By Lou Ross

Moving to the Mid East may sound dubious at first, but moving to Dubai is fairly popular these days if you have the funds to afford it.

Dubai is one of the fastest growing areas in terms of population in the world. It has become popular among young professionals, who move for the excellent job possibilities. The area is quite diverse and those moving should be able to become accustomed to the area in a short time.

Foreigners are allowed to purchase homes in Dubai, but this is a relatively new occurrence. For this reason, most people who relocate to Dubai rent their residences. There are excellent rental apartments in Dubai that come with many amenities in the complex. It is not uncommon for your rental complex to have gyms, saunas, covered parking, swimming pools and tennis courts. You have the option to rent villas or apartments, and many young professionals share an apartment with someone else. There are also hotel apartments available for those looking for a shorter term, or a more full service, option. Most rental homes are unfurnished, but typically you will find kitchens that come equipped with appliances. In newer homes, air conditioning is standard. To make sure you are dealing with a reputable real estate agent, make sure you ask for an identification card.

After moving, you will want to make sure your utilities are set up. You can get electricity, water and sewage from the Dubai electricity and water authority. The electricity is similar to that found in the UK, so if you are coming from a different country you might need to purchase an adaptor. They are easily found at any grocery store. The tap water is safe for consumption, although most people prefer to purchase bottled water. If you want to get a home telephone, you will have to have a residence visa. If you have a cellular phone, you can purchase a SIM card that will allow you to use your cell phone in Dubai. You do not need a residence visa for this. There is only one option for internet service, which is available from any phone line. Be aware that certain sites are prohibited.

If you have children, you should be able to send them to school with little problem. Most schooling is conducted in English. A majority of schools are taught in a Montessori approach. You will need to provide an academic record for your child, and an entrance test may be required. There are also options for your children if they have special needs.

Although Dubai is an exotic land with vast deserts and sand dunes, many of the amenities found elsewhere in the world are available here. With the strong job market which continues to grow, moving to Dubai is an ideal choice for young professionals seeking an exciting new home.

By Adam Caitlin

The Nokia N95 is probably the best handset till date. For a smartphone that is a communicator, a digital camera, a media jukebox are not hard to find, but the Nokia N95 represents the apex in each fields. For example, the HSDPA technology used in the Nokia N95 is many times faster than the 'mighty' 3G - a force that was being viewed as the ultimate in mobile data connectivity. The built in camera module is a massive 5.0 megapixel - something yet to be officially surpassed though there has been a lot of talk about some handset with even higher resolution.

However, most of imaging enthusiast know that after a certain point, resolution of a camera doesn't effects the image quality. The Nokia N95 scores here with its fine lens crafted by Carl Zeiss Optics. The handset is to be hold just like a digital camera while taking photographs for a landscape view in the 16 million coloured screen. Apart from 'basic' imaging aids like autofocus, zoom and flash light, the Nokia N95 features a full scaled video and image editor, red eye correction and DVD quality footage recording capabilities.

The Nokia N95's ability as a media player is evident from its set of dedicated media control keys. In an unusual downward slide, reveals the media keys that controls media playback when you're working on something else on this multi tasking smart phone. The on board Symbian music player supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA music formats. The handset produces the finest of sound on the built in speakers or on stereo Bluetooth headphones. You can even plug in the most comfortable headphones on the handset's 3.5 mm audio jack or watch videos on a larger screen with TV output. The Nokia N95's large memory pool of 180 Mb with a complementary 128 Mb external memory card should be large enough to carry all the tracks you want.

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By Adam Caitlin

Being a part of premium Black Label portfolio, the LG Shine is meant for the fashion conscious world. After the astounding success achieved by earlier Black Label mobile phones like the LG Chocolate, the Korean mobile manufacturing unit goes back to basic with full metallic casing of traditional silver and conventional keys which are much convenient than the tricky touch sensitive ones featured in the LG Chocolate.

The LG Shine reaffirms LG's credibility of designing excellence and not just a one phone wonder. The handset otherwise known as LG KE970 got the name shine for obvious reasons. Apart from the highly reflective steel casing, the handset's 262k coloured TFT screen is very cleverly hidden by mirror effect. The use of LG Shine as a mirror for a quick hairdo or make-up check can not be ruled out! Thankfully, this immaculately designed mobile phone is packed with much more features, tools and applications than any other fashion solutions from LG.

Presently there are three LG Shine - LG KE970, LG KE770 and LG KU970. Among them, the LG KE770 is of candy bar form, while the remaining two are sliders. The main difference between these two LG Shine sliders is that the KU970 features HSDPA whereas the LG KE970 - the handset in review offers 2.5G EDGE with microSD expansion slot.

