Benjamins Yarn

Survival skills just for backpacking? Why not? For ultralight backpackers like myself, skills replace gear, and therefore weight. If you spend any time in the wilderness, it also just feels good to know you can deal with whatever comes up.

Survival means staying warm and dry, hydrated, uninjured, and finding your way out of the wilderness. Of course, eating is nice too, but not crucial if the situation is just for a few days. Here are some survival skills you can learn easily.

Easy Survival Skills

1. Put dried moss or milkweed fuzz in your pocket as you walk, so you’ll have dry tinder to start a fire, just in case it’s raining later. Cattail fuzz works well too, and you can experiment with different materials.

2. If it looks and tastes like a blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry - it is. There is no berry in North America that looks like a blueberry, strawberry, or raspberry, and can hurt you from one taste. Take a taste, and just spit it out completely if it doesn’t taste right.

3. Make a pile of dry leaves and dead grass to keep warm in an emergency. I have slept warmly without a blanket, in below-freezing weather, in a pile of dry grass.

4. Put a stick upright in the ground, and mark the tip of the shadow. Mark it again fifteen minutes later. Scratch a line between the first and second marks, and it will be pointing east. Techniques like this can save you when your compass is lost.

5. Clouds form in the Rocky Mountains just before the afternoon storms in summer. Hikers are regularly killed by lightning in Colorado. Birds often fly lower before storms. Learning to read the sky and the behavior of animals can keep you out of trouble.

6. The biggest wilderness killer is hypothermia, and getting wet is the biggest cause. Get in the habit of watching for ledges or large fir trees to stand under when you think that rain may be coming. Learning to stay dry is one of the more important survival skills.

7. To stay warmer, sleep with your head slightly downhill. It takes some getting used to, but it works.

8. Get in the habit of filling water bottles every chance you get, and you won’t have such a hard time with any long dry stretches of trail. Drink up the last of your water right before you fill the bottles too.

9. Break a “blister” on the trunk of a small spruce or fir tree, and you can use the sap that oozes out as an good antiseptic dressing for small cuts. It also can be used to start a fire, and will burn when wet.

10. Bark from a white birch tree will usually light even when wet. In a jam, you can also use it as a paper substitute if you need to leave a note in an emergency.

The above are just a few tips and techniques you can easily learn. There are many more, and they can make backpacking not only safer, but more interesting. Why not practice one or two of these survival skills?

Steve Gillman is a long-time advocate of lightweight backpacking. For tips, photos, gear recommendations, 50 pages on survival skills, and a free book, visit http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com

Are you searching the market place trying to locate the very best foreign currency exchange rates? The world wide web is a fantastic place to compare & acquire the choicest offering. However, it’s obviously not exclusively about observing the market place the lowest exchange rate - extra fees, commission and transfer costs can all unfortunately make a good-looking exchange rate abruptly wretched value.

In this time of world-wide economic strife you really need to deal with a firm which you can trust - to not only acquire you the choicest rate possible at the sad era but also to provide you with assistance and sound advice. Foreign Currency Direct has been mentioned in such reputable publications as The Sunday sad era and The Observer as a well thought of business with whom to have a relationship with when securing foreign currency. So, you know you’ll be working with a honest & well thought of enterprise.

Dealing in foreign currency might often be a tricky type of business - the prices perpetually swing, consequently, if you don’t enjoy the ability to access to the most current numbers & capable experience you will often end up losing a large amount of currency. Foreign Currency Direct are without equal when it comes to dealing with currency exchange rates - in business ever since the year 2000 Foreign Currency Direct has evolved from strength to strength. Take advantage of favourable foreign currency exchange rates with Foreign Currency Direct.

Foreign Currency Directs exchange rates are calculated using live, constantly updated interbank’ prices (the price at which one specific institution sells to another) which are quoted in real time, making them way more competitive than those offered by far less specialised financial institutions and building societies.

The only thing you really should do is open an account at Foreign Currency Direct and you 4 commence trading currency - you can get exchange rate quotations by telephone, if you accept the offer you shall get an email, fax or postal conformation of the contract.

River Birch Trees are fairly easy to plant because they are fairly rugged and durable. Yet to plant or transplant them you do need to follow some basic guidelines. Two of the best cultivars or River Birch trees are Dura Heat and Heritage River Birches. We have been growing River Birch Trees for a number of years and offer these suggestions for planting in and around New Hope Pa..

