1. Concrete Patios- Patio Size, Diagram of Dimensions - The Concrete Network

   Types of patio sizes, includes dimensions and suggestions for determining how large a patio should be ... side yards and little back corner destination spots. ...

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2. Concrete and Flagstone Patio Tips

   High spots will create a hump in the patio, unless you know how to sand a brick! ... Picture framing is something I see all the time on flagstone patios. ...

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3. Cleaning Concrete Oil Spots

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4. Rust/Water Spots on Concrete

   Rust/Water Spots on Concrete. I went to replace my potted plant and discovered what I call rust marks (aka water stains) on my covered concrete patio. Any ...

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6. Cleaning Concrete - Associated Content

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7. Costs of cast in place decorative stamped concrete ~ Polished Concrete ...

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10. Concrete Design | Enhancing Patio Floors With Concrete Design

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11. Concrete patio furniture, birdbaths, statues, Folsom, California - Home

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12. Build a beautiful patio

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13. Black & Decker Power Tools

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14. DIY: Patio Pavers - Danny Lipford

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15. How to Lay Tile over Concrete | DoItYourself.com

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16. Houston Paver,Paver Houston,Pavestone Houston,Landscaping,flagstone ...

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19. How to Build a Patio from Concrete Pavers

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21. Concrete raised patio repair which route to go??? - Concrete Information

    ... at my patio that is holding water in a couple of spots that is about 6-7 ft around. The patio is 14x28 and I was told by one contractor the lowest spot is a 1 ...

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22. Minnesota landscape design | patio of colored concrete fire pit in St Paul

    ... in St Paul Minnesota uses colored concrete to build a multi-level, terraced patio with firepit. Southview Design is a ... there weren't enough spots to set up ...

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23. Build a Stone Patio - How to Build a Backyard Patio Video - About.com

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24. Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete [Archive] - DoItYourself.com ...

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25. Charlotte NC & Columbia SC DRIVEWAYS PATIO INSTALLERS Concrete ...

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26. Cajun Palms RV Resort About Us Page

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27. Posts tagged Patio at DIY Life

    Pat Marfisi's luscious plot was built on a concrete patio! ... Push down while smoothing to remove lumps while filling any low spots. ...

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28. Concrete Homes - Driveways

    ... quality of the completed concrete driveway always begins with ... stage is the time to consider adding that concrete patio or porch addition. ... spots. ...

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29. Cement & Concrete Basics: Placing & Finishing Concrete | Portland ...

    Concrete that will be visible, such as slabs like driveways, highways, or patios, ... Bullfloating eliminates high and low spots and embeds large aggregate particles ...

    www.cement.org/basics/concretebasics_placing.asp

30. HowStuffWorks "Preparing to Build a Patio"

    The patio is constructed as a grid of 3-foot-square concrete units, framed by wood. ... to level high spots; rake to level the entire patio area to a smooth, ...

    www.howstuffworks.com/how-to-build-a-patio1.htm

31. Free Blog | Decorative Concrete Ideas

    Concrete Pavers. Concrete-Patios. Continuous Yard Edging and Borders ... you looked at the concrete around your pool or on your patio or your front walk ...

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32. Colormaker Floors - Visual stimulating finishes | Decorative Concrete Ideas

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33. Gorgeous country setting with ranch home & 2400 sq ft outbuilding on ...

    Ranch home with 2700 sq ft of living space & 2400 sq ft outbuilding! ... level deck and concrete patio are the perfect spots for barbecuing and enjoying ...

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34. Garden Patio - Patio Design - Patio Garden

    ... in most cases patios were just slabs of concretethe possibilities just weren't there. ... living spots into a personal paradise. Garden Patio Ideas ...

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35. Creating Your Ideal Garden Patio Retreat

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36. Houstons #1 Source for custom masonry and Concrete driveway and Patios

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37. Question A Concrete Stain Professional

    In Reply to: Re: Old Concrete Patio Staining? posted by Chris K. on May 07, 19102 at 21:29:11: ... together a lot and have always gotten darker spots in areas. ...

    www.concrete-stain.com/Concrete_stain_pages/Stain_Question.html

38. Eagle Nest RV Park

    All sites now have concrete patios! Big Rigs welcome. Rainbow ... All spots now have concrete patios. Guests enjoy the heated pool. Seasonal sites available. ...

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39. Gardening : Patios / Decks : A Patio Makeover : Home & Garden Television

    The first step is preparing the old patio for the new concrete. ... groups of potted plants in spots around the patio to add fun and plenty of color. ...

    hgtv.com/hgtv/.../article/0,,HGTV_3568_1392382,00.html

40. Gardening : Patios / Decks : Patio Makeover : Home & Garden Television

    Change the look of stepping stones, patios and even driveways. ... that because concrete is not uniform, you may need to go back and touch up spots. ...

    www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gardening/article/0,,HGTV_3546_1381704,00.html

41. Reeds RV Park and Boat Storage

    Reed's RV Park, located on Hwy 83, just south of Warsaw,MO is open year round and is an economical and truly ... All spots have concrete patios. 2 -1 acre ...

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42. Concrete Project Has Many Ways to Get Stuck - washingtonpost.com

    Q: DEAR TIM: I need to pour concrete for a 15- by 25-foot patio. ... third person spots the deliveries of concrete and uses a concrete rake to puddle ...

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43. Integral Concrete Colorant, Concrete Chemicals and coatings by LiquiBlack

    ... Concrete. 5 sack mix. Non-glare gray. 1 pint. per cubic yard. Patio gray ... Concrete Chemicals has researched common causes of the dark spots or blotching ...

