JUST ARTICLES

I am one of those people who are seldom shocked or startled. News alerts, angry barking dogs and people sneaking up on me just do have the same effect on me as most people. I am not sure if that is a positive thing or not, but it is factual.

At the age of fourteen for instance, I was hired as a Boy Scout camp counselor. Counselors were required to sleep in their campsites for a whole week before the campers arrived so they would be familiar with the camp and night sounds. At least that was the logic behind the explanation they gave me.

My campsite, unfortunately, was a half mile from the main camp, deep in the thick woods. I was not only required to sleep alone at the site on the ground every night, but also had to make the long journey on the dark trail to the campsite after dinner each evening. Admittedly, it was a little spooky, but I was a man of fourteen after all and I was not about to let anyone think that I was a sissy.

On the night before the campers arrived, the older, tenured counselors, apparently motivated by boredom, painted their faces in “Lord of the Flies” fashion and hid out on the trail to my campsite. How they arrived there ahead of me after we dismissed from dinner remains a mystery, but they somehow managed it without my hearing them. Then, at what seemed to me the darkest point in the woods, they jumped out, shaking their lights wildly and letting out blood-curdling screams.

I didn’t startle me. I didn’t flinch. I don’t know if the week of preparing the camp fatigued me to the point I couldn’t react or if somehow in my sub-conscience I had half-expected them to pull some hi-jinks like this. In any event, it didn’t startle me. I shook my head and walked by them, but not before giving them a whispered “grow up”.

Many years later as a seasoned believer, I was to experience one of the few true shocks in my life. In fact, it was a series of shocks. I was reading an article in a Christian periodical. I do not recall the title, but the topic was focused on a poll that had been conducted. The poll that was taken canvassed some 12,000 “Christians”. The question posed to them was “of all the miracles in the Bible, which one do you believe least of all?”

The premise of the article was shocking enough; to think that there were people who claimed to believe in God, but who did not believe what he said in his word. But it got worse, much worse. Sadly, only a handful of people said they believed all of the recorded miracles. Over 95% of those polled disbelieved at least one recorded miracle and some disbelieved several. Most surprising of all was the fact that the miracle that registered most skepticism was the virgin birth of Jesus.

I suppose as I read the article I should have been prepared for anything, but I simply did not see that coming. In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined that people who say they believe Jesus is the Son of God can also believe that he was not born in the miraculous way the Bible claims. As I read the results of the poll, it truly shocked me.

A close second was the story of Jonah and the whale (or great fish). This was not quite as startling a revelation. Somehow I perceived that if someone was a skeptic, this would be where their skepticism and faith collided. Still, it perplexes me how people can believe part of the Bible and not all. Where does one draw the line?

Meaning no irreverence to any of the other miraculous accounts (all of which this writer believes), the story of Jonah is one that should be believed above all other miracles, simply because modern history gives credence to it. The story that follows may seem unbelievable, but I assure you it is true.

On a whaling ship named “Star of the Sea” out of England at the end of the nineteenth century, an unbelievable series of events were about to unfold. A boat crew had harpooned a whale and drawn it up to the side of the main vessel, supposing it to be dead. Without warning, the mighty giant thrashed its tail, sending the entire boat crew into the deep. With another lunge of its muscular body, it broke free of the securing lines and sounded. All but one of the crew was rescued. The missing man was pronounced dead at sea and appropriate entries were made in the ship’s log.

Nearly three full days later another whale was harpooned and drawn up to the main vessel. This time it was dead and the crew began to process the great beast. Several hours into the process of stripping the blubber and meat from the creature, one of the crewmen screamed out with great alarm “there be a man inside”.

Sure enough, there in the throat of the great beast dangled the legs of their missing comrade. They had harpooned the same whale that had broken free days earlier. Apparently, in its haste to escape, it had inadvertently swallowed the crewmember, and he had become lodged in its throat cavity.

Sadly, shipmates began to cut away the blubber to get to their friend. After a few minutes another cry rang out “he be alive, he be alive”! To the astonishment of the crew, their shipmate was still alive. His hair and skin had been bleached white by the enzymes present in the whale’s gullet, but he had been so perfectly positioned that he was able to breathe by the great mammal’s air intake and it had been enough to sustain his life.