All people handling Dura Heat and Heritage River Birches seedlings and small trees need to help with the life support of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out of water and need care which is often overlooked between the time the seedlings are lifted and transplanted. Improper care means higher mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must protect seedling from moisture and temperature extremes, as well as physical damage. Seedlings are living and should be handled carefully. For a higher survival rate, treat trees carefully and plant them immediately. I like to have a backup plan for planting if the weather turns bad. I will sometimes switch from lining out the seedlings to potting them up if I realize that the soil conditions will not be right for an extended lenght of time. If planting must be delayed a few days, keep the plants in a cold, protected place with air circulation between the trees. Keep the Dura Heat and Heritage River Birches trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees need water, feel the media at the roots.. If it isn’t damp, water the trees and allow the excess water to drain. In cool, damp weather, the biggest threat to these trees is from mold. Try to keep out of soil seedlings moist by either restricting water loss with a water vapor barrier or by wetting the roots at regular intervals. While handling or planting try to reduce temperature and air movement around the seedlings. Windy days can dry out seedlings so consider waiting for calmer weather. Once your soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will make planting a snap so its will be worth waiting for good planting conditions.

HOW TO PLANT

Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind. If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil should be moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed. Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare root seedlings should be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket with plenty of moist material packed around the roots to keep them damp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept refrigerated or packed in ice or snow. Don’t freeze the trees. Competition from weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental to survival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from this competition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spot before planting. Seedlings should not be planted under the crown of existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush. Avoid areas near walnut trees. Brush aside loose organic material such as leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot to expose mineral soil. If organic matter gets into the planting hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots will dry out when they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making sure the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If roots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able to take up water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blow down later due to poor root structure. Take a tree out of your planting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed, the fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Seedling shoots and roots lose water to air, roots require more protecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata (closeable openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings to help reduce water loss. If the Dura Heat and Heritage River Birches roots apear dry they are probably dead. Now I know you are thinking,”I will place them in a buckect of water and store them there until planting”. This will not work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple of minutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen. Remember to remove the container before planting a containerized tree. A helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting is to remember to always plant green side up. Hold the seedling in place in the hole, making sure the roots are straight, fully extended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep in the hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots. Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don’t crush the roots by jumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snake curled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more soil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil is not firmly packed around the roots, there will be air pockets that can dry out the roots, and the seedlings may be weakly anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up then have the tree leaning and have to adjust the tree later. (Addition of fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is not generally necessary.) Take your time in planting. Proper spacing will help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to get more production from a limited area by over planting and then thinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting …. digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portion of the crop. Avoid these tree planting errors:

Tangled roots Planting too shallow Planting too deep Air pockets Turned up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting trees that are not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas Planting over rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds

CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING Check periodically to be sure that brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control by mowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments. Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control advisor before using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in application of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your trees will help you to detect signs of insects, diseases or other problems. Apperances also help sell your product. Look for foliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of poor health. It is easier to take successful corrective action if the problem is detected early.

Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You probably won’t need to water more frequently than every 7-10 days. Give your trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the soil dry out before the next watering. This encourages the roots to grow down in search of water. Frequent, shallow watering encourages root growth near the surface and the trees are more dependent on irrigation and are less windfirm. Animals can be a major cause of damage to young trees. Porcupines, gophers, mice, rabbits, deer and cattle are the most frequent source of damage. In many states you may have to call your game commission and get their recomendations on legal methods to protect your crop. In our state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to kill deer that are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fence to keep deer away from your seedlings. Over the years we have lost more trees to mice than any other animal. Put rat baits out on a regular basis. Over the years we have lost more seedlings and plants to mice than any other culprit including deer and rabbitts combined. You can see other articles written by Bill Hirst about trees, plants, and shrubs at http://www.zone5trees.com http://seedlingsrus.com/Arborvitae.html http://seedlingsrus.com/FreeFencing.html http://seedlingsrus.com/Winter http://zone5trees.com/Hedges http://zone5trees.com/PlantingInstructions.html http://zone5trees.com/ProfitsGrowingTrees.html com

I’ve been traveling and writing about places I believe others would love to visit, to unwind from their busy and hectic schedules. Most recently I visited Costa Rica, a place which can be best described as one of the last paradises on earth. The last paradise on Earth?

