Luckiest Contest

Jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina’s Outer Banks offer visitors plenty of sand, history, and recreational activities. This 100 mile long group of islands welcomed the first European settlers, witnessed mankind’s first winged flight, and is often the first place that hurricanes visit as they run up the east coast of the United States. Read on to see what makes the Outer Banks the first rate resort that it is.

As barrier islands, the Outer Banks are exposed to the whims of the Atlantic Ocean. Sand is pulled out and tossed away while the islands make a gradual westward move of approximately one to two feet per year. Indeed, many of the shipwrecks that took place several hundred years ago right off shore would be as much as a mile further out into the Atlantic today if they happened in the same spot.

In 1524, Giovanni de Verrazzano, the first European explorer to visit the islands, landed on the banks. Later that century, Sir Walter Raleigh sent two English explorers to Roanoke Island and the first settlement of Europeans was established.

During the ensuing centuries the area of sea just off the Outer Banks was coined by US Statemen Alexander Hamilton to be the “graveyard of the Atlantic.” Scores of ships were sunk and hundreds of lives were lost as storms marched up the coast as they crept past the islands. The American government, in an attempt to provide navigational assistance, constructed lighthouses along these shores. Even today four of these ancient watchmen continue to stand although their lights have long since been extinguished.

Much later, in 1903 to be exact, two brothers from Ohio, Wilbur and Orville Wright, attempted to make the first manned flight of an aircraft from Kill Devil Hills. Their twelve second voyage was short and sweet, and the rest is now history.

Other outstanding features of the Outer Banks include: Jockey’s Ridge State Park featuring the highest sand dunes on the east coast; the Cape Hatteras National Seashore; wildlife refuges and maritime forests; and a whole host of recreational activities including: kite flying, deep sea fishing, swimming, boating, and more.

Without a doubt, the Outer Banks has something for just about everyone and is well worth exploring. You will be enchanted the first time and everytime you visit.

Visit Matt’s article writing site for samples of the many different topics he writes about: www.thearticlewriter.com

My top 5 can’t be seen to be the one and only list, it numbers my favorite skiing resorts for skiing holidays in the European Alps. Other people could opt for Chamonix, Les Gets and Courchevel however these resorts represent my best ski resorts.

1. Flims Laax Falera, Switzerland ” Is famous for its 3 connected mountains: Flims, Laax and Falera making up one of the most popular skiing areas in Switzerland. It is more for the intermediate skiers and beginners, with over 130 miles of slopes to satisfy all skiers.

2. Kitzbhel, Austria ” the 5 main skiing areas around the resort have plenty of slopes catering to the needs of everyone – this ski resort is one to try out. Contrary to the easy going nature of most of the courses Kitzbhel contains one of the most challenging world cup circuit courses in the world,the Hahnenkamm.

3. Cortina d`Ampezzo, Italy ” Picture perfect, the most beautiful winter wonderland resort in the world, its fantastic slopes are idyllic for beginners and intermediates. The scenery is jaw dropping even if the skiing isnt.

4. Wengen, Switzerland ” This beautiful skiing resort exudes charm from the moment you arrive. It’s an easy going place; with many of the ski pistes having gentle runs leading up to Grindelwald.

5.Sestriere, Italy ” Friendly family skiing resort renowned for its pistes that are connected to the Milky Way. A great place to visit with fantastic snow reliability and a range of slopes with some tougher pistes for the more experienced skier.Val dIsere, France ” One of the most famous resorts in Europe for the experts, it is no surprise that its often a busy place. However, even beginners can find something here as they have pistes for all standards and abilities with the huge area linked to Tignes.

There are not many cities around the world where show business features such a wide variety of performers. Year-round, there are scintillating stage performances from some of the best-known professional dancers, singers and theatre artists in the world. Some of these shows have been thrilling audiences for more than two and a half decades There are famous music troupes and lively music nights with a number of local bands who also give regular performances and have their own fan following.

In some of the shows, the audiences are also offered a free drink. These shows are often 18- or 21-plus. Persons below the stipulated age for a particular show are not allowed inside. Some of the best theatre performances — and spectacular choreography — is presented on the stage during these shows. National and international artists often perform in the city of Las Vegas. These shows usually play to packed houses.

There are a large number of dance troupes, many of them from other parts of the US and the world, who perform regularly in these types of shows. The shows generally start in the evening, but many venues present afternoon shows as well. There are also facilities available for special shows and events, as well as exclusive shows for VIPs. Auditoriums and theatres, as well as a number of restaurants, have made special arrangements for such shows. This keeps the customers happy and they often start visiting the place regularly. However, at some of these shows there is no drinking allowed!