The man was finally freed from his fleshy prison, but he was unconscious and there was little hope of his surviving. Surprisingly, several days later he regained consciousness and eventually made a full recovery.

The account is documented by the ship’s own logs and preserved in British archives. That believers would discount the ability of God to do on purpose what a whale could do by accident is one of the few things that has truly shocked this writer.

With the uncertainty of the economy, legal marketing agency Beyond All Reasonable Doubt Marketing is advising law firms to take a serious look at their budgets. While marketing, advertising and public relations dollars frequently are cut to reduce expenses, marketing experts agree that a down economy is actually the time when marketing efforts should remain in place, and if anything, be enhanced.

“When other law firms reduce their spending and cut their marketing, they have less presence in the marketplace,” explains BARD Marketing founder and president, John Sailer. “This means the time is ripe for a savvy law firm to grab market share – to reach the audience that is still there but who is hearing from fewer of your competitors.”

When planning your law firm’s budget, you should start by identifying how much you want to spend. While there are no hard and fast rules across the different types and sizes of law firms, it makes sense to budget your marketing as a percentage of expected revenue. Several studies have pegged overall law firm marketing budgets to be between 2 percent and 3 percent, with leading firms spending 5 percent or more.

Second, prioritize your initiatives by looking at both costs and expected benefits. This is easy if you tracked your efforts in past years. Remember that some of the lower cost initiatives may bring strong value while some of the higher cost initiatives may bring very little value. With this said, it is imperative to track outcome of every initiative.

BARD Marketing is experienced in budgeting and planning for short- and long-term marketing and advertising plans, and enables law firms to achieve and track ROI for their marketing activities. For more information or to request a report on Yellow Page Advertising Costs and Effectiveness, please visit www.bardmarketing.

Fishing is a form of hunting which requires the catching of fish by means of hooks and or traps. The terminology does not limit itself to fish alone because it may also be linked with the act of catching other edible aquatic animals. The act of fishing goes back to ancient times and had its share of different styles and developments as new technologies and means were introduced. Fishing has also earned its reputation not only as a means for producing food but also as a recreational activity.

Fishing is said to have begun as a practice as early as 10,000 years ago. Evidence were seen in cave paintings that showed and depicted the act of fishing and near the area of the paintings were dug out bones of seafood consumed in large amounts. In those times when people lived a hunting-gathering lifestyle, fishing was one of the most essential acts of survival. Early settlements were usually found near bodies of water. As an option and as a necessity, fishing was another alternative to acquire food.

It was the Neolithic culture which made the basic forms of fishing spread through other parts of the world, aside from pottery and agriculture. The Egyptians were blessed with the river Nile. Paintings of these people in tomb scenes were innovative when it came to fishing. The use of buckets, nets, traps, harpoon lines and hooks were present during those times. Later on, metal hooks with herbs as baits came into the picture. It was also that during these times, the practice of clubbing to totally kill the captured fish started. The Romans and the Greeks also depicted some scenarios of fishing in the ancient times but it usually was connected with the lower status quo.

Through all the developments that fishing has undergone the basics have just been mixed with new forms of catching materials to make things more convenient for the fisherman. Materials such as spears, hooks and even electricity are being used to fish. Other forms like harpoons and explosives are illegal in some areas in the world. Harpooning is usually associated with the whale species. Whales these days have become scarce and are now considered as endangered. Groups of whale protectors have surfaced to protect the animals. Explosives, on the other hand causes damage to the area it hits. Not only does it kill a number of fishes in a single explosion but it also damages the habitat around the area, from the destruction of the corals to the sea bed itself.

Radio controlled cars (RC cars) have been around since the 1960’s, and they’ve held our attention ever since. This fascination with small radio controlled replica cars is not only beheld by little boys, but by male and female, young and old, too. Just what makes these miniature cars so popular? Well it could be the fact that this hobby allows you to own any car you can imagine, even if only in facsimile.

When Remote Control cars first began, they were made with 2-stroke model airplane engines and were created 1/8 scale. Today, RC cars can be found in a wide array of sizes and body styles. Chances are that any car you like will have it’s counterpart in Remotely Controlled miniature.

