Often times when one is planning a fishing trip, the question of
a fishing guide comes up. They’re costly so the first reaction
is to forgo a guide - after all, you already know how to fish,
right?

This may or may not be true. You might very well be an expert
fisherman that can get along quite well without a guide but if
you are traveling to a far away area and are not familiar with
the fishing condition, then a guide could really come in handy.

Now having said that, I will say that a guide is simply that - a
guide. He can tell you where he thinks the fish will be and even
help you land one, but the real work is up to you. Just because
you spend a lot of money on a guide does not mean you will catch
a fish or even see one, but it could greatly increase your
chances.

Most guides are great fishermen themselves and know the local
area like the back of their hands. They are up on current
conditions and know where the fish are right at the moment. They
spend all their time fishing the river or lake, and probably
have for many years, so they know where the best fish can be
caught. Without a guide, you can waste a lot of time just trying
to find those fish.

If you do decide to hire a guide, you need to make your fishing
goals clear to him or her at the outset in order to make sure he
can deliver what you want. Some things to discuss include the
type of fish you want to catch, if you want to catch a lot of
fish or just big ones, and the technique you prefer to use.

You should also find out if the guide has experience in your
desired area. During these discussions you may find out that the
guide recommends a different fishing style that what you have
proposed in order to catch the kinds of fish you want. These are
things you will have to consider.

A guide can cost you anywhere between $100 to $200 a day and
please don’t forget to tip him - even if you don’t catch any
fish. For your money you will get expert advice on the best
fishing locations, expert tips on how to catch those fish and a
wonderfully delicious shore lunch.

One thing that some anglers do on an extended trip is to hire
the guide for the first few days and then go it alone for the
rest of the trip. This way you can benefit from his advice and
save a few bucks too. Don’t be afraid to let the guide know this
is your plan, he might be able to leave you with some parting
tips so the rest of your trip is just as fruitful as the
beginning.

The question of whether or not a guide is worth it does not have
the same answer for every angler. If this is your one big
vacation and catching fish is of the utmost importance, then
springing for a guide is probably well worth it.

Ah, the age-old writer’s debate–to outline or not to outline?

Outlines have proven quite effective for a lot of writers, and many of the famous stories we know and love–such as Star Wars–were outlined before they were fleshed out into a living, breathing story. (Well, metaphorically living and breathing, anyway.)

But many of the stories that touched us most–like real-life experiences–simply happened, no outlining was needed. Some stories just come to you, while others need some refining before they’re ready to be written. The question is, which one works best for you?

I have always been a ’seat-of-the-pants’ writer–that is, I’ve just sat down and written most of what I want to write, without any outlining or prior planning.

However, on several occasions I have actually written detailed outlines and come up with very rewarding and satisfying pieces of writing for my efforts.

Some people swear that they can’t write a single sentence until they know what the end is going to be. Other people–like me–are the opposite. They can’t write the ending until they’ve written the beginning. They have no idea how the story will end when they type in that first sentence. Some people even write an outline for each scene, number them, put them in order and then write them in that order, without considering which to write first–ending, middle, or climax.

For me, outlining in too much detail takes all of the spontaneity out of writing. It makes me feel like I’ve already written the whole story before when I sit down at the keyboard to start typing. I know from experience that if I outline scene by scene, going through every hand motion and every eye motion and every tilt of the head that my characters are making–it won’t be as new and exciting when I’m doing the actual writing. And I will get bored.

Not being one to outline by trade, I sort of made up my own outlining style, and it is actually more of a summary than an outline.

For example, I have a 36-page ‘outline’ for a novel I want to write. Every time I sat down to write on it–excited about finishing this story and getting it published–I would read the first few lines of the outline, try to start where I left off last time, and fail miserably.

The outline was just too detailed–I felt that it took away all of the freedom I have as a writer. So I thought it over, and decided that an outline was just a tool, and we all use tools differently. Now, if I have an outline at all, I consider it a “rough draft” of the story, and so I can change things around if I decide it’s better that way.

