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Bowling shoes are not equal. In general, occasional bowlers are not well aware that bowling shoes lead vastly to the execution of a bowler. Finding their own pair of the shoes is very important thing in order to surpass in bowling. Below are 5 tips to think when purchasing:

Price – Tip #1
Study the price of the bowling shoes. Various brand and durability of the shoes affect the price. Shoes for advanced and intermediate bowler may have more expensive price than the novice shoes. Take less expensive shoes for an inexpert bowler or just an occasional bowler who usually bowls just to have fun.

Size and Width – Tip #2
Choosing the right size and the width of bowling shoes is very crucial. Try the shoes on before purchasing them. The shoes should not fit too tight or be too loose on the feet so that they are comfortable and allow for mobility.

Right or Left Handed – Tip #3
Right-handed bowlers and left-handed bowlers have their own type of bowling shoes . It is crucial to find out if the shoes are for left-handed persons if he is left-handed because each shoe in a pair has its own role. One shoe is for sliding while the other shoe is for braking. If a person is left-handed, then he should choose a shoe where the right side is for sliding and the left for braking, vice versa.

Collars and Padded Linings – Tip #4
Bowling shoes that have collars and padded linings or have cushioned insoles must be selected. These features can offer much comfort for bowlers, and give support and minimize the movement of the feet in the shoes. Maintaining balance while sliding on the lanes is supported by these shoes.

Experts Suggestion – Tip #5
Shopping around prior to selecting a pair of bowling shoes is needed. They can be purchased in sporting goods stores and in the malls. Ask an expert in bowling about which brands they have tried and proved.

The need of bowling shoes are very crucial if bowlers want to get better on their performance in bowling. Renting these shoes at the bowling alley can be considered if the bowlers have limited budget. However, it is recommended to have their own bowling shoes if they bowls on a steady basis.

Are you a victim of the most common bowling mistakes among bowlers worldwide? Check out our site http://www.BowlingBetter.com for more FREE bowling tips, news, and information to play bowling better. Find your quality apparel, accessories, books, video and DVD at Pro Shop

Are you tired of your aftershave lotion? Are you unable to find an effective shaving gel? Do you think searching for any productive product is simply wasting money on useless items? Are you a man worried of problems like pimples, blemishes and wrinkles on your skin? If yes, then read the secrets for men skin care.

Men skincare is just as important as woman’s. The misleading notion that men should not follow a beauty routine is a story of the past. Everyone has a right to enjoy clear and smoother skin, which is possible by taking a little care of which type of product you put on or use on your skin.

Since male skin comes in to contact with the sun and dust more than women, extra care should be taken. Always wear a sun-block lotion with a suitable range of SPF before going out; it should be water proof to help resist your skin from UV ray damages. Regularly wash your face with a good soap-free wash to clean the dirt and oil.

Regularly use a cleanser to get a clearer skin, a gentle skin massage helps the face pores to open and breathe oxygen which will rejuvenate the glow of your face. Also, use a moisturizer if you have a drier skin type and toner specially designed for men. Using shaving lotions and gels which suit your skin type and does not produce redness and itching during or after usage will be your best bet.

Always remember that there is no supplement that can beat natural ingredients, as they are harmless and work much better than their synthetic counterparts which may also have certain serious after effects. The products which are made of natural extracts should always be preferred. Some of these are CoQ10, antioxidants such as retinol and beta carotene, and other naturally obtained substances like phytessence wakame and cynergy TK.

All these ingredients are excellent for our skin. They stimulate natural collagen and elastin in the skin tissues and therefore bring back our youthful glow and radiance. Other than these, vitamin A and C are also added to various products meant for men’s skincare. These are antioxidants and are useful for minimizing the effects of oxidation.

Another men skin care requisite is using after-shave lotion or a toner. It smoothens the skin after harshness of shaving and makes it more even. But be aware that the product you are using should never contain alcohols, preservatives and fragrances since they are not good for our skin health and cause different problems, the biggest of which is skin cancer itself.

Following these steps can lead you to a perfect complexion and a problem-free skin.

John Gibb is a dedicated researcher of skin care health and products. He shares his research on his website – Natural Skincare. If you have unwanted wrinkles, fine lines and damaged skin, visit – How to achieve the best looking skin naturally now to learn about the skin care line our editors personally use and recommend.