Certainly, Costa Rica is one of the ultimate destinations and not just for vacationers. This small country of 50,000 square kilometers between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean is about the same size as Switzerland. Not only ecotourists and retirees praise it for its abundant fauna & flora - the country has no military, no nuclear power plants, the highest literacy rate in North America, no winter and lots of culture.

Whether you want to go adventure touring, honeymooning, or hiking, surfing or rafting - Costa Rica has everything to offer.

Adventure Tours, Honeymoon Packages, & Nature Hikes

Relax and dream about Costa Rica. You have many options like guided mountain tours, the best birdwatching in the world, rainforest canopy tours, whitewater rafting, wind surfing, fly fishing tours etcetera.
Enjoy your wedding and/or honeymoon with one of the many available Honeymoon Packages. See interesting places like Tortuguero, Drake Bay, Corcovado, Puerto Viejo Sarapiqu and Cahuita at the Caribbean Coast or Playa Flamingo, Gulf of Papagayo, Playa Hermosa, Potrero, Conchal, Tamarindo or Langosta at the Northern Pacific.

— Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica - “Region of the Turtles” —

The small village of Tortuguero (translated as “Region of Turtles”) lies on the northeastern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, approximately 50 miles north of the principal Port of Limon.
The region surrounding Tortuguero is called the Tortuguero Plain, which is a vast low lying area of little topographic relief still covered by a large expanse of tropical rainforest.

— Drake Bay - MANGROVE AND BIRD ISLAND TOURS —

Drake Bay is one of the most remote and natural settings that tourists will encounter in Costa Rica. The abundance of wildlife, (particularly birds), combined with great accomodations and friendly people make this one of the most spectacular and memorable places to visit.
This is truly an outdoor lover’s paradise. Hiking, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, sea kayaking, and sunbathing are just some of the many outdoor activities here.

— Playa Conchal —

Located 2 kms from Playa Brasilito, Playa Brasilito and Conchal make up a unit seperated by the rock headlands of Punta Conchal. Its name is derived that the sand is made up of millions of cruched shells that constitute a rare environment. along the 1,5 km long beach, manzanillo-, madero negro-, brasil-, and some ear trees can be observed. The beaches are drenched in sunshine, this being one of their most valued attractions.

And many more…

For Travellers:

In this Central American paradise you will find what you are looking for. If coming for the first time, learn the entry requirements from consulates, embassies and travel agencies.

Costa Rica Climate and Weather

Don’t worry about the weather! Costa Rica offers the best climate in the world. Like many tropical countries, Costa Rica experiences two seasons, wet and dry, rather than the four seasons of temperate regions. The dry season verano (summer) lasts from about December to April. The rest of the year tends to be wet and is called invierno (winter).
Here you can find the so called Green Season, when it usually rains in the afternoon, leaving the rest of the day for you to enjoy the outdoors. Even during rainy season there is a daily average of 5 hours sunshine.

Some hotels, tour operators, and car rental outfits offer green season (May-November) discounts.

At the end of your stay, you will be fascinated with this country of endless beauty!

Here a list of what awaits you: Flora and Fauna Tours, National Parks, Volcanoes, Rainforests, Dry Tropical and Cloud Forests, Wilderness Lodges, Surfing, Wind Surfing on Lake Arenal, one of the world’s top five wind surfing spots, Deep Sea and Inshore Fishing (Sailfish, Marlin, Roosterfish, Mahi-Mahi, Yellow-fin Tuna, Grouper Tarpon and Wahoo), Freshwater Fishing for local rainbow bass, Scubadiving, Snorkelling, Whitewater rafting, Canopy Tree-top rides, Arial Trams, Sky-walks on Hanging Bridges or Souvenir shopping in one of the popular craft towns.

Have a pleasant stay in one of the last paradises on Earth!

Thanks,

C. Lucky

All the information you need on Costa Rica can be found on the web site, http://www.1-costaricalink.com

Identity theft has quickly become a serious issue, not only in America, but around the world as well. Some of the recent cases of stolen personal data are overwhelming in size. LexisNexis, who specializes in the personal and financial data of individuals, had more than 300,000 clients personal data stolen.

In another case, MasterCard had over 400,000 credit card customers’ personal files stolen. The list just goes on and on.

