Continual Vigilance

I know it may sound simple, but there are things a Will does and certain things it cannot do. Most people don’t have a will and don’t even want to talk about it since it relates to death. A lot of people don’t even have life insurance, either. I had a boss that was speaking to his accountant one time, “If I die-” started my boss, and his accountant said, “There is no “IF”, its just “WHEN”. We all will die and it would be nice to have a will to help your family decide what to do with your money and belongings.

Why do you need a will? Would you rather probate courts decide the fate of your children? The court decides where the kids are sent for foster care. That should be enough to scare you out of your shoes. The court will also decide what happens to your assets. Yes, all your stuff and money. So you may have money and a nice house, then its all gone and the kids are sent to the state home.

I know, it sounds harsh. So what can a will do for me?

First, a will can indicate where your assets and property go. You can also name a guardian for your children and their property. You can also name an executor to administer the will. This executor can be given powers and compensation for taking care of your estate.

But here’s the tricky part - a will can’t override anything with a named beneficiary. For example, your life insurance has a beneficiary that was established at the time you wrote the policy. Also, a will can’t nullify the terms of a trust you’ve established.

So what should you do? Inventory your assets that will pass through the will. Like checking accounts, CD’s, stocks, bonds, real estate, etc. These are called probate assets. Nonprobate assets would include things like your life insurance. These items have named beneficiaries.

Make a list of your beneficiaries and decide what you want them to have. If you have children from your current marriage, then the decision would probably be very easy - give the items to your spouse. If you have kids from a previous marriage, plan carefully and list them as well as their relationship so the executor will have no questions and will hopefully limit anyone contesting the will.

I hope this gave you some idea as to why a will is an important planning tool not for you, but for your family. You don’t make a will for yourself, as you will be dead, you make one for your survivors.

Stuart Simpson
http://www.attorney-lawyer-information.com

High protein diets are usually associated with low
carbohydrates, even though people who have high protein
requirements, like professional body builders, are not advised
to go on a low carb diet. Protein is one of the most important
nutrients necessary for health. The body uses it to build
muscle, replenish cells, keep the blood in optimum condition,
and basically to keep the body operating smoothly. If done
properly, a high protein diet will keep you strong, healthy, and
happy.

A high protein diet can provoke weight loss, as several studies
have indicated. Proteins are composed of amino acids, and
science has shown that if your amino acids are deficient, you
are prone to a number of health problems, including obesity. If
you concentrate on protein-rich foods and minimize your intake
of refined food that have a high carbohydrate and sugar content,
after a while, your body will enter into a state called ketosis.
Instead of burning carbohydrates as fuel, the body will turn to
fat as its primary source of energy. Simply put, the less carbs
you have in your body to burn, the more fat your body will use
to give you the energy you need to live from day to day.

In addition, it has been proven that eating protein-rich foods
leaves you feeling full longer and you will find that you are
much less inclined to snack or go on an eating binge. This is
because your blood sugar and insulin levels are kept within the
normal range you’ll be keeping undue hunger at arm’s length.

Going on a high protein diet does not mean, however, that you
are free to gorge on any and every type of protein. You would do
well to avoid fried foods dripping in oil or margarine-smothered
products. The reason for this is because these foods contain
so-called trans-fats and other bad oils and fats that can lead
to clogged arteries and heart disease. However, there is a
wealth of other types of fatty, protein rich foods that are
quite nutritious.

As is common knowledge, meat is an excellent source of protein.
Pork and beef contain ample amounts of this nutrient. But if you
are concerned about fat, you should limit your portions of
dishes containing meat. On the other hand, there is no need to
worry about oils and fats if you eat fish and other seafood.
Aside from being rich in protein, they contain essential fatty
acids that improve your blood cholesterol levels and help
prevent ailments like stroke and coronary artery disease. So you
need not have any qualms about indulging your appetite at a
seafood buffet - most of them can do no harm, only good.