Any library is characterized by a towering bookcase. volumes are safe and free from dirt and dust in a bookcase. A bookcase, also known as a bookshelf, is a furniture piece and has horizontal shelves to hold literature. External glass doors are a good option to refer and stock books neatly.

What do you mean by a antique barrister bookcase?

attorneys have to show from several reference manuals for their practice. such citation manuals cost alot and are needed often. A barrister bookcase is a kind of bookcase especially made for stacking away such big volumes employed by barristers.They are also known as lawyers bookcases and can be produced in oak wood, cherry wood in several finishes and glosses.

How did people store volumes when barrister bookcases did not exist?

Books were infrequent in the past, and thus there was no demand for a bookcase then.In those times, books were hand-codified. These volumes were located in boxes by the well-to-do class. The reason behind this was the books were high-priced and could be bought by the affluent class only.These containers served as a bookcase for them.

After a while, these hand-written books were seen in many affluent individualss households. These books found a place in the water closet or on a shelf.The bookshelves that we see Today are an offspring of these closets in the past, without the doors.

What technique was employed for stacking away books?

The books were arranged in a established way. They utilised to be piled upon each other on their sides or kept upright with their edges on the outside and the backs facing the wall. these volumes had a band built from leather or parchment as a cover that mentioned the title too.This band was placed on the front edge and thence the books were organized with their bounds facing out.

anybody who liked reading could buy books due to the publishing invention. Because the titles could be printed behind the book, the edges were not facing outward any more.

What materials were utilized?

These barrister bookcases utilized to consist of oak commonly. there were other choices of maple, cherry and pine wood if you liked.Custom-built barrister bookcases can be built in steel too for trimming wood cost and lastingness. The Bodleian Library at Oxford University signs the oldest bookcases. these bookcases are present here from sixteenth century onward.

using tiny tabs covered in latticework frames, Chippendale and Sheraton designed lovely bookcases. Any room could look dressed with these bookcases.

How are the latest bookcases unusual?

Today you can buy a movable barrister bookcase that serves a attorney to switch in to a new office easily. this portable bookcase is made of several shelf units.You just need an extra plinth and hood to perfect this barrister bookcase unit. What more can you ask for in a barrister bookcase if the shelves can be moved with all books secure in it?

More Here bookshelves

When considering touring Italy, most visitors probably want to see the major cities of Florence, Rome, Venice. Without a doubt, these are the highlights for a reason. But smaller towns can provide a better understanding of Italian history and offer their own fascination. These places were the backdrop for the struggle for power that comprised much of the drama of Italian history.

Cremona, founded by the Romans in 218 BC, is quite simply the violin capital of the world. The streets are lined with the shops of makers of all manner of stringed instruments. You can see a demonstration of violin-making and make a visit to the collezione di Palazzo Comunale where the town collection is on display. These beloved instruments – the oldest by Andrea Amati dates back to 1566 – are played regularly to keep them in good physical condition.

It’s hard to miss the town’s connection with Stradivarius, who is perhaps the most famous of the illustrious line of violin-makers of Cremona. The Stradivarian Museum contains objects from his workshop, there’s a statue to him on the Piazza Stradivari and there’s the Tomb of Stradivari in the Piazza Roma. The International Violinmakers School is also located in Cremona at the Palazzo Raimondi. If you aren’t on a tour, your first stop should be the tourist information office in the Piazza del Comune, for a map and information.

Parma is the next stop and it is indeed the home of the famed Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Although famous for its food, Parma was once the capital of a grand duchy ruled over by the Farnese family. It was, for a time, a possession of Austria. It is also known for a scent produced locally, Violetta di Parma.

The town associated with the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi is Roncole where he was born. It has since changed its name to Roncole-Verdi in his honor. His home is the main attraction of the tiny village. His professional career began when Antonio Barezzi, a wealthy merchant, asked him to move to Busseto and become a music teacher for his daughter, Margherita. Barezzi became not only Verdi’s patron, but also his father-in-law when Verdi married Margherita in 1836. A monument to Verdi overlooks the town square, which is also the site of the annual Verdi Festival. There is, of course, a museum to the famous son and a tiny gem of a theatre built in his honor. It is said that Verdi never actually set foot in the theater which opened in 1868. Verdi was against building it, saying the theater was too expensive and would be useless in the future. But the town fathers went ahead regardless of his resistance. He was absent at its opening even though one of his most famous operas, Rigoletto, was performed. The elegant theater has been restored and reopened, but in a sense Verdi was right. It only holds 300 people.