With the explosive growth of the Internet over the last 10 years, many people believe that doing online transactions can put them in jeopardy of becoming a victim of identity theft. The truth is completely the opposite. Approximately 10% of all reported identity theft cases involved Internet fraud. The largest percentage of cases occurs from phone scams and documents left in trash cans.

The Internet can actually help protect you against identity theft in several different ways.

• Use online banking and credit card reports whenever possible. Nearly every bank and credit card company utilize secure Internet web sites that gives you access to your statements and accounts online. This allows you to have up to the minute access to your bank accounts and credit cards. If you see anything suspicious you can immediately take action and report it.

Be sure to only use secure sites that have the padlock icon on the screen. Another important point is to never click on a banking or credit card site from a link in any email message you get. Do not fall for the emails that ask you to “verify” your personal information. If you do you will have your identity stolen and your account cleaned out.

Always type in your credit card or bank website address in your browser. By doing this you will never have to worry about this problem happening

• Know what is on your credit report. By keeping a close eye on your credit report you will know if there is any fraudulent activity going on. If someone has stolen your identity you will see new accounts on your report that you didn’t know about. You can then take action and report the activity.

There are three main credit reporting companies; Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You can use the Internet to check your credit history with all three of these agencies at no cost to you. The government has made it a law that everyone can have a free copy of his or her credit report on an annual basis.

• Consider signing up for a credit monitoring service. You can find a number of these services by doing a simple web search. These companies will monitor your credit activity on a regular basis and report any unusual activity to you immediately. Of course you will also have access to your credit report on a daily basis. Most of these companies will give you a free 30-day trial to try out their service before paying the regular monthly fee. The cost for this service should be under $10 per month. It is a very safe and convenient way to keep track of your credit.

Take your personal credit information seriously. Keep track of your credit report and protect yourself against identity thieves. It can help prevent you becoming the next victim.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Identity Theft

When you are just about to start to play cricket it’s not always straightforward to decide what you need to buy. If you go into a sports equipment high street store and ask them what you require, you will probably end up coming out with a great quantity of kit. Therefore, it’s important to fathom what you want ahead of you going shopping. That way you are more likely to get hold of what you want, instead of what the shop manager believes you require.

Below, is more or less an exhaustive cricket equipment list, you do not have to get all the gear on this list, as a significant number of organisations will lend you gear particularly at youth level:

Cricket whites, cricket bats, balls, helmets, gloves, batting (wicket keeping) inner gloves, wicket keeping gloves, batting pads, wicket keeping pads, box, chest pad, arm guard, inner thigh pad, cricket boots (bowling boots; batting boots), box (groin guard), stumps and bails.

For most of the sports events you will ever take part in you will need to have your own set of whites. Cricket whites consist of white cricket trousers & cricket shirt. It is very important to ensure that you get hold of a good pair of cricket trousers as well as a good white cricket shirt and jumper as it can get pretty cold if you are standing out on the field for a significantly long time in particular if you intend to play in England (the start and end of the cricket season are the coldest). Find superb deals on cricket balls.

If you can not rent kit from your club the other most crucial items of equipment are a cricket bat and box. A good quality cricket bat is imperative if you intend to score lots of runs and is a very personal piece of cricket equipment, so spend some time picking your bat, ideally you should go to a sports shop & pick one up before you buy so you know how it feels to play with. As soon as you know what you want you can often procure bats on the Web significantly cheaper). You need a good box to shield your groin from the ball, as getting hit down below’ is extremely painful, so investing in a good box before you start is a must - you can not bat without one.

Related topics of interest include: Formula 1 Merchandise & Toys Online.

This is a “medium level” RSS template. Here we add some more Channel information plus the CDATA command along with the rest of item commands. This template is without the “enclosure” command. My previous article had the basic bare-bones template and my next one will have a template you can use for Podcasting or Videocasting.

You can easily copy and paste this into a template.
If you are not a techie and dealing with XML for the first time, use a decent text only editor, unless you can use FrontPage or DreamWeaver or a dedicated XML editor. Be careful of any extra charcters that you may sneak in with your typing, and remember not to touch the opening or closing brackets. If you do not know what you are doing do NOT touch the first three lines. The line beginning with the “channel” element is where you should begin to substitute the information on your feed.

