Jessica Lunsford Blog

The prevalence of low budget flights - sometimes lower than a domestic rail ticket - has helped to make purchasing a house out of the country a easier solution; even in this stage of overall monetary indecision. Without mentioning that a estate in a foreign country has gigantic investment potential - even through redecoration and sale or renting your house as a holiday place.

Generally, several individuals are unconscious or ill informed regarding the probable hazards concerned with buying estate in a foreign country. But there are some plain tactics you could apply to be sure you accumulate money, obtain a vast property and avoid possible pressure, care and economic issues.

First of all you’ll feel like to personally keep an eye on currency fluctuations; this not just applies to the moment whilst you are acquiring the foreign building, other than also any stage while you’ll be making transformations or even taking general vacations. This action is predominantly common in today’s existing financial climate.

You should you identify country real estate directive - a lot of times people face problems because they did not correctly check their civil rights. This concern to both acquiring a estate and modernizing it. You also must find that the assets in the neighbourhood your asset will not be advertise on and factories fabricated on it. Find property for sale in Spain from owners, agents and developers.

You have to also examine the companies you are negotiating with - quite certainly if there is any negative publicity surrounding them, that is should be online. A simple Google search can for sure take care of this - individuals like to be vocal as regards things that have maddened them; but be certain to look past page one - or excavate through whiz forums… that is where you will stumble on the actual information and not only the business spiel.

I’m an amateur poet. Have written probably a total of 100 good poems in my life that still would not make it to any of the major national poetry magazines. (Not that I haven’t tried, trust me…)

However, I was very honored about six months to get accepted to a poetry writing Master Class conducted by a bona fide and famous poet who heads the creative writing program in a major university in my area.

This is a man whose poems I’ve admired greatly and have just finished a collection of his recently published works.

My first reaction to the news was to call back my writer’s center and make sure that it wasn’t a joke or anything.

No, it was true. I was indeed accepted to the Master Class of only 12 budding poets and the selection was made on the basis of our sample poems by none other than The Master himself.

Wow! I was floored. What an honor. What a delight.

But the next emotion was one of absolute dread and fear!

It was one thing reading my poems to my wife and loved ones.

But it would be a whole another kind of experience to expose them to the eagle-like scrutiny of a nationally renown poet and actually a “hero” of mine.

Jeeez, what the heck was I getting myself into?!

Once the workshop got underway I was really amazed at the quality of writing in that small group of ours.

We were all unknown poets, some of us, like me, never even published. But those lines, absolutely haunting, winding, exquisite lines, reminded me once again why I loved poetry so much in the first place.

However, although we were all evidently qualified in linguistic pyrotechnics, that meant nothing for our Master. It didn’t mean anything for him at all.

He was after something else, something more than just a flash in the pan. Hmmm, I was getting curious about that…

At that point I started to talk less and listen more, my ears wide open like radio-astronomy dishes scanning the heavens.

I’ve soon realized the crucial ingredient that was lacking in my poems and what made HIS poems that hard-hitting, that breath taking.

It was a simple word that I had not thought about within the context of poetry until that time - HONESTY.

Let me explain.

We were all both stepping on the gas and the brakes at the same time.

We were all trying to say something very dear and important to us by choosing poetry as a platform.

Yet when we reached the end of the road, we were all refusing to let it go, flap our wings and fly off the precipice of our daily over-structured mental landscape.

There was a lot of resistance in each of us to tell the truth and nothing else but the whole truth. Instead, we were falling back on the easy defense mechanisms of linguistic acrobatics and clever phrases and metaphors. Obviously to be clever and tricky was not what poetry was all about.

HONESTY is one word that I’ve left that workshop with and I’ll be forever grateful to him for showing me the source problem with every bad poem.

Whether I’ll have the courage or not to write poems in the future that will honor that crucial principle is something else.

But at least now I know what to do to write poems that reveal not only my own small personal facts (who cares?) but great universal truths as well (what a service to humanity!).

