Are you taking it up to the next level – are you moving beyond house bowling balls in favor of your own, custom bowling ball? Well, before you go out and make the all-important choice as to which bowling ball you should get, you need to consider a few things:

· It is best to have at least two bowling balls – one for oily lanes and one for dry lanes. And you want a strike ball — one with a lot of hook potential and power — and a spare ball, a ball that will roll straight and true.

· Make sure you pick out the right weight – bowling balls range from 6 pounds to 16 pounds. When you have a bowling ball that fits your hand, you can actually use a heavier ball than whatever house bowling ball you were used to using.

· Make sure that you get a bowling ball that fits – get the finger holes custom drilled to fit your hand.

· In general, the more expensive the ball, the better the ball! Of course, that being said, this is genearlly just in terms of price ranges. For instance, a ball that falls in the $100-200 price range most likely will not be as good as a ball that is in the $200+ range. Of course, within those ranges, some bowling balls are definitely better deals than others! And you want to be sure that you are not paying extra money for something that you do not care about (like a glow in the dark ball, for instance).

· Before up and buying your first bowling balls, make sure that you spend the time to carefully decide what material you want your bowling balls made out of.

While bowling balls have been made out of rubber and even wood in the past, today’s bowling balls are made from different materials:

· Plastic bowling balls – this is generally the most inexpensive type of bowling ball, and it is actually usually made out of polyester. If you are used to using house balls, then you are used to using plastic balls. They are very durable. They also skid more (making them harder to control) and are less likely to hook – they are good for dry lane conditions.

· Urethane bowling balls – these balls have softer coverstocks that give the balls more hook potential. These bowling balls can hook more because they have a higher friction surface than your basic polyester balls. To increase or decrease the amount of hook potential, you can sand or buff the ball.

· Reactive resin bowling balls – these are a relatively new type of bowling ball. Only in the 1990s did bowling ball manufacturers started to add resin particles to the urethane coverstocks. What did this resin do? Well, resin is sticky/tacky, and therefore increases the ball’s grip on the lane. It made the balls have even more hook potential. Reactive resin bowling balls skid on oil (giving them great speed) and hook strongly on dry boards. Experienced players can make reactive resin bowling balls work for them with many different lane conditions.

· Particle bowling balls – this type of bowling ball is perfect for anyone (especially experienced bowlers) who want great power potential in their balls. These bowling balls have textured particles like glass and ceramics to resin enhanced balls. This texture give the ball a whole lot of grip in oil, a controllable hook style, and a whole lot of power. Particle bowling balls generally have the greatest hook potential of any balls. Many professional bowlers use particle bowling balls – they like how controllable they are in terms of hook and spin.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bowling, please visit Bowling Balls and More.

Corporate Blogging Alphabet – What Is It?

I built this alphabet to showcase what I think are the benefits and best practices of corporate blogging. Not all of these entries will apply to every individual blogging scenario, but they all apply to corporate blogging in general. So here you have them, corporate blogging benefits and best practices … from A to Z.

Accountable

Accountability applies to corporate blogging in two primary ways. With single-author blogs (such as CEO blogs), the author can inspire trust among readers by “owning” his or her commentary. But companies also assume a certain level of accountability for all blogs under their umbrella, regardless of disclosures to to the contrary. So blogging accountability must be carefully considered at both the individual and corporate level.

Believable

Used properly, a corporate blog or CEO blog can make a company more believable. And in the low-trust, post-Enron world of corporate skepticism, a little believability goes a long way. Use your blog to tell an honest story in a passionate way.

Candid

A common mistake in corporate blogging is when organizations use the blog as “website, part two,” shoveling press releases and other corporate literature onto the blog. To achieve the believability mentioned above, a corporate blog must take on the candid, heartfelt voice of the author. Sure, it takes courage to do this (and probably a set of corporate blogging guidelines), but your readers will reward you by becoming advocates.