As you journey from one city to another, it soon becomes clear that the history of Italy is intertwined with the story of the Gonzagas, one of the richest and most powerful families. Mantova was the seat of that dynasty. The 500-room Ducal Palace (Palazzo Ducale) took centuries to build. The Palazzo Te, built by Federigo Gonzaga for his mistress, stands outside of the walled part of the city. Mantova has ancient stone churches, many small shops, lovely squares and sidewalk cafes.

If it isn’t already, Verona may become your favorite city. It has everything, tumultuous history, ruins stretching back to the Roman era, sophistication and great beauty. The ancient heart of the city contains a huge amphitheatre built by the Romans in the 1st century AD. This arena, one of the largest outside of the Roman coliseum, is now restored and used as an opera house during the summer season. It makes up one side of the Piazza Bra, the gracious town square. The tourist information office is also located there.

Even if you don’t come during the opera season, there is the lure of romance at 23 Via Cappello, Juliet’s House. The story of Romeo and Juliet has some basis in truth. The house and its balcony form a popular attraction. Verona also has intimate street markets lined with buildings still showing their early frescoes (Piazza delle Erbe) and elegant shopping streets paved with marble (Via Mazzini).

Called the capital of the Este family, who flourished around the 13th to 15th centuries, Ferrara is famous for its wide streets and Renaissance palaces. Originally a medieval town, by the end of the 1400s the city was sufficiently prosperous that Duke Ercole I commissioned an architect to create a new Renaissance city and join it to the older medieval section. The project included constructing new palaces, villas and parks with a clearly more modern and airy feel. Here again, try to arrange for a tour of the castles. It is the history, the stories of the people who lived, loved and fought that brings meaning to these stone buildings.

Ferrara is best known for its University founded in 1222, among the oldest in Europe and the Scrovegni Chapel with its frescoes produced by the artist Giotto. There are 36 frescoes depicting the lives of Mary and Jesus. Plant lovers will probably want to visit the Botanical Garden founded in 1545 containing rare plants and the old library and botany collection of the University.

Without a doubt, Venice deserves its reputation. It is a heart-breakingly beautiful city. Built on 117 separate islands, Venice has an extensive water bus system (as well as water taxis) rather than ground transportation. It has narrow paths, houses whose front doors literally open onto the water and no cars and around every corner is a canal and a bridge and one magnificent building after another. But it is also a tourist magnet with all the problems that go with that popularity.

The cruise ships pull in and disgorge thousands of visitors who line up to visit St. Mark’s Basilica, buy gelato in the Piazza San Marco and stroll along the Grand Canal. And for some reason you won’t be able to understand, they like to feed the pigeons and have their picture taken covered in birds. Venice is also a big city with the hustle and bustle of commerce. Part of that commerce is the lucrative tourist trade. There’s no shortage of shops catering to visitors selling Venetian masks, Murano glass and more.

Venice is divided into sestieres or boroughs. The most famous is San Marco which contains the major sights. Visit the Galleria dell’Academia with its collection of Venetian masters and the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery with its more modern works. Stand near the Bridge of Sighs that links the Doges’ Palace to the old prisons.

The pity of Venice is that it is sinking into the lagoon. During rains the water can rise up and cover the piazzas, seep into hotel lobbies and threaten the viability of a beautiful marvel of engineering. And in the summer it is overrun with tourists. But see it anyway. It is worth it.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Travel

The words from this old Negro Spiritual never were more real than when I recently visited the new National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This state of the art museum chronicles the development of the National Underground Railroad that formed a network of safe houses and the heroic conductors who risked life and family to assist slaves in their journeys to freedom. Even more heroic were the men, women, and children who were willing to die to escape the tyranny of slavery.

The stories are told through modern technology, historic displays, and interactive venues. In several of the interactive video displays you are asked to make decisions that, if wrong, end your dream of freedom and perhaps your life. Oprah Winfrey, in one of the movies created for the Center, tells the magnificent story of the heroism found in early Ripley, Ohio. As a person who really does not enjoy museums, I was shocked to see that I had spent over 2 1/2 hours there. (The joke in the family is that I can tour one of the Smithsonian wings in 30 minutes or less.)