Looks apart, LG shine also offers enhanced functionalities ranging from connectivity to mobile entertainment. The handset comes with good imaging experience, sound quality and smooth connectivity. Empowered with a 2.0 megapixel digital camera module with auto focus, flash and zoom, a media player compatible with multiple audio and video format - the LG Shine is your ultimate companion. There are also host of connectivity tools to surf, email, chat and download. With an internal memory pool of 50 Mb and external memory card support, the LG Shine could be turned into a massive storehouse of your digital files.

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By Subha Shankar

Internet has made our life easy as apart from getting pooled information, a user can now buy something using the online shops. But at the same time, there are numerous shops available with internet making it difficult to choose best one where you can get all the need fulfilled.

Online mobile phone shops are gathering momentum now days in US for mobile phone selling. Buying a mobile phone using internet saves time and energy. With selected purchase exhilarating gifts are presented. Sometimes free home delivery and free insurance is too provided by these shops. In US the most popular deals are phone contracts. Excellent contract deals are offered by network operators. In these contracts, phone for a particular time period is provided along with the network connection. Apart from mobile contracts, the second option available is pay as you go or SIM free. With online warehouse, both types of deals can be bought.

Trendy screensavers are latest drift in US. To refresh mobile phone and to demonstrate themes, screensavers are considerably appealing. The same is applicable for the ringtones. From the time, polyphonic ringtones has incorporated in mobile phones, ringtones get a primary position in telecom industries. Now polyphonic ringtones combined with MP3 ringtones turn out astounding effects. Movie songs clips, voice clips, recorded sounds etc can be assigned as ringtones adding fun to the mobile.

Mobile phones are now used not only as a calling device but as a perfect entertainment tool. Music players, video streaming and many more such entertainment features are integrated with the handsets which are greatly helpful in providing full utilization of time. Games are one of them. The JAVA enabled handset can download new applications too. Therefore apart from built-in games, downloading of new games is feasible.

By J C Sum

This article is to introduce magicians and magic enthusiasts to the rich history of magic in Singapore. It honours the notable achievements, prominence and significance of local magicians from the past and present.

The beginning of Modern Magic in Singapore

It is the general consensus that modern magic in Singapore (post World War 2) began with the late-Ng Bo

Oen AKA The Great Wong. Information on local magic pre-war is very scarce. The only information found has been on The Great Wong performing at the New World Amusement Park (then located at Kitchener Road) in the 1930s.

The Great Wong was born in 1908 in Shanton, a city of the Guangdong Province, China and immigrated to Singapore in 1933. He was the only professional magician of his time in Singapore and performed across South East Asia. He was known for his sharp stage magic, Linking Rings routine and Sword Basket illusion. He was also an expert craftsman who built all of his props by hand. He had the gift of figuring out the mechanics and methodology of magic props and fabricating them from scratch.

In 1962, The Great Wong made a significant contribution to the international magic community by publishing his famous linking rings routine with English script written by Tudor Brock. Davenports Magic in London distributes his manuscript to date. In 1982, he was invited by the Federation Internationale des Societes Magiques (FISM) to perform at the 15th World Congree of Magic in Lausanne, Switzerland.

(For more info on The Great Wong; refer to 'The Great Wong Story' in The International Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring 115 The Quantum Ring Golden Jubilee Issue)

Another local magician who was instrumental in growing modern magic in Singapore during the beginning was the late-Tan Hock Chuan. He was a teacher by profession but performed for annual special events, charity shows and private parties. He was (and still is) internationally known for his magical inventions. His effects and ideas are still marketed dealer items today and have been published in countless publications (of that time) such as Gen, Spinx, Pentagram, New Pentagram, Swami Mantra, Abracadabra and even Tarbell's Course in Magic. He is the first Asian magician to receive the Spinx Award (1936-37)

Both The Great Wong and Tan Hock Chuan were important influences to many of the first generation of Singapore modern-magicians who have paved the way for future generations.

1950s

It was only after the war and during the British Military Administration that magic in Singapore began its rise to where it is today. 1950 was the year that the Singapore Magician's Club was formed by a group of amateur magicians, comprising of English-educated professionals.

In 1951 the Singapore Magician's Club received their charter from The International Brotherhood of Magicians HQ in America and was from then on was officially known as The International Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring 115. Founding members of the club at that time included Tan Ewe Chee (President), Yeo Soon Kian, Lim Kim Tian, Lim Hap Hin, J.H Stafford, L.A Joseph, J.W Jackson (Vice-President) and Tan Hock Chuan (Secretary).

The 50's gave birth to Singapore's first generation of modern magicians. Besides the founding members of the IBM Ring and The Great Wong (who joined the Ring in 1952 by invitation), some prominent first generation magicians included Lim Hap Hin, Tan Choon Tee, Tan Bah Chee, Yeo Soon Kian and his student Michael Lim.