We have personally been using these products with excellent results.

titleChoosing Athletic Shoes – Tips and Tricks/titlepNo matter what your sport is, your athletic shoes are one of the most important pieces of equipment. From tennis to running, basketball to soccer, choosing the right athletic shoes for the right reasons can make a huge difference in keeping your feet and body healthy. Below you will find some of the things you need to consider when choosing shoes for your sport./ppbStyle Is Not Everything/b/ppJust about every day, someone asks me about their shoes. Questions vary from sport to sport, but the fact remains that the majority of people choose athletic shoes based on brand names and styles, rather than what is best for their own feet./ppI know that it can be hard to pass up those awesome looking shoes that match your uniform perfectly, but in the long run, the most important thing is that the athletic shoe serves its function…to support and protect your feet. So, lets take a closer look at what makes a good athletic shoe./ppbThe Heel Box/b/ppWhen I explain shoes to my patients, I always start with the heel box. This is where most people are similar in their needs. A sturdy heel box is essential to help control your rear-foot during athletic activities. The heel box is essentially the back third of the shoe, that surrounds your heel. Most athletic shoes have a heel box made up of leather, and some type of plastic or rubber reinforcement. However, not all athletic shoes are created equal. To test the heel box, try bending it over, or squeezing it in, and see how much resistance you encounter. If you can easily fold over the heel box, then chances are you will not get much support./ppbThe Upper/b/ppThis is the area where most people make the mistake that causes injury. The Upper is the portion of the shoe that surrounds the foot. It is the upper portion of the shoe, from the heel box to the toe box. Uppers can be fashioned from all kinds of different materials, from mesh to leather, and other types of fabrics. Depending on your foot type, you may need more or less support from the upper./ppThis portion of the shoe helps to control the mid and forefoot. Too much motion in these areas will allow for excessive stress through the meta-tarsals and tarsals, and can result in stress fractures, tendonitis, and other problems. To determine what type of foot you have, grab ahold of your foot with both hands, and move it around. Try moving individual bones around…do you find lots of motion, with little resistance, or is your foot very rigid, with little movement. You do not have to be an expert to tell if you have a flexible or rigid foot. Your athletic shoe should be opposite of your foot type. For rigid feet, you can get by with mesh or other light materials for the upper, as you need less support for your foot. For a flexible foot, you should lean more toward a rigid upper, that will control excessive motion and reduce stress./ppbThe Arch/b/ppArch support is essential for good athletic shoes. Even people with good arches, or great feet mechanics should have sufficient arch support. But, arch support is more than just the arch. It is the way that the sole of the athletic shoe is created and constructed that determines the overall characteristics of the arch. And as far as those cushy insoles that they try to upsell you at the shoe store – pass on those as they just add comfort, not support./ppWhen choosing shoes, look closely at the sole of the shoe. A good arch support will be evident by the shape of the shoe. Notice the outline of the sole. There should be a minimal amount of change in width between the toe and the heel. The wider the athletic shoe is at the middle (where your arch is), the more surface area there is to support your foot. So, avoid shoes that start out wide at the toe, narrow way down in the middle, and then flare out again at the heel./ppbChange is Good/b/ppEven the perfect athletic shoe will wear out over time. I have seen quite a few injuries due to old or worn out shoes. Just like any other equipment, you should monitor your shoes, and replace them when they wear out. If you are a runner, monitor your mileage, and replace them as appropriate./ppHow do you know when to buy new shoes? Well, holes, or pieces falling off are generally good indicators…But if it is not that obvious, look for all of the qualities that you used to choose the athletic shoe in the first place. Is the heel box still sturdy? Is the upper as rigid as it needs to be to control your foot? Is the arch still in good shape, or have you worn down one side of the sole? Answer these questions, and inspect your shoes often to keep them protecting your feet./ppbSummary/b/ppGood athletic shoes do not have to be flashy, or expensive to serve their intended purpose. There are lots of shoes out there that will fit both your needs and your budget. Look for all of the right qualities to fit your foot, and you are sure to make a wise decision. And when in doubt? Discuss shoe wear with other athletes, and the sales person at the shoe store. Chances are they have some good insight./ppBarton Anderson is a certified athletic trainer for St. Johns Sports Medicine. He is the creator of a target=_new href=http://www.sports-injury-info.com/ezshoesSports Injury Info/a, and is dedicated to providing sports injury information to his athletes and the public. Barton holds a Masters of Science Degree in Sports Health Care, and is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association./pbrbr