Direct

Corporate blogs are direct. You write your message, click the “Publish” button, and your words are directly viewable across the Internet. This removes intermediaries from the corporate communication chain. There are no journalists or editors to put their own spin on things. The message goes from the author directly to the audience. Never again will your message be diluted or mis-aligned (unless you do that yourself).

Enthusiastic

In my opinion, only enthusiastic bloggers should be allowed to represent the company. Half-hearted commentary stands out like a purple elephant in the corporate blogosphere. This kind of commentary does more harm than good, whether it comes from the CEO, the communications chief, or Joe Employee. Enthusiasm comes across in blog posts — and it’s contagious.

Flexible

One of the great things about blogs is the versatility with which they can be used. A corporate blog, for example, can be used internally or externally. It can be a news channel, a customer-feedback forum, an educational tool, or a combination of these things.

Google-friendly

And Yahoo-friendly, and MSN-friendly, etc. A corporate blog can help you increase your search engine visibility in a number of ways. For one thing, a blog gives you an easy way to expand your website with new content. If you blog daily for a year, you’ve got 365 new pages of topical content (and 365 new items for people to find through search engines). Blogs are also more “social” than websites, so in time a well-written blog will acquire links from other blogs. This kind of link popularity does wonders for your search engine ranking.

Happening

Nine times out of ten, a corporate blog is more “happening” than its website counterpart. Blogs are easier to update than a regular website. And when you update a blog often with quality content, it becomes an active resource that people are more inclined to revisit.

Informative

When you keep your customers well informed on new products, services or “behind the scenes” company happenings, you increase the likelihood of future business from those customers. Corporate blogging is a simple but effective way to keep people informed.

Jargon-free

Generally, corporate blogs are not the place for corporate speak. At least, not a customer-facing corporate blog. Save that language for your annual report. Business blogs evolved from online diaries, single-author sources of information and insight. Much of this plain-speak expectation carries over to corporate blogs, so the potential power of blogging for business purposes lies within the blog’s frankness, not its jargon.

Knowledgeable

Use your corporate blog to show readers how knowledgeable you are on your subject. When your readers see how much information you have to share on a subject, they’ll recommend your blog to others who are interested in the subject. These are the kinds of readers you want. Just remember, some of your readers will know as much about the subject as you do. So check your facts before posting.

Limitless

Corporate blogs can be configured in endless ways to serve endless roles. They can stand alone, be part of a website, or be part of a larger network of blogs. Because the technical aspects of a corporate blog are limitless, so too are the uses for the blog.

Manageable

Blogs reduce the technical side of web publishing to such a degree that anyone can blog, regardless of their web experience. Blogs are so manageable, in fact, that even a large web presence built on blogging technology can be managed by a single individual. In this way, blogs are only an initial burden on the IT department. Once a blog is setup, it can be managed by the author alone.

Non-invasive

Corporate blogs “pull” readers to the message, rather than “push” the message to the reader. People can sign up for a blog in total privacy, simply by pulling the blog’s RSS feed into their feed reader. In this way, corporate blogs are non-invasive for readers. The readers come to the blog — the blog is not thrust upon them, like other forms of corporate communication. As long as blogs adhere to this non-invasive, respectful approach, they will be held in higher esteem than other communication channels like email.

Operational

Corporate blogs are more than simple communications tools. With their versatility and ease of use, a corporate blog can server operational roles. This might include internal collaboration (like an intranet) or outward instruction (like an interactive Q&A forum). Blogs can be an active part of your organization’s daily operations.

Purposeful

The key to a good blogging experience is to have a purpose. Sure, you can plunge right into corporate blogging and figure out your purpose as you go. That’s part of the appeal. But your blog will be more effective (and easier to produce) if you have a blogging plan and purpose. Maybe your blogging purpose is to educate readers on what goes on behind the scenes at your company. Maybe you want to increase your visibility on the Web. Or maybe the CEO wants to share his ideas on the business to foster interaction. Fill in the blanks as needed, just be sure you have a purpose behind your blogging efforts.