The Great Wong operated the first magic shop from his home cum showroom/ workshop in Singapore at 255-A Jalan Besar where he sold his own handcrafted props as well as imported dealer items from Japan. (This home/ shop was destroyed in a fire in Dec 1988 causing him to lose most of his books and props)

1960s

During this period, magicians like The Great Wong, Tan Bah Chee, Lim Hap Hin and Tan Choon Tee conducted magic courses at the National Theatre Club and the YMCA. They were responsible for producing active magicians such as Charles Choo, Wong Fok Choy, Chia Hearn Jiang, Gwee Thiam Hock and the late-Vijeyacone.

The early 60s also saw the 'Golden Age' of magic with magicians performing at different venues across the country. Besides local magicians performing in night clubs, foreign magicians such as Socar performed a grand illusion show to a full house at the Capitol Theatre (along Stamford Road) and The Great Nicholas at the Sky Theater in The Great World Amusement Park at Kim Seng Road (Now, Great World City).

In the late 60s, Wee Peng Guan (Uncle of Charles Choo), opened the second magic shop in Singapore at a shop house along Robinson Road. Around that time, popular entertainer Victor Khoo's father Khoo Teng Heng who was a magician, a ventriloquist and hypnotist opened his magic shop at Bras Basah. (where Carlton Hotel stands currently).

During this decade, Tan Choon Tee was making a name for himself in the international magic community in the field of Mentalism. He won several international Linking Ring Awards for his One-Man Parades and has two books published by Micky Hades. He was also a regular contributor to numerous international magic magazines such as Gen, New Pentagram, Magicgram, Magicana and The Linking Ring.

Overseas magicians whom passed through Singapore included Milo & Roger, Milbourne Christopher and Maurice Fogel.

1970s

The 1970s saw the birth of the second generation of Singapore magicians. Some well-known magicians who got started during this time included; The Great Wong's son Ng Kee Chee, John Teo, Tang Sai Thong, Ng Seow Kiat, Tang Yeng Fun, Bob Chua, Eric Leong, Tan Teck Seng, Lawrence Tham, Tan Tuan Seng, Lawrence Khong and Andrew Kong.

The Singapore Association of Magicians was founded on 10 March 1973 in friendly 'rivalry' to the IBM Ring. The club was led by Tan Bah Chee with prominent founding members such as Lim Hap Hin, Tan Hock Chuan and Charles Choo.

Magic shops in Singapore began to spring up during the late seventies. Ng Kee Chee set up a magic stall at Yaohan in Plaza Singapura and Wang Leng opened his shop in Peninsula Plaza. Charles Choo opened his shop in August 1978 on the 6th floor of Far East Shopping Centre. (It would move several times to various malls but eventually returned back to Far East). His shop would soon become an institution where magicians would buy various magic products as well as meet up and learn from each other.

It was a variety haunt for many magicians in the years to come till the shop closed in the new millennium.

During this period, The Tropicana Night Club, which was situated at Pacific Plaza, was a venue that had regular magic performances. Several famous magicians also visited Singapore in the 70s. In 1970, John Calvert performed at the National Theatre. In 1972, Albert Goshman visited Ring 115 to give a lecture. In that same year, "The Professor" Dai Vernon also visited Singapore, lectured and interacted with local magicians. Other visiting magicians included Andre Kole, Billy McComb, and Ali Bongo.

1980s

By the 1980s, the local magic scene was flourishing with healthy memberships for the two main magic clubs as well as a surge in the number of performing magicians. Many of today's veterans made their name in the 80s. Familiar names like Richard Ang, Patrick Wan, Patrick Ng Wang Lin, Tan Hai Yan AKA Gician, Paul Koh, AB Francis and Gordon Koh were performing regularly at public and private shows during this decade. Popular local venues for public magic shows by magic clubs held on a regular basis at that time included the Drama Centre and the National Museum Theatrette.

The popularity of magic shops also grew and in 1982, Chew Kin Song opened a Magic & Novelty Corner at the Chinese Book Section of Popular Book Co Pte Ltd on the 4th Floor of Bras Basah Complex. Gician Tan also opened up his first magic shop at Parkway Parade which subsequently moved to Marina Square and was managed by Richard Ang. Besides this main shop, he distributed magic items and sets through department stores

in Singapore and South East Asia.The Singapore audience was also exposed to world-class magic through several magic television shows and series that were aired on local TV including the David Copperfield specials, Magic Magic and The Best of Magic.

Foreign magicians who visited Singapore during this time included David Copperfield, Mark Wilson, Ben Harris, Paul Daniels and Gene Anderson.