Below we have two items in this channel. You can of course add as many items as your heart desires. Just keep on adding the entire section of beginning and ending with

First a template with information and then a template without. (The editing software forces an empty line between each command however in your Feed you should not have any empty lines. Just delete the lines with no information if you copy & paste)

<channel>

<description>RSS Feed for The Great<br /> Perfume Products Sold At Randy&#8217;s Pandy&#8217;s Perfumery</description>

<copyright>Copyright 2006 Randy<br /> Pandy&#8217;s Perfumery - All Rights Reserved</copyright>

<link><a href="http://www.randypandy.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.randypandy.com</a></link>

<language>en-us</language>

<managingEditor>randypandy@randypandy.com<br /> (Randy Pandy)</managingEditor>

<webMaster>webmaster@randypandy.com (Pandy Randy)</webMaster>

<pubdate>Mon, 5 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</pubdate>

<pubdate>Mon, 5 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</pubdate>

<lastBuildDate>Sun, 4 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>

<image>

<width>142</width><height>99</height>

<link><a href="http://www.randpandy.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.randpandy.com</a></link>

<url><a href="http://www.randpandy.com/images/randylogo.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://www.randpandy.com/images/randylogo.jpg</a></url>

</image>

<Item>

<link><a href="http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/heavenscent.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/heavenscent.html</a></link>

<description>[CDATA[<img border="0"<br /> src="http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/heaven.JPG" width="138"<br /> height="180"/> <p> Heaven Scent Perfume the Smell your lover<br /> will die for. Created especially by Skunk Perfumes it is their<br /> newest and best selling perfume on the market today. Purchase a<br /> beautifully shaped skunk bottle with this incredible perfume and<br /> get a whopping 50% off! And if you purchase over $100 we will<br /> throw in Free overnight delivery as well!<br /> randypandy.com - All Perfumes You Can Ever Desire<br /> <br clear=all>]]</description>

<pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2005 23:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

<author>sandy@randypandy.com<br /> Sandy Pandy - The Queen of Scent)</author>

<comments><br /> <a href="http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/comments/skunkyheavenscent.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/comments/skunkyheavenscent.html</a><br /> </comments>

<guid<br /> isPermaLink="true"><br /> <a href="http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/heavenscent.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.randypandy.com/perfumes/heavenscent.html</a><br /> </guid>

<source<br /> url="http://www.yaddayadda/hs.xml">Secret Source of Heaven Scent<br /> Publicity</source>

</Item>

</Channel>

Now Just the Bare Bones Template.

<channel>

<width></width><height></height>

<link></link>

<url></url>

</image>

<Item>

<link></link>

<description>[CDATA[<br clear=all>]]</description>

<pubDate></pubDate>

<author></author>

<category></category>

<comments></comments>

<guid></guid>

<source></source>

</Item>

</Channel>

This will work and without too much trouble if you want to create a full RSS feed (with no enclosures for music or video) this is what you need.

This Article was Part Eleven of the RSS Mania - Understanding RSS series. All parts of this series are available at Ezine Articles (www.ezinearticles.com)

1. RSS Mania Addiction - An Introduction to RSS and the Terminology
2. Outline of How to Create an RSS Feed
3. The Template File
4. The Basic Elements of the Channel Element
5. How The RSS Feed Works & Some Programming Constructs
6. RSS Channel Sub-Elements Specifically Image & How To Use It
7. Understanding RSS - The Elements Within the “Item” Element
8. Understanding RSS - Podcasting, VideoCasting & The Magic of the Enclosure Sub-Element
9. Understanding RSS - Rounding Out The Multi-Media - The CDATA Command
10. Understanding RSS - Part Ten - A Basic Template File to Create Your Very Own RSS Feed

Copyright © 2005 Ted W. Gross. All rights reserved. (You may publish this article in its entirety with the following author’s information with live links only.)

Ted W. Gross owns Virgin Earth http://www.virginisrael.com, a real estate brokerage firm in Jerusalem, Israel. Virgin Earth represents residential and commercial real estate all over Israel. Virgin Earth also maintains an RSS Feed on its current properties and also operates Virgin Earth - Israel Tourism & Information Portal on the same site. Ted Gross is also a published author and maintains a web site for his works. This can be found at: http://www.virginisrael.com/twg/iw.html Virgin Earth Blog can be found at: http://virginearth.blogspot.com/

If your kids have skied before you may know the skis appropriate for them and make the reservations before hand. If you are skiing during a holiday of high skier count, you should ask about reserving skis and equipment. Also, some ski resorts will take reservations for group lessons. You should make reservations for your private lessons in advance to assure your lessons.