Many plant products also have a rich amount of protein in them.
Soy-based produce like tofu and soy milk are suitable for those
trying to lose weight on a high protein regimen. So are pulses
and beans. Not only are they protein-rich, they are usually
low-fat and low-carbohydrate as well.

There have been concerns that a diet rich in protein can have
adverse health effects. Some health experts claim that too much
protein can deplete the body’s calcium supply and lead to
diseases like osteoporosis. Another concern is that the kidneys
are forced to deal with more byproducts, thus lessening their
efficiency. And there are indications that too much protein
increases uric acid levels, which can lead to gout or kidney
stones. However, the jury is still out on whether protein is the
major culprit in these conditions. More, longer-term research is
needed to determine this although there are also many studies
that are being conducted to explore these problems, their
extent, and their possible resolutions.

A high protein diet may not be for everyone, but for a vast
number of people, it not only helps them in their weight loss
efforts, it keeps them healthy, too! If you are considering
going on this diet, always remember your limits and stick to the
rules. It’s possible to modify it a little bit in various ways
(such as reducing the intake of saturated fats) to suit your
personal taste, but don’t deviate from the “main course.” Choose
your protein sources wisely, don’t forget to exercise, don’t be
a glutton (it’s one of the seven deadly sins, after all) and
just watch the pounds melt away.

Before, owning a copy of your favorite artist would only mean buying either from a local music store or online music sites. And a copy with an average of 16-18 cuts would cost you at least $10. If you think this is reasonable, then consider yourself lucky. However, if you are one of those who cannot afford buying copies of their favorite artists and still would want to listen to them, all you can do is to wait until your local radio stations play their songs. If you have the computer and the Internet connection, you can go to online music sites with free radio like the Launchcast, Shoutcast, Live365, and MSN radio and hope that the song will be played.

Today, with several music download shareware programs it is possible to get your favorite song directly from other users without actually buying from them. These programs let you store the songs you have downloaded to your hard drive or transfer it to your portable MP3 player.

But for you who would like to keep a complete collection of the song by actually storing it to a disc for archiving or play it to your vehicle of home entertainment system, there is one piece of computer peripheral you need: CD burner.

If you know how CD player looks like (and I’m sure you do), you would recognize the CD burner.

CD burner comes into two forms: the “independent” and the “attached”. The independent CD burners or writable CD drives do not necessarily have to be permanently attached on the CPU. It could be connected through a USB port with its own power source. The other type of CD burner is the one that is attached to the CPU just like the CD ROM we know for quite some time.

Remember the times cassette players were only meant to play cassette tapes? Then came the cassette recorders that enabled users to copy the content of cassette tapes to a black one.

The same concept applies with the CD burner. It could copy from one CD to another or from a hard drive to a black CD and vice versa.

But to actually use your CD burner, you have to have software. Some of these softwares are available and downloadable for free online. Examples are ISO Recorder, DeepBurner, Burrrn, Windows Media Player, Xduplicator, Cheetah CD Burner, and more. Other CD burner softwares could be purchased. While those for free have the same burning capability, those that are sold give more features and flexibility.

CD burners are not limited to audio copying. It also can copy document files, programs, games, videos, MP3, WMA, and WAV files. Not only that, CD burner with DVD burning capability enables you to copy you favorite DVD collection to another CD if in case you would want to share it to a friend or keep it in case your original DVD is lost. You can also burn a DVD movie after you downloaded it through the Internet so that you could watch it on you television or your home theater.

Although many would argue that the release of the CD burner provides venue to produce uncopywrited CD’s whether audio or video, there is no question that CD burner brings the production technology within the reach of the consumers. And soon, as technology still progresses, there would be technology more advanced to cater the needs of music and video collectors and enthusiasts.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides CD burner resources on http://www.your-cd-burner.info

“The Da Vinci Code” movie has come, or is coming, to a
theater near you. Unless you like far-fetched, crackpot
conspiracy theories, this movie, based on Dan Brown’s
novel, is not for you.