But you’re asking, “Do you mean that the answer to ‘to outline or not to outline’ is not to?”

Not at all!

Outlining works for some people and it doesn’t for others. I believe that everyone should write in whatever style works best for them. If you find yourself at a dead-end in your creativity (sometimes known better as ‘writer’s block’) you might want to examine what an outline means to you.

If you usually outline and now find yourself at a dead end, try spontaneously writing something–without an outline. Anything will do. Write random scenes and keep them all in a folder or journal to read later–who knows, one might even inspire a new story for you.

For those who usually write spontaneously and are at a dead end, perhaps you should experiment with outlining. I used to swear I would never outline. But when I gave in and tried it, I did get some good results. If the outline seems too rigid, you might try what works for me–which is to put less detail into the outline.

I have a very detailed writing style, so it’s natural for me to want to note every little thing in the outline. But that was a mistake. I’ve learned to write the outline with just enough detail so that I will know what will happen, when and how, and then move on to the actual story-writing.

So the answer to ‘to outline or not to outline?’, at least as far as I’m concerned, is ‘to outline–loosely, and only if it works well for you.?

In closing, here are some tips for writing a more flexible outline:

1) Keep it simple. You don’t need to write the outline with perfect grammar and punctuation, or from your point of view character’s perspective. Remember, this is just a generalized guide.

2) Try not to get too detailed about what happens in any one particular scene. Just figure out where they are in the beginning (’They’re slogging along the roadside in the rain.’) and where they are at the end (’They finally decide to stop and rest, so they make a tent out of the umbrella and blankets and go to sleep’) and fill in the blanks when you actually write the scene.

3) Write it in present tense. That seems to make it easier to feel more in the immediate “now” of the story, and seems more natural to me. Even though I always write in past tense in my stories (present tense actually annoys me in stories, but that’s just my preference I guess) I always write my outlines in present tense.

The outline seems more immediate and real when written in present tense, and helps me stick with it and develop the outline all the way to the end of the story. I suppose you could write your outlines in whatever tense you like, but this is just another way to distinguish the real writing of the story from the outline-writing.

4) Enjoy yourself. A writer’s mood translates through in their word choice, so if you’re writing humor but are actually feeling angry, the funny story may seem a little forced.

While not always true–I frequently write angst and sad stories even though I’m generally happy–the truth is that if you don’t enjoy writing your stories, what was the point? And if your answer was ‘money’, perhaps you should try a different profession and just pursue fiction writing as a hobby.

Happy scribblin’!

About the Author

Mallory York has been drawing since before she knew how to date a picture, and has been creating anime art for four years. Among her favorite anime series are Fushigi Yuugi, Gundam Wing, and The Slayers. You can read some of her fanfic at Fanfiction.net and view more of her artwork at HTTP://WWW.L7S.NET and also at HTTP://WWW.ELFWOOD.COM.
support@L7S.net

Every year, college freshman are bombared with offers for
student credit cards. Parents need to talk about in talking
about the responsibilities that go with having a credit card,
before their son or daughter goes off to college.

I’m not suggesting that it’s a bad idea for college students to
have their own credit card. Actually, it has many benefits, but
it is essential that they get the right card and use it
carefully and prudently.

The benefits of a student credit card are clear. Parents won’t
need to be continually sending money and students will be able
to make normal purchases more easily. They will also be prepared
for unforseen “emergencies.” Moreover, since most credit cards
have a preset spending limit, parents can be sure that spending
will remain within a pretermined amount. Parents should remember
to request a relatively low spending limit, since credit card
companies are often too liberal in the spending limits they
assign to student credit cards.

Parents may wish to have the student credit card used only for
emergencies. In that case, this must be made quite clear to the
student.

Some credit card companies offer very low “teaser” rates in the
beginning for a limited period of time and then jack up the
interest rate to an exhorbitant level afterward. Always check
out the interest rate that will apply after the introductory
period.

Another pitfall to avoid is paying only the minimum payment each
month. Often, the minimum payment only covers the interest for
that month, and little or no money goes toward paying the
principal. In that case, it may take decades to pay off the
balance. In fact, if no money goes toward the principal, the
balance will never be paid off!