I survived the quake of the Master Class and now I don’t have any excuses to write bad poems any more.

Is that why I haven’t written any poems at all since that date?

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Guesthouse,
in Babenhausen

The girl in the guesthouse

Is not as lovely as she was,

This year has worn against her.

She does not serve me so willingly;

Yes, she had a child, turned mother

And the glitter of youth that she shed

About the bar, as she

Brought me my beer, is spread

Too thin to be noticed.

She’s young, but looks middle aged.

Note: I was in Germany twice, once for 10-months, the second time for 44-months; during the second period, I knew the young lady at the guesthouse, a pretty German, her father owned the place, and her and her older sister helped with it. I had left the area for a year or so, and returned, and started drinking again, at that location, which was a bar on the highway between Babenhausen, and the Military Compound, nearby. But I hardly recognized her the second time. She was with child, and then I saw her before I left again, and that is when I saw the drastic change to her skin, her youthful beauty. I do feel, all this drinking and smoking and bar life takes the most out of a person, and of course it was a hangout for GI’s. Her skin was rich and vibrant; she was perhaps 19-years old when I met her, and 22-when I left. I of course back in 1976 was much older than her, I was 29-years old then. #1263 3/3/06

The Devil’s Sack

“Devil, O Devil! what have we here

is your sack filled with cow-dung

and fear?

“Perhaps, pale souls, you stole?

from temples, far and near?”

[The Devil says:]

“Why was Christ a loving Son? a mission!

a mission, my impudent human, He came

down from heaven (like I)

to save everyone, and die.

His Mission, contrary to mine.

“And away I fly, ever-so joyful, around

the globe…the world, doing mine!

“It’s what I feel, I was created to do. Of

course we all say that don’t we?

“Anyhow, in this sack, lapped across

my back are little gnats from hell,

prideful they are!

“They take these stones, cobwebs of

bones and sprinkle them

all over kingdomcome…

that’s my mission~!…son.

#1255 3/1/06

See Dennis’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Last year’s 19 % rise on office rental incomes seems set to continue and is a completely different picture from the rest of Europe. Whilst other major cities are struggling to find companies to fill their square footage Aberdeen somehow seems to have solved the mystery.

Unlike its UK counter parts the city of Aberdeen is managing to retain an elevated level of office rental income. Whereas other cities, like Edinburgh and Glasgow have seen a significant down turn in this sector Aberdeen is riding on a high. Also with an increase in those that require remote working, a demand in desk space has been a growing phenomenon.

Elsewhere the flagging office rental market has resulted in desperate attempts to attract foreign business who are not even tempted by low rents on state of the art facilities. In fact retaining existing business is proving to be very hard indeed.

The rate of occupancy, in the office blocks of this once oil rich Scottish city, is extraordinary considering the current economic climate. Being linked to oil has meant many highs and lows in times gone by but even the existing low value of crude oil doesn’t seem to have made much of an affect on this region of the country.

With a population of less than a quarter of a million people, Aberdeen is the third biggest city in Scotland. It has a rapidly growing electronics design and development industry and this is perhaps the reason for its sustained success, compared to its highland neighbours. Both fishing and oil contribute to the City of Granite’s economic buoyancy but these are currently a tiny part of the economy.

nting spare desk space is a growing phenomenon in the UK, powered by the broadband internet revolution and the massive growth in home and remote working, and now increasingly attractive to landlords and tenants as a way to monetise spare office space.

This blog is from our recent trip to Waikiki. Ive got to tell you, if you ever have the opportunity to make it to Oahu, you should definitely take the offer. It has to be one of the most gorgeous places in the US. What a blessing it is to have such a rare location in our country.

The hospitality there is awesome. We took a surfing lesson, rode a canoe, watched a few hula demonstrates and even had a chance to try out some bona fide Hawaiian food at a luau. They say ono out there, it means delicious. The Kalua Pig is to die for and be sure to stop by for a lava flow cocktail at Dukes. Its a little spot on Waikiki beach, great for an evening night cap. One of the most unforgettable aspects was when we treated ourselves to a massage. It was stunning, super relaxing and well deserved after a hard years work.