1990s

The beginning of this decade saw the introduction of the country's third generation magicians into the local magic scene. Prominent budding magicians included Enrico Varella, Sherman Tjiong, J C Sum, Joe Yu (Chan Ee Kang), Nique Tan Li Keong, Prakash Puru, Kiki Tay, Alex Tan and Jeremy Pei.

The local chapter of International Magicians Society was formed, founded by its President, Tan Bah Chee; although the club's presence in Singapore was short-lived.

The late-1990s saw a huge surge in magic global popularity due to David Blaine's street magic specials. Many people started to 'get into' magic and had new mediums to learn the craft such as the introduction of DVDs and the Internet.

A new magic shop, Magic Castle & Promotions, opened up by Vijay Kumar at Shaw Towers soon became 'the place to be' where new magicians would hang out and meet.

During this decade, Wang Leng's shop in Peninsula Plaza was sold to Patrick Wan. The shop was subsequently sold to Richard Ang and is now well known as Ang House of Magic. Patrick Wan opened his new shop, Magic Wand, which has spawned into several outlets in various parts of Singapore. Steven Sim also opened Magic Supreme at Coronation Plaza which has subsequently moved to Park Mall.

The 90s was an exciting decade with many visits and performances by famous magicians. Apart from lectures by Michael & Hannah Ammar, Mark Leveridge and Wolfgang & Sonja Riebe there were also public theatre performances by the Pendragons, Princess Tenko, Andre Kole, Franz Harary, David Copperfield, Rudy Coby and Robert Gallop. Other visiting magicians included Larry Becker, Tim Ellis, Terry Seabrooke, Phil Cass and Albert Tham.

2000 - Present

Magic has continued to flourish at the local level in this decade. New opportunities and talents have emerged to elevate the art in Singapore. In May 2000, J C Sum staged the first ever local full-evening theatre show 'Magic at the Theatre' at Victoria Theatre. Just a month later, more than a dozen magicians from the US and Canada came down to Singapore as part of the Magic Festival organized by the Malls of Centrepoint. Magicians such as Robert Baxt, Rocco and Peter Gossamer performed multiple shows at various Centrepoint Malls for over a week.

In 2004, the Singapore Magic Circle (SMC) was created by Aloysius Yeo and with its on-line forum drew a new pool of magic enthusiasts together. SMC has since grown to over 1000 members and regularly organize gatherings, events as well as the recent Concept:Magic Micro MAGIC Convention in January 2007.

Through a large-scale theatre magic musical 'Magic of Love', Lawrence Khong, a pastor with Faith Community Baptist Church and his daughter Pricilla, spread the gospel message.

The multi-million dollar production has been staged many times over the years across the world to spread the word of Christ. Subsequently, the same team organized two International Festival of Magic conventions in 2003 & 2005. The first of its kind big magic events included competitions, lectures, a dealers' room and performances. International performers such as Jeff McBride, Max Maven, Johnny Thomspon, The Pendragons, Lee Eun Gyeol and Tommy Wonder were booked to perform at the gala shows and lectures.

In recent years, J C Sum has become arguably the most prominent Singapore magician of this generation. His magic has been seen by millions through his live performances across Asia as well as his landmark mass media projects on MediaCorp Studio's Ch 8 as well as subsequent 'Street Illusions' compilation DVD/ VCD.

His 24-episode 'Magic in Motion' series can currently be seen daily on Singapore Press Holdings MediaBoxOffice through 2007. In the international magic community, J C has also established himself as an elite illusion designer from Asia with the publication of his 3 critically acclaimed illusion books that have been sold in more than 30 countries to date.

Another talented award-winning magician, Jeremy Pei, is raising the profile of Singapore magic within the regional magic community with his theatre shows, organized lectures, workshops and active participation in magic conventions & competitions in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Australia. His distinctive North-Asian influence style of magic performance has garnered him a following with new budding magicians whom he teaches and guides. He has also released multiple original magic products which are available to magicians worldwide.

In another first, award-winning junior magician, Kyle Ravin secured a 13-episode weekly Street Magic series, "Maya" on MediaCorp Studios' Vasantham Central. This 30min series saw him perform magic for the Indian community and celebrities across the country.

This decade has seen the introduction of even more magic shops and dealers run by young magicians to meet the demand of magic enthusiasts and magicians. These include new 'brick & mortar' magic shops such as Street Magic by Tan Wei Ping, Tricky Business by Jimmy Wong, The Magic Hall by Kenneth Peh as well as on-line shops like The Little Magic Shop by Ning.

Visiting magicians thus far for the new millennium have included Joshua Jay, Shoot Ogawa, Charles Gucci, Nicholas Einhorn.

And the Magic History of Singapore continues to be written...

By Matthew Keegan

Corporate flight attendants have a new choice when selecting a company for their cabin safety and service training. Alteon Training, LLC, a Boeing Company, launched a program in November 2003 for corporate flight attendants at their facility in Long Beach, California. I was invited to participate in the class to get a better idea about the training, their facility, and about Alteon itself and to share my findings with the aviation community via this website.

