A two-way radio is a device which transmits and receives voice signals through the air. They work somewhat like a telephone, but since they do not require a central network they can be used anywhere! With two way radios, two or more people can have a discussion no matter where they are — sometimes while they are miles apart! Another common name for a two-way radio is a “walkie talkie”.

The most common type of two-way radio for regular consumers is the FRS/GMRS two-way radio. These are the radios that you typically see in the big-box stores. FRS and GMRS are the different frequency ranges, or channels, that these radios can operate on. The FRS channels are 8 though 14 and the GMRS channels are 15-22. Channels 1 through 7 are shared, and are used by both the FRS and GMRS systems.

All radios in your group will need to be set to the same channel before you can communicate. For example, if your radio is set to channel 7 it will send your voice over that channel when you talk, and it will listen for and allow you to hear other people talking on channel 7. It is always important to remember that these channels are public! Always be careful what you say over a two way radio, because you can never be sure who is listening.

When choosing a channel, privacy and range should be your primary concerns. If you are using a FRS only channel, because of government regulations your radio will only broadcast at a maximum of .5 watts of power. This wattage will typically get you between half a mile, and one mile of range. If using a GMRS channel, you can get the maximum output power and range out of your two-way radio. However, if you are using a GMRS channel, you are required by the FCC to purchase a license to operate on those frequencies.

As far as privacy goes, if you choose a channel and notice that there are others using the same channel, you should switch to a different channel to avoid confusion. Sometimes, such as at a crowed amusement park, 22 channels just aren’t enough to provide privacy. Because of this, most mid range radios and up also provide “Privacy Codes,” which break up a single channel into anywhere between 38 and 121 sub-channels. When you figure in the privacy codes, many radios offer over 1000 individual channels for you to choose from.

Some two-way radios operate on AA or AAA batteries. You will also find that many of the radios come with rechargeable battery packs and desktop chargers. If you buy a model with a rechargeable battery pack, you will get the convenience of the rechargeable batteries and plus, you will still be able to operate them with regular batteries if your battery packs happen to drain before you get them back to their chargers.

There are many good uses for a two-way radio, but they can come in especially handy on family vacations or outings. Have you ever taken a trip to an amusement park or a ski trip and somehow got separated from your friends or family? A two-way radio would have been very helpful to locate one another. How about taking more than one car on a road trip? A two-way radio would be a great means of communication between vehicles.

Another popular sport in which two-way radios can play a big part is hunting. Hunters are always in need of some sort of communications device to keep in contact with one another throughout the woods. The avid hunter can now even find two-way radios in camouflage color!

The major brands of two-way radios include Motorola, Cobra, Midland, Kenwood and Uniden. You can find radios from these manufacturers in all different ranges of output power and distance. There are all different types of features out there you can get with your two-way radios as well. Many two-way radios even support the NOAA weather channels. There are also lots of accessories you can find for your two-way radios including headsets, handheld speakers, earbud receivers, and throat mics. A lot of these you can even operate hands-free as long as they, and the radios, are VOX capable. You can now even buy car chargers for your two-way radios!

It is no doubt that two-way radios have come along way over the years. Most people have found them impossible to live without, just like cell phones! From starting out at a maximum range of about 2-5 miles, you can now find them with maximum ranges of up to 14 miles! Next time you are on the go with friends or family, make sure you’re prepared and take a two-way radio along. They may just prove to be pretty handy.

Danny Feemster writes about two way radios, and the communications industry. For more information and articles on 2 way radios, visit www.buytwowayradios.com

Specialised re-mortgage rate plans are customized to service professionally employed mortgagors. More than a few financial institutes are advancing raised pay multiples plus pretty encouraging rates particularly to accountants, doctors and other professionals.

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With hectic working lives and the increasing cost of higher education, more and more people are opting for an online university education. You need a computer, a phone connection, and an Internet Service Provider before you register for an online course. Despite those initial requirements however, you can be located anywhere in the world and in any time zone.