The catholic.com website briefly explains why this book is
an assault on the entire Christian faith (Catholics and
Protestants alike) by promoting these false ideas:

1. Jesus is not God; he was only a man.

2. Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene.

3. She is to be worshipped as a goddess.

4. Jesus got her pregnant, and the two had a daughter.

5. The daughter gave rise to a prominent family line that
is still present in Europe today.

6. The Bible was put together by a Roman Emperor.

7. Jesus was viewed as a man and not as God until the fourth
Century when he was deified by the emperor Constantine.

8. The gospels have been edited to support the claims of later
Christians.

9. In the original gospels, Mary Magdalene, rather than Peter,
was directed to establish the church.

10. There is a secret society known as the Priory of Sion that
still worships Mary Magdalene as a goddess and is trying
to keep the truth alive.

11. The Catholic Church is aware of all this and has been fighting for centuries to keep it suppressed. It has often committed murder to do so.

12. The Catholic Church is willing to and often has assassinated
the descendents of Christ to keep his bloodline from growing.

Such attacks on the Christian faith almost always aim at two targets.

First, the Bible is demeaned as an outdated book of fairy tales. Second, Jesus is damned with faint praisewonderful guy, but certainly not God.

In “The Da Vinci Code,” the idea is that “the Bible did not arrive by fax from Heaven.. The Bible is a product of man…Not God.” And Jesus Christ is described not as God but as “a historical figure of staggering influence…”

Let’s use apologetics to demonstrate the Bible is God’s Word and Jesus is God.

Apologetics does not use faith-based persuasion. Instead, it
is the use of natural, scholarly means-including the Scientific Method, the Forensic Method, as well as proofs from formal logic, the laws of mathematics and the laws of statistics.

Consider these facts:

1. The Bible of 60+ books was written by 40 authors over 1,600 years. It has no major doctrinal contradictions, even though the 40 did not know each other or have any possibility of collaboration.

Some of these writers wrote about future events, which later came to pass, often things they didn’t know or understand as people of their culture and time.

Who told them what to write what they didn’t know? Hmmm.

2. The Old Testament makes over 300 prophetic references to the
first coming of Jesus Christ. Every one of these was fulfilled (e.g.”born of a virgin”).

Under the laws of statistics, if only 50 of these 300+ came true, there’s only once chance in 250 million to the 10th power that the attainment of these 50 prophecies is a fluke or a fake. But all of these prophecies were fulfilled, leaving no wiggle room under the laws of statistics.

3. Jesus was resurrected and spent another 40 days on earth,
not cavorting with Mary Magdalene, but completing his mission
to get his church off to a good start.

He appeared to several hundred of people at different times and places, developing historical proof of his resurrection. He ascended into heaven with a large crowd watching, providing historical proof of his ascension.

Remember, historical proof is not a matter of faith. It’s a matter of history.

Clearly, the Bible checks out as an accurate, consistent book using natural proofs to validate its theological claims. The Bible clearly says the Jesus is God along with the persons of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

“The Da Vinci Code” plays havoc with history.

It refers to the Priory of Sion as a long term group. But history shows that this group was not founded until 1956.

It discuss the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., wrongly claiming the Jesus had been viewed by the 318 Church Fathers in attendance as just a man, and that Roman Emperor Constantine fabricated his divinity.

Actually, the Council strongly overwhelmingly affirmed the belief of Christ’s disciples and the early church fathers of
the first three centuries (including Justin, Polycarp, Tertullian) that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

These men suffered persecution and even death for their beliefs.
They weren’t willing to die for a lie.

I believe that God has a sense of humor. Why else would the movie
be directed by Ron Howard of Opie Tyler sitcom fame? And why
would Tom Hanks of Forrest Gump fame play a major role?