titleA Survey of Western Saddle Types/titlepstrongTrail Saddles/strong/ppThe most popular type of saddle, trail saddles are designed for comfort over rough terrain and many miles. Designed for comfort they are lighter than ranch or roping saddles which are designed for heavier work. New materials and features often appear in trail saddles first due to their popularity. Some features include an easy to hold thin horn, a higher fork for stability, a deeply recessed cantle for comfort, wider stirrups treads and padded seats. Rounded or cut out skirts may also be present to further reduce the weight./ppstrongRanch Saddles/strong/ppRanch saddles, also called buckaroo, cowboy or old time are heavy weight saddles designed for heavy work. Made for long hours in the saddle and for functionality around the ranch they may include comfortable deep seats, low swells to be out of the way when working and thick horns. Other features include plate rigging for better strength, a high cantle, double rigging and rope straps./ppstrongRoping Saddles/strong/ppDesigned for freedom of movement these saddles are made for heavy duty. Maximum freedom while roping and chasing cows is ensured by the saddle tree design and the strong horn. A wooden saddle tree covered with bull hide, a rounded low fork, double rigging and a deep suede or rough leather covered saddle all contribute to the ease of use while working. High cantles allow easy mounting and dismounting and the stirrups are forward hung to help the balance./ppstrongCutting saddles/strong/ppFor cutting out single cows from the heard, cutting saddles were developed. A cutting saddle needs to endure good balance for the rider during extreme turning, starting and stopping maneuvers. Features include easy gripping with a tall thin horn, long flat seats, slim stirrups, low cantles and forward hanging fenders for extra balance./ppstrongReining Saddles/strong/ppFor reining sporting events a purpose designed reining saddle is ideal. These saddles need very close contact between horse and rider for ease of execution of circling, spinning and sliding stop maneuvers. Subtle communication between horse and rider is ensured by the close contact which, if properly carried out will not be seen by the spectators. Because of the close contact reining saddles are also popular as training saddles./ppstrongEndurance Saddles/strong/ppFor competitions involving long rides of up to 100 miles, endurance saddles are needed. They must be light weight and well made to stand up to the long miles of riding. Bulk must be minimised while at the same time maximising close contact. In addition for the long hours in the saddle they must be comfortable for both rider and horse. Because they are designed for comfort they are also becoming popular for trail riding. They feature comfortable padded seats, no horns, lower weight short skirts, deep stirrups and multiple saddle strings for your gear./ppstrongShow Saddles/strong/ppShow saddles, unlike the other types are designed primarily for their looks in the horse show arena. Fashion is important and designs change frequently. Ornate and deep tooling and decorative silver ornamentation are used extensively on show saddles. Designed for good looks rather than work these saddles follow fashions and change accordingly. For show saddles the latest fashion is important! Other features include deep skirts for more decoration turned stirrups with silver trims, and padded seats./ppFor more information and some good deals in new and used saddles check out a TARGET=_NEW href=http://www.usedsaddlesale.com/Used Saddle Sale/a or a TARGET=_NEW href=http://www.usedsaddlesale.com/Store/Used-Western-SaddlesUsed Western Saddles/a/pbrbr

Volleyball seems like a relatively simple game to play, and it is, for casual players. However, for competitive team play, there are many rules and basic techniques you need to adhere to. Here are the basics of how to play volleyball:

Volleyball Court

A regulation indoor court should be 9 by 18 meters, and the attack line should be 3 meters from the center line. Outdoor court dimensions should be 9 by 9 meters.

Equipment

The actual volleyball should be between 9 and 10 ounces. Ball pressure should generally be between 4.3 to 4.6 pounds. The net should be 32 feet by 3 feet. At the top of every net should be a 2 inch piece of canvas running along the entire length of the net. The height of the net differs for men’s and women’s games. For men’s volleyball, the height, usually measured from the center of the court, should be 2.43 meters. For women’s volleyball, the height should be 2.24 meters.

