So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Consequences Of Driving Under The Influence In Missouri

By Chris Channing

Driving while intoxicated is a crime that is frowned upon in every state- but it is particularly punished in Missouri. One will find little sympathy when convicted, and if one is lucky, learning from such a foolish mistake is possible through the classes and fines paid in restitution.

A first time DWI charge won't be taken lightly. Some counties, such as those around St. Louis, have been known to be somewhat more lax on the matter and sometimes offer bargains. Jay Nixon started work, as Governor of Missouri, to start cracking down on relaxed laws. One finds it harder to avoid jail time or lengthy suspensions- and for good reason! Drunk driving has accounted for many Missouri deaths.

If you make the poor choice to obtain another DUI, you will be known as a prior offender. You will find it much harder to plead ignorance, as the minimum sentence is a five day stay at the local jail. Thirty days of community service can sometimes substitute the jail sentence, although you will have to have a lawyer argue your case.

A persistent offender is one that has racked up three or more DWI arrests. The minimum sentence is 10 days in jail, with the option to do 60 days of community service to instead be put on probation. You will also have to retake the written and physical driving test in order to get your license back due to losing your license for an extended period of time.

SATOP is a program that must be completed no matter how many DWI arrests you have. SATOP stands for the Substance Abuse Traffic Offender Program, and costs a couple hundred dollars to take as a class. Before your license is handed back, you must complete this class on your own time at selected dates each month. SATOP can be a 2-day course or a more intensive course for troubled alcoholics.

As an offender, you must file for SR-22 insurance. This type of insurance will recognize that you are a high risk driver. You will have to pay for a filing fee and also be subject to higher fees each month. Some insurance companies will not continue issuing insurance to those who get a DWI, while others will simply jack up the price each month to cover their risks in insuring your vehicle.

Closing Comments

Most offenders are young and will soon find that a DUI will severely impact job opportunities and one's reputation among the community. Not all is lost; you may still redeem yourself by becoming a supporter of stopping drunk drivers and turning a new leaf.

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UFC 92 Flashback: Mir, Evans and Rampage Prevail

By Ross Everett

Two titles changed hands at UFC 92, with Rashad Evans defeating Forrest Griffin by TKO to win the light heavyweight title and Frank Mir knocking out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to claim the UFC interim heavyweight title.

While nominally taking subordinate status to the Evans/Griffin main event the most shocking result by far was Frank Mirs second round TKO stoppage of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Nogueira was the overwhelming favorite coming into the fight and had never been stopped inside the distance during a career where hed faced the best of the best:

Mir, meanwhile, had been on the verge of a full time move to the broadcast booth before his victory over WWE superstar turned MMA fighter Brock Lesnar. The conventional wisdom concerning Mir was that hed never fully recovered from a serious motorcycle accident in 2004. He eventually returned to the octagon, and after two TKO losses in his first three comeback fights began to consider the possibility that he just didnt have it any more.

When the fight against Brock Lesnar was signed, the perception among most fans was that Mir was a high profile setup for the former WWE champ. The expectation was that after a one-sided loss to Lesnar that Mir would transition into the next phase of his career as a broadcaster.

For the first minute of the fight, it looked like the above scenario was going to play out"Lesnar manhandled Mir from the opening horn, taking him down and landing punishing hammer fists on the ground. That was rendered irrelevant, however, when Lesnar made a rookie mistake and dangled his leg in easy reach of the BJJ blackbelt. Mir locked in a deep knee bar and Lesnar was forced to tap.

There would be no such reprieve against Nogueira, according to many pundits, as he was too experienced and too good of a BJJ player in his own right to give Mir any such opportunities for a fluke submission. Mir entered the UFC 92 fight as a +305 wagering underdog, meaning that oddsmakers and the betting public agreed that he had little chance to prevail in this matchup against a highly experienced veteran that had never been stopped inside the distance.

The fight was certainly one-sided, but it was Mir who was in control throughout. From the opening horn he demonstrated surprisingly sharp striking skills, and knocked Nogueira down twice in the first round. Not expecting a solid standup offense, Nogueira looked downright lost in the later stages of the first round as Mir doubled and tripled up his jab and threw impressive punching combinations to go with low kicks and occasional takedown attempts.

Though Mir appeared in full control of the fight as the second round began, the end would come with startling suddenness and brutality. After a low kick attempt by Nogueira, Mirs counter tagged his opponent and he followed up with a big right hook that sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas. Herb Dean jumped in to stop the fight almost immediately, awarding Mir an improbable TKO victory at 1:54 seconds of round #2.

