Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

How To Get Your Horse To Obey You and Look To You For Ins...

In the animal kingdom there is a pecking order. Richard Shrake points out that it’s a lot like the military. He ranks in the pecking order go from General down to Private. The General will get first pick of the food, decide where to go and when, and so on. The “second in command” will act just like the General but he won’t pick on the General because the General dominates him. This string . . .

Warm Up While Playing The Big Cats at Ocean Ridge

Drop those snow boots, grab your golf clubs and forget about winter for a while at Ocean Ridge Plantation in Sunset Beach, N.C.Unlike its northern neighbors, Sunset Beach boasts a mild climate year-round. The warm weather and pristine natural surroundings make Ocean Ridge Plantation the perfect destination for active golfers who don’t want to settle for just a few short months of golf at home.S. . .

What A Load Of Golf Balls

Through out the history of golf the golf ball has evolved more than any other piece of equipment used in the game. From the very first wooden balls followed by the feathery to the latest 4 piece, high energy core, tungsten weighted, titanium, super thin covered, go further go straighter last forever golf ball, advances in science and the materials used in manufacturing has taken that little whi. . .

No Weiners at the Table !

The Year is 2168The Place: Winnipeg, North Dakota, USAThe Channel: 51,479 on your in-brain t.v. chipYour on site personal newshost is: Zig ZaggnerHello again, everybody, and welcome to the negotiating table, I’m the straight-shooting Zig Zaggner, telling it like it is…direct to your cranium.Today, we’re talking hot dogs. Weiner Corp International has finally consented to re-opening negotiations. . .

Lucky Hat

Do you have a lucky hat? It was a beautiful warm day in the mid 70's. Typical of what we get in Colorado during September. I started out by checking the stream flows on the stream flows page at fly-fishing-colorado.com. The South Platte below Cheesman Dam was just perfect running 250 CFS. The water should be clear and not too much moss yet. I was fishing the bridge pool where CO 67 and a Jeffco. . .

World-Class Athlete: Do You Have What It Takes?

The following excerpt comes from the book, Soccer Dreams, (a top-seller in sports journalism at Amazon) which describes Leah Lauber’s true adventure following the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, as a fan and 12-year old Junior Reporter during the history-making 1999 Women’s World Cup. While the article is now dated and was written primarily for children, the lesson itself is timeless in desc. . .

The Wet Fly Swing

The wet fly swing sounds like something one does at the square dance hall. Instead the wet fly swing is one of the oldest fly fishing techniques. It is used for all types of fish, where ever there is a current. Winter steelhead, salmon, big trout in big rivers, and even striped bass, are all prey that often require the use of the’ wet-fly swing’. When to use itThe wet fly swing is designed to g. . .

The Service in Here is Terrible!

Mea CulpaDear Reader (I assume the singular and hope for the plural) I have completely re-written this article in the light of comments from my coaching muse, Roger Mills. Roger feels that there were too many ‘negatives’ in the original. The principle here is ‘tell them what to do rather than what not to do.’ I apologise for the negative in that sentence; that will be the last one. Henceforth I. . .

Ready, Steady, Crocked

The motorway was hell, your dinner was in the dog, but by some superhuman effort involving changing in a telephone booth, you just about made it to the sports centre on time. You’ve had a bad day, you want to hit something, but you couldn’t find the traffic warden, so it will have to be a shuttle. And now…you’re raring to go.You strip off the tracksuit, select your favourite racquet (hopefully . . .

How To Choose The Right Scuba Fins

When it comes to investing in your own pair of scuba fins, you have a plethora of choices from a number of manufacturers who continue to advance the engineering they use to produce the most durable, efficient fins possible. While the original, traditional full foot scuba fins are still popular among some people, there are many more styles available now. Most of the new styles of scuba fins are . . .

Confidence in Fly Fishing

For those of you who, like me, have memories of fishing that pre-date memories of school, think back to as many fishing partners and trips as you can. Even those people you only went fishing with once. Then try to recall times where the success or failure of a fly fisherman seemed to lie strictly on the fly fisherman’s confidence. If you think about it in these terms, I bet you can remember . . .

The Mayfly Nypmh

Their names roll off the fly fisherman’s tongue like the names of lost loves. Making the angler drool almost as much as the fish (if fish could drool). Hendricksons, Green Drakes, Pale Morning Dun. Just saying these names can do more to lower a fly fisherman’s blood pressure than a month of yoga. Callibeatis, Blue Wing Olive, Tri-Co. If you are not in a state of Zen yet, remembering past fl. . .