Apparel

Indoor and court volleyball players can wear either short or long sleeve shirts and shorts made from flexible fabric. Long sleeve shirts are favored for when a lot of sliding on the court for the ball may be needed. This is to protect the forearm while sliding. Padding, including knee, hip and elbow pads are important for players who will be diving, reaching and sliding to reach balls in play. Shoes should offer extra support for the ankles as well as comfort and flexibility. It’s important to remove all jewelry during play, with the exception of smooth, flat rings. This lessens the chance of damage or loss of your jewelry and also helps to protect you from injury should your wrist, hand or head be hit with the ball while you are wearing bracelets, rings or earrings.

Volleyball Play Basics

- Hand positions – There are two main hand positions. The wrapped fist hand position is when you make a fist with one hand, then wrap it with the palm of your other hand. The other main hand position is called the cupped palm position, where you bring the hands together in a cup form, then you lay your thumbs across the top.

- Serving – Two basic ways to serve are the overhand and underhand methods. The overhand serve is used most often in competitive volleyball. To serve overhanded, you toss the ball above your head a few feet, step slightly forward and then hit the ball with your hand.

- Passing – Passing is usually done to set up a hit or spike for another player or just to keep the ball in play. Passing is usually done with a forearm pass.

- Setting – A setter is important in volleyball, since a setter can control the offense and decide which players they will set up to spike or hit the ball into the opponents court. Setting is done by placing your hands above your head a few inches with your thumbs underneath. You hit the ball with your fingers only, not your palm.

- Hitting – There are many ways to hit the ball while it is in play. Some types of hits include the cross court shot, the tip shot, the line shot and the spike. The spike is the most exciting play in volleyball, when a player rises up near the net to deliver a hard shot into the opponent’s court.

- Blocking – Blocking is when you stay close to the net and leap up when the ball crosses the net to block the opponent’s shot, usually a spike attempt.

Those are the basics of volleyball, get out there and have fun!

Lydia Quinn writes for VolleyBallSeek.com, a portal for volleyball scores, players, teams, games and much more.

Visit us at: http://www.volleyballseek.com

Many people are confused about the aid for the canter. What follows are some common questions about the canter and my answers.

Q. I know to ask for the canter it is outside leg behind the girth and inside leg at the girth, however during the canter is your outside leg supposed to stay back or do both legs then become neutral at the girth once the canter is achieved?”

A.Swing your outside leg back ONCE, and then bring it back to its normal position on the girth. Think of it as a spring-loaded action or a windshield-wiper-like action. If you wait for your horse to answer, he’s not listening to your leg aid. If he doesn’t canter right away, give him a little bump with your outside leg or tap him with the whip. (Carry your whip in the outside hand for the canter work so you can use it to reinforce your outside leg aid.)

As soon as he does the canter depart, reward him.

You can teach him to canter by holding your outside leg back, but when you start doing half passes in the trot, your horse might get confused. He won’t know whether to stay in the trot and go sideways for a half pass or to pick up the canter.

It’s easier to teach him to canter from an aid that ONLY means canter depart than to teach him to canter from that aid and then have to reschool him when you get to trot half passes.

Q. Are you saying that the canter depart is achieved with the legs only? Or, were you just addressing your reader’s concern about her legs? I thought the canter depart was achieved by a slight turn of the wrist on the inside hand, weight on the inside seat bone, AND the windshield wiper outside leg. Is that correct?

A. Yes! I was just addressing her concern about the legs…But you’re right about the rest of the aids. I also push that inside seatbone toward the inside ear and support with the outside rein so I don’t get too much bend in the neck.

Q. How do I use my hands and seat in the canter depart?
What rein aids, if any, should be used?
Do I stay centered with my seat or shift my weight to the inside or outside when I cue for a canter depart?

A.Your weight is on your inside seatbone. When you ask for the depart, push your inside seatbone toward your horse’s inside ear.
Ask for flexion at the poll to the inside with a slight indirect rein aid, but support with the outside rein to keep your horse from over bending his neck to the inside.

Q. How do I keep the canter depart from being hollow?

A. Your horse is perfectly justified in coming off the bit if all you do is give the aid for a transition. To do a transition on the bit, you need to give two sets of aids at once–the transition aid AND the aid to tell him to stay on the bit–the connecting half halt. When you give these two sets of aids at once, you’re telling your horse to “do a transition on the bit”.