In an industry peppered with training companies of varying sizes and capabilities, my first thoughts about Alteon was that is was just a run-of-the-mill training agency. Alteon not only allayed my original misgivings, but they proved to me that all training companies should be doing the same thing: operating with the FAA's blessings under FAR Part 142. Indeed, Alteon's program may soon become the benchmark by which all training companies will be judged. This is good news for flight attendants who are confused or even mislead by some of the programs operating around the U.S.

I arrived in Long Beach from JFK on a Sunday evening, picked up my rental car and went to my room to prepare for my 7 a.m. Monday meeting with Alteon executives Jim Garner and Hal Collison. That morning, we toured the facility where I was able to see their fully equipped training rooms sporting individual computer work stations complemented by the overhead media slideshow housing [indeed, while being trained students could look at the pull down screen or at their computer monitor to view the PowerPoint presentations]. On the ground floor of Alteon's facility, I was brought to a room housing individual flight simulators, each of which was for one Boeing product or another.

By 8 a.m. the remaining five students arrived and I settled down with them in a training room to begin the class. After brief introductions, Kathy Cummins was introduced as our service instructor for the first day's class. The Corporate School of Etiquette was chosen by Alteon to provide the service side of the training the first day. The middle three days was all Alteon-run training. San Diego CPR was selected to provide the in-flight medical, CPR, and AED training on Friday. When I inquired as to why Alteon outsourced portions of their five-day program, Hal Collison, Director, Flight Training, for Alteon declared, "We focus on what we are experts at and do best. The other portions of the course are outsourced to the very best experts in their field with years of experience and access to the latest course content and training materials."

Kathy's session began with a discussion on dispatching a trip. Covered material included the steps behind the scheduling and releasing of an aircraft for flight; crewmember assignments; show times and reporting times; aircraft, flight and passenger data; and arranging for catering and supplies. Students previewed a dispatcher's checklist and discussed preparing for a six leg international trip using an actual trip sheet to decide what food service was needed and where.

After two hours of classroom teaching, it was all hands on training for most of the rest of the day. Students boarded a company van and headed south to John Wayne Airport in Orange County for the executive service training portion of the program. The class toured Signature's FBO where we located the catering order placed earlier with Air Gourmet. After a discussion about refrigeration, we took the order outside to the waiting Global Express which was graciously provided to us for the day by Monarch Charters. When we boarded the aircraft I was pleasantly surprised to see that we had full access to the galley and cabin whereby we were able to actually heat the food as well as keep the aircraft cool for the "passengers."

Kathy gave the students a trip scenario to work with and we went through all the pre-departure procedures including, passenger arrival; take-off; meal and wine service; in-flight procedures; before and after landing; and aircraft cleaning procedures. By mid-afternoon with our in-flight service portion of the training behind us we returned to Long Beach for additional classroom training covering contracts and flight attendant business preparation material. Somehow we managed to squeeze in what seemed like two days of training into one day. By 6 p.m. the class was over and the service training portion of the program was behind us.

Pattie Adams took over the class on Tuesday and for the next three days was tasked with guiding the class through the applicable FARs; crewmember duties and procedures; security; hazmat and more. As a backgrounder, Pattie was one of the chief creators of Alteon's new program, drawing on her experience as a contract corporate flight attendant as well as a commercial flight attendant, purser and instructor with United Airlines. Pattie's experience in the corporate and commercial arenas was helpful as she skillfully translated the language and procedural differences between the two arenas, something that was not lost on those in the class who were new to corporate aviation, but possessed commercial experience only.

Because training was done at Alteon's Long Beach facility, guest speakers from within the company were brought in to discuss some of the highly technical aspects of flying. Palermo Gabriel discussed the mechanics of flight and Dick Bloomberg covered the aircraft systems, particularly what happens in the cockpit. Dick also gave the students a thrilling SIM ride, a standard value added feature for those attending this training program.

The third day of training covered turbulence and decompression and was followed by hands on practice of oxygen units and, later, aircraft doors, emergency exits and equipment. Slides and pictures of the various configurations found on the Gulfstreams, Bombardiers/Global Express/ Challengers, and Falcons were covered as well as for the BBJ and Boeing's newest corporate entry, the 717 Business Express. Particularly useful to the class was the separate binder that we were given for Emergency Checklists; this Jeppesen size manual could easily be taken on trips, which is what Pattie encouraged students to do.

By Thursday, we were all eager to leave the classroom for hands on activity; we were not disappointed. After a classroom discussion on how fires start, we filed outside, donned personal breathing equipment (PBE) and practiced fire fighting procedures. Immediately after lunch the class boarded the cabin trainer and spent several hours role playing. The day was capped off with a trip to the local hotel's outdoor pool for ditching procedures and exercises.