The University of Phoenix Online is one option that you might consider. The University offers online education in various disciplines and at undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate levels. After you have completed the online registration process, you can download lectures, questions, and assignments at your own convenience and review them offline. An easy-to-use Internet access software facilitates quick and smooth access to instruction material. All instruction materials are in text format, ensuring that you have access to all resources.

Online programs offer online libraries and services to help the students to access study material. The virtual classes are designed to facilitate interaction with colleagues and professionals in the field by sharing ideas, debating issues, and learning from their experience. Instructors guide the students through the course for easier understanding. Students can enrich their assignments by collating information from discussions and research. These assignments can then be discussed with instructors in an academic environment.

An online program offers almost unlimited flexibility, although it requires time-management capabilities and dedication towards the subject. Courses are offered in a sequence, and students can complete each course in about five to six weeks. Breaks can be incorporated in between the courses as well. The learning process is entirely based on email communication. Unlike a classroom situation, students do not have to curtail their normal commitments to make it to the class. Instead, they can download the instruction material anytime and from anywhere and complete it at their own pace.

Hal McIver is a proponent of higher education, especially at online universities. See www.universityreviewsonline.com/2005/10/how_to_get_a_qu.html for more information on an online university education.

Not so long a go it seemed like gaming laptops were only attainable from certain companies and they were normally built to order. The sales were in no terms really good but they did generate increased profit on each notebook than others. Despite that everybody probably wanted one. Maybe they were never the most functional but I still think they were the best laptop computers. Despite the fact that was true I guess the prices were so costly that we would buy laptops that were not as powerful instead. As of late all that has seemed to have changed as the big players have spotted the opportunities in gaming portables.

These laptop computers have a certain price range and these companies are aware they do not have to be price competitive in this sector. It’s an excellent opportunity for them to claw back gross markup as the markup on average laptop computers are so tiny nowadays. I am quite confident that most of us would buy laptop computers if marketed to everybody by these large companies. This is a big threat to littler specialist companies. In my view the multinational brands will dictate the market direction. Local manufacturers can’t even leverage a brand name as the larger competitors can.

I think its funny that because it comes with an established brand name they are automatically considered the best laptop computers. In my view the local resellers should act on this if they are to survive. People like to be able to customise because they can choose what is most important to them. I guess the people that buy laptops for gaming generally know what they are looking for. In most cases the performance is far more important than the aesthetics for certain kinds of customers. All customers agree that its a favourable development. Finally high end technology for your investment will be the result of this change. Even though that’s my take on it, its just my opinion and quite possibly not what will take place. New products are continuously being launched and that should hold prices relatively high. The established companies have already started their own gaming notebook line, so all we can do now is stand back and see.

Car manufacturers are not yet meeting European Union targets on fuel efficiency and lower carbon dioxide emission on the majority of their new models, according to environmental campaigners. A pan-European lobby group, Transport and Environment (T and E), has called the industry out for fighting against current EU legislation and, even more worryingly, proposed future limits. Car travel contributes a large chuck of Europe’s C02 limits, with individual car journeys being one of the most straight forward areas that people can address if they wish to reduce their carbon footprint. Carbon emissions, despite increased public awareness on the issue of climate change, have continued to rise across the EU. Britain looks likely to meet its Kyoto targets, however emissions from aviation and shipping, as well as other forms of transport, are not including in this carbon balance sheet, a fact which leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of many environmental campaigners. In fact, transport in the EU was responsible for just under 30% of all emissions in 2006, an increase of 35% on 1990’s level. The assumption that car manufacturers, consumers and politicians, in being well informed about climate change, will naturally act to reduce emissions is clearly wayward. Transport and the Environment highlight the fact that the 14 biggest car manufacturers in the EU still have to reduce engine emissions by 17% to reach the EU’s 2012 targets. Transport and Environment’s report does not place responsibility solely at the door of the giant motor industry. It also found that car buyers were unwilling, as yet, to take the effort into leaving behind their penchant for gas guzzling past models in favour of low-emission, more environmentally friendly vehicles. A change in consumer culture would surely drive a response from the manufactures, who are, after all, as eager to meet the most up-to-date aspirations of their target demographic. With motor magazines and television programmes still dominated by an outmoded, puerile appetence for speedy and sex y cars, it seems unlikely that this change in culture is anywhere close to arriving. The fact that many car adverts now tout their emissions levels gives some cause for hope, as it suggests that, at the very least, people are aware of the environmental issues that are so inherent with driving. Whilst consumers are currently left to their own free will when considering their next car purchase, the manufactures are, in theory, being forced to alter the carbon emissions of their current models thanks to EU legislation, legislation that is expected to become more stringent in the immediate future. The German manufacturer BMW was identified by the report as having made an effective step toward the goal of reducing the negative impacts that their cars have. In 2007 the manufacturer managed to cut the emissions of its entire fleet by just over 7%, through an engineering process designed to reduce carbon emissions. Overall though the German car industry has been one of the most vocally opposed groups to influence its domestic politicians.