* Essentially, you’ll superimpose the connecting half halt over the aids for a transition. That is, you’ll give the connecting half halt before, during, and after the transition.

* In this case, the connecting half halt lasts longer than three seconds. It might even last six, seven, or eight seconds.)

* Apply it lightly before, during, and after the transition so that you “bridge” the transition with your connecting half halt.

* Start the connecting half halt before the transition. (Close both calves as if you’re asking for a medium gait, close your outside hand in a fist to capture and recycle the power back to the hind legs, and vibrate the inside rein to prevent your horse from bending his neck to the outside.)

* Keep giving the half halt while you add the aids for the canter depart.

* AND keep giving the connecting half halt for two or three strides into the next gait.

Q. What aid do I use to go from canter to trot?

A. The primary aid for any downward transition is a “stilled” seat.

* Sit with equal weight on both seat bones, and stretch up tall so you have a gentle curve in the small of your back. I call this posture a “ready” back.

* Brace your lower back in a stopping, non-following or retarding way by tightening your stomach muscles like you’re doing a sit-up.

* When you brace your back, your hips stop following the motion of your horse. Your non-following hips signal him to drop down to the next slower gait.

* To learn the feeling of stopping your hips, simply sit on your horse at the halt. Focus on the immobility of your seat.

* When you ask for a downward transition, mimic the way your seat feels in the halt.

* To practice your stilled seat, pick a point in the ring or on the trail. As you pass this spot, make your body immobile.

Q. How do I keep my horse on the bit during the transition back down from canter to trot?

A. Let’s say you want to do a downward transition from canter to trot on the bit. Remember, if you want to do a transition on the bit, you need to give two sets of aids at once.

* Ask your horse to stay on the bit during the transition by giving the connecting half halt before, during, and after the transition.

* While you’re in the canter, start your connecting half halt.

* After giving the half halt for a couple of seconds, add the aid for the downward transition by tightening your tummy muscles.

* In the beginning, it may take a few seconds for your horse to respond to your seat.

* No matter how long it takes, keep giving the connecting half halt until he listens to your seat and drops into the trot.

* Maintain the connecting half halt until you’re trotting for at least two strides.

Note: If your horse does the downward transition from the half halt itself, you’re either using too much hand and not enough leg or he’s behind your leg. He should wait to do the downward transition until you actually still your seat. The connecting half halt is just for keeping him on the bit. It’s not the aid for the downward transition.

Q. When we’re cantering my lower leg and knee creeps up and my stirrups dangle on my feet (both left and right). What can I do while I’m working alone, which is most of the time, to improve my leg position at the canter? I realize lunge line lessons would improve my position, but that’s not an option right now.

A. It sounds like you’re gripping with your knees and thighs for balance. Think about relaxing your knees and thighs and letting your legs hang loose so that you feel your feet supported by the stirrups. Sally Swift has a great image for this. She says to imagine that your legs are so long that your bare feet are dangling on the ground, and you can feel mud squishing between your toes.

Q. I was initially taught to ask for the canter with the outside leg, as are most people. However, as I progressed in Dressage, I was taught that although my outside leg was behind the girth in the canter transition (to tell the horse which lead I wanted), I actually asked for the canter with my inside leg, at the girth. Is this right?

A. Absolutely. The outside leg tells the outside hind to strike-off. (The outside hind leg needs to strike off first for your horse to end up on the correct lead.)
Your inside leg at the girth tells your horse to go forward into the canter.
So, you do end up using both legs although the emphasis changes from your outside leg to your inside leg as you and your horse become more advanced.

Q. I unconsciously lean forward as I ask for the canter. Should I stay upright? Should I lean back?

A. Stay upright, but push your inside seatbone toward your horse’s inside ear during the depart. As Kyra Kyrklund says: Pretend there are arrows extending down from your seatbones. You’ll push your horse’s hind legs in whatever direction your seatbones are pointed. So when you lean forward, your seatbones point backwards, and that’s the direction you’ll send the hind legs. By pushing your inside seatbone forward, you bring the hind legs with you and underneath your horse’s body.