The fifth and final day was the hardest to face. Not that the course material was going to be a major challenge, but rather we were faced with the realization that as a class we would no longer be together. Each of us knew that we were becoming part of Alteon history by participating in their inaugural class.

Pam Hammond, of San Diego CPR, was brought in on Friday to go over the in-flight medical aspect of training, particularly CPR and defibrillator procedures. Having previously completed Red Cross training I was curious to learn what the differences were between Red Cross procedures and the American Heart Association training that Pam was instructing us in. We learned that the Red Cross program, while very good, is geared toward lay people while the American Heart Association program was what the medical community utilized. So, we did as the doctors and paramedics do and started checking airways, looked for signs of breathing, and pounding the chests of the mannequins.

In the afternoon it was all AED training as we practiced hooking up the Heartstream® monitor and performing defibrillation. The class ended with a quiz and the distribution of completion cards on behalf of the American Heart Association.

At the end of the day, Alteon executives led by John Alexander, VP of the Americas and Chris Johnson-Pasqua, General Manager, Long Beach Training Center, came to the classroom to thank and congratulate the students. More than once I heard a hearty "thank you" from a student to John as each one was grateful for the high level of training they had just completed. Each student left equipped with the confidence needed to carry out their duties as corporate flight attendants.

By Wayne Hemrick

If you live in or near Boulder, Colorado and have never been scuba diving before, you will need to get some instructions in how scuba diving is done before you head out. For this purpose you will want some swim lessons. Boulder potential divers have many options for swim lessons starting out with beginners classes and possibly working up to become a professional diving instructor.

You will first want to start out with some introductory scuba swimming lessons. Boulder residents can enjoy a short intro course where the equipment is provided for you and you can give it a try in a safe swimming pool under an instructor's supervision during the sim lessons. Boulder, CO children as young as five years old may take introductory classes to give a little safe exposure to being in water.

Children that are eight or nine years old can sign up for more introductory swim lessons. Boulder parents can give their kids lessons that allow them to go pool diving with an instructor. Boy scout and girl scout troups can also participate in swi lessons. Boulder troups can take part in classes that enhance their knowledge about diving and then provide them with introductory water skills training during the swimming lessons. Boulder children can also enjoy other activities during swim lessons. Boulder swimmers can, for example, also take introductory snorkeling classes as long as they have basic swimming skills already.

There are also classes available for adult swim lessons. Boulder beginning scuba divers may want to take open water swimming lessons. Boulder students will want to take a class with a low student to teacher ratio during the wim lessons. Boulder dive instructors will give you training in proper diving techniques, so that you will be ready for further education.

If it has been a while since your last dive, you can also take refresher course swimming lessons. Boulder divers will find classes that will review dive skills and emergency procedures so that you will be ready for your next diving trip.

More advanced divers will enjoy continuing education swim lessons. Boulder, CO instructors are ready to train you in a variety of areas during swim lessons. Boulder, CO divers can learn about advanced open water technique, emergency first response, rescue diving, equipment specialization, and several areas of specialty diving during their swimming lessons. Boulder, CO enthusiasts can train to become digital underwater photographers or videographers, or can learn about dry suit diving while taking swimming lessons. Boulder, CO instructors can also take you pro, so that you can become a divemaster, an assistant instructor or a master scuba diver trainer, among other areas covered during swim lessons boulder co dive instructors can offer all this, so contact a diving school today for more information.

By Carol M. Weaver

For some, vacationing means lazy days on the beach, leisurely hours by the pool or naps in the sun. For others, vacationing provides a chance to leave the suit-and-tie desk job behind and to let the weekend warrior who stays suppressed most of the year go wild. No matter if you prefer the camaraderie of teams or the challenge of individual sports, the Alabama Gulf Coast has a place for you to test your mettle.

Because of its reputation as a world-class vacation destination, the Alabama Gulf Coast might not, in the past, have been foremost in the public consciousness as a destination for sporting events. But excellent facilities combined with beautiful scenery and friendly, helpful staff, business people and residents make the Alabama Gulf Coast a top-of-the-line location for sports and recreation.

Take, for example, Bike MS: Border Bash, a two-day, two-state, 150-mile cycling event that raises money to fund research to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. Bikers will find this a thrill and a challenge as they ride a course that takes them through two states, beginning and ending at the premier resort The Wharf. The fully supported course means riders of any skill level can be sure to have a safe yet challenging experience. Along the way, riders can marvel at the spectacular scenery, including views of the Intercoastal Waterway, beaches and the native flora and fauna that will be springing to life as May begins.