Remember, Forrest Gump frequently said “stupid is as stupid does.” Right on, Forrest! Your wise slogan certainly applies to “The Da Vinci Code” book and movie.

Fact, fiction or total foolishness? No debate here. “The Da Vinci Code” wins total foolishness honors hands down.

What demonic, moronic movie will emanate next from Hollywood?

John J. Alquist owns and operates Alquist Enterprises. He is a professional speaker, author and business consultant. He is also
a former Catholic and now a Bible-believing Protestant, having exhaustively studied the Bible, church history, apologetics and prophecy. Visit John online at http://www.tell-it-well.com. Email him: john@tell-it-well.com

Lost amidst the politically motivated and media-hyped cries of the cultural decline in America is the very real issue of the nutritional decline in America. Despite being the wealthiest and fattest nation in the world, many Americans are nutritionally underfed. Indeed, a survey by the Produce for Better Health Foundation found that only 38 percent of Americans ate the daily-recommended number of vegetable servings and only 23 percent consumed the recommended number of servings of fruit.

Increasingly, however, companies are providing a measure of relief from America’s nutritional decline in the form of easily absorbed nutritional supplements. Prepackaged in appealing flavors, these vitamins and minerals are seen as a crucial element to enhance Americans’ poor dietary choices. Agel Enterprises (www.yes2agel.com), manufactures Gelceuticals, which combine essential vitamins and minerals in a gel suspension. “Agel understands that we sometimes replace fresh fruits and vegetables with less than ideal choices,” says Regional Director Cedrick Penn, who is also an Agel advisory board member. “An exceptional supplement helps to fill the gap between a less than optimal diet and sound nutrition.”

The spending habits of Americans support the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s finding. A study published in the May 2004 Agricultural Economic Report noted that low income households spent a weekly average of $3.59 per person on fruits and vegetables, while higher income households spent a weekly average of $5.02 per person. Astoundingly, the report found that close to 19 percent of low-income households and 10 percent of higher-income households bought no fruits and vegetable in any given week.

Instead of buying the products that provide life-sustaining and disease-preventing vitamins and minerals, Americans are spending a substantial portion of their food budgets eating out. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that, in 2003, almost 40 percent of food expenditures made by individuals and families were made on food not prepared at home. Of that, 38 percent was spent at what the USDA termed “limited service eating places” - what we might call fast food restaurants. During 2003, the average person spent $1,531 each year for food eaten away from home and $1,731 for food eaten at home. Even the most generous figures in the Agricultural Economic Report provide for a startling contrast: The average person spends a little over $5.00 per week buying fruits and vegetables, but spends almost $30 each week eating out. This represents a seismic shift in consumer habits over the past four decades. In 1963, for example, less than ten percent of food budgets were spent eating away from home.

Americans aren’t spending all that money on salad bars. The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service reported in 2004 that, on any given day, about 25 percent of Americans over the age of 20 eat fast food. The report stated that, “Although fast food provided one-third of some respondents’ daily caloric intakes, those meals included almost no milk, fruit, or fruit juices, which are important nutrient sources among key food groups. In fact…the intake levels of vitamins A and C, carotenes, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium decreased.”

The hectic pace of the American lifestyle and the quarter of a million fast food restaurants in the U.S. combine to form a recipe for calorie-packed, nutrient-deficient foods. Companies such as Agel are banking on the need to counteract the tendency of Americans to gravitate toward the quick but empty calories of fast food. “Our four formulas are packaged for men and women on the go,” says Penn. “They can be tucked away in a pocket or a purse, and can be taken without water.” Americans may never forgo their beloved junk food, but with supplements such as Agel’s, they’ll at least be able to pack some nutrition in alongside their burgers and fries.

Press Direct International is a global information web site providing indispensable information tailored for professionals in the financial services, media and corporate markets. Our information is trusted and drives decision making across the globe. We have a reputation for speed, accuracy and freedom from bias. For more info visit http://www.pressdirectinternational.org.