Many credit card companies offer the ability to manage the
account online. This is a very convenient feature. Students can
check their balance or make payments from their checking account
24/7.

This feature also allows parents to monitor the account, even
from thousands of miles away. This level of accountability adds
an extra margin of safety and reduces the chances that the
student will get into trouble by over-using the credit card.

To apply online for a student credit card, go to Credit Card Info
Guide

Do you ever wonder how to locate unique best friend gifts and refresh or renew your fellowship? Friends are not always best friends and as much as you show them that they matter, on occasion it really is smart to give a best friend unique gift to your object of friendship just to demonstrate, “You are worth a more effort.”

Do you ever need to have your batteries “renewed”, or you may need a boost to your self-confidence. You might be facing a very frightening situation–like turning another year older with a BIG zero behind the digit–and need a steady and solid presence.

How about having a open mind to vent your troubles to and get answers, but only if it is required. On a more enjoyable note, you may want to take a spontaneous trip to the unknown with intelligent conversation, watching the birds and catching up on our existence. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find–and then hold on to–a beautiful mind, the one that fits these needs, plus much more!

If you had your second cup of coffee, we’re speaking about best friends! It is all so important to identify and value one of the greatest unique gifts on our earth–best friends! They are truly invaluable and can save you literally hundreds of dollars in a psychologist’s office visit. Once identified, this person can serve as “counsel” on everything from children, spouses, religion and social issues.

Now, it is also important to realize that these best friends are a great fortune and resource, and not to be taken for granted. You have a responsibility to preserve them.

Make sure to esteem not only their time, but also their firm standpoint when you ask for their opinion. Treat your best friends like the priceless gem they are, and guarantee their safety. After all, it’s hard to discover and keep good friends–much less best friends.
Finding a great best friend gift is always a good idea. Best friends are fantastic to have around to stave off loneliness. Just a phone call away your best friend is an awesome resource to call upon. It is like they say, “A best friend does not bail you out of the slammer, they are sitting on the bench in the cell next to you.” Click Here for all your “best friend gifts”.

Will memory foam mattress become as popular as spring mattresses? I believe that they will not. At first, the cost of a buying a memory foam mattress was considered too high by many consumers.

It is often thought that a person who likes the feel of their springy coil mattress, but wants less motion transfer or has a problem with the feel of the springs underneath, will find a latex or memory foam foam mattress the best of both worlds. One thing you should be aware of is that once you own your latex or memory foam mattress, you will not want to sleep anywhere else but at home, so spoil yourself if you will, but please don’t say we didn’t warn you. While overexposure from natural latex gloves have caused a small percentage of medical workers to become allergic to latex, many of the latex mattresses use a composite that takes out the natural latex proteins and seems to render the resulting latex foam hypo-allergenic.

Don’t be afraid to ask the salesperson questions, such as the different categories of polyurethane foam and the difference that could make for you. Foam density levels also make a difference, so it’s mostly a matter of trying as many out as you can, and finding which one most appeals to you. Here’s to a better night’s sleep.

Most genealogists working in the US have learned what a valuable tool the US Census is. But the ins and outs of each census record are intricate. It seems like each decade something changed about the information included or the way it was recorded. This perception is quite often the case. The history of the US Census Records is important to understand when using it as a resource to trace your ancestors. This article features census searching tips and covers the history of the US Census from 1790 to 1810. Part two in this series covers US Census history from 1820 to 1880, including 1850, a watershed year in census history. The third and last article covers the history of the census from 1890 to the present.