Are you sick and tired of complicated and confusing training techniques? Are you frustrated by negative emotions like fear and lack of confidence? Would you like to be trained by a Three Time Olympic Coach? Learn how by going to: http://www.janesavoie.com/

As the popularity of Extreme Sports continues its rise, the concept of Motorcycle Racing has taken on new meaning. From road racing to Grand Prix, to motocross, supercross, and freestyle competition, one thing is for sure: if you race, you are going to fall off your bike on one or more occasions.

That being said, todays motorcycle racing jackets and apparel are designed taking this into consideration, and they compensate by giving you the best possible protection in the most likely places prone to injury. The basic principal is to design garments that will pad the most vulnerable body parts, and allow for a clean slide on asphalt or dirt without bunching up or tearing to shreds.

Racing jackets will and should come with some kind of body armor either fixed inside the jacket, or removable. Armor comes in different forms, from thick foams, to plastic covered compounds, to hard, shock absorbing rubbers.

When considering the purchase of a racing jacket and/or suit, make sure the armor is CE approved. Certifique Europe is a European standard of certification that grades armor on three levels, level 1 being the least protective, level 3 the most.

At the very least, a racing jacket should have protective armor at the shoulders and elbows, and pants should have extra protection at the knee and hip. In the case of a two piece racing suit, the bottom will often be zipped to the jacket, to allow the garment to act as one piece during a slide.

Back protectors are not often found in racing jackets, but there is in some jackets a place to insert one. Since most spinal injuries are caused by blows to the extremities as opposed to direct impact to the back, the back protector is better suited for protection from flying projectiles, and thus is often made from hard plastics.

Another major consideration for a racing jacket is the comfort factor.

Motorcycle jackets are usually made from a combination of materials, the basis of which is leather. Kevlar stitching can be used to insure the strength of the seams, and patches of Kevlar or other high stress synthetic materials are used on particularly vulnerable areas like the shoulders, elbows and knees. Stretch panels of various materials are often employed at strategic locations such as under the arms and at the knee to promote ease of movement in extreme conditions.

Because black leather has a natural tendency to be hot, racing jackets tend to be more colorful than your typical black leather jacket, using combinations of colors, obviously to attract attention to a particular racer, but also in part to reflect the heat of the suns rays. Some racing jackets employ perforated leather to allow the air to penetrate the jacket, and air vents are often used to provide circulation.

With modern synthetics gaining in popularity, many racers are choosing these tough and durable materials over leather because of their coolness, light weight, and waterproof characteristics. It is not uncommon to find legitimate racing gear that forgo the use of leather altogether.

Whereas todays modern day motorcycle racing apparel employ all the technological know how to keep the racer safe and comfortable, racing jackets are also popular within the traditional biker community. A little bit of extra armor never hurts, and because many jackets use removable armor, you don’t have to look so robotic at your local biker bar. Additionally, you dont have to be stick with basic black, the colorful styles often found in the racing jacket genre add another layer of coolness for the biker to choose from!

Michael Talbert is the creator, owner, and operator of Biker Leather Ltd., an online retailer of fine leather and textile motorcycle jackets, chaps, leather vests and biker accessories. Visit the website at http://www.NakedLeatherBiker.com

Some people researching alpacas as an worthwhile business investment are concerned that the alpaca industry may go bust like the emu schemes of the 1980s. (Emus are a large, ostrich-like bird.) Actually, alpacas are not only a different species, but also a completely different market with a viable, well-established end product–luxurious fiber.

The original strategy for emus was to create an alternative market for meat, like chickens and turkeys. But an emu meat market never materialized in the U.S. You never saw emu roasts in your supermarket, packages of emu drumsticks, smoked emu in the deli, or emu on a restaurant menu. That’s because the emu industry created the infrastructure to harvest the meat and byproducts, process the meat for consumption or get it properly packaged for supermarkets. The emu industry never bought advertising to bring the meat to the public awareness and create a demand.

Emus also produce a valuable oil on their rump pad, although they must be slaughtered to get this oil. However the emu industry never developed an infrastructure to process and market the oil. So there was no real profit from emu oil.

Alpaca is an Elite Fiber

Alpacas produce fiber, not meat. So you don’t have to slaughter the animals to obtain end product. The alpaca lifespan is 15 to 20 years, producing elite, luxurious fleece that can be sheared and processed into textiles year after year. Alpaca fiber is hypoallergenic. Many peolple, who are allergic to sheep’s wool, can comfortably wear alpaca next to their skin. In addition, alpaca is an elite fiber that in demand by fashion houses worldwide.