How in the world do you get your child to write? This is the
battle cry of many parents. A lot of imagination, with a little
bribery (or praise) is all you need to get your child writing.
We’ll supply the imagination. The praise and bribery is all up
to you.

Grocery List: Enlist your child’s help in making the grocery
list. Walk around the kitchen, naming things you need from the
store. Ask your child to write everything down. Your child can
also suggest foods you might need from the store and he can add
those, too.

Old Checks: If you’ve recently switched banks and have checks
that need to be destroyed, first let your child play with them.
Give him some envelopes and he can pretend to pay bills — while
getting him to do some writing. Of course, destroy the checks
afterwards. If you do not have checks available, you can just
give your child some blank pieces of paper and he can make his
own checks.

Cards: If your child is interested in Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh cards,
then give him some index cards cut in half and have him design
his own cards. Encourage your child to give the characters names
and special abilities on their cards.

Fictional Journal: Sometimes it is hard for children to write in
a journal. What is there to write about? Instead of a standard
journal, give your child a fictional journal. He or she can
pretend to be anything they’d like to be and write a journal as
that person. Your child could write from the perspective of an
Astronaut discovering a new planet, Prince or Princess on an
Adventure, Archaeologist finding a new species of Dinosaur,
Famous Athlete, President of a Country, Passenger on the
Titanic. Your child could write from the perspective something
instead of someone, a mailbox, an animal, a pen. The
possibilities are endless.

Letter-writing: Have your child write a letter to Santa, the
Easter bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. Or, your child could write to
their favorite athlete, fictional character, or movie star.

Alphabet Game: Take a piece of paper and write the letters A-Z
in the left column. Then, choose a category from the following
or make up one of your own. Vegetables, Fruits, Animals, Musical
Instruments. For older children, the categories can be narrower
and more difficult, like Countries, Characters in Literature,
Presidents, etc. Set a timer and you and your child both list as
many of the items in the category as you can for each letter.
The trick at the end is that you have to cross off anything on
your list that your child has listed. (for instance, if you both
have “apple” for an “a” fruit, then the parent crosses theirs
off.) Whoever has the most words wins.

Character Game: Tell your child to pick a character from a book
or movie that he’s familiar with, and you do the same. Then, ask
several questions and you each write the answers to the
questions on a piece of paper. When you’ve finished asking the
questions, then have your child read the answers and try to
guess who he was pretending to be. You do the same and see if
your child can guess who you were. Whether you are pretending to
be Peter Pan or Shrek, you and your child will have fun and your
child won’t even realize he’s practicing his writing!

Just about a decade ago the thought of a wall-hung TV might have seemed like a wishful desire. It was out of the grasp of the majority of avid customers, with criminal fees that needed taking out a second mortgage to be the owner of these particularly shiny televisions. However, over a period these astounding television sets reached the level of attainability. Nonetheless, currently not something you can just go out and buy, it has nowadays steadily become much more of an option. Prices for these flat panel High-Definition TV sets are at this moment diminishing faster than new home values, & have made the electronics dream a certainty.

Today there are two competing flat-panel equipment; plasma & LCD. While each product delivers a brilliant picture and these television sets may look identical from the front, the components on the inside is somewhat different. And thought LCD tellies have been limited to 37″s and smaller, TV sets with the liquid crystal display technology are at this instance in sizes as big as plasma. Digital Direct - Great deals on Plasma TV’s.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding that, numerous consumers think plasma to deliver more than a few fundamental selling points over LCD TVs. The largest advantages is that plasma TV sets generally feature deeper black levels-endorsing that the blacks are in truth black & not merely a dark shade of gray. This in turn means that the colours are much more colourful & authentic. The most current models from Philips & Hitachi have in reality taken the black levels to new depths, and hence have constructed the best images we have watched to date.