Supporters who come can spend their time enjoying the amenities provided by The Wharf, such as shops, restaurants, a movie theater and an amphitheater. Additionally, hundreds of boutiques and eateries are located along the 150-mile course.

Some who come to the Gulf Coast will be supporters of entire teams, and those teams will be comprised of children or perhaps grandchildren representing their schools. Tournaments played at a beach destination is a dream combination of vacation and parental obligation. After all, no one ever said the field of competition shouldn't have a Gulf view.

To find team activities, look no further than the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, home to six softball fields, a baseball field, a football field, a soccer field, a track and a field house. As the school year winds down, pitchers will be winding up for tournaments in softball and baseball. Shoot-outs in mid-May are qualifiers for Global World Series events that are coming this summer to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

While visiting Gulf Shores, plan to stop by Johnnie Sims Park to ride the rails in the 6,500-square-foot skate park. The facility has 10 concrete modular skate ramps designed for skill levels ranging from beginner through advanced. A concession and restroom facility is onsite, and those who prefer the sport of being a spectator can do so from nearby picnic tables.

If you would rather do some "courting," however, visit the George C. Meyer Tennis Center, which features 12 hard-surface courts and six Rubeco courts, four covered and two open.

The Orange Beach Recreation Center welcomes martial arts specialists as more than 300 participants gather for the Eastern Shore Taekwondo Invitational.

Orange Beach also offers a sportsplex, tennis center and aquatic center featuring a junior Olympic outdoor pool.

If your idea of a good workout is surfing the 'Net, no worries. All Orange Beach facilities are Wi-Fi Hotspots, so limber up those thumbs for some texting marathons!

But if you came to the coast to give your digital digits a rest and put a little glow on your fluorescent pallor, what better way to tone and tan simultaneously than a pickup game of beach volleyball? Of course, in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, there's always the chance you'll "pick up" a ringer, as professional and world-class amateur volleyball players arrive to bump, set and spike for tournaments on the sugary sands.

Speaking of spikes, don't forget the clubs and golf shoes. You'll want to make sure to hit the links for 18 holes.

You might also consider casting your worries away by doing some fishing. The Alabama Gulf Coast offers opportunities for every budget, from surf fishing off the beach to chartering a deep-sea excursion in search of bigger prizes. Some come to fish for fun, some for food, some for trophies and some for prizes in competitions. But as is the case in every sport and sporting opportunity, when it's at the Alabama Gulf Coast, no matter the outcome, one thing is true: Everyone's a winner.

By Tosin Ajibowo and T Ajibowo

It is very surprising and saddening to suddenly discover that you risk losing your precious cellphone the moment it gets immersed in water. At times, it might simply be that you were unfortunate to have allowed rain or water or any other liquid such as soup, coke, soda, beer, liquor, coffee, tea, lemonade, etc come in contact with your mobile phone and the internal components.

There are even occasions where your friends in the height of playfulness might 'dunk' you into a swimming pool only to realize later on that you had your handset in your possession neatly and safely tucked away in the pocket of your top or trousers. Whatever the scenario, the moment any liquid manages to get into your Mobile Cell Phone mostly through the tiny pores or openings for the SIM card, Memory Card, Earphone or Hands-free port, Keypad, etc...

IT SIMPLY MIGHT GO BAD/FAULTY and NEVER GET TO FUNCTION/OPERATE WELL AGAIN.

Well, you are wrong there. You can still get to save/salvage your mobile phone by following a few tips that should prove helpful in the save recovery of your GSM Handset from damage. At least, you can still give it a try and see if there is something you can do to restore your Phone back to its full function rather than throw it away or be forced to buy a new mobile phone.

Apart from the fact that this is an unplanned spending, you also stand at risk of losing your important and precious data on your mobile phone such as contacts, videos, e-books, audios, pictures, etc. By following simple DIY tips, you can securely recover your Cell Phone from damage and get to preserve all your precious data stored on it from getting corrupted and/or lost permanently.

First thing to do is to recover or retrieve your GSM mobile phone from the liquid or water ASAP. Of course you can not do anything unless you get it back.

Secondly, you are to immediately open the back cover and remove the battery. This way, you protect your mobile handset from further damage as a result of short circuit fault internally.

Thirdly, you are to remove your SIM and any multimedia memory card if your mobile phone uses one.

Fourthly, you must allow any trace of water or moisture to drip and/or dry off respectively for a day or two.

When you must have tried out the above mentioned tips and your GSM cellphone does not work, you are to consult a service/repairs center please for further help and assistance.

By Dennis Siluk Ed.D.

Emery Golf shut his eyes. He was starting to hear noises, those that were not within his physical reality, wolf sounds. He knew this kind of nausea would create a long enduring craving, soon to come thereafter the D.T.'s, and the visual appearance of the wolf, all this combined drove the wolf out to be one might say, his unwanted sidekick. The sickness he was feeling was nothing compared to the wolf, if he came completely materialized.