A raw, unprocessed alpaca fleece usually brings in enough money to pay for an alpaca’s feed and upkeep. Selling alpaca fleece gives the alpaca rancher another revenue stream for his operation. Processing raw fleece into yarn and then into finished apparel adds value that results in higher profits.

Run Away Emu Breeders Market

One female emu can lay 30 to 50 eggs each year. This means that an emu rancher must find buyers for the eggs and/or hatched offspring of each hen. Thus the U.S. emu flock grew too quickly to allow for stable market values. The demand for emus could not keep up with the supply. Since there was no emu meat processing infrastructure, emu ranchers ran out of emu-buying customers. The rapid reproductive rate of emus also made it difficult to keep up with expenses and needed equipment.

In contrast, alpacas give birth to just one baby a year. So alpaca herds grow slowly, yet the demand for alpaca fiber in the fashion industry remains high and is even growing. New U.S alpaca ranches are growing by about 30% per year, with the average start-up ranch purchasing a start-up herd of 2 to 5 animals. Demand for alpacas greatly exceeds supply. Based on the slow, but steady growth rate of the overall U.S. alpaca herd, demand will continue to exceed supply for many years to come.

Closed Alpaca Registry

In addition to the run-away emu growth rate, emus and emu eggs were still being imported into the U.S., which flooded the market. This was a terrible situation for emu farmers, who had no way to sell the meat, and no new emu farms to sell live birds and eggs. Many emu farmers quit the business and turned their birds loose into the woods.

The North American alpaca industry has closed its animal registration book, the Alpaca Registry, Inc. (ARI), to imports. This means that only alpacas, whose parents are already in the stud book can be registered. Having an unregistered alpaca is like having a house without a deed or a car without an owner’s certificate. A closed registry protects North American alpaca farms from seeing their alpaca investment lose value in a market flooded with imports.

AOBA National Marketing

Another way that the alpaca industry differs from the emu industry is that it has a well-organized national marketing organization, the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Organization (AOBA), which drives the alpaca industry in the following ways:

• Purchases TV advertising on satellite that markets into rural areas.
• Certifies alpaca halter and fleece shows throughout the USA
• Publishes the Alpaca Farm and Ranch Guide for people researching alpaca investment and provides well-qualified sales leads to AOBA members
• Publishes Alpacas Magazine to promote alpaca ranching and apparel
• Hosts an annual Fiber to Fashion conference to promote alpaca fiber and apparel.

Herdsire Stud Fees

Unlike emus, alpacas herdsire can earn significant stud fees. The value of an alpaca is directly related to the quality of it’s genetic charactistics. The quality of an animal’s fiber is greatly determined by its genetics. Fortunately, a female with mediocre fleece can produce babies with much better fleece characteristic by simply breeding her to a superior herdsire. There can be dramatic fiber improvement in just one generation. This makes it possible to improve the genetics of the offspring, and thus improve the overall value of a rancher’s herd on a continual basis. So breeding females “up” to a superior male is important in the alpaca industry.

The majority of ranches own less than 10 females. So alpaca ranches, especially smaller ranches, often need to purchase breeding services. Either they don’t own a herdsire, or their males are too closely related to the females, which would result in in-breeding. It’s very common for a stud service fee to cost between $1000 to $2000, with really top national herdsire services going for $3500 to $5000.

In short, the prognosis for the alpaca industry is excellent because it is based on the sound market principles of steady herd growth rate, demand exceeding supply, and the increasing value of elite fiber.

Virginia Lyons owns Able Oaks Ranch Alpacas in East Texas. She has been breeding and raising elite alpacas and miniature llamas with persistently fine fiber since 2003. Virginia is an experienced weaver and teaches workshops and hosts free events about alpaca ranching, alpaca fiber, and much more.

Please visit http://www.ableoaks.com

Patent Mapping a way to visualize patent mining results that involves clustering or otherwise orienting patent data on a page so that there is meaning in the spatial relationships among the data points. Patent Landscape: graphical representation of how large numbers of patents relate to each other based on keywords, citations, or patent classifications. It is useful in identify trends, determine patent gaps and opportunities, and design around competitors’ patents.