Irrespective of the reports that plasma TV sets “needs to be recharged” after five-thousand hours, nothing can be far more from the truth. These days flat panel plasma TVs would often run for sixty-thousand hours or more, offering years of breathtaking TV viewing. Despite the fact that there has been a concern over issues such as burn-in (fittingly so, as this could ruin that expensive TV), the newest TVs incorporate technology to manage picture retention, supplying pixel shift functions that gradually move the whole screen and more crucially, eliminate any ghosting should static pictures essentially “stick” the image. This includes a white wash mode as well as an inverse mode to take away all burn-in.

Whenever I mention my occupation to a non-wired person, it seems to generate the same response:

“Isn’t there an awful lot of porn on the net?”

The question floats toward me like a smoke ring and forms a halo around my face, framing me as a pornographer, nymphomaniac, and all-round corrupter of innocence.

I expect that from my mother, but it’s not the public image I strive to cultivate. I never have a good response ready.

“Hmmm,” I nod coquettishly, “I’ll have to look into that.”

The subtext of my vapid reply could be “Yes, the internet is a modern-day Gomorrah and I’m in it up to my quivering loins,” or, “I really haven’t heard that, but I’m so pathetically hard-up that I’m gonna race right home and look.”

Neither is what I mean to convey, but the truth is probably just as perverse…

I’ve never really looked into sex on the net.

I always plan to, but I never do. I think I’ve always been very nervous about what I might find. Who knows? Maybe I myself would become corrupted - lured into the nether regions of psycho-sexual depravity and cyber-sensual abandon… never, perhaps, to return.

(I shudder at the thought… several times.)

Well, that sort of cloistered naiveté is fine when you’re just peddling software and minding your own business, but now that I’m prancing around like an e-marketing guru, I no longer have the luxury of ignoring so large and infamous a part of our venue.

THE DARING SEXPLORATIONS OF LINDA COX!

I have shifted into my Lara Croft/Wonder Woman Intrepid Female Explorer persona and I am now going to begin my Conradian trek into the internet’s dark interior.

Wish me luck. Here goes…

Okay, I’m back. Thanks for waiting. I’m prepared to report now.

Yep, it seems that there IS some sexual content on the internet. (Drink, please.) Rather a lot, in fact. (Make it a double.) Funny I never noticed before. (Is it warm in here?) Actually, it’s amazing there’s room for anything else. (WHERE’S THAT FREAKIN’ DRINK!?)

Here’s what I learned…

1. I can never don my Lara Croft/Wonder Woman alter-ego again now that I’ve seen them locked together in alt.sex.binaries.lesbian.actionheroes in a bout of no-holes-barred lovemaking.

2. Acts I consider sexually extreme and taboo, many people consider warm-up.

3. I will never use a public restroom or changing room again. I will never wear a skirt in public again. I will never look at many salad ingredients the same way again.

4. Certain professions should strictly enforce a much earlier mandatory retirement age.

5. Everything is a sex toy to someone… EVERYthing.

6. I found Howard Sprague’s private diary online. Goober and Floyd I always suspected, but Otis, Barney, how could you?

7. Bondage is a cottage industry. I’m not sure what BDSM is, but it looks pretty damn uncomfortable.

8. I accidentally learned how Vinnie, my pizza delivery kid, made ends meet before landing his present gig.

9. Some things are better left unshaven.

10. She-males are the damnedest thing since Mike the Headless Chicken.

THE GODS OF INTERNET MARKETING

Adult website marketers are the most in-your-face, take-no-prisoners, knock-down drag-out rock ‘n roll marketers on earth. If I could sell software the way they sell sex, I’d be living on my own island.

IN PRAISE OF CENSORSHIP

Frankly, I very much oppose adult content on the internet. I think it should be legislated out of existence. Here’s why:

Sex is the fire in the belly of civilization. If we allow it to become so commonplace that everyone gives up the hot and frenzied pursuit of it, then humanity will just go sit on the couch and watch pro wrestling. And then where will we be?