The Mayfly Adult

In our last article titled Mayfly Nymph. We covered the basics of the nymph stage of this crucial insect in the world of the freshwater game fish and fly fisherman. We now will cover the adult phases of the mayfly. Although most of its life is indeed spent as a nymph dwelling at the river or lake bottom. It is the adult insect that has truly captured the fancy of fly fisherman. It’s the ad. . .

Choosing A Fly Reel

Selecting a fly reel for trout fishing has become, like many things in fly fishing, a somewhat unnecessarily complicated adventure. The problem is, reels have gotten so well-made, so functional, that you almost have to know what you are looking for. In the old days, reels held the line, your spare hand was the drag, and that was it. Tippets almost always broke when fighting an unusually large t. . .

Simple Things for the “Sailing Life”

Owning a boat has an oxymoronic quality to it. “The simple life” can be pretty complex--I think of it as having a plane, a car, and a house compressed into a very small space. This specialized environment calls for specialized equipment and tactics...sometimes. In spite of what marine retailers would like us to think, there are a number of 'normal' (and inexpensive) items that we can put to ver. . .

Snowboard Girls Take Your Skills To The Next Level At Gir...

Women who love to snowboard are commonly called snowboard girls. They love snowboarding freestyle, freeride, and freecarve. A great way for you snowboard girls to improve your skills quickly and have alot of fun is to go to a girls-only snowboard camp. All-girl snowboard camps provide snowboard girls the perfect environment to improve their skills and take their skills to the next level and bey. . .

Oregon Dank Stars...Clothing Against Corporations

The Oregon Dank Stars are Oregon grown skate and snowboard company which produce videos, accessories, and unique and attractive clothing for today’s misguided individuals. The Oregon Dank Stars have expressed their philosophy of supporting local business, wherever you may live. Can anyone, excluding shareholders and moneygrubbers, say anything good about Big Business and Corporate America’s inf. . .

Enjoying Your Vacation in an RV

Traveling in a Recreational Vehicle is, by most accounts, a fun, relaxing and enjoyable time to create some incredible stories that your grandchildren will someday enjoy. Here are few myths and truths about vacationing in a recreational vehicle. Myth: Getting your own RV and using it for trips and vacations will save you money. Sorry, but by the time you buy/lease/rent your RV, you probably cou. . .

How To Avoid Or Reduce Red-Eye

Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond doubt very fascinating. However, it also has many a nooks that the users of the digital camera must be aware of and also must be well educated to deal with in order to produce good photographs worth the most prized digital camera. Such a concept is that of the red eye! In order to understand what this red eye actually is, a little detailed . . .

Digital Camera Auto Exposure and Auto Focus

The digital camera being a fantastic and technologically advanced device contains many different applications of its own. Many users of this fabulous device are unaware of quite a few of these functions which can actually do wonders. And it is the duty and right of every person possessing the digital camera to intervene into the depths of knowledge to understand their prized possession and thei. . .

Choosing a Self Defense / Martial Arts School: a Parent's...

“Daddy, I want to take Karate!”“Mommy, Jimmy on the bus hit me again today”There are many reasons why parents want to sign their children up for Self Defense or Martial Arts classes. Once you have made the decision, now you are faced with many different options and questions. What style? How much does it cost? Is my child to young?Martial Arts and Self Defense StylesThere are as many different . . .

The Happy Tinkerer - Making Homemade Devices For The Fun ...

I've always liked to make gadgets and gizmos that have some function, either useful or not so useful. It started with the simple things that many kids make - slingshots, a simple bow and arrow, a toy boat. Occasionally I made more involved items such as a canoe and a dune buggy. Then there was the grass hut - 12 feet across, octogonal in shape, and thatched top to bottom with a thick layer of g. . .

Cushing's Disease

As our horses enjoy a longer life and many live well into old age so the number of horses with Cushing increases as its more common in older horses especially ponies. It can however affect all breeds and ages.Cushing is caused by an abnormality of the pituitary gland that is situated at the base of the brain. This causes it to produce excessive amount of a hormone called cortisone, which is th. . .

Selecting Flies for Pacific Steelhead

Popular flies for Steelhead vary greatly whether you are fishing in the Pacific region or in the Great Lakes. The fisheries have developed separately and so have the preferences anglers have for flies cast to their intended prey. We will primarily concentrate on Steelhead flies on the West Coast in this article and concentrate on flies of the Great Lakes region in a future article. There are. . .

Movie Poster Collecting

There is a great deal of history behind movie posters and movie poster collecting. Jules Cheret, who created 2 movie posters in the 1890’s, was the artist given credit for creating the first movie posters. By the end of the first decade of the 1900’s, movies had become a great source of public entertainment. In this time period, the movie poster would become a standard size known as the one she. . .