In the light heavyweight championship match, Forrest Griffin got off to a good start in his title defense by using his superior height and reach and an impressive array of kicks to keep Rashad Evans just out of range for two full rounds. That changed dramatically in the third, as a flash knockdown by the challenger gave him the opening he needed to mount Griffin and unleash a brutal ground and pound assault. Griffin managed to pull guard and survive for a couple more minutes but it merely delayed the inevitable as Evans ended the fight with another punishing punching attack.

The most highly anticipated match on the undercard also featured a lopsided TKO finish as Quinton Rampage Jackson dominated Wanderlei Silva in the third fight between the two men. It was Jacksons first fight since his well publicized hit and run incident in Orange County, California and he looked very sharp throughout before bringing the contest to a close with a perfectly placed left hook to the cheekbone.

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UFC 94 Flashback: GSP Destroys BJ Penn

By Ross Everett

BJ Penn entered his main event battle against welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre looking to become the first man in UFC history to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes. GSP never gave him the chance to make history, as he stopped Penn after four increasingly dominant rounds to retain his belt with a TKO victory and make a compelling case for being the pound for pound best fighter in mixed martial arts.

During ring introductions, both men received enthusiastic cheers tempered with a few boos. After the opening horn sounded, however, the Penn backers had little to cheer about . The first round was fairly evenly contested, with St. Pierre trying to get a first hand feel for Penns often unorthodox takedown defense. GSP made several takedown attempts, but had them repeatedly stuffed.

Boxing guru Freddy Roach recently praised Penn as the best technical puncher in MMA, but he had no opportunity to bring this weapon to bear as he had trouble finding the range from the outset. St. Pierre was unable to complete any takedowns during the first round, but easily dictated the pace and style of the bout.

GSP began to assert his dominance in round two"with Penn starting to fatigue he was no longer able to fend off St. Pierres single leg takedown attempts by balancing on one leg. GSP got a takedown early in the frame and began to mount a ground and pound assault while moving around in Penns legendary guard almost at will moving from half guard to side control with frightening ease. At this point, it was apparent that GSPs superior strength and insane physical conditioning were going to figure prominently in the outcome of the fight.

The eventual outcome was foretold between rounds two and three, as the obviously exhausted Penn required a pep talk from his entourage to continue. Across the cage, GSP calmly sipped water and listened intently to trainer Greg Jacksons instructions looking for all the world that he could go 12 rounds if necessary.

Round three was similar to the previous one, with GSP taking his opponent to the mat with a decreasing level of resistance and mauling him with punches and elbows once he got there. His complete control over the BJJ black belt Penn was incredible, but hardly surprising given the way that GSP dominated four time NCAA All American wrestler Josh Koscheck on the ground during their matchup.

The fourth round was a wall to wall rout for the welterweight champion, who started by effectively trading strikes with Penn before taking him down once again and resuming his highly successful ground based attack. At this point with GSP moving around at ease and Penn mounting little resistance it was apparent that the challenger was physically spent. St. Pierre almost ended the fight on the ground, as referee Herb Dean repeatedly reminding Penn that he needs to fight back. Penn survived the round on instinct alone, moving around just enough to keep the referee from stopping the proceedings. After the horn sounded to end the fourth round, however, it was evident that Penn had nothing physically or emotionally left and the fight was stopped by Dean on advice from the ringside physician.

Displaying his characteristic class, GSP delayed his celebration until he had crossed the cage and kneeled by his vanquished foe to honor his competitive spirit.

Earlier in the evening, Lyoto Machida kept his undefeated professional MMA record intact with a first round TKO victory over Thiago Silva. Machida may be the best in the world at fighting while backing up, and Silva found his aggressive style working against him. Machida took his opponent down and knocked his opponent down twice"all counters as Silva was coming forward and Machida backing away. As the first round entered its final seconds, it appeared that Silva started to ease up in anticipation of the horn. Machida used this opportunity for another takedown, and then nailed his surprised opponent with a powerful punch that ended the fight.

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Details On Nighttime Lingerie Robe Styles And Materials

By Chris Channing

Having a comfortable set of night clothes should be a priority among women. After all, a comfortable sleep means a rested feeling in the morning, which is necessary for starting a long day of dealing with kids, going to work, and so forth. There are plenty of options and styles in robed lingerie to pick from.

The classic long robe is a staple in the lingerie robe industry. Usually made of cotton, these robes cover the entirety of the legs and arms. Long robes are sometimes hard to maneuver in when doing tasks such as making breakfast or doing morning chores, so they are best suited for bed wear and small activity. Some women also dislike them in warm temperatures.