Sitting on the couch watching pro wrestling, that’s where!

About The Author

Linda Cox (J.A.M.G.) was born in a speeding stagecoach amid the screams of fellow passengers as insane, wild-eyed horses dragged them all crashing toward the brink of destruction. That stagecoach was the planet Earth, those passengers were the human race, and Linda Cox is Just Another Marketing Guru. (The horses were just regular horses.) http://www.LindaCox.com/

TheBeep’s own Mike Willaford had the chance to talk to Adam of Fear Before the March of Flames about what has been going on and what might be coming later on down the road. Mike hit up Adam on their way to the Portland, Oregon show and had a little chat.

Adam: “Hello?”

Mike: “Adam? Hey this is Mike from the Beep.Net calling for the interview. How are you doing?”

Adam: “Doing good just driving.”

Mike: “Oh, I didn’t mean to call you wile you were driving…”

Adam: “No I’m not driving, just sitting in the van.”

Mike: (awkward silence because Mike is nervous) “Oh, ok, well I guess let’s just kick this right off… I heard you guys are from Aurora , CO - what’s the scene like up there in Aurora?”

Adam: “Well, in Aurora there really is no scene, but as far as Denver goes it’s awesome! And it’s getting a lot better I think um, like, a lot more kids will come out to our shows and because of that kids who haven’t really heard of other bands in the scene are going to other shows. I think it’s actually getting better every day.”

Mike: “Awesome. Is the band name really in reference to a newspaper headline? Because in your last song it says ‘…waiting in line for hell with you…’ and a lot of references to ‘marching into the flames.’”

Adam: “No, it really is a newspaper headline.”

Mike: “How was playing with Norma Jean?”

Adam: “Awesome, those guys are a totally cool band. Just a blast. Some of the biggest shows we have ever played as a band, which is crazy. We just like to play with those guys and hanging out with those guys. They are just totally, totally amazing guys, so it was a really good time.”

Mike: I kinda have a different question. Where do you see yourselves in 10 years?”

(disconnected)

Adam: “Hey I think we got cut off…”

Mike: “Yea I think we did too, it’s ok though.”

Adam: “What was your last question? Where do we see ourselves…”

Mike: “In 10 years…”

Adam: “6 years?”

Mike: “10 years..”

Adam: “It would be great if we were still doing this band, but who knows, you know? It’s really hard to say professionally where we might be. Maybe still making music or playing guitar: I would like to buy a boat, and be a shark fisherman. I wouldn’t want to actually eat the sharks or kill them. I would just want to hangout with them for awhile.”

Mike: (laughs) “Awesome.”

Adam: “If I’m not making music or in this band I would like to fish for sharks, and hangout with sharks.”

Mike: “Where do you see the hardcore scene headed?”

Adam: “Well that’s hard to say, um, like it’s so different where ever you go. There’s hardcore now that is main-mainstram ****** pop-punk bands that scream and that don’t know much about hardcore, you know? There are bands that used to be hardcore, but are now mainstream hardcore. Then there’s bands that think they are hardcore bands, and bands that get called hardcore but don’t want to be called hardcore. And there’s bands that get called hardcore but aren’t hardcore at all. It’s really, really hard to say, I would like to say I know where it’s but I couldn’t really tell you.”

Mike: “Yea, I know what you mean. In track 3 you said…”

(disconnected)

Adam: “Hey man is that your phone or my phone?”

Mike: “I don’t know whos phone that is.. do you have a bad signal?”

Adam: “No man, I’m in service.”

Mike: “Ok, I’ll go outside and see if that helps (goes outside). Let’s see if this is better. In track 3 you say, “the birds think I’m one of their own, the birds thank God to be alive.” Is there any Christian or religious influences involved?

Adam: “It’s a song that Dave wrote, and it’s kinda like a conversation with the devil.” (silence)

Mike: “Hello, you still there?”