Your kids need a high-quality sun block, even if the sun is not out and bright. They will also require goggles and perhaps sun glasses. Goggles work the best for most kids. It is also advisable to have helmets for the children. A number of rental shops have helmets for rent. You will be able to purchase them at the ski resort.

There is no set age to start your kids skiing. Some children can do it at age six while some three-year-old children may be ready.

In a private lesson the child has one on one attention. Remember the ski resort with all the distractions of new sites such as lifts maybe snowmobiles, people on skis going by at speeds that might seem to them as outrageous. All of this distracts them and they do not have their attention on the instructor.

Many times the children will have more fun in group lessons. The inter-reactions with other children and the games that a good instructor will have the group play on ski’s make it a good learning experience, as well as having fun.

Nothing and a whole lot!

That’s if Microsoft gets it right. First impressions appear to
be very promising and all indications show a much more powerful
RSS system, neatly integrated into the next version of Windows.
Could this finally mean the ‘coming of age’ for RSS?

But what does RSS mean to the average computer user at
this moment in time? Will people get RSS? Does Microsoft
have an education project on their hands with RSS?

Not Really!

Does DOS mean anything to you? If you’re like 95% of
computer users — probably not much. But that doesn’t
stop us from enjoying our computers and fully benefiting
from DOS. Sometimes complete ignorance is bless.

Unless you’re a techie and such technical stuff makes
your heart skip a beat, knowledge of such material is not
really required by the end-user. Fortunately, people don’t
have to understand ‘HTML’ to enjoy the Internet.

Likewise, knowledge of RSS is not important to the
ordinary computer or Internet user. Microsoft’s
RSS Longhorn puts RSS where it rightfully belongs,
in the background, invisible…seamlessly integrated
into your computing and web browsing experience.

It will make RSS an integral element of its new operating
system which has the code-name Longhorn. It will firmly
place RSS into the heart of your computing experience,
enriching and enhancing it in more ways than even Microsoft
is probably aware of yet!

RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’ and it has
long been associated with blogs and blogging because
they are written in RSS or XML format — code like HTML.
DOS stands for ‘Disk Operating System’ by the way
and it’s the platform for operating systems on your
computer. MS-DOS is the most widely used system.
Ignorance can sometimes be overrated.

Microsoft’s announcement of its plans to place RSS features
into its next Windows version, due out in 2006 and in servers
by 2007, is truly groundbreaking . You can read more about
Microsoft’s RSS plans here: Understanding RSS In The Next Windows.

This takes RSS out of just browsers and RSS readers (called
aggregators); and giving it much more powerful applications.
Most interesting is a new set of applications — Simple List
Extensions — allowing web sites to publish feeds containing
lists such as a wish list or top 10 list. Should make David
Letterman happy!

All kidding aside, for you, these RSS applications will
be very beneficial and rewarding. These applications will
make browsing, searching and subscribing to your favorite
information or sites a lot more easier. You can now take control
of your Internet, viewing and accessing the information you
want to digest.

It has many personal and business applications that will
take ‘keeping in touch’ to a new level. Calendars, events,
updates, personal photo albums…can all now be syndicated
with the new RSS platform.

What’s really important about Microsoft’s plans (I believe)
is the fact that this now makes RSS legit. Lets face it,
outside of blogging and a few alert online marketers, RSS is
still not understood by most people.

But as stated before, people don’t have to understand ‘HTML’
to enjoy the Internet. They don’t really have to know about
servers, DOS, or even ISPs to get full benefit from the web.
Likewise, RSS doesn’t have to be known or even understood
by the majority of the people who will be using it.

But it’s helpful that you do understand for you the
future of RSS holds many treats and the full impact won’t
really be known for years. Under the Creative Commons license,
RSS applications could have a far reaching impact on your
computing world of the future.

The potential of RSS is enormous. It may even pave the way
for a ‘Billion Channel Internet’ — where each web site is
its own little broadcasting system. An interactive channel
that broadcasts audio and video to all interested subscribers.

Microsoft’s announcement may just be the nucleus of such
a system. Many components are already in place like podcasting,
broadcatching, data feeds, etc. and its not that great a leap
or too fantastical to imagine such a system will exist in
the very near future.