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44. Stamped Concrete driveway slab concrete patio pouring concrete dvd's

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45. Paveloc Industries - Patios & Paths - Page 3

    Paveloc Industries, Inc. - Manufacturer of Quality Concrete Paving Stones and Creta Stone Retaining Wall System. ... or poorly sloped patio could even direct ...

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46. Yahoo! Local Profile

    The said contractor poured a 14'x70' concrete patio on July 3, 2007. ... There were spots all over the patio where the rocks were not embedded into the concrete. ...

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47. Aztec Concrete

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48. 12 spots for patio dining

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    www.azcentral.com/ent/dining/articles/0328patiodining.html

49. arizona gardening - arizona patio - arizona plants - azcentral.com

    ... selling point for a natural-stone or concrete patio is that it lasts a long time ... cozy spots for conversation around a fire pit or decorating a patio as ...

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50. Pouring a Concrete Pad

    Patio. Special Offers. Gift Center. Services. For Your Business. Help. My ... Fill any low spots with fresh concrete and screed the pad until the top is flush ...

    www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/concpad.html

This week, I realized how far behind I was in school.

You see, the first two weeks of school I was so ill with whatever virus was going around, I could barely get out of bed and missed far too much of class. My immune system was so low from the stress and tribulations of my pile of crap that I wasn't dealing with, that whatever life was left in me was sucked right out when the virus came.

After I recovered, depression set in. Nightmares began, stress and drama around my relationship and a lack of confidence. I stopped caring about my friends, my classes, my homework, my life.

I just wanted to sleep and I didn't want to be disturbed.

What I needed was a good kick in the butt, and the Universe gave me one of those, which you can read about in my previous post.

As we approached the mid-point of the semester (this past Thursday) I realized how much of my future was on the line.

If I didn't pass all four of my classes this semester, I wouldn't receive my associates degree, which means I wouldn't be attending FIDM in January. Not good- since my family and I have been planning the day I go to FIDM for four years.

I realized I was at a crossroads.

I could either give up, or I could suck it up, be honest with my teachers about my position and make the biggest effort possible every day from now until the end of the semester, finals included.

I sat down, closed my eyes and visualized what it would be like to be at FIDM (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising). I saw the art projects I would be doing, the glee in my teachers eyes when grading them, and all of the people that told me I was destined to be a political artist- helping change the world with my creations.

I knew that was where I am supposed to be, and a large wave of warm, happiness swept over me. A smile stretched between the corners of my lips.

I have to change my behavior, I thought.

The first step was making the decision that I would attend every class from now on.

Before I was going to maybe about 50% of my classes- not such a good idea at a major University. I could get away with that at a community college, but not a University like this one.

So, Wednesday rolled around and I was as prepared as I could be with my readings. I was ready to start fresh, but then I slept through my first class. 

As I realized I wasn't keeping my promise to myself, I began to get sad and could feel the depression kicking in again. Not wanting to allow it to take control, I forced myself to think positive.

Don't get down on yourself, Blake. You are going to 3 out of 4 classes. That's a HUGE improvement from last week, where you barely went at all. Besides, on Friday you can make the commitment to go to all four.

One step at a time, I thought.

I felt relieved.

As I was driving to class, I started becoming aware of the negative spiral of my thoughts. All I could think about was what would happen if I failed out this semester. I immediately stopped myself and reminded myself that I had the Universe and I had to trust.

Then, a miracle happened. I suddenly became aware that the stereo was on and the song that was playing...

"Oh, we're half way there... Oh, living on a prayer! Take my hand... we'll make it I swear..."

God was speaking to me! Tears began to stream down my face as I mentally slapped myself for forgetting He is always with me, always conspiring on my behalf. I was so excited to get to class, I hummed the song the entire way there.

Then I was faced with my big pile of crap when I arrived in my History class. At first I was grateful when I spoke to another classmate who told me he didn't get through all of the reading. (It took me 3 hours to get through the first chapter, so I didn't even make it to the second). I felt even better when our teacher applauded us for even trying and then went over the material to make sure we understood.

So far so good.

Then she handed back our tests. On the inside of the front cover there were two letters:

F/D

F for the test, D for my participation grade.

My heart fell to the floor as I held back tears with every ounce of my strength.

Here I was, just trying to keep myself out of a give-up-mindset, and my reality was making it very clear to me that my past actions were far below par.

I remembered the Universe, and the importance of being Positive, and I asked my teacher if I could speak with her after class.

We met at her office, and she told me she could understand if I was freaking out. I began to cry. (I'm so emotional!) And then, another miracle.

She told me to cheer up, take the bull by the horns, and try harder for the rest of the semester. She told me it was understandable that I was struggling since I missed so much school due to illness in the beginning, and she understood. She said that if I made an effort for the rest of the semester, and didn't miss any more class, then she could use her authority to give me a passing grade, regardless of the percentage. If I showed effort and improvement, I would be okay. Then she showed me the proper way to study History and how to breakup the material so I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed.

It was like an angel had flown down from Heaven, showing me the way to Salvation.

I left feeling Grateful, Powerful and Positive.

The rest of my day was wonderful.

I wrote a note to my Health teacher (the other class I was concerned about) asking her to keep an eye on my future behavior (mostly attendance) and to please judge my grade based on my improvement, since I hadn't been doing well due to illness (which we had previously discussed) and depression.

Everything started looking up, and I realized that I do have control.

The lesson here is that I am creating my circumstances, and as time moves faster and things begin to manifest more quickly, it is important to keep my eye on my goals, and not allow anything to stand in my way, all negativity included. When we focus on the negative, that is all we can see. When we catch ourselves doing so, and we switch to a positive mindset, no matter how bad the circumstances or situation, good things WILL manifest. Everything will be okay. Everything will be WONDERFUL.

Oh, and I went to all four of my classes on Friday.

:-)

Thank you God for everything you've done for me. I couldn't do it without you.