Adam: “Yea, it’s just a song about having a conversation with the devil. Don’t think we are a satanic band or anything…”

Mike: “No, no, no, not at all. There are rumors that you guys are a Christian band because you guys played at Cornerstone and did some touring with Dead Poetic and Norma Jean.”

Adam: “We never played Cornerstone.”

Mike: “Never played Cornerstone?.”

Adam: “No.”

Mike: “A few more questions here. What’s the bands favorite food on tour?”

Adam: “Favorite food? It kinda varies for each member but we are all fans Chilis. We just ate there an hour ago. They have black bean burger that I really enjoy. The waitress wasn’t so good today, she put bleu cheese all over my ****. It made me real mad. Sometimes we like to find a good Mediterranean place to eat. Have you ever been to Perkins?”

Mike: “Yea.. Perkins is really good”

Adam: “Yea.. They have a good selection there..”

Mike: “What’s the funniest thing that has happened so far on tour?”

Adam: ‘Funniest thing that has happened on tour” (thinking) Let me think, (talking to other people) - Lots of funny stuff happened, but uh… One time we were at a strip club, we don’t always go to strip clubs but it was kind of a crazy night, and Mike our bass man got called up on stage and he rode around stage by a stripper. That was pretty funny.

Mike: (laughing) “That’s hilarious. That’s all we have for you. Thanks for doing the interview. Be sure to check out TheBeep.Net”

Adam: “Definitely. Thank you.”

Questions? Comments? Email info@thebeep.net - www.thebeep.net

Mike Willaford

Writer for www.thebeep.net

mike@thebeep.net

You may have noticed lately that at some golf courses the starter and will a point of asking, or sometimes even suggesting which tee box golfers will be using during their round. With the growing popularity of golf and more golfers on many Niagara courses, you should soon expect to be advised about hitting from the proper tee boxes, But there is more to this trend than accommodating the masses.

Because slow play has become a concern for course managers and players alike, it only makes sense to take practical steps to speed up play and shorten the time it takes for a round of golf. There are many proven ways to speed up play, but enforcing the use of the skills- appropriate tee boxes - be they red, white, blue, gold or black - mightverywell be the simplest and most effective.

Slow play is not the only reason that every golfer should play the course at a length in keeping with their own abilities. Shorter hitters teeing oft from markers too far back will necessarily take more shots, encounter more hazards, incur more penalties, lose more balls, spend more time searching for balls, and require more time to complete their rounds. How much fun can that be? Scores balloon, handicaps soar and sandbaggers are born.

Here’s the thing - many players automatically play the white tees, for example, without giving a thought to the length of the white course. That’s a mistake. Here in Niagara, for instance, the white yardages range from 6,494 yards at International (R&B nines) to 6,181 yards at the Links of Niagara at Willodell (about the Niagara average), and down to 5,312 yards at Water Park. A mid-handicapper might struggle with the length of one course off the whites but master a shorter course playing from the same set of tees.

Instead, each player should play from the tees that most closely correspond to their comfort zone. That may very well mean playing the whites at course A, the blues at course B, maybe even the blacks or reds at course C. Although it seems a good idea, there is no standardization of tee colours with corresponding course lengths. Course handicap and slope ratings are calculations intended to equalize courses based on their length, contours, hazards, greens, trees, etc. - on a scorecard or in a computer, not on the course!

Working at stretching your game a bit by playing somewhat longer, more challenging courses or from tees a bit further back should not come at the expense of golfers playing behind you. While real improvements can only come en the course, the place to practice is the driving range. Choose a golf course that is in, keeping with your handicap, length off the tee, and the pace at which you play. By doing so, the game will be more enloyable. more clubs and shots will come into play, course management skills will improve, a round of golf will take a little less time, and friendly competitions and handicap play can be more fairly conducted.

Bill Rivers is an accomplished writer on outdoor subjects such as golf and fishing. Bill has many articles and course profiles on his Golf Tourism website - http://www.teeingitup.com