A visit to the Freedom Center is much more than developing awareness of American history and factors that led to the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. It causes one to look inward and to reexamine the traditional history taught in many American schools. You are aghast that churches, Congress, the Supreme Court, and over half the nation believed that slavery was not only profitable but ordained by God. Regrettably, you also realize that similar arguments are used today to oppress and enslave in different ways. As you leave, you have a far better understanding of the spiritual “Let my people go…”

To learn more about this fascinating museum, visit its web site at http://www.freedomcenter.org. Specific driving directions are also provided.

Bob Casey is a poet, writer, educator, speaker, and presenter. He has cycled, hiked, sailed, and traveled to many far off destinations. He also spent a year on a teaching Fulbright in New Zealand. His many interests, include yoga, Tai Chi, skiing, cycling, photography, and wine collecting. “Poet Bob,” as his car license plate declares, is currently president of the Ohio Poetry Association. This position allows him to interact with some of America’s best poets. His first book, The Wanderer: A Poetical Journey published in 2002, focused on his around the world trip and the insights gained. His most recent book, Wisdom from the Journey, offers a diverse selection of poems, comments, vignettes, and recommendations complied from the “best” of his monthly e-zine, the Poetical Journal (PJ), which reaches over 13,000 subscribers worldwide. As one reader states, “…In a world of discontent, malice, greed and wars, the Poetical Journal is an oasis to nourish the soul.” His next book will be out late in 2006. To read more of his work or subscribe to the PJ, go to http://www.poeticaljourneys.com

This city is the largest in all of Alabama and got its name from the one located in England, because it started as a major industrial city as well. Since then, manufacturing has diversified beyond the steel mills that gave the city the nickname of “The Pittsburgh of the South”. Among one of the additions to industry is banking, where Birmingham, Alabama, has become one of the more important business centers in the Southeastern United States.

The local economy gets a major boost from nearby Talladega Superspeedway which hosts two major NASCAR events each year. The grandstands seat 175,000 people, and many more travel in motor homes and view the race from the infield. The unique culture of stock car racing draws a lot of fans intent on having a good time, and they spend their money quite freely in pursuit of their hobby and all of its trimmings.

The number one tourist attraction in this city is the Birmingham Zoo, where visitors will see over 700 animals in various settings. It is conveniently located within a five minute drive of the downtown core.

With the Birmingham Museum of Art located here, culture from all over the world can be viewed in the largest municipal museum in the Southeast. The permanent collection includes well over 20,000 works of art, ranging from ancient history to modern times.

Female underwear sales are growing even in these credit crunch times. With British stores getting into financial trouble and high street stores closing down quicker and faster, the sexy lingerie market is seeing sales rise at an awesome rate.

A British womens lingerie retailer in the UK has reported a sales rise by seven per cent. The reason looks to be very clear, girls love to feel gorgeous regardless of how the British economy is doing. With many women spending time at home instead of going out, females are finding the advantages of dressing alluring for their partners. Check this sexy tankinis from Phax, Sunflair, Gok Wan, Gottex, Seafolly and Miracle Suit.

For the very best in beautiful lingerie, lingerie retailers retail a range of alluring and recession busting lingerie. For the female that likes to look angelic and wholesome there are silk chiffons, and for the more adventurous women there is satin bras and stockings. For the girls that are wanting to appeal then there are low plunge bras and open knickers that is sure to please their partner.

Of course, female underwear is not only for females. Gentlemen’s underwear is additionally seeing a climb in sales, mainly due to the much talked about David Beckham billboard ads for designer clothing company Emporio Armani.

So that whilst the UK Recession continues to grab newspaper headlines, it seems girls are more interested in grabbing incredible underwear.

One of the most commonplace causes for wearing spectacles is myopia

myopia, or nearsightedness, is a situation in which targets a way away are hazy either due to the fact that the eyeball is too long or too strong. It is the consequence of both environmental and inherited factors.

The degree to which one is myopic depends on the powers of the cornea and the lens of the eye and the length of the eyeball. In a normal eye the incoming visual images meet on the retina in the back of the eye. If these visual images converge in front of the retina instead of on the retina, then one is shortsighted.

Generally, nearsightedness gets better with age. It is not clear why this happens buy may well be something to do with the aging process. The thinking is that they lens becomes weaker or stiffer with age and doesn’t focus the light so quickly. Eventually, the light rays may even focus on the retina!.

Overall, 25 percent of those living in the United States are nearsighted.

An eye practitionerwill examine a child’s eye and vision very carefully and work out if there is a problem with how they focus images.

To work out how badly myopic you are and the specific nature of your shortsightedness, more tests will need to be conducted. This will help to determine the type of eye specs that you will need. The optician will assess visual acuity, visual movements and the ability to focus on nearby targets. They may need to dilate the pupil to see if there are any rare or alarming complications.