So you’ve decided that you’re going to do it.

You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired and are once and for all
hell bent on losing weight.

Well, let me be the first to warn you of a very grim fact:

Millions have tried before you and most of them have
failed miserably at reaching their weight loss and diet
goals.

Therefore, I’ve put together a little beginner’s guide to
help make sure that you are one of the few that actually ends
up being successful at this.

1. Get an accurate picture of where you are now

   Many people just go and hop on a diet or weight loss program without
   knowing exactly where they are from the start. This is dangerous
   because along the way there WILL be numerous times where you will be tempted
   to simply quit altogether. Without knowing where you started, you won’t
   be able to accurately gauge your progress. Not being able too see that
   progress put you at an extremely high risk of quitting down the road when
   the going gets tough.

2. Set specific, realistic goals for your weight loss, and WRITE THEM DOWN.

   This is one of the most ill-executed steps in the entire process of losing
   weight. Most people will passively quote some random amount of weight that
   they “hope” to lose.

   “I need to lose 30 lbs.”
   “I’m trying to get back down to a size X”
   “If I can just fit back into Y, I’ll be fine”

   That is the exact WRONG way to go about your weight loss. All above the above
   are hopes. Wishes. Desires. And none does a thinner body make.

   What you need are detailed, definite goals that are
   written and time bound (e.g. “over the next 3 months”)
   to hold yourself accountable to doing what you
   said you were going to do by the time you said you were going to do it.

   Adopt a step-by-step course of action to get you there

   In order for this to work there needs to be a concrete method to your
   weight loss madness. To this end, you need to chose a weight loss plan
   that will lead you step-by-step through what to eat (and what not to eat),
   how and when to exercise, and every other imaginable aspect of losing
   weight. The reason for this is that goals have a much better chance of
   becoming reality when they are being attained as a result of a plan or system
   of action.

   Get started IMMEDIATELY

   Most flunkies know how to study. Most broke people know how wealth is
   generated. Most overweight people how to lose weight. However, what separates
   all of these very knowledgeable, yet unsuccessful people from the results
   they desire is action. Don’t let that be your fate.

   Once you have written specific goals and chosen a plan of action, don’t
   delay in getting right on track to weight loss. The cheesecake, burgers,
   chocolate, and pastries aren’t going anywhere. You can snack on them moderately
   once you’ve achieved your goals. Don’t get caught into the
   trap of holding off having Your
   Best Body any longer. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be done.

   Be Prepared for the emotional roller coaster

   Nearly everyone who has tried to lose weight has had some level of success
   at one time or another. For those who have not been able to sustain desirable
   results, being knocked out by the emotional roller coaster is most likely to blame.