Census Searching Tips

Try any and all spellings of first and last names, or use Soundex if possible. Some enumerators were quite “creative” in recording people’s names. Especially in earlier censuses, many people could not write or spell their own name for the enumerator. Recent immigrants might also have had thick accents. McCollum, for example, might be rendered McCullum, McCullom, MacCallum (its derivation), MacCollum, McColm, McCollin (that’s straight from the census record), etc. A fairly common name, Franklin has fourteen extant spelling variations that might appear (including two f’s, two n’s, ck for k, y for i, a silent e, and combinations of the four). My husband’s genealogy has the surname Faulkner spelled four different ways in four generations, and each of those men could have used any or all of those spellings during their lives, if they were literate. You get the idea.
Keep in mind that city, county and state boundaries have changed, especially from the times of the earliest censuses. Counties existed then that don’t now, and vice versa. There is a map guide to help you find locations in each census.
When reading census records, read every column, all the way across the page. The wealth of information contained in each census records helps you to learn more about your ancestors. It can also point you toward more documents, like tax, property, military, immigration and naturalization records. Searching census and other records can be a time-consuming task. A professional genealogy research service can provide you with thoroughly-researched, pertinent information from census and other records.

Tracing Your Ancestors with the 1790-1810 Censuses

By order of the Constitution, an official enumeration of United States citizens needed to be made to determine the exact number of representatives each state warranted in the new Congress. Repeated every ten years, the census was posted in a public place for verification and sent to Congress.
The first censuses listed each head of household by name and gave the number of free white persons and slaves in the household. Beginning in 1810, these counts were divided by age group and gender. For example, a family might be listed by the father’s name and indicate that there was one free female under 10, one slave female and one slave male 10-16 years old, one free female between 16 and 26, one free male 26-45 and one free male over 45. For these six people, we have only one name. For full names and exact ages, other records are necessary. This notation system was used through the 1840 census.
Census records of the 1790 census are missing from Delaware, Kentucky, New Jersey, Georgia, and Virginia. They were lost some time before 1830. These were the first but not the last census records to be destroyed through carelessness. It appears that the 1800 census is complete.
The 1810 census also lists information on “manufacturing.” Census takers were not told exactly what to inquire about for this category, so it may include personal property, livestock, etc. Indications of property should also lead you to tax and deed information.

A descendant of many avid genealogists, Jordan McCollum works for 10x Marketing, an internet marketing firm. For more information on tracing your ancestors or professional genealogy research, see www.heirlines.com — Heirlines Family History & Genealogy.

Increasingly, men are giving women a run for their money when it comes to spending on looking good, with latest figures revealing that record numbers are opting for a shot of Botox to keep the wrinkles at bay. The new figures showed a 30 per cent increase in male grooming with men consistently choosing the treatment. Spas that cater solely for men usually provide their guests with a higher level of individual privacy than is usually provided by unisex or women-only spas (individual private hot tubs, waiting rooms etc. So, for those of you who have never had a facial or a manicure, here’s the run down on what happens in a male spa. Men (like women) like to have more options when it serves their independence.

Customers can select from the best salon skincare and hair care brands for both men and women, including Clarins, Skindoctors, GHD, Fudge, Baxter of California and many more. Most men’s salons now sell hair straighteners, curlers, electrical beauty products, cosmetics from YSL and Eyeko and many more brilliant brands.

The male beauty industry may be booming on the Continent and The States, but it is only just beginning to take off here in the UK.
Perhaps this is because most have never experienced the enormous pleasure of a day at the spa.

The ADD child exhibits a series of behaviors that are common in
most children. Most children misbehave, act silly and day dream.
So what, then, is the difference? The child with Attention
Deficit Disorder exhibits these behaviors in a constant and
extreme manner, often interfering with their academic, social
and family interactions. Here are the variety of ways that a
child may exhibit ADD behaviors:

Inattention: The most visible and well-known behavior of a child
with attention deficit issues is an inability to maintain
attention and focus over an extended period of time. This
behavior shows up in a variety of situations, such as forgetting
or confusing instructions that were just given, being
inattentive when involved in a conversation, growing bored of
activities within moments, appearing to be in a daze or day
dream, and being unable to complete tasks.

Hyperattention: Paradoxically, the same ADD child who cannot
stay focused enough to finish many common tasks will have no
problem whatsoever in focusing on a video game or TV show for
hours. This ability to hyper-focus on chosen activities is very
common in the child with Attention Deficit Disorder. This
behavior is possible only because the child pursues the
desirable activity through a heightened level of excitement
which is a controlled form of hyperactivity.