Oahu is phenomenal. Don’t stress that you won’t do it all, because you can’t. Determine what is most important to you and concentrate on that. Take time to unwind and savor just being there. Needless to say, we will be going back as soon as possible.

Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournaments come in all lengths and sizes. Some start with deep stacks and are designed for long play with many entrants at multiple tables at the casino. But players who want to limit their buy-in or time spent playing often choose the Sit-N-Go format, which is one self-contained table that often features quick rounds of blinds.

Sit-N-Go poker tournaments require different strategies than longer playing contests. In these fast moving tables, it is important to follow traditional poker principles of patience, discipline and intention.

Because Sit-N-Go starting stacks are typically small, there is little room for error. The blinds usually start off low, so you do have some leeway to practice patience and wait for a big starter hand in right position.

Disciplined folding is essential for Sit-N-Go success. It is easy to call off your small starting stack chasing after seemingly good hands, like a pocket pair or suited connectors, which fail to win. Pocket tens may look good at first glance, but when the flop brings over cards and aggressive betting, then folding will preserve your stack. You can go broke quickly in a Sit-N-Go with pockets cards you might ordinarily play in bigger tournaments.

Finally, because the margin for error is so small, you must focus on every action at the table, and act with dedicated intention when you enter the pot. Every action must be backed with a motive and a plan, such as executing an early strategic semi-bluff to sway your opponents’ thinking about your style later in the tournament.

On Dec 2008 e-lottery brought the Spanish lotto to it’s product range, granting players globally a vastly improved chance of partaking in this whopping Spanish lottery prize fund.

If this is the first time you have come across the Spanish Lottery, allow me to highlight just how crucial this lotto is to the large majority of the Spanish population. The Spanish lottery has been a national obsession in Spain for a very long time with immense interest generated by the Christmas lottery draw each year. It’s a fact that ninety-eight% of the population play this Spanish National lottery every Christmas.

There are a few basic reasons why lot’s of Spanish nationals join in the Christmas El Gordo draw.

First Of All, on that point is the incentive of the largest lotto prize fund of any world-wide lotto game - 2.20 Billion Euros! Secondly, there are more than 13,000 cash prizes to be won. Lastly, the chance of accumulating a cash prize in the Christmas lotto draw is a highly feasible - one : six.

With the amount of interest thats afforded to the Christmas El Gordo lottery draw, a good deal of individuals are unaware that there are 5 additional Spanish Lotto draws annually also. These games occur in May, July, January and November and March. Even though these 5 games do not feature the massive prize fund of the Christmas lotto draw, they are large nevertheless, ranging from 78 million Euros to 655 million Euros. Plus, these games offer virtually three times as many prizes as the Christmas draw and betting odds of picking up a cash prize of an staggering one : three.

The Spanish Christmas Lottery operates in a different way to nearly all other world-wide drawings. A full ticket ‘billete’ is very expensive, costing two hundred Euros. However, these lotto tickets are broken up into 10 ‘decimos’ (tenths) costing 20 Euros each.

When buying your lotto tickets you have the choice of buying 1 decimo, a complete lottery ticket, or a portion of a lottery ticket. If you do not buy the whole lotto ticket, someone else will buy the remainder of your ticket. For example, if you buy 2 decimos, somebody else purchases three decimos and somebody else buys 5 and your lotto ticket wins one thousand Euros, and then you will collect 200 Euros, 300 Euros and five hundred Euros respectively. Owing to the expense of buying an entire lotto ticket, it is not uncommon for households and friends to amalgamate their lotto money and all purchase a separate ‘decimo’ (tenth).

Half the fun of collecting comic books is hunting for rare editions on sale. This can be pretty challenging if want to buy editions that are very rare and harder to locate. On the other hand, you may just want the newest editions of your favorite comics. Here are some tactics to get you started.