How To Improve Your Game With Simple Golf Exercises

Winter is upon us and you have more time, since you’re not golfing…so why not get a jump on next season by doing some simple, in-home golf exercises that will quickly prepare your body to hit LONGER drives and shoot LOWER scores?How many times have you started a new golf season with very high scores, short drives, and aches and pains? Am I talking to you? Let’s be honest. It happens more tim. . .

What Are Custom Golf Clubs

Custom golf clubs are anything from a single club to a full set of woods, irons and putter which have been custom specified and assembled just for you. They may work for somebody else and other people will probably love your custom built golf clubs, but they are yours.To make an analogy that most of you will be familiar with we will compare buying a new set of golf clubs to buying a new suit or. . .

Finding Fun Things To Do On A Date

Need an idea for what to do on a date? Here's how to go about finding ideas for new and unusual dates that are enjoyable and memorable.The three most usual choices for what to do on a date are dinner, a movie, and a public event such as a sports game or concert. Those activities often give the couple several hours of time to enjoy each other's company. But relying on those same activities too o. . .

Golf Workouts Can Quickly Add Yards To Your Drives

I’m sure by now you’ve heard most of the professional players; both men and women actively participate in golf workouts. It’s no secret. But why then do most amateur golfers ignore this? Is it because it seems like work? Or, does the thought of actually breaking a sweat get you tired already?Either way…the proof is in the bag. The number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, does his golf worko. . .

Winter Safety in the Mountains.

Snow-topped mountains look beautiful but they can be death-traps for the unprepared hiker or hill walker. Sadly, every year, people die and are badly injured whilst exploring these regions at this time of year.Harsh weather conditions, bad visibility and shorter daylight hours can all conspire to catch-out the unwary. The consequences can be extremely serious.Good preparation and a sensible att. . .

Photography Contest - a Fun and Rewarding Experience

Do you like to take photos? Are you always standing by with your camera waiting for that moment that is meant to be captured on camera? You may even be taking photography classes or maybe you have already completed a photography course and you want to share your photos with others. You may want to get into photography as a career and winning a photography contest will help you get recognized. M. . .

Euro Millions is Becoming The Biggest Lump Sum Lottery In...

With its first draw having taken place as recently as 13th Feb, 2004, EuroMillions is among the newest to join the ranks of world-class lotteries. It’splayed every Friday and shown on TV channels Sky One in the UK, TF1 in France and TVE in Spain.And it’s a truly multi-national affair. Because it’s operated jointly by the national lotteries of the UK, France, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg,. . .

Short Story: Take a Trip To The Temple Of The Great Tomato

Jimmy Jenkins Jr. is not an adventurer, traveler, or pioneer. Far from it, Jimmy has had the same job, in the same office for 15 years. He’s got about 2 years of holiday time built up because he never, and I mean never, goes anywhere, not even to the Coast for a day in the sun. He works very hard, is an amicable fellow, but is single, 39 years old, and boring. Boring is this guy’s middle name. . . .

3-Pointer By Gary Whittaker

1st Point: The ABC's of Sex and FootballThe No Fun League is back in the news again, and earning their nickname. In a cross promotional effort between Monday Night Football and Desperate Housewives, ABC has gotten major flack after airing a "steamy" intro before Monday Night's game between Terrell Owens and actress Nicollette Sheridan. ABC already has a 5 second delay in place after the infamou. . .

Digital Camera Printers

The digital camera is not meant only for capturing images and storing them on the computer memory disks. The real effect comes from the hard copy of those fantastic images taken by the users, that is the printed photographs! In order to get the printer copy of the images a very important device necessary is the printer. The digital image printing requires a few numbers of components that compri. . .

Underwater Digital Cameras

Underwater photography's is primarily focused towards entertaining and informing the people and the users themselves about what is happening in the world of under water with the aid of photography. The advent of digital cameras has opened up new horizons for such ventures. These digital cameras are not only handy and sleek but also they offer a spectral range of features that helps the underwat. . .

Play The Piano Like A Pro

Meet the 12 Major Notes:re1. C (do)2. C# - Db (do sharp or re flat) (one-key only)3. D (re)4. D# - Eb (re sharp or mi flat) (one key only)5. E (mi)6. F (fa)7. F# - Gb (fa sharp or so flat) (one key only)8. G (so)9. G# - Ab (so sharp or la flat) (one key only)10. A (la)11. A# - Bb (la sharp or ti flat)12. B (t. . .

The TOP 7 Mistakes Horse Owners Make

Mistake #7 – Assuming You Can Get On Any Horse And Simply RideNot all horses are the same. Some you can get on and easily ride. Some are so green that you could be easily injured if you have little or no riding experience. The ones easy to ride are typically older horses. They have been ridden the most and will be the most forgiving of a beginning rider’s mistakes. The younger horses will be th. . .