Distractibility: An ADD child can be easily distracted from most
activities by any form of stimulus in the environment (movement,
color, sound), as well as by their own scattered, fast-moving
thoughts. This results in half-finished or poorly completed
tasks, constant minor non-compliances with known rules,
zig-zagging from one activity to another, and the inability for
the child to do well in group situations (such as school) where
compliance with the rules is important.

Impulsivity: An ADD child will often blurt out information in
inappropriate ways and make poor decisions relative to their
actions. This child may risk his or her own safety without a
second thought, running into the street, climbing to the top of
a tree or rock formation, or jumping or diving into a pool
without checking the depth. The child with ADD acts on impulse
rather than through logic or problem-solving. Impulsivity in
many ADD children can also be characterized by impatience or
temperamental (often oppositional) behavior since the ADD child
often feels a driving need for something (anything!) to happen
immediately.

Hyperactivity: Of all the characteristics of an ADD child, the
behavior that is most difficult for those around the child to
accept is the presence of hyperactivity. The child with
hyperactivity is always in motion — touching, searching,
pushing, jumping, running, tapping, and squabbling with friends
and siblings. The hyperactive ADD child seems to need a high
level of stimulation at all times in order to feel OK.
Hyperactivity will also be seen in the form of a child who talks
incessantly, clowns around all of the time, and finds every
other form of trouble that a parent can name.

Insatiability: The ADD child has an insatiable need for
attention to be brought onto himself. While all children thrive
on adult attention, focus and concern, the child with ADD can
never seem to get enough. They act out, talk incessantly, joke
around, monopolize conversations, demand the teacher’s constant
involvement, show off to friends, and badger incessantly until
they get their way.

Clumsiness and Poor Coordination: Many ADD children exhibit
problems with fine motor control. This can be seen in poor
handwriting and in difficulty performing other routine tasks
such as buttoning buttons or tying shoelaces. When combined with
the child’s inability to plan or organize a flow of activities,
the resulting outcome (written paper, self-dressing, etc.) may
appear chaotic and disorganized. Many ADD children also exhibit
gross motor control clumsiness due to poor motor planning
cognitive skills or other co-existing weaknesses in areas such
as balance, depth-perception or eye-hand coordination.

Disorganization: The ADD child is a study in disorganization!
Whether it is the state of the child’s room, the organization of
a term paper, the set up of the child’s school supplies and
workspace, grooming, dressing and hygiene skills, or any other
aspect of the child’s life, the most probable outcome will be a
disorganized mess. This results from the ADD child’s impulsivity
(jumping at any solution), distractibility (stopping in the
middle of any activity), hyperactivity (pulling out and tearing
apart everything in sight), and inattention (they lose interest
anyway!).

Mood Swings: With an ADD child, everything is always at
extremes, and their range of emotions is no different. In some
cases, they can be extremely domineering and controlling as they
seek to gain attention for themselves. In other cases, they can
be unreachable, and no amount of discipline or parental
intervention seems to have an effect. When an child with ADD is
“stuck” in the emotions of the moment, there seems to be no way
for reasonable discussions to bypass the emotional whirlwind in
progress. ADD children can be described as oppositional,
stubborn, overly-dramatic, flighty, ecstatically happy or
excessively sensitive, just to name a few of the extremes
experienced by ADD children.

Poor Social Skills: Based on all of the issues discussed so far,
it’s not surpising that ADD children don’t fare well with peer
relationships. They speak and act impulsively, show off and
dominate conversations or class time, clown around at
inappropriate times, miss subtle social cues, may be physically
clumsy and awkward, and often irritate and annoy their peers in
a thousand daily ways.

As a result of the symptoms and behaviors just described, the
ADD child encounters all too many difficulties in their young
lives. True ADD should not be considered a “phase” that will be
outgrown. Rather, parents and educators should seek all of the
education and knowledge they can find to help these kids
flourish and succeed throughout the elementary school years.