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This is a secret technique I did in my Track Star days which I have never made mention of or ever bothered to tell anyone about. Now I cannot say if it helped me to stay undefeated for 4-consecutive seasons or not, indeed all I can say is it is yet one more component of a serious athlete.

There is something I use to do to train that no one else did, that I just made up, I never told anyone else. What I would do is start out at the 50 yard line and run, but I would drag one leg as a balance and make the other leg do all the work, by bringing the good leg knee up high and pushing off really hard and then accelerating on the grass of a football field.

You have to pump your leg in use really hard to do it and still accelerate. Then switch off and do the other leg. I use to do this for a warm up about 50-75 yards at a time (3-4 sets) and a couple of times in the middle of the work out, it seemed to stretch the muscles and strengthen them. Sometimes I would do this while out jogging on soft terrain, trails or grass. Think on that, see if it works for you.

The reason I just now have remembered this, was because I was reading up on the "Plyometrics" stuff last night that while working on a running book, book review. And I remembered I use to do that all the time. And no one ever told me to and I have never met anyone else who has, but I did it. Of course no one ever beat me in those 4-years either.

Maybe that might be a little secret to remember? I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

I am not a die-hard sports enthusiast, but confess I enjoyed watching the winter Olympics held in Turino Italy. It was nice to watch something positive and motivational for a change and to delight in some truly amazing and generous acts. I find the wide variety of sports showcased fascinating, proving there is a lot one can do in cold climates of winter!

Consider the spectrum of sports. There are the many varieties of skiing. The downhill event has skiers reaching speeds of 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph), you get speeding tickets for going that fast in a car! Imagine what it takes to be a ski jumper as you attempt to imitate flight and defy gravity the longest once you are airborne. Picture the freestyle skiers who twist and turn in the air so fast I don't know how the commentators can describe their incredible aerial feats. The cross-country skiers have tremendous endurance, and some stop to shoot rifles while trying to manage their beating hearts and gasping lungs.

We were witness to a newer Olympic event that debuted in Nagano in 1998, snowboarding. I think the snowboarders had the most fun creating their lexicon when they speak of a McTwist, Fakie, Duckfoot, an Ollie or a Nollie! Didn't it just used to be Narly ... or was that suffer speak and I've just dated myself?

There are those flashy speed skaters in their skin-tight outfits who fly around an oval ice surface at up to 60 km per hour (37 mph) battling G forces in the turns. The figure skaters entertained us with their dance routines and inspiring jumps. They also showed tremendous grit when Zhang Dan a Chinese pairs figure skater had a spectacular fall which made anyone watching cringe. To our disbelief, this 20 year old got up, completed the routine, and won the silver medal. Awesome.

We can't forget the curlers. A sport many find strange, but appreciate the accuracy involved in curling your rock down a 44 meter (49 yard) ice surface and trying to hit a bulls eye with two sweepers helping control speed and direction of a heavy stone, while you opponent is attempting to block you or knock you on every throw. Lots of yelling and physics accompany this sport! Imagine four Newfoundlanders winning the gold - talk about a party when they get home!

There is the luge where, depending on the event, one or two people lie on their backs on a sled going down a tight twisty run ... feet first. You might think that is scary enough until you see those in the skeleton event, maybe appropriately named. These athletes go down a steep ice track, on a sled, that has no brakes, headfirst. Hmmm ... where do they find people to do this?

Then there is ice hockey. Grown men and women strap on boots with blades on the bottom, use curved sticks to shoot a hard rubber disk in the opponents net. This happens as they skate at up to 50 km per hour (30 mph) and shoot the puck at over 150 km per hour (95 mph) while maneuvering around on ice. A shame both the NHL laden U.S.A. and Canadian teams didn't even make it to the semi-finals. Perhaps too much talent, not enough "team".

Over the 17-day period, 2,500 athletes from 85 nations competed for 84 medals in seven sports. We shared the pride of those on the podium as they smiled or cried as their national anthem played before the world. Two single acts at this twentieth Olympic Games stand out in my mind and will for many years.

I applaud gold medalist Joey Cheek, the USA speed skater for donating his $25,000 bonus to Right to Play, an organization of former Olympic, Paralympic and professional athletes worldwide who support using sport for development, health and peace. Good for you Joey, you are an inspiration to many.