   Look, losing weight is very simple, but not easy. If it were, there wouldn’t
   be so many people trying to get it right. The #1 skill that you will need to
   develop in order to make it through is surviving the roller coaster of emotions.
   One day you’ll feel as if you’re getting great results. A week later, you may actually
   feel that you are moving backwards. Either way, just know that as long as
   you consistently follow the weight loss principles, you will ALWAYS move forward, even
   if it does not feel like it.

   Don’t stop until your goal is reached, no matter WHAT

   So many times people come to a screeching halt in their efforts to lose
   weight and diet because they get discouraged a portion of the way through OR
   after they reach a certain benchmark they allow themselves to be satisfied
   and quit the program even though their goal has not been reached.

   DON’T DO IT.

   There was a specific reason that you set your initial goal. Do not sell
   yourself short by settling for anything less. Stick it out until the very end,
   and your sense of accomplishment will be irreplaceable.

   Once you’ve reached your goal, never, EVER let yourself blow up
   again

   This is the last and final barrier to ultimate success in your efforts to
   lose weight.

   Make sure not to allow yourself to relapse while you are in maintenance mode.
   I recommend sticking to the same general principles that helped you lose the weight
   and then occasionally indulging in some of the foods that you love. This balance
   is the best way to keep the body that you’ve worked for and not feel over-restricted.

Make this the first and last time that you ever have to go through a weight loss
program. Remember that if you can just get it right one good time, you can
literally maintain it forever with little effort.

To Your Best Body,

Lawrence Cole
Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach
YourbestbodyNOW.com

Lawrence Cole is a Lifestyle and Fitness Consultant based out of Los Angeles, CA. He has over 10 years of health and fitness experience and designing simple, effective nutritional strategies to help individuals achieve their personal best internal health and physical conditioning.

See this article on YourBestBodyNOW.com

A magic trick is created to amuse and mesmerize an audience who comes to the show knowing that all the tricks are not real and have fun because they can’t figure out how the magic was done. You won’t see a magician exposing magic mainly because telling how a magic was done is to kill the thrill and fun in watching them.

Magicians wanting to join a group of other magicians are required to give an oath to that effect. Never tell anyone who is not a magician the reason behind a trick and to never show a trick to anyone when you haven’t fully mastered it.

Once you gave your oath as a magician, it is expected that you will live up to your promise. Once you tell somebody and the organization found out about it, you may find yourself not receiving new tricks or that no one is teaching you how another trick is done.

Note though that you can tell it to somebody who is really willing to learn on how to be a magician. In fact you can see instruction videos and detailed instructions on sale in many shops. This is to help budding magicians into starting their careers or hobbies. Some of the tricks included in these instruction videos are common tricks and very easy to learn.

Some magicians also tell their tricks to misdirect others and help them appreciate a new trick that they have done. Old tricks seem to bore adult audiences that they tend to ‘bungle up’ the old tricks in preparation for their new tricks which proves more astonishing.

Magic tricks, once shown how they are done, may be posed with risk of becoming stale. Sometimes it is because you are disappointed at how easy it actually is or maybe because you found out that the trick requires a lot of props to accomplish. This is the reason no magician in his right mind will tell an audience how a trick is done. A magic told is a magic lost. Secrecy is the key and the magic is in keeping those secrets within you.

Magic is a living art, new illusions are propping up and new ways are introduced. Yes, you will see magicians telling their tricks but true magicians will always find their way around it. They will devise new illusions from old illusions and they will get more creative in how they show those illusions.

A lot of players are plagued with a “Chicken Wing” stroke that ruins their shot making ability by thrusting the elbow of their grip hand out awayfrom their body.

The result is coming through the cue ball out of alignment with the target line and as a result, to sink the ball, they train themselves to correct for having shoulder and elbow out of precise alignment.

I recently read an article about Vijay Singh’s Record Breaking golf season that credited his Routine practrice routine that among other things involves the placement of a golf glove in his armpit. This way he maintains proper arm/body connection throughout the swing.