Choosing A Fly Rod

For many reasons, it is with some trepidation that I approach this subject. As I have stated in previous articles about fly fishing gear, you ask 15 people, and you get 15 different opinions. Choosing a fly rod is no different. In fact it might be the epitome of that statement. Fly anglers are picky about their fly rods, and they love their fly rods. To many it is like comparing spouses, and if. . .

Take Spectacular Nighttime Photos with your Digital Camer...

Night photographs express a special something that cannot be seen in normal daytime photography. Whether it is a photograph of a moon and starlit sky over a windy deserted beach, the excitement of a downtown cityscape when the lights go on, or just a picture of you and some friends in front of a favorite hangout, nighttime photos, when done right, are sure to attract attention. However, even fo. . .

Ski Fitness for Recreational Skiers

Imagine yourself cruising down a groomed run carving elegant turns with your new shaped skis. In the distance you see two symbols, a blue square for a left turn and a black diamond for a right turn. Without hesitation you steer to the right. The pitch becomes steeper, the snow is un-groomed, and there are trees, lots of trees. You stop momentarily, pick a line, push off, and tighten your turns . . .

Tips To Consider Before Buying a Poker Table

Poker tables come in al shapes, sizes and prices.Folding poker tables are reasonable priced and can easily be stored away or brought with you to the cottage or a friend's houseRacetrack poker tables are probably the most popular tables on the market.They are a great choice if you are buying a permanent piece of furniture for your gaming room, and the cloth/felt can easily be replaced .Octagonal. . .

Countdown to Armegeddon

'Tis the season to be jolly! Why? Simple. King George II, owing his re-election in large part to the American Christian Right Wing, will certainly not defoul the regions surrounding the holy land by launching any more full-scale attacks, in this, a time of celebration for the birth of baby Jesus. While "peace to all, and goodwill towards man" is a little too much to ask for right now, we can ex. . .

Guitar Tuning Tips

Most new guitar players and even some experienced ones have trouble staying and playing in tune. I'll try listing here some of the common mistakes and there solutions.When putting new strings on your guitar you must always make sure you stretch them as you tune them to pitch. I always hold them down on the neck around the 24th fret with my left hand while pulling them away from the guitar body . . .

Skiing Exercises for Recreational Skiers

If you exercise often, you'll begin to build your strength and enhance your endurance in the muscle groups used in downhill skiing. You'll be preparing yourself for the rigors of skiing in the expert zones where both staying power and explosive power are of the utmost importance. First, we’ll get into the why and when you need to exercise, before moving onto the five essential elements of ski-s. . .

Italy - The Mother of Opera

The story of Italian opera begins around the turn of the 17th Century and depicts an important piece of Italian culture. Divided into two periods, the Baroque and the Romantic, opera displays tragic-comedy that was adorned with beautiful scenes and breathtaking music. Historians across the world recognize the significance these periods have had on Italian culture. The art of opera is derived fr. . .

SportGamble.us Picks this Year's College Football Bowl Games

Here are the consensus bowl picks from the SportGamble.us staff. Tue., Dec. 14New Orleans BowlNorth Texas vs Southern MississippiSG’s Pick: North Texas If the So. Miss defense can stop Jamario Thomas from adding to his gaudy stats they should be able to keep this one close.7:30 pm Tue., Dec. 21Champs Sports BowlGeorgia Tech vs SyracuseSG’s Pick: Georgia Tech7:45 pmWed., Dec. 22GMAC BowlMemphis . . .

Poker Face In Cyberspace

His palms are sweaty and his heart is racing, but he smiles when he sees his cards."I can't lose this one", he says, with a big grin on his face. Poker in cyberspace is perfect for anyone not having a poker face. Johan Eriksson shows me his hand. A full house, queens full of jacks. There are 260 dollars in the pot. Jack from Ohio just folded his hand, but Hans from Norway and Steven from Austra. . .

The Road to Expert Skiing

Imagine yourself cruising down a groomed run carving elegant turns with your new shaped skis. In the distance you see two symbols, a blue square for a left turn and a black diamond for a right turn. Without hesitation you steer to the right. The pitch becomes steeper, the snow is un-groomed, and there are trees, lots of trees. You stop momentarily, pick a line, push off, and tighten your turns . . .

Winter Trout Fly Fishing

It is winter time now. One step on the frozen porch steps first thing in the morning removes any doubt of that fact. Winter time brings on many thoughts, holidays, dark afternoons, football on TV and for me some of the best trout fly fishing there is. That’s right trout fishing, winter steelhead fly fishing has been around a long time, and gets more popular every season. But the truth of th. . .