Peace and Love,

Blake

7/21/08

This was created in Photoshop and is a magazine cover for the STEP into design magazine. We were given the original cover for this issue and were told to redesign it per ouw interpretation. I really thought the background picture emphasized the "Trends and Directions for 2008." I orginally blurred the whole picture with a layer mask and then erased the parts of the starcase I wanted to come in clear, as the image was very loud and your eye tended to get lost. I then placed the text where I thought appropriate.

7/29/08

This was also created in Photshop and is the redesign of a contest advertisement in the HOW magazine. I used the picture of a desk to set my background. I then pulled out my notebook and wrote the larger headings in different colored sharpies. Yes, that is all done the old school way. I took a picture of it and imported into my document. I then found a handwriting font and placed the text around my existing headings. I also used a coffee stain brush to make it look more rustic. I love the way this turned out. I like a lot of modern photoshop techniques, but I also like creating things with my own hands and not letting the computer do everything for me!

"You are never alone. The child within you is your steadfast companion."
~Christine A. Adams (One~day~at~a~time Therapy)

I happen to come across this little book, while searching through some old sociology books. I was sparked by the title so I had to get it. It's a very quick read, with a lot of interesting and inspirational quotes that will stick with you for awhile. The one above happens to be my favorite. It's a very simple read with a subtle meaning, enjoyable for all ages, a nice pick-me-up book that I plan to keep in my collection for a long time. It's from the "Elf self help" collection which also includes "Forgiveness therapy" and "Acceptance therapy". Check them out

Peace

Well, let's look at both aspects. First of all, both Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are mediocre actors at best. In this film, that is. I've quite enjoyed them in other films. Will Ferrel was great in The Producers, and Anchorman, for example. And John C. Reilly was great in Chicago. But in this, mostly because they were both acting like 40 year old children, the acting really wasn't impressive. Not that I think many people could pull that off well. But the delivery of a lot of jokes needed improvement.

The cast was definitely good though. Everyone played their part well, and suited it well. I can't complain there. No complaints about the director, either. Nothing jumped out at me, either to impress me or fill me with rage. It was just... a movie.

But like I said, I did laugh. And at the end of the day, if a comedy can make you laugh, it's achieved its aim. Anything else is just a bonus. It's not a great movie, not by any standards, but it's a funny movie, if you don't mind the crudeness.

If you enjoy stupid humour, and you're in the mood, it's worth a look, but I wouldn't be rushing out to see it.

6.5/10

Also, sorry about the short review. I really just don't have much to say about it. Which I suppose says something about it anyway.

Sporo początkujących, jak i średnio zaawansowanych jeźdźców ma problem z odpowiednim ułożeniem rąk w czasie jazdy i zgraniem ich ruchów z ruchami konia. W tym artykule postaram się opisać pracę rąk podczas jazdy konnej w trzech podstawowych chodach.

Najważniejszą rzeczą, jaką powinien uświadomić sobie jeździec, jest fakt, że jego ręce są połączone poprzez wodze bezpośrednio z pyskiem konia, który odczuwa każdy ruch wędzidła. Pysk konia jest delikatny, dlatego z wodzy należy korzystać tak, żeby nie wyrządzić mu krzywdy.



Podczas jazdy na wprost oraz w pozycji „stój” obie dłonie powinny być trzymane na tej samej wysokości, kilka centymetrów nad kłębem. Główną zasadą w prawidłowym trzymaniu wodzy jest fakt, iż linia łącząca wędzidło, biegnąca przez twoje dłonie aż do przedramienia, powinna być linią prostą. Taki układ jest bez wątpienia najbardziej komfortowy dla konia. Jeźdźcowi natomiast umożliwia stały, miękki, pewny i elastyczny kontakt z pyskiem konia. We wszystkich chodach jeździec powinien utrzymywać taki sam kontakt. W momencie jego utarty koń przestaje reagować na wszelkie sygnały zadawane innymi pomocami (łydka, bacik), idzie rozwleczony i ospały. Utrzymanie miękkiego kontaktu i odpowiednia praca łydkami sprawia, że koń chętnie, swobodnie, aktywnie i energicznie idzie na przód, a jego tylne nogi podstawione są pod tułów.



We wszystkich chodach niezwykle ważne jest podążanie za ruchami głowy i szyi konia. Jest to możliwe tylko wówczas, gdy ręce są prawidłowo ustawione, a ramiona i dłonie – elastyczne i rozluźnione. Musimy zatem pamiętać o zachowywaniu linii prostej od wędzidła do łokci. W momencie, w którym pozwalasz koniowi na całkowite opuszczenie głowy i szyi, np. podczas odpoczynku, także musisz zachować linię prostą, gdyż tylko taka postawa pozwoli na maksymalne odprężenie. W tym wypadku opuść ręce trochę w dół i wyciągnij do przodu. Jeśli koń idzie zganaszowany (we wszystkich trzech chodach), a głowę ma wysoko ustawioną – aby zachować linię prostą, należy unieść ręce nieco wyżej nad kłąb. Załamanie tej linii w każdym przypadku, a szczególnie podczas przejść z szybszego do wolniejszego chodu, powoduje utratę równowagi konia, gorszy i zdecydowanie mniej komfortowy kontakt z pyskiem, usztywnienie, w niektórych przypadkach rzucanie głową i szyją oraz odmowę wykonania polecenia. Podczas przechodzenia z wolniejszego chodu do szybszego należy minimalnie wysunąć ręce do przodu. Powoduje to lekkie rozluźnienie kontaktu z pyskiem i zachęca konia do przyspieszenia.