Short-cut lingerie robes are better for maneuvering in, and are more stylish and in with today's fashion. Made out of silk and other fine materials, short cut lingerie robes are better for doing chores in the morning and cooking breakfast. They are also commonly light and extremely comfortable to wear- making them the most popular among women seeking robe lingerie.

The robes you might see in movies are probably the classic single-colored robe. And while they are simple and fun, they are stylish like the lingerie robes sold through select retailers. You may be surprised to see that a lot of the robes out today draw inspiration from outside cultures. As a result, you may get a suave-looking leopard print robe or one inspired by eastern lore. Seasonal designs are also popular around the holidays.

The bride in a wedding wears bridal lingerie for the big day, but it's nice for a bridesmaid or friend give a set of robed lingerie for lounging around in. It's the perfect gift for a wedding if you are sure that no one else has bought robed lingerie for the lucky bride. After all, it commemorates the day of wedding, and also gives the gift of comfort. It's easy enough to ask the bride for her measurements and have it ordered in time for the wedding.

You might be surprised to read that robed lingerie can be bought at low prices- even as low as $15. Robed lingerie has drastically dropped in price due to new designs flooding the market. Name brand designs can be purchased at $30 or more on average, but if you are good at shopping you can find an even better deal. Night clothing won't cost an arm and a leg- making it a perfect gift to give to others or yourself.

Final Thoughts

Women in the movies have robed lingerie- and they sure do look like they are enjoying it! It's a statement of comfort, luxury, and social status to have a good pair of robed lingerie. If nothing else, it helps the wearer feel more secure about beauty through grace and comfort.

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A Rational List Of Reasons To Purchase Organic Baby Clothes

By Chris Channing

Organic baby clothes, at first glance, don't seem to be anything more than a luxury for well-endowed families. However, organic baby clothes are actually necessary to keep a baby safe from the dyes, pesticides, and other chemicals that you would find in clothing stores.

Sometimes you may find that your baby gets a rash, for seemingly no reason at all. The first few times this happens, you might be extremely alarmed as a new parent. You have every right to be. Some clothes will irritate the baby's skin to the point where it breaks out in a rash. Organic baby clothes are free of pesticides that are the common culprit, and won't cause rashes as a result.

Allergies to dye can also illicit an allergic reaction in babies and young children. That doesn't mean that your child has to go without wearing color his or her entire life, but rather that you should start buying organic! Organic clothing is dyed with natural substances, and thus, the dye will not irritate even the most sensitive of skin types.

The scary part about the ordeal with pesticides is that the chemicals can very well be carcinogens. Carcinogens are substances that have been known to cause cancer. Studies show that even mild exposure to pesticides at an early age will result in a greater chance at developing defects such as cancer. Concerned parents should make the switch to organic baby clothing to prevent taking a risk with the possibility of carcinogens and pesticides.

Some harmful chemicals that, if present in the baby clothing, can be washed out. The sad news is that petroleum products in the clothing won't come out in a single wash, and sometimes not in multiple washes. Petroleum products stay within the cotton and other materials for many washes, leaving your baby unprotected against irritants. Buying organic baby clothing is the best solution to solving the problem, as they will not contain hard to remove substances that are based from petroleum.

Babies gain much of the benefit in organic clothing, but so does the environment. Organically grown cotton is free of chemicals that would otherwise run off into the ground. In many cases, the chemicals get into water streams and even drinking water. Organic farms support the logical movement to keep the world a clean place, and not a nasty product of factories. It's not the industrial age, and consumers should make wise buying decisions to keep it that way.

Closing Comments

Organic baby clothing can be found on the Internet if you are having a tough time locating affordable baby clothing. There are plenty of options in style, and there are even designer brands that specialize in organic baby clothing for chic children.

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Investor Mind Control: Is It For Real?

By James Scott

Discovering the 'thumbscrews' of investors is crucial to getting them to take action. In over a decade of dealing with global investors there are several elements that I've discovered to be universal truths about the mind of the private investor (angel investor, accredited investor).

When talking to an investor for the first time, it's more important to listen than to speak. It's more important to ask questions than answer them. It's more important to discover their needs and wants than to exclaim your own. Your first conversation with an investor should be all about piercing the armor and finding the trigger points that prompt a reaction that gets to the center of their 'childlike' state.

What I mean by this is, investors, just like anyone else, has insecurities that are rooted in their childhood and what they are outwardly today, is typically a polar opposite of what they are on the inside. For example, an arrogant, chest beater seems proud and obnoxious on the outside but the reality is that they are over compensating for an insecurity that is rooted in an individual or collection of childhood incidents.