There are a lot of similarities between golf and billiards and Vijay’s routine got me to thinking about a proper billiards stroke.

To be in alignment, the upper arm, at least just below the armpit, needs to be immediately adjacent to the upper chest. That puts the shoulder, the elbow and the wrist on a plane with the back leg and the target line. Here’s a use for that billiards glove I discarded months ago.

Doesn’t work, a glove in this instance will not fall because in a deffective billiards stroke, even with a chicken wing, doesn’t allow enough clearance for the glove to slip out of place.

How about a chalk cube? Same thing, only it is a little more irritating.

A quarter? Works fine and if you get your upper arm a little out of alignment, you’ll be tracking the quarter across the floor.

But I wanted to be sure. No one told me the skin of the upper arm should be touching the upper chest to deliver a good stroke, but I did have a test bed for such a theory.

Doug Carter’s Stroke Trainer, when used properly, will train the muscle memory in your stroke arm, hand and wrist all at one time.

So I set up the Stroke Trainer, just to test the feeling. Sure enough, there is a tightness between the upper arm and chest when I am properly set up with the Stroke Trainer.

If you can hold a quarter in your armpit throughout the stroke (backswing through follow through) you will be amazed at your increased accuracy on long shots.

Feels awkward. Damn right, but if you use this little gem while you are practicing and do it repeatedly, you will groove your stroke.

Reg Hardy is chief cook and bottle washer at Billiards Crossing, the web’s only exclusive members only site devoted to the fine art of billiards improvement. This site now featues over 120 articles, e-books and other resources specifically for casual pool players who want to better their game. Check out the trail membership, log onto the Headspot forum and book a session in the Cross Talk chat room. Stop by http://www.billiardscrossing.com, Where Good Players Get Better!

Gas prices are soaring! This has resulted in elevated travel expenses. If you travel by car, YOU have some control over the costs.

Here are some ways to save money on gas:

* Switch to synthetic motor oil. It reduces engine friction and may make your car a little less ravenous at the gas station. (There are brands available claiming 5%-20% increases in fuel economy.)

* Use the manufacturer’s recommended grade of oil. Manufacturer specs are based on what is best for your specific vehicle.

* Buy gas with the recommended octane rating. Premium can actually be detrimental to many engines.

* Fill up during the coolest times of day. You get more gas in each gallon, because liquids expand in the heat. The pumps are measuring gallons, not weight.

* Make sure that the gas cap is tight after you fill up. Gas evaporates easily - you can lose an appreciable amount through an improperly seated cap.

* Check your tires before your holiday and inflate them to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Underinflated tires create drag and increase gas consumption. Always carry a tire gauge in your glove compartment.

* Never drive on bald tires! Besides being unsafe, they also increase fuel consumption.

* Don’t leave your engine idling for long periods of time. This includes pre-warming - one minute is all you need. Start off slowly, then use normal speeds after a couple of minutes.

* Don’t continually start and stop your engine. Each start burns about the same amount of gas as one minute of idle time.

* Drive the speed limit on highways - speeding devours gas. Activate your cruise control whenever possible, and when cruise is not engaged remember the ‘egg’ trick: drive like you have a raw egg between the floorboards and the gas pedal.

* Stop lights in cities are usually set to synchronize with the posted speed limit. Drive the speed limit and you are more likely to hit a long series of green lights. Stopping at red lights increases idle time and gas consumption.

* Drive in a way that entails minimal use of the brakes.

* Don’t pack more than you need. The more weight you carry, the more gas you use.

* Decrease wind resistance. A car caked with mud, snow, or ice will cause drag and burn more gas than a sleek, clean vehicle.

* Don’t use the air conditioner unless necessary. Vehicle air conditioners increase fuel consumption.

* Pamper your vehicle by ensuring that it goes in for regular tune-ups and maintenance. Slight adjustments can mean dramatic fuel savings. Ask the maintenance people to add fuel injector cleaner whenever the oil is changed.