Perhaps the defining moment of the Games was when Sara Renner, a Canadian broke her ski pole in a cross-country team sprint event. A Norwegian coach gave her a pole to finish the race. She and teammate Beckie Scott went on to win the silver medal. To me this unselfish act defines sportsmanship and is hard evidence the true Olympic spirit lives on. See you in Vancouver in 2010.

Alpha-blockers, like beta-blockers, are not meant to be used as an initial treatment to hypertension. This is because alpha-blockers must be used in consonance with other anti-hypertensive agents. Alpha-blockers are used for medication of systolic and diastolic hypertension as well as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Despite its ability to combat adverse effects of hypertension as first-line treatment, experts recommend alpha-blockers to be good in lipid improvement and glucose level management in diabetic patients.

Alpha-blockers work by helping to ease and relax the prostate muscles and accommodate the continuous flow of urine out of the bladder. This process however cannot be done alone and that is medication of other blood pressure lowering agents must also be applied to a hypertension patient. Alpha-blockers are taken orally once or twice a day. Not all alpha-blockers are specified for high blood pressure cases. Products like alfuzosin and tamsulosin are the exceptions.

Doctors also recommend the use of alpha-blockers to patients who have been previously treated with other anti-hypertensives. Diuretics for example induce frequent urination to patients. Alpha-blockers work very well with male patients as suggested by the study of the American Urological Association or AUA that showed remarkable improvement of urinal activity in patients in 2- 3 weeks time.

To harness more of the treating potential of alpha-blockers drug interaction must be considered. The National Institutes of Health of NIH in the United States report that a dual in take of doxazosin (an alpha-blocker) and finasteride (another agent) can lower the risk of worsening its side effects.

The side effects of alpha-blockers are dependent on dosage and background of a patient. Erectile dysfunction however is not one of them.

* Weakness

* Fainting and dizziness

* Headaches

* Nasal Congestion

Further studies have recently shown superiority of other anti-hypertensive agents to alpha-blockers. One study reported that in a test of four agents, alpha-blockers do not seem to have exuded advantage over the others. There was no significant variation of side effects also found in the four agents in terms of worsening conditions.

In a separate lab re-evaluation by a large organization called Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), alpha-blockers are to be used as the initial medication otherwise used as treatment for both high blood pressure and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Another review however revealed that alpha-blockers exhibit more dizziness and fainting side effects on patients than other anti-hypertensive. This can be prevented, though, by starting with low dosage.

The general look of a piece of furniture tells the expert whether it is old or not, but this is a matter of experience. If you are interested in old furniture see as many genuine pieces as you can; go to museums where you are certain of the authenticity of the articles. Slowly the eye and mind can be trained to recognize whether the appearance of a piece is true or not.

The aging of wood alters its colour according to the timber from which it is made, and according to the treatment it has received over the years. Even the hidden inside parts change with time; if a drawer-lining is scraped it will show at once how the surface has aged. Equally, the old polished outside surfaces mellow, and repolishing changes the colour of the wood completely.

It is worth while studying the methods of making furniture, and how they have changed from time to time. How, for instance, the crude dovetails on the heavy drawer sides of 1600 were modified and improved in the course of the century. When examining a piece of furniture in a strong light, it is as well to look for signs of alteration, and to try to reason what was done and why.

New screws differ markedly from old; prior to about 1850 they did not taper to a point, Also, the slot in the head was hand-cut and seldom central; in modern machine-made screws it is invariably exactly across the middle of the head.

Old veneers were cut with a saw by hand, and are consequently quite thick; many of them almost an eighth of an inch. Modern veneers, however, are cut with a machine-driven saw, and are much thinner. This, with other factors, is a useful indication of the genuineness of a piece.

The use of some of the rarer woods implies that an article cost more for materials and probably also for labour, and that it was probably made to a high standard throughout. The better-quality eighteenth-century pieces were fitted with oak linings to the drawers, but in exceptional instances this might be mahogany or cedar. Practice varied from workshop to workshop and from period to period, and a guide can give only clues not answers.

If you are really interested in discovering more ways to appraise antique wood furniture, then the most comprehensive book on all aspects of old English furniture is The Dictionary of English Furniture, by Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards. It is in three large volumes, copiously illustrated, and was first issued in 1927. A further edition, revised and enlarged by Ralph Edwards, was published in 1954.