New comic books for sale

Your nearest neighborhood comic book store probably has all the recent comic book issues you want at regular prices. You can also get new comics at toy stores, bookstores and even some corner markets. But, it you want to buy comic books in large quantities and at wholesale prices, try going straight to the source - the publishers themselves.

Older comic books for sale

Finding older comic books can be difficult, but with some persistence (and a willingness to extend your budget), you can find rare comic books in no time at all.

You’ll be surprised at the number of back issues comic bookstores carry - so don’t be afraid to ask the sales attendant for help. The Internet is a good source. Go to auction sites and search f to find the comic book titles and editions that you are interested in.

You can also join comic book fairs where a lot of comic book enthusiasts buy, sell or exchange older comic books. Trade fairs are a great way to meet comic book fans, and you can eventually exchange, buy and sell with the folks you meet.

Anyone selling their rare collection of comic books has a hard time deciding whether to sell or not, but you sometimes have to do it in order to stock in order to enhance your collection.

If you are in a hurry, try offering your comic book to a comic book shop. Just remember that they need to make a profit, and they will never offer you what your comics are actually worth.

If you are willing to wait a little longer, you can sell your comic books on auction sites. Carefully study the payment and shipment rules to protect yourself from scam buyers.

I’ve always been interested and fascinated with what works and what does not work when it comes to endurance training. I’ve seen and heard many different philosophies and methods as to what works and how an endurance athlete should train. Of course, many roads lead to Rome and there are without a doubt many different ways to succeed. I would certainly say that the training culture in northern Europe is a bit different maybe then what it is in Southern or Eastern Europe. I will try and sum up what I’ve learned, observed and heard with regards to the “Norwegian” method vs. Continental Europe. Endurance training methodology in Norway consists of some key items:

1. As much as possible of the training is done outside, year round. Irrespective of weather conditions. We compete outside, so we train outside. We have access to some of the best natural training terrain in the world and use it well. As a side-benefit, if you are used to training in bad weather, you compete better in bad weather. One of the reasons for this “obsession” with outdoor training activities is simply that most citizens from a very young age is taught the joy of being outside, enjoying nature.

2. Cross-training. It is generally more accepted that an endurance athlete can improve his performance by using cross-training. In other words, a cyclist can become better by running, hiking and cross country skiing. He does not necessarily only have to ride his bike. This belief also allows us to train outside year round in a country that might not have 100% optimal conditions for cycling in the winter. In southern Europe the general feeling is that a cyclist can only become better by riding his bike. Running or skiing is a waste of time.

3. Long rides at medium intensity vs. shorter rides at high intensity. Traditionally, endurance training at home has been overwhelmingly dominated by lots and lots of long, relatively easy sessions and very few hard, high intensity sessions. In a nut-shell this would make up the yearly training program for cross country skiers, long distance runners and cyclists. It has become very “hip” recently to discard these long, “easy” rides and label them as a waste of time. Some scientists have gone as far as to say that this type of training is entirely wrong. Instead, they suggest more hard, threshold sessions and intervals. This they say, regardless of the fact that most successful elite endurance athletes, regardless of sport, never trained this way.

I will defend the traditional method and here is why: For an endurance athlete, about 90-98% of the performance is aerobic. The remaining 2-10% are anaerobic. So, in a 4 hour competition, as much as 3.92 hours would be aerobic and 0.08 hours would be anaerobic. In other words, you can train to improve your performance in the 3.92 hours or you can train to improve your performance in the 0.08 hours. Obviously, the potential for improvement is much greater in the 3.92 hours that are performed aerobically. Not to mention that the 0.08 hours of anaerobic performance is not that “trainable / improvable”. So, in short - traditional endurance training with about 90% of the total training volume per year focused on aerobic capacity (long rides with low-medium intensity) and the remaining 10% invested in intervals and tempo rides is more beneficial. The long, easy-moderate intensity rides (called langkjring in Norwegian) improves certain key physical attributes: increase incellularr mitochondria, improvement of the capillary blood vessel network and an increase in aerobic enzymes. These long rides also improves the body’s ability to utilize fat as an energy, leaving the more fast-burning carbohydrate energy for the short bursts of power in a race.