Patent maps are not only produced for a specific use, but also are produced to serve as so-called general-purpose use. Consequently, when using them, their contents can be read from various viewpoints. In particular, by combining multiple maps (figures and tables), it is possible to find a new matter that cannot be obtained from a single map.

In addition, a total of more than 50 types of expressions, excluding minor ones, are used in this patent map series. Furthermore, total more than 200 maps were produced in terms of their technology fields. The readers can grasp various kind of matters from these patent maps according to their objective and intention. In the following section, readers will be able to understand typical objectives of patent map and various representational
types of patent map as well as the matters that can be extracted from these patent maps.

To Understand the Overall State of a Technology Field

When a company start a research and development or licensing for entering into a new business of a certain technology field, the company need to seize the overall image of the technology field and the related technology fields including pertinent patents.
Patent maps of a technology field introduce the content and number to which patents have been filed for the field, the uses in which the technology field is being used and the theme related to research and development of the field. The following shows the typical expressions of patent maps used for these purposes.

Time-series map

In addition, by griping the source of these technologies as a result of ascertaining the process by which technologies developed, it can be used as information that provides a hint for creating new ideas. As the map provides the relationship and the distribution of patent rights in a specific technology field, it allows the preparation of a specification for acquiring strong patent rights by comparing the time series of the distribution.

To Find out Technological Changes

Technology is continuously changing due to the intense competition over the development of technology and the diversification of market needs. Being able to appropriately accommodate these changes is extremely important not only for venture companies and small and medium sized companies, but for proceedings with any kind of business. There are patent maps which are produced by analyzing patent information based on the changes in the number of patent applications and the appearances of important patent.

Since the number of patent applications indicates technological development activities, while the number of applicants indicates the number of participating companies, observing this relationship makes it possible to grip the maturity of the technology field.

In addition, knowing the maturity of a technology field to which one’s own company conducts makes it possible to judge the timing of development policies such as establishing technical tie-ups with other companies and focusing on certain development themes.

Matrix analysis

Portraying the correlation between technical elements (such as purpose and function) obtained from patent information in the form of a matrix makes it possible to show important problems affecting the development of a technology field. Moreover, with the addition of a time axis, trends in problems affecting technological development can also be observed. As a result, since technical trends can be caught, the selection of development themes and studies of priority can be conducted effectively when planning and proposing them.

Map of technology development

This patent map makes it possible to view the technical structure and the expanse of technological development of the technology field, the existence
of specific patents that must be paid attention. In addition, since it also provides a complete image of the technology field, it is capable of providing a hint for forecasting the direction of technological development and planning of new products.

Vinod Kr. Singh

We see it every political season. Every TV, radio, print, web, and now cell phone bogged down with political advertisements. It’s nearly impossible to go anywhere without something telling you who to vote for this fall. Here is the real kicker… Even with the extreme overkill in political advertising – we often see businesses attempt to make the marketing pieces for their own businesses resemble political advertisements. With slogans such as “I’m X-name and I approved this message”, or marketing brochures that resemble political flyers. To anything and everything in between.

Is it really a good idea to take a business’s marketing theme, and mold it to resemble one of the most publicly hated types of marketing? Probably not. While there is nothing wrong with marketing that pokes fun at pop culture and the issues of the day, there can be backlash, or simply “block-out” of a message that is delivered in a style the general public has been conditioned to tune-out for years. The result of molding a business marketing campaign to resemble a political campaign is quite simple… marketing money lost. Not because your commercials or marketing pieces were not creative, entertaining, or compelling. They simply resembled something that the public is very prone to block, and that just doesn’t translate in to ROI.

In a time frame when 60-70% of all marketing is political, it is more important than ever to make your marketing stand out on its own merit. Not blending into the river of politics that grows deeper every day. So when you begin to think up and put together your fall marketing theme’s, ideas and strategies. Keep in mind the importance of standing out, and showcasing what your business is really all about. And if your business is not about getting someone into an elected office, your marketing shouldn’t be either.

Tony Brueski is president of V Marketing & Media Inc. He strives to help business effectively reach their target customers through compelling & creative marketing. For more information or to contact Tony Directly email tony@bestradiocommercials.com

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http://www.bestradiocommercials.com
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