Utrzymanie właściwego kontaktu w kłusie jest znacznie trudniejsze niż w pozostałych chodach. Aby nauczyć się podążania za ruchami głowy konia w tym chodzie, trzeba umieć dobrze trzymać równowagę w siodle i nie traktować wodzy jako asekuracji. Zdecydowanie łatwiej jest utrzymać prawidłową linię w kłusie ćwiczebnym. W czasie, gdy koń lekko wyciąga głowę do przodu, nasze ręce muszą podążać za tym ruchem, wysuwając się do przodu. Kiedy koń cofa głowę, ręce muszą przesunąć się minimalnie do tyłu. Ruchy te wymagają niezwykłej dokładności i precyzji, a dla przypadkowego obserwatora są praktycznie niedostrzegalne. W kłusie anglezowanym ręce muszą podążać za koniem tak samo jak w wysiadywanym i pozostawać na swoim miejscu, mimo że cała sylwetka jeźdźca podnosi się z siodła w rytm chodu konia. Aby to osiągnąć, musisz mieć rozluźnione i elastyczne ramiona. W przeciwnym przypadku bardzo trudno jest się tego nauczyć. Początkowo naukę prawidłowego użycia wodzy można prowadzić na lonży. Wtedy można skupić się wyłącznie na ruchach konia i naszych rąk. Dopiero gdy poczujemy się pewnie, możemy zacząć dołączać do tego inne elementy, takie jak np. praca nóg czy samego dosiadu.



Podążanie za koniem w galopie jest łatwiejsze niż w kłusie, ponieważ prawidłowo idący koń porusza głową i szyją bardzo płynnie i bez pośpiechu, ruchy te są łatwe do wyczucia, co bezsprzecznie ułatwia jeźdźcowi odpowiednie ustawienie rąk.



Podczas ruchu po okręgu (wolta, półwolta lub wyjeżdżanie narożnika) ustawienie rąk trochę się zmienia. Ręka zewnętrzna jest ustawiona troszkę wyżej, a wodza przysunięta jest do szyi konia (jest zamknięta). Ręka wewnętrzna natomiast znajduje się troszkę niżej, a wodza jest odsunięta od szyi (otwarta). Mimo takiego ustawienia cały czas należy pamiętać o zachowaniu linii prostej. Prawidłowe wygięcie jeździec uzyskuje w momencie, gdy bez zmieniania postawy własnego ciała może zobaczyć wewnętrzne oko i nozdrze konia. Kiedy koń wykręca samą głowę bez wygięcia szyi, koniecznie wzmocnij kontakt na zewnętrznej wodzy. Natomiast gdy koń prawidłowo wygina szyję, ale jego ciało jest wyprostowane, należy wzmocnić działanie łydek.

--

Agata Obidowicz






Artykuł pochodzi z serwisu www.Artelis.pl

W tym artykule zajmiemy się prawidłowym układem i pracą nóg podczas jazdy oraz ich synchronizacją z rękami. Na wstępie musisz wiedzieć, że dosiad i nogi są podstawowymi pomocami używanymi podczas jazdy do komunikowania się z koniem.



Na początku omówię ustawienie nóg pozycji „stój”. Największy wpływ na układ nóg w siodle mają strzemiona i długość puślisk, dlatego warto dobrze je dopasować. Pierwszej regulacji dokonuje się z ziemi. Aby w miarę dobrze ocenić odpowiednią długość puślisk, należy przyłożyć dłoń zwiniętą w pięść przy zamku puśliska pod tybinką małą siodła i dopasować je do długości wyciągniętej ręki tak, aby strzemię znajdowało się pod pachą. Jest to jednak mało dokładny sposób dopasowywania, dlatego dokładną regulację przeprowadza się z siodła. Strzemiona są prawidłowo dopasowane, jeśli puszczone luźno wiszą dokładnie na wysokości kostki, a żeby wsadzić stopę w strzemię, musisz jedynie unieść palce stóp. Jeśli nie jesteś pewny, czy dobrze dokonałeś regulacji, poproś o pomoc osobę, która się na tym zna. Do nauki jazdy najlepiej jest dopasować strzemiona tak, jak opisałam to powyżej. Do skoków należy je skrócić o dziurkę lub dwie (daje to amortyzację i elastyczność), a do treningów ujeżdżenia wydłużyć (umożliwia najbardziej skuteczne działanie łydką). Należy pamiętać też o prawidłowym ułożeniu puślisk. Paski powinny być zawsze przekręcone do zewnątrz. Unikniesz dzięki temu obtarć. Jeśli posiadasz strzemiona ze skośnymi gumkami, to pamiętaj, że część, w której guma jest wyżej, musi być zwrócona do zewnątrz. Stopa (jej najszerszy punkt) powinna spoczywać w środku strzemienia, pięta powinna być skierowana w dół i w niej powinien być umiejscowiony środek ciężkości, natomiast czubki palców powinny być ułożone równolegle w stosunku do ciała konia, ewentualnie skierowane minimalnie na zewnątrz. Takie ustawienie daje pewne oparcie, stabilizuje sylwetkę oraz zapobiega wypadaniu strzemion podczas jazdy. Kolana i uda muszą przylegać do siodła i dawać stabilizację. To te części ciała odpowiedzialne są za utrzymanie równowagi na koniu. Łydki powinny leżeć tuż za popręgiem, a ich mięśnie powinny być rozluźnione. W prawidłowym dosiadzie zachowane są dwie pionowe linie proste, prostopadłe do podłoża. Jedna biegnie od barku przez łokieć i biodro do pięty jeźdźca, a druga łączy kolano z palcami stóp. Ważną informacją jest też fakt, że jeździec powinien siedzieć w najgłębszym punkcie siodła.