Also, an excellent guide to the period 1720-1820 is Georgian Furniture, issued by the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1951.

A standard work on French furniture is Les Ebenistes du XVIW Siecle, by Comte Francois de Salverte, of which the fourth edition was published in Paris and Brussels in 1953. Also written in French, but less exhaustive and cheaper in price is Les Meubles Francois du XVIW Siecle, by Pierre Verlet. It is in two volumes: i, Menuiserie, ii, Ebenisterie, published in Paris in 1956. In English the Wallace Collection, London, Catalogue of French Furniture, by F. J. B. Watson, issued in 1956, containing a great deal of information and many illustrations.

The more you educate yourself on the matter of fine wood furniture, the better eye you will develop over time, resulting in an antiques collection to make you the envy of all your house guests!

The dawn of RC car racing began in the 1960s when the first radio control system was available. The difference between a normal vehicle as we know it and a model RC vehicle is its size. These small road runners can be very fast and very precise. The innovations in the radio control system and in the models architecture, made them stronger, faster and easier to control.

Small nitro methane engines were available from the 40s. In the mid 66 El-Gi, (Elettronica Giocattoli) from Italy, released the first fully RC model. The car was available in shops in UK by December, the same year.

By the beginning of the 70s a British company, called Mardave, began manufacturing RC models. They sold commercial models all over the UK.

In the early 70s several US companies began producing models. Their products were at first 1/8 nitro powered kits. Their body was made of polycarbonate

The most popular model engine of those times was the K&B Veco McCoy. With the passage of time, producers took time to experiment with different types of heat sinks, engines, suspension types and larger fuel tanks.

US company Jerobee created in 74 the 1/12 nitro Cox engine car. Several other companies created parts for it. Afterwards, Jerobee became Jomac and started manufacturing electric models.

1976 is a great year for the RC models history. Tamiya, a renowned company from Japan, entered the world of radio-controlled cars. Until 76, Tamiya was notorious for their highly detailed miniature car models. Although they entered the market with very high prices, their kits were sold in no time. In 79, the same company released their first real off-road buggies, the Sand Scorcher and Rough Rider. This was the beginning of a great company. Their early models are today collectors items, reaching the value of $3000.

Because of this popularity, Tamiya re-released some of the early models in 2005. As expected, the products sold fast.

It would be a shame not to mention another great company. In 1980, Schumacher Racing UK was the first company to release the ball differential technology. This allowed model owners to adapt their racers to various terrain conditions very easily. Until then, on-roads had a solid axle. Thanks to the technology introduced by Schumacher Racing, switching from an elegant on-road to a rough off-road has never been easier. This very same company was the one to release CAT (Competition All Terrain) in 1986. In 1987 the model won the international RC championship, being considered one of the best off-road buggies of that time.

Keith Londrie II is a successful Webmaster and the owner and publisher of http://rc-mini-nitro-gas-electric-cars.info/ A website that specializes in providing tips on Radio Control Cars that you can research on the internet. Visit http://rc-mini-nitro-gas-electric-cars.info/ today! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Londrie

Another off the Argentine assembly line of New Maradonas, Lionel Messi may be the first to live up to that unfair comparison. Where Javier Saviola, Juan Roman Riquelme and Pablo Aimar have unsurprisingly failed to match HIS high standards despite initial promise, Messi has shown that even at a young age he is able to carry the weight of expectant teammates and a nation on his shoulders.

Credit must also be given to his Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard for not rushing him into a starting place at Barcelona he is more than ready to hold.

"It is clear Messi is a talent, a future player, but I ask that everyone continues supporting him when he is out of the team because he is still very young." Rijkaard said in a recent interview. He continued:

"I'm convinced about him because I know he isn't paying attention to all the speculation in the media."He prefers to do his talking on the pitch.

In fact his three goals and one assist in nine league starts for Barcelona this season to add to his goal and assist in the UEFA Champions League back up his coaches claim, and at 18 years young we are only just starting to see glimpses of his enormous potential. Messi states:

"I want to keep on learning and I hope things go well for me. The thing is to help the team as much as possible."

These are the words of a young man with a focused head on his shoulders and more importantly good advisors around him. How many times have we seen the vultures swoop in on young prodigies sweet talking them and their parents into committing career suicide by sulking and demanding more playing time only to become no more than a trivia question five years down the road.