Maybe they were made fun of as a child, maybe they're father was verbally abusive, maybe their teachers would single them out in class opening them up to playground mockery. When talking to these individuals it's important to listen to their voice and intonation when the conversation topic changes. Take notes on their psychological adjustments to the conversation. After you feel you have discovered the triggers that induce the 'pleasurable' responses, end the call, and set your second phone appointment with them.

On that second call, you want to have your conversation ready to go using the triggers you found in the first conversation. Play off of those insecurities that you found, become their best friend without being chummy but it is your mission on this call to be the "guy that understand me" to the investor. You want the overall tone of this conversation to have the response from your target along the theme of, "wow, this guy gets me" , "I can see investing in this company".

By using this method and not coming across as 'fake', you have become an investment opportunity and a shrink all rolled into one. You want to be the one person that this investor can lower his guard to because everything he says, you seem to be the one person who understands him at his deepest level. You seem to naturally be tuned into his insecurities, emotions, needs and wants. Sound strange? Try this out on the next investor you talk to, I guaranty you will be shocked with the results.

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Ingredients That Make For A Healthy Dog Food Mixture

By Chris Channing

With many families considering their pets to be "one of the family," the problem of knowing what food is best for the pet while keeping within budget becomes a task to work around. Even common pet foods may not be healthy for your dog, so it is best to educate yourself on what should and should not be in your dog's food.

Humans and canines both need protein to keep a stable immune system and for healing after an illness. Protein that comes from cheap sources isn't considered to be so beneficial, but protein derived from red meat and chicken will do their best to "keep the show running." Dog food producers that use real meat charge more money, but the end product is much more tasty and healthy for dogs.

If you heard that the food you were buying for your pet had fish in it, you might think it was for a cat! The truth is that fish is extremely healthy for pets, and humans alike for that matter. The amino acids present will give the dog a shiny coat that is useful if you plan on going to a dog show in hopes of winning an award.

A dog that is looking tired may not be getting its fair share of grain products. Grains have carbohydrates in them, which are great for long term energy. This can come from corn or wheat, but more expensive dog foods use wheat since it is easily digested and has extreme health benefits. Corn is reserved for cheaper brands that are still edible, but perhaps not as healthy or tasty for the pet.

Mixtures that contain a considerable amount of rice are also good for canines. Rice is especially important for dogs that are feeling sick or do not have a healthy digestion tract. The rice is easily sent through the canine's system, and is full of fiber so that the food is easily passed by the canine. If your canine is truly having problems, sometimes feeding the canine straight rice is a good way to settle the stomach.

Foods that are free of synthetic additives and such are considered to be organic. Organic dog food is healthy because it doesn't have all of the ingredients in the dog food that aren't found in nature. It's the same reason why eating fresh foods at the dinner table will yield a healthier family than one who eats frozen and canned food. Buy organic food when you can, but be aware it may be more expensive to purchase.

Final Thoughts

There isn't a great deal of time that a canine will be able to share with a family- so it's best to treat the pet to good food and keep it healthy as possible. Canines also appreciate food that is tasty, so experiment with several types of dog food to get a healthy and cost effective product.

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All About Skid Steer Buckets

By Chet Dowser

Skid Steer Loaders are a few of the hottest machines for folk to get if you are in the construction business. These machines can work in a tight and compact area, are easy to learn how to operate, and have unlimited flexibility with the tools that may be put on the front of the machine. One of the most popular tools that folks use on the front of their skid machine is buckets.

You may think that bucket come in one shape and one size, but you would be mistaken if you each go to your local equipment dealer and ask for a bucket. You will be snowed under with sizes and shapes beyond your imagination.

One thing that's nice about skid loader machines is that no matter what type of machine you have, the interface to catch buckets up is all the same. All the skid steer makers got together and have made a typical interface which makes it very easy if you are ever searching for a bucket from a different equipment store or a specialised bucket from an outside supplier. You will always get a bucket which will interface with your machine.

Most buckets that fit on this size of machine are not much wider than the tires. The majority do this because then when you are working in a tight location, you'll know that if you turn around or are moving a lot you may use your track length as a basis for knowing if you will hit something or now. if you are moving around terribly light material all day 24x7, you'll be able to use a bigger bucket and you can want a custom bucket that goes outside the tracks.

There are buckets that open and close like a claim. These buckets need some extra hydraulics put on your machine but can be really useful. Plenty of contractors use these claim buckets to pick up debris and branches from a job site rather than wasting time attempting to scoop them up in a bucket.

Check with your corner store to see what sort of buckets they have in stock for sale. These sales reps are also helpful if you're aiming to build a customized bucket as they can either build it for you or know a store in the local area that may do such a thing. It is a good idea to always think about what you need to do with your bucket so you can truly be certain you are getting a bucket which will fit your daily needs.

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