Najczęściej popełnianym błędem w dosiadzie jest tzw. dosiad fotelowy, w którym jeździec siedzi zbyt blisko przedniego łęku siodła. W tej pozycji środek ciężkości przeniesiony jest z pięty na biodra, a przesunięte do przodu łydki przestają być użyteczne i pomocne. Innym błędem jest pochylenie całej sylwetki do przodu i przesunięcie łydek za bardzo do tyłu. Pozycja taka nie pozwala utrzymać stabilnej równowagi, powoduje nieprawidłowe reakcje konia oraz sprzyja gubieniu strzemion. Kolejnym błędem jest odchylanie kolan i ud od siodła. Takie ustawienie nóg znacznie utrudnia złapanie równowagi oraz powoduje usztywnienie sylwetki, niewygodne zarówno dla jeźdźca, jak i dla konia. Pamiętaj także, żeby za wszelką cenę nie starać się ściskać konia kolanami. One mają tylko luźno przylegać do siodła i w razie czego służyć do złapania równowagi. Często mówi się także, że prawidłowy układ stóp to skierowanie palców do konia. Jest to jednak błędne, gdyż taki układ uniemożliwia prawidłowe użycie łydki.



Aby prawidłowo ruszyć ze „stój” do stępa, należy rozluźnić nieco kolana i wzmocnić nacisk łydki. Zaraz po tych czynnościach należy minimalnie oddać koniowi wodze (wyciągnąć lekko ręce w przód). Tego rodzaju zachowanie zachęca wierzchowca do ruchu na przód. Kiedy koń ruszy, wróć do takiej pozycji, jaką miałeś w pozycji „stój”. Rozluźnij nacisk łydki, nogi trzymaj nieruchomo i swobodnie, ale cały czas utrzymuj kontakt z bokami konia za pomocą łydek. Aby ponownie się zatrzymać, należy ponownie ścisnąć boki konia, ale tym razem bez oddawania wodzy. Dodatkowo możesz ścisnąć konia mocniej kolanami (blokuje to ruch łopatki i zachęca do zatrzymania). Kiedy koń stanie, ponownie rozluźnij nacisk nóg. Podobnie jest z przejściami do i z kłusa. W galopie sprawa trochę się komplikuje. Poprawnie galopujący koń każdą fazę kroków zaczyna od nogi wewnętrznej. Zatem jeśli galopuje w prawo, to w pierwszej kolejności wysuwa prawą przednią nogę. Jeżeli natomiast galopuje w lewo, to prowadząca jest lewa przednia noga. Aby poprawnie zagalopować, należy przede wszystkim głęboko usiąść w siodle i zachęcić konia do energicznego ruchu naprzód (nie wolno pozwolić na zbytnie rozpędzanie się w kłusie). Lewą (wewnętrzną) nogę należy przyłożyć do popręgu, a prawą (zewnętrzną) przesunąć troszkę do tyłu. Zewnętrzna wodza powinna być zamknięta, a wewnętrzna otwarta (odsunięta od szyi konia). Takie ustawienie zachęca konia do prawidłowego wygięcia i zagalopowania na odpowiednią nogę. Aby poprawnie zagalopować w prawą stronę, należy wykonać te same czynności, tylko odwrotnie. Żeby zachęcić konia do ruchu naprzód, oddajemy także minimalnie ręce do przodu. Kiedy koń poprawnie zagalopuje, należy trochę rozluźnić kontakt, jednak pozostawić nogi w tym samym układzie (jeśli galopujemy po okręgu). Jeśli wyjedziemy z zakrętu na prostą, nogi powinny wrócić do zwykłej pozycji (żadna nie powinna być cofnięta). Żeby powrócić do kłusa, należy usiąść głęboko w siodle, wzmocnić nacisk łydek, a zarazem wstrzymywać dalszy ruch na przód za pomocą wodzy. Pomocne może być także mocniejsze ściśnięcie kolanami.



W poszczególnych chodach można pracować także nad zebraniem i wyciągnięciem. Zebranie charakteryzuje się wysoką, krótką i sprężystą akcją nóg konia. Aby to osiągnąć, należy popędzać konia łydkami, zarazem nie pozwalając mu przyspieszyć (nie oddajemy wodzy). Dobrze zebrany koń ma zaokrągloną sylwetkę, a tylne nogi mocno podstawia pod tułów. Pożądany wynik zdecydowanie najłatwiej jest osiągnąć w kłusie, ale tylko wtedy, gdy potrafimy stabilnie siedzieć w siodle i prawidłowo korzystać ze wszystkich pomocy. Wyciągnięcie chodu charakteryzuje się długą, energiczną i wydajną akcją bez zbytniego przyspieszania. Aby to osiągnąć, należy zachęcać konia łydkami do aktywniejszego ruchu, ale nie blokować ruchu za pomocą wodzy. Należy natomiast kontrolować prędkość (koń nie może się za bardzo rozpędzać) oraz nie pozwolić mu przejść do szybszego chodu.



Pracę nad poszczególnymi chodami najlepiej ćwiczyć pod okiem osoby, która się na tym zna i na bieżąco będzie poprawiać Twoje błędy. Będzie to korzystniejsze zarówno dla Ciebie, jak i dla konia. Jeśli będziesz wydawać mu prawidłowe polecenia, zdecydowanie szybciej się nauczy na nie reagować niż w przypadku wysyłania błędnych sygnałów.