Since children are capable of over focusing, dilation can help the eye care practitioner determine a child’s true prescription due to the fact that the drugs used to dilate also impair this tendency to over focus. Over focusing can cause a child to appear to be shortsighted when he or she is actually not.

myopia is most commonly treated with spectacles or eyeglasses. nearsightedness in preschool children does not need to be corrected with specs, unless either anisometropia, a condition in which there is a difference of more than 1.00 diopters between the two eyes, or amblyopia, a condition in which a child cannot be corrected to 20/20 with spectacles, is present.

Once a child starts school, then being able to focus on the board becomes important for learning, etc. So they should be regularly assessed for the need to wear glasses or the need to change their prescription.

Spectacles will commonly need to be worn all the time. There are a few children who have a rare problem with converging their eyes and they may need to actually remove their specs for when they need to do close up work.

South Africa has dedicated more than three million hectares of its total land mass to the conservation of its natural heritage. You will see a great variety of habitats and wildlife when you visit these amazing sites.

The Kruger National Park covers around 2 million hectares and is the largest game reserve in South Africa. It is roughly the same size and shape as either Israel or Wales! It covers 20 000 square kilometres and it stretches 350 km from north to south and 60 km from east to west. To the north of the Park is Zimbabwe and to the east is Mozambique. The Kruger National Park will be extended into the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park by taking some fences down between the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. This will then cover more than 36 000 square kilometres and will be larger than Switzerland.

In 1896 the rinderpest virus wiped out most of the region’s game and cattle, leaving the area crippled. Hunters decimated the originally rich game stock between the Crocodile River in the south, Sabie River in the north, Lebombo Mountains in the east and the Drakensberg in the west. Therefor President Paul Kruger opened the National Park to protect and ensure the survival of the remaining animals. Funds for the Sabie Game Reserve were allocated in 1898, but then war broke out.

After the second Boer War, James Stevenson-Hamilton, a Scottish born individual, was appointed the first warden in 1902 and a few months later the area from the Sabi River all the way to the Olifants River was added. He removed all human inhabitants from the reserve and began to shoot all predators in order to protect the antelope herds. By 1905, the Sabi Game Reserve had expanded to include more than 17 000 kilometres.

In 1926 the reserve was named after President Paul Kruger and was declared South Africa’s first National Park. In 1927 the park was opened to the public and they were charged a £1 entry fee. Only a few people came to visit the park during that year, but by 1935 more than 26 000 people passed through the gates.

Today more than 1 million people per year visit this magnificent park. Stevenson-Hamilton was very surprised when lions became one of the biggest attractions and he stopped the shooting of predators. The extended Kruger Park was only fenced in for the first time in 1962. On the 31st of May 1972, the Sabie and Shingwedzi reserves together with 70 privately owned farms were consolidated into the Kruger National Park, one of the greatest parks in the whole of Africa.

Altogether there is about 1 982 species of plants, 517 species of birds of which 253 are residents and many other animals. Some of them are the African buffalo, African hunting dogs, cheetahs, eland, bushbucks, zebra, black rhinoceros, white rhinoceros, giraffes, kudus, hippopotamus, leopards, lions, impalas, mountain redbucks, nyalas, redbucks, antelopes, sable antelopes, hyenas, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, wildebeest, baboons, monkeys, duiker, steenbok and klipspringer.

There are also 120 species of reptile including the Nile crocodile, 52 species of fish and 35 species of amphibians. The best time for observing all these animals is the dry winter season (during the months of April to September). The Kruger National Park is a summer rainfall area and during the winter months, the grass is low and bushes don’t have leaves, so you will have an unobstructed view.

It virtually does not rain during the winter months which forces the animals to come to the water holes and six rivers that feed this magnificent Park to drink in the mornings and evening. The animals can easily be watched from the comfort of your car. During the summer months the rain transforms the earth into a lush green haven, a flowering paradise and watching birds during this time is excellent.

There are also 130 recorded rock art sites in the park you can go and see while you spot the animals on the way. Make sure to take your malaria tablets though before you visit the Kruger National Park. This is malaria area although it isn’t as dominant as in earlier years. Take the necessary precautions by taking tablets, wearing light long sleeved clothing and also protect your ankle area. Read more about malaria before travelling to any malaria destination.

Lizel Salter is the author of Simply South African, a traditional recipe book that is available in both English and Afrikaans. Read more at http://www.recipesfromsouthafrica.com/thebook.html