He was a middle aged man, thirty-nine years old, short and robust, worked at the can factory, in the Midway Area of St. Paul, Minnesota. He had worked there since he was a kid, a spot welder.

He drank up at Bram's Bar, on Sycamore and Acker Streets, in the North End of the city, where he lived. He liked drinking, and he didn't want to stop, he simply wanted to pump himself silly with alcohol every night, and recently during the day. He was starting to look bloated, his heart was being affected, as was his liver, blackened and deadened as if it was frost bitten.

"There should be a law against self destruction," said his friend Ron Sims, who had once lived in his drinking neighborhood, and moved out, and worked for 'American Can,' as well. He had met Emery, three hours after work, at the bar, knowing he had went to the bar right after work, and would most likely still be there, perhaps until its closing time.

"Listen Ron," said Emery, "I want to tell you something, it's all or nothing with me. I can't have one beer without having twenty more. Therefore, I might just as well have twenty, and get it over with, although I don't like seeing the wolf."

"The wolf," said Ron, "what is the wolf?"

"He's a wolf, that comes out of the walls, or from under the bed, or watches me from the back seat of my car, he comes out, when I drink too much, or when I stop drinking, if I drink just enough, and in the morning take a quick drink, he fades away before he completely materializes. I don't know his name if that is what you're asking; I just know he's a wolf."

Emery now shut his eyes, sitting next to Ron on a bar stool, his hands on his forehead, somewhat covering his face, his elbows on the bar counter, several people are around the pool table, behind him, and someone is playing a guitar on a stage no bigger than the size of a large table.

Ron Sims, took another drink of his coke, he went now and then to the bar to see Emery, or his old friends but he had to work the next day, and seldom did he drink on working days and for Emery seldom did he not drink on work days.

"Yes," said Ron, "I think I understand."

"What do you think you understand?" said Emery from underneath his somewhat closed posture.

"What you were saying."

"What do you mean, what I was saying, I wasn't saying anything, I'm hiding from the wolf."

"What did the wolf say?" asked Ron.

"Now you're being funny, you know wolves don't talk," replied Emery, now taking his hands away from his eyes, and forehead; as if the distraction helped.

"It's getting late, I think I'll head on home," said Ron. A waitress standing to his side orders some drinks, "How you been Ron, don't see you around much anymore?"

"Too many wolves around here, Sandy," Ron commented, and chuckled to Emery a little.

"Funny, funny, my friend, but when the wolf comes it's not so funny anymore," commented Emery, taking in a deep breath, as if to fight for oxygen.

"You ok, Emery? Should I call an ambulance?"

"You're joking, what for?"

"No reason, I best be on my way," and he slipped off the bar stool onto his feet.

"The wolf is here," said Emery, in a slightly panicked voice.

"Yes, you've already told me that," said Ron.

"No, no, I did not, I said he was...almost here, now he is," and he starts to cover his eyes, the bartender looks down at Ron and Emery, "I don't want any of that howling at the wolf stuff tonight, tell your buddy to keep it cool Ron, or else!"

Ron nods his head, up and down, giving a gesture he understands, then turns back to Emery.

"What about the wolf?" asks Ron.

"If you lived in my world, you wouldn't think this is so funny, but Ron, he has sharp teeth, he stares at me with yellow eyes."

"I got to go Emery, see you tomorrow," Ron tells Emery for the last time.

Emery grabs Ron by the shirt, "Don't go yet, wait until the wolf is gone."

Ron is standing by Emery now, Emery is sitting on the stool, the bartender glances again down at the two. A few minutes go by.

"So you're fine, right?" asks Ron.

"Of course, I've never been so happy in all my life, why do you ask such a silly question. I thought you were going?" says Emery randomly.

"Ok, I'm going Emery," and Ron starts to walk towards the door, stops and looks back at Emery, he is telling the bartender he will have a few more drinks then go on home.

The next day...

Ron calls Emery on the phone, "Why are you not at work, Emery?" asks Ron.

"I got a hangover, I need a drink then I'll be in."

"Listen up, I'll have to go talk to the Union again for you, the boss just fired you."

"No, don't do that, I've missed several times already this past two months, they'll want to put me on a sober program, and if I don't go, they'll fire me anyway for not showing up or for not passing their stupid tests, and so I'll just save them money and time, and let them fire me, because I don't want to quite drinking! Then I can cash in on my pension, and use that for drinking, been thinking about that anyhow."

3-8-2009 (The story was written of a friend I knew, who died of alcoholism, back in the early 70s, and the story you have just read, is somewhat fact except for a few fictional add-ons; names have been changed, and he died with the complications he mention in the story, at 39-years old.)