For RSS changes HOW information is transmitted on the
web…from a passive role to a more pro-active one.
Don’t come to us — we will deliver.

RSS is also one of the more democratic elements of the
web where the little guy has a say. It was more than
fitting that Microsoft’s RSS team met with Dave Winer
(Mr. RSS to those who keep a close watch on all things RSS)
and asked his opinions on these recent developments.

Ordinary Bloggers have preached the benefits of RSS for so
long; the mantra was becoming a tiresome echo across the
web. No one seemed to be taking RSS seriously.

In that light, it can’t be understated that Microsoft’s
incorporation of RSS into Windows is one of those true
‘turning points’ that has to be acknowledged. It does
change how computers and the Internet will work.

This is a great step forward in making RSS an integrated and
seamless component of computers and the Internet.

At last, someone has gotten RSS right.

This author’s articles on RSS have appeared on such sites as:
Sitepronews, Bonafidereviews,
Addme, and Ezinearticles.
To add RSS to your Site within minutes, download this simple
RSS and Blogging Guide.

Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins http://www.bizwaremagic.com.
This article may be freely distributed if this resource
box stays attached.

Perhaps nothing says “garden party” like having afternoon tea outdoors. It’s a charming reminder of bygone days and childhood make-believe. Outdoor spaces of all kinds, including balconies, can be successfully adapted to a tea party.

Tea parties span generations and will be enjoyed by your most sophisticated women friends or all the giggling little girls of your acquaintance.

What makes an elegant tea party? Look at these factors.

Flowers

Plan to hold your tea party when your garden is in its fullest bloom — perhaps it’s lilac time, June roses, or peony season. Be sure to cut some of the blooms for the tea table vases. If you don’t have a garden, buy an armful of flowers at a farmers’ market or stop by a country ditch and pick bunches of wild daisies and Queen Anne’s lace.

Invitations

Send handwritten notes by snail mail. Your guests will recognize your party as an elegant affair and dress accordingly! Typically, tea is held around 4 p.m. — perfect for day-blooming flowers. Include an invitation for the little ones to bring along a doll or teddy friend.

Table Setting

The more elegant, the better. Stash the paper table covering and the plastic glasses just for today. Instead, use a crisp linen tablecloth, pressed cloth napkins and your best bone china cups and saucers. If it’s a little girls’ party, you might want to invest in two or three miniature tea sets.

Try to have adequate seating for everyone. Consider setting your straight-back indoor dining chairs outdoors. They can add an elegant touch, whether left unadorned or covered with flowered chintz.

Hats

Encourage all of your guests to wear hats — big-brimmed, floppy and flowered. If the party is for little girls, collect old hats, scarves and silk flowers at a thrift shop, yard sale or discount store. Make decorating the hats a fun activity at the party. You can also include a box of flowery cast-offs for dressing up. Include “grown-up” shoes and old jewellery — anything that will make the little ones feel elegant. Tea time is a fun way to introduce young ones to “elegant party” manners.

Food

Other than teaspoons, no cutlery should be required at tea. All sandwiches and sweets should be dainty finger-food. Try sandwiches of watercress, cucumber, or egg with the crusts removed and cut in quarters. Sugar cookies and petit fours are traditional sweets. You can substitute mini-cupcakes or tiny tarts.

Tea

One of the first things that I learned in seventh grade home economics class was how to brew a proper pot of hot tea, but that was many years ago. I suspect that tea-making is becoming a lost art.

Tea is actually the common name of one plant: Camillia sinesis. The three basic types of tea — black, green and oolong — are distinguished by the amount of oxidization that the tea leaves have undergone. The more than 3,000 varieties of tea in the world are all derived from those three basic types.

Herbal teas — more properly, tisane or infusion — are made from a wide variety of flowers, herbs, barks, berries, fruits and spices.

At a minimum, offer your guests a traditional tea and a caffeine-free herbal choice. Have milk (not cream!), sugar and fresh lemon wedges available.

So, dust off your teacups and your manners and sit down with your girlfriends for a proper tea party. It’s a lovely summer interlude!

Debbie Rodgers, the haven maven, owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Her latest how-to guide “Attracting Butterflies to Your Home and Garden” is now available on her web site. Visit her at www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on “Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space”. Mail to debbie@paradiseporch.com.