--

Agata Obidowicz






Artykuł pochodzi z serwisu www.Artelis.pl

celtic music, fiddles, flutes, irish stepdance and...the Gospel? out in washington sq park today, we were blessed to share the sincere love and joy of knowing Jesus Christ -- through all of the above! the sky family from prince edward island in canada worship through their celtic music and dance to the glory of the Lord. they have been ministering in this way for 5 yrs, and 2 yrs full time. in between song and dance, dad tom shares earnestly his testimony and faith. the speakers pump, the shoes clack, and the joy is poured out.

check-it. the skys will be in the central park bandshell at 2p on saturday, 4oct.

see their site

Tracklisting
1. MAGIC
2. KITTENISH
3. MAKE LOVE
4. PRISM BOY
5. HEART
6. SUPERSONIC
7. SEARCHLIGHT
8. NATALIE
9. KITTENISH <ynnk mix> (CD-Only Bonus Track)
10. PRISM BOY <Extended Mix> (CD-Only Bonus Track)

STEP is MEG's fifth overall album, and her second under the Universal Music Japan label, AND her second to be produced entirely by Nakata Yasutaka. It reached #8 on the Oricon charts, and has sold approximately 24,928 copies. It was released on the 18th of June, 2008: Only six months after her last album, BEAM.

STEP opens with the first single from this era, MAGIC. The song opens instantly with the chorus, and MEG's voice is still carrying that odd sound here, and she's still twisting her voice to ungodly levels. The synth is simple enough, consisting mainly of simple beeps and smaller sounds. When it gains a few more synth sounds later on, it gets better, and overall it's a good song. It just has a few vocal flaws, and tends to be a bit boring at times.

KITTENISH, the second song on the album, may sound familiar to fans of another of Nakata's other band, Perfume. The opening synths follow a similar style to the Perfume song "Take me Take me", from their album GAME, except in a much rougher tone. This tone is rather interesting, and doesn't really sound like it fits in a song with a name like KITTENISH. The whole song follows this rougher, more aggressive theme, with the majority of the synth taking on this sort of sound. MEG's vocals are a bit better here, and her voice seems to fit these more mature songs a bit better than many of her cute songs so far. Which makes me wonder why Nakata doesn't give her more of them.

An an odd twist, we now come with the deeper club song, MAKE LOVE. It consists of an extremely deep thumping synth, with the usual random synth sound thrown in. MEG comes in singing in shorter sentences with a deeper, slightly more vocoded voice with an echo effect placed on it. The effect is sort of odd, but it works well together. Soon into the song, there are some really loud motor-ish synths that get kind of ear-splitting, before going back to the normal arrangement that's been throughout most of the song so far. About two and a half minutes in, the overall arrangement gets louder, and MEG takes on an extremely robotic vocoded voice instead of the echoing one we'd heard before. This is followed by vocals that are once AGAIN, different from before; a bit more mysterious and loud. Once again, we go back to the original vocals with an even quieter arrangement, and by this point, it sounds like the song should be over; It's not. This song is 7:21 minutes long, so it tends to drag on QUITE a bit, and while the many different sounds help break the song up throughout, and despite personally loving the opening synth and vocals, it ends up becoming too annoying or too boring, so you'll most likely never really sit through this one.

PRISM BOY once again takes on a more mature sound, with loud echoing synths. MEG's vocals are at a higher register once again, and they fit the synth arrangement pretty well, which is good. She isn't doing horrid things to her voice at this stage either, so hopefully she learns from this. (We all know she doesn't, but anyway.) The chorus takes on the usual backing sound that you hear in many Nakata songs (if you listen closely), and MEG's vocals are actually really good here. It takes on a feeling of melancholy, which is a new thing for MEG, and I think it works well. It actually sounds sort of like an 80's song, as well. This is definitely one of her better Nakata songs.

Next up is the annoyingly cute HEART. While the overall synth arrangement is a lot poppier than the last three songs' have been, which is a good thing, MEG's back to doing those vocal twistings and mutilations that we all know and love so well, and it pretty much drags the song down. Even if she sang properly, I doubt it would help much: The song just sounds a bit too generic for it to be any real form of entertainment.

Now we have the SECOND 7 minute song on the album, SUPERSONIC. The good thing about this one is, it's bearable. It opens with a normal rising synth, leading into another heavier synth arrangement. MEG then comes in singing, and her voice is heavily vocoded again. She's obviously learnt on how to do a heavier song, as she doesn't screw around with her voice this time. The synth arrangement shortly after the vocals constantly rises up and down, which sounds pretty good, and it quickly leads into more vocals that are identical to the first ones. After THIS, the arrangement gets really interesting, and starts sounding like something you could dance to, with the aggressive edge that makes it interesting. At this time, MEG starts doing smaller vocal lines that have her weird vocals again, before singing along with the better synth line. The song follows this method throughout, but it's kept interesting by the constant changes and by never getting so loud that it's going to get on your nerves more than it has to.

Next up is another lighter number, SEARCHLIGHT. I quite like the clean, thumping beat this song has, and initially it sounds quite reminiscent of Amai Zeitaku, her first Nakata single. Her vocals sound great at first, and she's staying on key and not messing around. The chorus takes it up a few keys, and while there isn't much of a change, it still sounds great. The instrumental after this part takes on a much more synthed sound, and it comes out sounding pretty good, though it does tend to get pretty loud once again, before reaching its peak and looping back to the original vocal level. While it's not a dance tune, it carries a mature sound that makes it more bearable than her cuter songs, and makes it fit better with the overall sound of this album.

NATALIE closes the CD+DVD version of STEP. This is probably one of MEG's more natural songs, as it consists entirely of a piano and drums, possibly with some guitar, and it sounds a lot better than the remix did. She's still messing around with her voice quite a bit, which drags it down, but a natural song on a highly synthesized album is always a nice touch, and it helps change it up to leave the album on a fresher note. It does tend to get sort of boring, though, so it's not all great.

For the CD-only owners, it's not over yet, and the bonus tracks begin with the KITTENISH <ynnk mix>. This one takes on a much choppier sound, with some higher pitched thumping played over the much higher synth. There's some distorted voices saying "disco" or something similar in the background, and eventually the usual vocal track leads into the song, after an 8-bit synth line is added into the already lively mix. The track fits well here too, but there is still some conflicting in between all the ruckus that's going on in here, and eventually the mass of sounds is going to get to you. The bridge, when it finally comes in, sounds a bit lacking, and the chorus sounds horrible, actually. This remix just gets worse as time goes on, don't bother wasting your time with it.