* Some communities have websites that post fuel prices at local gas stations. Do your research before you leave to find out where the cheapest stations are. Use common sense: driving too far out of your way will gobble up more gas than you save. Try gasbuddy.com (USA and Canada) and your favorite search engines.

* If you own a gas guzzler, try trading with a relative or neighbor for a smaller vehicle while you vacation. (Make sure that insurance policies on both vehicles are in order first.)

* Use your feet! Once you get to your destination, walk whenever possible. Walking is how you really get to know an area.

Save money, save the environment - and have more cash to spend on your vacation!

Kathy Steinemann is a webmaster who writes for:

* 111 Travel Directory

* 1000+ Travel Tips

* Adult Escapes

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is from a group called androgen. Men make testosterone in their testes. Women secrete testosterone from their ovaries. It is a big player in your health and your well being. For men, it is the main sex hormone. While known to be in men, many do not realize the women have it to. But, for your well being it needs to be there for many reasons. For example, testosterone plays a large role in enhancing libido, immune function, in energy levels as well as in protection of osteoporosis.

What Can Testosterone Do?

Since it is found in both men and women, it plays a great deal of a role in the human health. It is available in a much lower dosage in women than in men, though. There are many things that it can do to your body. Here are some of them:

• As an anabolic effect, testosterone can help with the growth of muscle mass as well as increasing strength. For this, many individuals looking to enhance their body’s muscular structure take testosterone supplements.
• It can also help in increasing the bone density and strength of them as well. Supplements of testosterone in aging women, for example, that have gone through menopause may help to provide more strength for weakening bones.
• It can also help with the individual’s height growth and bone maturation.
• For men, testosterone helps with the maturation of the sex organs including the penis and the scrotum in the fetus as well as during puberty later on in life.
• In puberty, testosterone can be responsible for a male’s voice deepening and the growth of hair on the body especially on the face and on the chest.
• In individuals that are transsexual, testosterone can be given to the opposite sex to help provide characteristics to these individuals of the opposite sex. They can take either enhancing testosterone (for female to male transgenders) or medications that lower testosterone output (for male to female transgenders.)

You can see the occurrences of testosterone increasing during puberty in a number of ways. Body odor is an indication of puberty and of testosterone increases. Also, pubic hair formation, axillary hair, growth spurts during this time, skin that is more oily than it was, acne and even upper lip and sideburn hair as well are all signs of increased levels of testosterone within the body.

There are also many reasons why you may need a testosterone treatment. The first testosterone was removed from a bull in 1935 and since then, there have been many ways in which it can be made pharmaceutically. Today, it can be purchased in several forms including testosterone cypionate and enanthate in an oil that is injected into the body, in methyltestosterone tablets that are used for oral use, and even skin patches.

But, why is it used? There are several conditions which can benefit from it. These include the uses of testosterone to treat men that have little to no natural level of testosterone in their body. This will help with the relief of anxiety, depression and even tiredness. Other benefits may take longer to happen.

But, there are other conditions in which testosterone can be given. These include infertility, penile enlargement, height growth, osteoporosis, and erectile dysfunction. It can also help in reversing anemia, be used as appetite stimulation and be used to stimulate bone marrow growth as well. In some individuals, it is also a way to fight the signs of old age.

There are many conditions in which testosterone treatments can help. But, there are others that can hurt the body as well. Anabolic steroids such as the use of testosterone can increase the size of muscles and strength but have been misused to allow for a performance enhancing drug. And, because of this, the United States has make testosterone a controlled substance. This stems from controversy, but can be more than that. Over use of this treatment by individuals looking to strengthen muscle can have serious implications as well.

Individuals that need or use testosterone will need to work with a doctor over time to really realize the full potential of this treatment. Naturally occurring or not, it is necessary for individuals to use it wisely.

More Testosterone Low Treatment information can be found at http://www.testosteronelowtreatment.com/ You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice, link and URL remain intact.