There two grades of Remote Control cars, toy grade and hobby grade. Toy grade RC cars are those you find in the regular discount stores and electronic specialty stores. These cars have no spare parts, and once they break or stop working they are unserviceable and meant to be discarded. These Remotely Controlled cars cost $20-25 for the ‘basic’ models, with the most expensive units topping out around $150.

Toy grade RC cars usually give you forward and reverse and left and right steering. Some only let you go forward and reverse, with the car turning in one direction while in reverse. Some of the toy grade cars are just now beginning to have proportional steering, but this would be in the more expensive models.

Unlike the toy grade cars, hobby grade RC cars do not share the problem of not having available spare parts. These hobby grade Remote Control cars also have upgrades ready to be fitted by the owner as well. If a part breaks or fails, it’s really no big deal for the hobbyist as the parts are probably sitting on the hobby store shelf.

The most popular hobby cars can have at their disposal hundreds of upgrades from many different merchants. Available upgrades may consist of scale-realistic wheels to anodized aluminum struts. Some hobby grade cars have total conversion kits available that change the vehicle radically.

Today’s RC cars come in both fuel and electric powered versions. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The electric Remote Control cars run cleaner than their fuel powered counterpart, but the fuel driven Remotely Controlled cars are much faster.

Deciding on which route to go on purchasing either a toy grade or hobby grade RC car really should depend on who the car is intended for. Any child would be happy with one of the $25 low end cars, and so would some adults. If the car is intended for competition racing, the toy isn’t going to cut it. Hobby level RC cars generally start out at the $350 range, and that’s without accessories. If you’re going to start Junior out at hobby level, you’re going to have to whip out the credit card.

Races are long and you feel you aren’t competitive enough? Do you have the faintest idea about RC cars or RC racing? Maybe you do, because RC racing is becoming a sought-after hobby and is becoming popular around the world.

RC racing is proved to be very addictive and can get your interest at the drop of a hat, just like a cigar. You tend to enjoy the *** and enjoy that pleasure when you smoke. Such is the feeling of RC racing as well. You will start craving for more adventure as the feeling of joysticks in your hand gives it a sensational feeling.

Two types of RC cars are available in market these days- gasoline powered and the electric RC cars. The electric powered cars are easy to maintain and run. They also can be made quieter if needed. It’s a mere plugging of batteries to run these RC cars. If these parts are assembled precisely, all you have got to do, then, is just turn and relish the racing. This is precisely why RC cars are better for the amateurs.

However, RC cars which run on gas seem to deliver better performance. These cars are faster than the electric ones. They function better as well but the only drawback is its complexity of these cars. They need to be maintained well and this requires hard work. Nevertheless, they are extremely exciting.

Usually, the RC cars which run on gas are preferred by veteran and experienced drivers as they know exactly how to handle these fast cars. These cars are very powerful and hence needs professional handling. The engines of these cars are heart-thumping. The main advantage of these RC cars is the fact that you don’t need to wait for batteries to recharge. You can just refill the fuel and get yourself on track again. These cars are quite expensive compared to electric RC cars.

Both the gas operated RC cars and the electric RC cars have their own advantages and disadvantages. The one which appeals to you will matter at the end of the day. But you should ensure that you don’t waste much money on these cars. To purchase and maintain a RC car running on gas is a costly affair and isn’t easy. Make sure you don’t drain your bank account on a purchase of an RC car.

You will know, if you have visited an RC car shop, that a RC hobby is more expensive than a toy RC. The difference in the prices of these two is more than just hundred dollars. This is quite a sum!

On purchasing a single RC car from a hobby store will sometimes make you feel bankrupt. This is mainly because most of the hobby stores are of a professional grade. They sell only high-quality stuff which sometimes won’t be affordable. The hobby cars they sell are designed just like real cars, boats, trucks or even airplanes.

A few of the RC cars, belonging to the hobby-grade, are unassembled. A few others are partially assembled car kits. However, if you aren’t well educated on these things and if you have the fear of buying these cars, it’s safer to not get one. It is always better to opt for an assembled RC car any day. You can buy them in RC car shops. Also remember it is always advisable to allow the experts do the assembly than trying out by you. It is safer to not gamble on a precious and quality RC car.

If your kids seem to gain interest on these RC cars as well, then get them RC toy cars which are available in the hobby stores. They are specially designed for kids and amateurs.