The PRISM BOY <extended mix> ends the CD-Only edition of the album, and opens with an explosion of light synth, with some higher toned noises continuously playing. Eventually, the original synth comes in, and plays until about 1:20 in, when the song begins instantly with the chorus, which sounds exactly the same. The song is exactly the same save for a few added synth instrumentals, so it's not really noteworthy, as extended mixes rarely are.

Album Score
B

Favorite Tracks (In Order)
1. SEARCHLIGHT
2. SUPERSONIC
3. PRISM BOY
4. KITTENISH
5. MAGIC

Overall, STEP turned out to be a much more dance-oriented album, in comparison to BEAM, which took on a more techno-pop sound. The album had quite a few good songs on it, but overall, whether you'll like this one more or less than BEAM depends on how you like your Techno. It definitely has some great tracks that are more of a callback to her previous era, and that mixed with the larger number of dance songs make a nice mix, so there's an even amount of both kind of songs on the album. Whether the louder sounds used is a good thing or not depends on your personal opinion.

Securing repeat business and building a strong referral base is one of the most critical challenges business owners face today. Although the last sale you made may have been very rewarding and brought you a good margin, there is a great probability that customer will never buy from you again.

We have spent a great deal of time in these articles discussing strategies and techniques to build successful sales through defining our customers, identifying their highest needs and becoming a specialist in any industry. All of those things are vital and necessary but will not go far to building continued success unless we learn how to control the buying cycle of our customers. It doesn’t seem to matter much in these flush economic times how good your product is, or how great your service, loyalty is hard to secure. In fact, most customers are not committed enough to return to you for a second or third purchase.

That is sobering to those who recognize that repeat business and referrals are essential to growing a successful business. The current economy just offers too many options and choices for customers to feel any great loyalty to one business. Unless we daily remind ourselves that we are value merchants, industry specialists, not just another store, hoping for a piece of the business. Through a series of well planned steps we can very effectively take control of our customers’ buying cycle, therefore greatly increasing our probability of repeat business.

Before launching into any of the steps we must first identify in what type of sales environment it is that we exist. Most businesses will fall into one of two environments– small or large. Because of the investment factor in most large ticket items, (people don’t purchase automobiles or copiers twice a month like they do groceries) we will place large ticket businesses in the large sales environment. It’s important to know your environment because the number of contacts you will have with your customers during a transaction will vary greatly and will affect the way you approach your “control”.

However, before we can take control of the buying cycle, we must first understand the seven steps customers will go through before they reach the point of purchase. Whether large or small sales environment, these steps exist in both and are essential to the sales process.

Need Identification: A need for products or services is required to stimulate interest in making a purchase. Does anyone really need a snowmobile? Yes! Although many of us purchase them to satisfy an emotional need, there are those who because of the type of country they live in, depend very heavily on snowmobiles for their daily lives. It’s up to us to create the need in the minds of our customers.

The Search: Once need is identified, customers will search for a source. If you are the industry specialist who can offer two or three choices to your customers, it will be most beneficial to you.

A Source is Found: Once the search for a solution is started, eventually customers will find a source that can satisfy their need.

Comparison: Although customers have found a source to satisfy their need, they typically are unable to commit to a purchase yet. They may compare you to a previous purchase they’ve made with you in the past or they may compare you with a competitor. However they do it, most customers will insist on making a comparison before moving towards a purchase.

Decision Time: After comparison, customers are usually confident enough to make a decision – not necessarily a commitment – but this decision will eventually lead to a purchase.

Affirmation: After customers have made a decision, typically they want affirmation before making a purchase commitment. They need assurance that they have made the right choice in purchasing a your product or service. This is when it is critical for salespeople to be able to offer hard facts that affirm a purchase based on the benefits after the sale.

Relationship Established: This final step is critical. A relationship is based on how you relate with your customer. Without “relationships” repeat business will be tenuous at best. Realize that one sales transaction typically does not secure a relationship. This happens when we do something after the sale to create an ongoing need for our customers to return to us.

It is important to note that in a large sales environment, these seven steps will occur through a series of contacts with your customers, often over a period of several weeks. In contrast, in a small environment, several of the steps will be covered in one contact. As value-added merchants it is up to us to manage the steps most effectively. There are three things to consider when trying to control the return of a customer. First, since many items are not consumables, we must have vertical products or services our customers can purchase. Second, consider timeline. How much time usually occurs between the first contact and actual purchase? Third, what is the time line for re-purchase? Do you receive referrals that create new business in between purchases?

Thomas J. Winninger, CSP, CPAE, and member of the Speaker Hall of Fame is the president of Winninger Institute for Brand Strategy and over 70 major companies in North America depend on him to assist them in maintaining their market dominance. Thom is the author of best selling “Price Wars”, “Sell Easy”, and new in 2000, “Full Price!” Contact the Winninger Institute at (612) 896-1900; E-mail: thomas@winninger.com; www.winninger.com.

How could you remain
So colourful
And warmy
Leaves, leaves
How could you
Leave the tree
To return in its arms
As soon as summer
Goes to sleep

Leaves, leaves
Learn me more fidelity
Astonished autumn
opens your fall
Of remembrance
Leaves
Leaves
Our steps apart
strample you on
And you never said
A word

Mae Linat © 2008

Nihon, Nippon, Japan,
That beautiful rising sunspotted land

One step onto that far out eastern soil

And your soul
Your soul and mind
Your soul and mind and every
eternal electrical pulse that will never
stop pulsing even after reaching all there is to reach

Will transform from what they never were
To what they were always meant to be

We are lucky to have the Academy of Ballet Florida participating in this year's event!  Many dancers will be performing as characters from The Nutcracker, entertaining the crowd.