With the World Cup in Germany swiftly approaching Lionel Messi will definitely be one to watch if selected for national duty.

Enrique Domnguez, Messi's former coach said "He could do things with the ball that defied the laws of physics. The only other person I have ever seen do that was Diego Maradona".

Let us all recall that Maradona himself did not come into his own until the 1986 World Cup in Mexico despite being tipped for great things in Spain four years prior. That World Cup was a general disappointment for Maradona as well as Argentina. Messi will be three years younger than Maradona was in his first World Cup appearance and it is important that we all allow Lionel to continue developing at his current pace without placing on him too much pressure for a teenager to handle. For his part Messi must maintain his enthusiasm and work ethic that has so far impressed his coaches and peers. If he can do that then the sky is indeed his limit.

Career Highlights

June 24, 1987Born in Rosario, Argentina

2000Lionel and his family move to Spain to help treat his hormonal growth deficiency

Signs for Barcelona at the age of 13

October 16, 2004Makes his Barcelona first tem debut against RCD Espanyol

May 1 2005Becomes the youngest league scorer in Barcelonas history against Albacete when he scored his first goal at 17 years, ten months and seven days

June 2005Helps the Argentina Under 20 team win the FIFA World Youth Championship scoring two goals against Nigeria in the Final

June 27, 2005Renews his contract with Barcelona until 2010 with a 150 million buy-out clause

August 4, 2005Receives his first call up to the Argentine national team

September 25, 2005Obtains Spanish citizenship allowing him to play more games for Barcelona no longer being restricted by the non-EU player quota

Drawing cartoon is similar to draw any object or character by pencil or brush. The important point to imagine or draw a cartoon is that the artist should have a sense of humor or comic expression in the character. Though drawing cartoon is a born quality but that can be achieved by a professional training program. The creativity can be also achieved by experiences and often work on this field.

The interested students may go for a lessons session for brief guides for cartoon drawing about materials, the creative process, simple tips and techniques. They can use the principle, tricks and techniques while drawings cartoons. There are many ready made cartoons, students can follow and try to make a replica of the same. There are instructions in the Cartooning Kit for available along with the kit or can be downloaded form internet for manipulating the cartoon images.

Cartooning Kit

The quickest way to start drawing cartoon is a ready made kit where all the drawing material and accessories are available. The tool box may be a hard pack or inside a drawing software in computer. The same tools are available for make cartoon drawings. A tutorial or help guide or illustration book may help a lot for the cartoon makers. A cartoon library provides many ideas and option of making cartoon characters. The step by step procedure can guide you to complete a cartoon graphics.

Digital Cartoon Making

For drawing digital cartoon images you need a set of materials such as a computer, software tool (drawing Software -graphics and word processing), a theme or concept like formats of humor such as riddles, puns, limericks, cartoons, jokes, and comic strips. You can think over the general subject of humor through topics such as what makes people laugh, the different types of humor, and its cultural dimension to shape the cartoon. The students should plan their comic strips on paper, and then should go for digital graphics form.

Procedure of Creating Comics

The budding cartoonist can go for articles, illustrating, resources for published cartoons etc. A simple procedure of drawing of a cartoon face if given below:

The drawing on paper as same as on computer monitor screen.

• Begin with a new page with white background, art area size approx: 500x500 pixels.
• Create a circular (using the ellipse select and holding shift in computer tool)
• Put color or black (Drag and drop) into selection area.
• You can clear region by eraser.
• Create each curve as shown by drawing the curve, then stroking the path
• This image serves as guidelines: the circle is the shape of the head, while the curves guide the drawing of the face, where the intersection is the nose location.
• Sketch: Using the guidelines, draw out your cartoon using the pencil. You can erase and edit if it went messy.
• Draw curved outline for making round shaped objects (Face, eyes, mouth etc.)
• Coloring: Using different pencil / brushes for draw select contiguous regions, or color box in software tool. Drawing outline is required for areas, body line, mouth, hair, eyes, nose etc.
• Light effect on mouth, eyes is required for making it for reality. Put gray color layer you would like show shading to.
• For making glowing nose, select the region outside the nose.
• For making shiny hair, select the entire colored region.
• For shaping of Inner ear, select the region for the inner ear which you just closed off
• Use the smudge tool and the blur effect to soften the shading.
• For drop shadow shading, the option is there in software tool or manually you can make a shading effect around the object.