Even with these facts, many modern coaches are not recommending young athletes to focus on these long rides. A simplified way to look at an effective endurance athlete’s weekly training program, following traditional endurance training is: Hard, easy, easy, Hard, easy, easy. On a weekly basis it would be Hard, Harder, Hardest, Easy, in regards to volume.

4. Athlete vs. coach / team. I think we have been successful in treating each athlete as an individual and listening to the athlete. Just because you have a team of top, elite performers, does not mean that each one will not have specific individual needs. And those needs may vary from week to week or month to month. One training program will only fit one athlete, you cannot design one program and suggest that everyone follows it. Individual variables such as illness, recovery rates etc will throw that whole system off. Eastern European nations on the other hand have notnecessarilyy believed in this. They have required all athletes on the national team to follow the same training program, regardless of individual variables. This has in effect, lead to eastern European countries falling 10-15 years behind the “curve”.

A great example is the old Soviet cross country ski team and their training program. Between May and September everyone on the team had to follow this plan: Monday - 35 km rollerski in the morning and 1.5 hour run in the terrain in the afternoon. Tuesday - 2.5 hour run, uphill in the morning and 1.6 hour rollerski in the afternoon. Wednesday - 2.5 hour rollerski in the morning and 1 hour easy run in the afternoon. Thursday -strengtht-training and easy recovery training. Friday - 2.5 hours hard run in the morning and 1.5 hours rollerski in the afternoon. Saturday - 3 hour run or rollerski Sunday - rest with lots of sleep. In addition, they were forced to sleep at certain times. In other words, no consideration for the individual athlete. This program lead to great success for the athletes that “fit” the program and no success for the individual that needed something different. Many talentedskierss never realized their potential because of this rigidness. I think we have been successful in Norway, due to the concern for the individual.

5. Use of pharmaceuticals. One of the greatstrengthss we have in sports at home is the attitude towards taking any type of drug, legal or not. The use of any drug, pill, drink etc that is not natural is very rare. From bottom to top, we utilize very, very little products that “aid” athletes. In short, top training consists of running, skiing or biking outside combined with an afternoon nap and a good night sleep for recovery. The diet is a simple, sound composition of wheat bread, dairy products, potatoes, fish, lean meat and lots of vegetables and fruit. This is VERY different on the continent where athletes take all sorts of “recovery enhancing” products etc. I’m glad I got that attitude with me now, it makes it easier to make the correct choices in modern cycling where team doctors etc are always trying to give you something to “speed up recovery” etc.

I’m a full-time endurance athlete (cycling), with the 2012 London Olympics as my main goal. I maintain a blog, where I write about my ups and downs in training / racing as I work towards year 2012. http://roadrace1.blogspot.com/

I was eating lunch outside one day and I couldn’t help but over hear a group of middle age women talking about their rings and other jewelry pieces that they were wearing. I just wished I had my mp3 player so I didn’t have to listen to them, but sometimes I feel like I’m being punished for whatever reason. These women were talking about everything under the sun from their engagement rings, wedding rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and their precious custom designed jewelry. It’s like they were showcasing their goods to sell like a street vendor.

They were saying that there were many Southern California custom jewelry stores, and that’s the big thing to do right now. Having a custom ring or necklace with precious gemstones on them is more valuable, because it was custom made and worth more. I guess it would relate to a guy having a custom made car or something to that affect.

I was almost done with my meal when out of nowhere I was blinded by this glimmering reflection from this women’s diamond ring. It was like someone took a hunk of diamond rock that fell from space and just put it on a ring. She was showing it off saying that she had this ring custom made because of the cut of the diamond. No kidding lady, I was thinking they could use the diamond for burrowing through a mountain. I was so glad I was done with my lunch.