If you are interested in dance and movement, the Academy offers classes for adults in ballet, ballroom dancing, yoga, hip hop, jazz, tap, aerobics, step, and conditioning.  For more information, visit http://balletflorida.com.

**Britta**

First and foremost, Lance and I got a puppy!!  :)  We named him Bean and he is sooooooo cute!!  Check him out here or you can see more at http://www.flickr.com/meldew .  We just love him so much and are so glad that we found him in need of a home at our local SPCA.  :)  He really is a sweetie and a cuddlebug, but he is all puppy and ALL boy!!!   Plus, he has many cat-like qualities (check out the pic of him sitting in my studio window).  [gallery]

When we went to the SPCA to look for a dog to take home, we were originally looking for a small dog (Bean is more of a medium-sized dog), but as we were looking around, I felt a little cold nose brush against my arm.  I turned around and this sweet little dog was in a corral area and he was standing on his hind paws.  I slowly stuck out my hand for him to smell, and he put one of his paws in the palm of my hand.  I was a goner!!  LOL...I called Lance over to look at this little cutie and he too stuck his hand out for him to smell.  Get this!!  The dog put his other paw in Lance's palm too.  So we're standing there with this dog and he holding hands with Lance and me together!!  HE PICKED US!!!  LOL...We played with him alone in a room and found out that his name was Tom.  After adopting him, we called him Tom and Tommie, but he just never responded to it.  One day I started calling him "my little Bean" and he started answering to it.  It kind of stuck and the rest is history.  Lance calls him "Beano" because that was how he "introduced" himself to us on the way home.  LOL  Other favorite names are "Beanie Baby" and "Beaners".  Can you tell we're in love??  :)

Okay, so that's about the dog!!  So the last thing I mentioned about my leg was that I had started walking and was in a walking cast.  Some good things (and one maybe not so good thing) have happened since I last posted about my leg.  Since we, of course, have a dog, I noticed one day that I had a brown stain on the back of my purple cast.  I thought, "Awww, Man!!  I must have stepped in some doggy poopy!"  Since I was to wear the cast for two weeks after this little observation, I was not too happy about it.  LOL...Later the next day, I noticed that as I took a few steps, the stain was kind of foaming...Ugh!!  I thought that since I had tried to wipe off the poopy stain with a wet washcloth that maybe I had put too much water on the cloth.  The next morning though, it was doing it more frequently and I noticed the stain was also now on the bottom of the cast. 

I should say now that I don't have any feeling in my foot.  With all of the surgeries I have had on my leg and ankle, I have had some nerve damage and just don't have full feeling in my foot.  So, I called my doctor's office and told them what I noticed from the cast and mentioned that I don't have feeling in my foot.  They put me on hold and told the nurse, then spoke with the doctor, and then came back on the line.  I heard the receptionist say, "The doctor wants you to leave whatever you're doing and get here ASAP!", so I did.  LOL...When I arrived, they removed the cast to find that I had developed an ulcer on the back of my heel.  They told me that I had caught it just in time (right after it popped, but before it rubbed through other layers of skin) and treated it.  Since I now had a wound that needed the bandages changed on it daily, I needed a walking boot instead.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!  Can you hear the angels singing??? This was an answered prayer!!!

I now walk SO much better and no longer have pain at the end of the day.  On top of that, I don't have to elevate so often either because I don't have swelling!!!  It's just a dream!!!  I am back to work VERY part-time (only about 8-12 hours a week), but my job requires me to pretty much be on my feet all day.  I am a copy and print center manager for Office Depot and it's a highly busy and active job.  I can't tell you how great it feels to get back to some sense of normalcy!!  People think I am nuts for saying this next statement, but...I can do housework again!!!!!!!  It was such a struggle for 14 months because of...well, just imagine this - you can put NO weight on your right foot because it is angled downwards like a horse's foot, so you have to essentially hop around on one foot.  On top of that, you have to hold on to a walker with both hands to balance yourself and to do some of the work of walking.  Because of this, "picking up" isn't something you can do, nor is cooking, cleaning, laundry or many many other things around the house.  Heck, I couldn't even get up the stairs in my two-story house; I had to crawl up the stairs.  It was pathetic!! 

LOL...So, now imagine how wonderful my husband is.  He not only had to work during the day, he worked at a local junior college 2 nights a week (to try to get his foot in the door), and then had to take care of me, our meals, and the rest of the house.  I know that women do this all the time, but I think we are just better equipped to handle all of this than men are.  Plus, with the tables turned, men CAN help women out...I couldn't really do much to help Lance out. ANYWAY, the point is that things are just so much better now!!  Life is just so good.  :)

Since my leg is doing so much better now, I can slowly start increasing my hours at work until I am back to working full-time - eventually!!  :)  So between work, my new rediscovery of housework and dog-owning, and the occasional rest every now and then, I have kept myself pretty busy.  Some days I almost forget to get onto Etsy for a bit.  I LOVE Etsy and always want to be on it, but it just feels so good to not have to be sitting all of the time, that I find myself being drawn away from it a little bit lately.  I am constantly having ideas pop into my head of things I want to make and destash I need to sell, but I just don't go make myself do it.  Does that sound selfish??  I just want to enjoy the pleasure of walking as much as I can without pushing myself....I know that it probably sounds terrible, huh?? 

Sweet nibblets!!!  I have just been rambling on and on and on....and on and on and on!!!  LOL...I'll try to post pics of my new boot soon.  It's such a STEP up from the contraption I once had!!  :)