (for those who like to wait until the very last minute) – all thanks to the new do-it-yourself fiberglass pool resurfacing in a can made possible by modern chemistry.

Pool resurfacing done right means fiberglass in this day and age. Swimming pool resurfacing is an important aspect of swimming pool ownership, just the sort of renovation that is made periodically to counter the effects of corrosion. Regardless of whether constructed of gunite, concrete, plaster, or wood (especially wood), swimming pools will deteriorate over time to the point that a complete resurfacing isn’t only advisable but required.

Thankfully, as previously mentioned, modern technology has made it possible for the finest kind of resurfacing, fiberglass resurfacing, to be performed entirely by oneself safely and fairly quickly. Best of all, it’s as permanent as any job handled by licensed contractors but much less expensive.

Fiberglass pool surfaces have a proven track record of more than three decades now as a durable coating that happens to also provide other benefits, such as reduce operating coasts. Fiberglass is a material that bonds very well with existing surfaces, giving pools a nice sheen that makes them appear to be brand new.

This wondrous product is now available in simple cans like paint, readily applicable and requiring no sand-blasting. Approved for both commercial and residential use, do-it-yourself fiberglass resurfacing will require less maintenance than even marcite or vinyl pools. Additionally, with the right care you won’t have to worry about your swimming pool’s surface for another twenty to thirty years or more!

Much less prone to staining. Gorgeous shiny protective shell. All easily applied and ready for duty within one day. That’s pool resurfacing in the 21st Century. Now that’s progress!

August 24th, 2010 by

Taxes and all of those forms… We should face it, tax forms can many times be confusing. There are a great number of questions people today ask when they are sent or need to send out tax forms. One of the more popular questions is, if you get a W9 form request, what should you do with it?

Well if you get a W9 request then according to the Internal Revenue Service you require to reply to it, providing that person asking for it is responsible to give you a 1099 form (this is an information return). If they are not required to give you a 1099 form (information return), well now we are talking about a whole different story.

So what will happen if you never respond to the W9 tax form request?

If you don’t respond to the form W9 request you will be subject to a $50 penalty plus future backup withholding. Backup withholding? you might possibly ask, well if decide not to give the information needed to a required filer of an 1099 Form (information return, not to be confused with a 1040 form) they are required to withhold up to 28% which is remitted to the government.