Qualitative and Quantitative

When corporate blogging is done well, it has both a quantitative and qualitative affect. Because blogs are easy to publish, they help you increase the quantity of content on your website. This increases your blog’s value to readers, as well as its visibility to search engines. If the content is also useful and informative to your key audience, the blog adds quality. A well-managed corporate blog can enhance your web presence by adding both quantity and quality.

Reusable

Blog content can be reused for a variety of purposes. For example, if you expand on a blog post (or compile several blog posts), you can create articles that you can syndicate online. This will help you grow your web presence and even more. This is one of the strategies I teach through my blogging guide mentioned at the end of this article. Another example of reusing blog content — Seth Godin’s book Small Is the New Big is simply a compilation of his blog posts over the last few years.

Straightforward

Okay, so this is somewhat repetitive of ‘C’ for candid. But it’s worth repeating. The most popular of the corporate and CEO blogs reached their level of popularity by being straightforward. And here, I’m referring to both the design and the content of the corporate blog. Blogs that are “overly designed” don’t really look like blogs at all. They look like corporate websites, which (I believe) takes away some of their candidness and authenticity. The same is true of blog content. Blog postings that are straightforward and candid will generate more trust, interaction and “buzz” among the blog’s readers than thinly-veiled corporate speak.

Thoughtful

The best corporate blogs are thoughtful. I don’t mean thoughtful in the sense of “kind,” although kindness goes a long way on the Web. I mean thoughtful as in “full of thought.” Blogs with a lot of “fluff” don’t fare well in the corporate blogosphere. So be sure you put some thought into your blog’s content.

Usable

Your corporate blog should be easy to navigate and read. In fact, any blog should be easy to use, or any website for that matter. Web readers and researches are skilled at hopping from site to site. They don’t need much of a reason to bail out on you, and they’ll do just that if your blog is hard to navigate. Review a list of the most widely read blogs on the Internet, and you’ll find they have something in common — they all have simple designs with high levels of usability.

Voluntary

You should blog because you want to, not because you think you have to. If you start a corporate blog just because people say you should, it will lack the heartfelt enthusiasm that’s a hallmark of great blogs. (See ‘E’ for enthusiasm above.)

Wise

Your corporate blog is the ideal place to share your wisdom about your industry. This will help you position yourself as an authority in your field, and will also help foster the trust that’s mentioned under the letter ‘T’ above. Show people what you know about your industry, but do it in a conversational way. A “tip of the day” series is a prime example of this. It’s a great way to share your wisdom, and it’s the kind of thing others will link to if it’s full of useful content or advice.

Xstensible

Okay, so I cheated with this letter. But blogs are certainly extensible (and you try to come up with a good adjective starting with ‘X’). Corporate blogs, business blogs, CEO blogs — any blog — can grow as the company grows. You can add additional authors, additional sections, whatever you need. And it doesn’t require and act of the I.T. gods to get it done. By design, blogging programs are meant to be extensible.

Yours

If you ask me, anonymous blogs are not blogs at all … just plain old websites. A corporate blog can have one author or several authors, but it should be somebody’s blog. It should be yours, or his and hers, or all of yours. Somebody needs to own it. Otherwise, nobody will trust what it has to say.

Zippy

The definition of zippy is “lively and full of energy.” These are great traits for a corporate blogs. Some people equate the word “corporate” with “dull.” Show them otherwise. Inject your personality. Show them the passion you have for your industry. That’s the only thing that will keep them coming back.

* You may republish this article online if you retain the author’s byline and the active hyperlinks below.

About the Author
Brandon Cornett is the publisher of CEO Blog Watch and the author of a new blogging guide. Download your copy of the blogging guide by visiting http://www.ceoblogwatch.com

Gourmet Cooking

Gourmet cooking presents a challenge basic cooking does not. Food preparation may require use of various cooking implements foreign to basic cooking. All though this may be the case in retrospect it’s just a different approach and this ought not intimidate you in the least.

The types of foods used in gourmet dishes are not native to basic cooking. Truffles, imported cheeses and spices like lemon grass or saffron and flavorings like rosewater may be a key ingredient.

Gourmet Entree Challenges

Meats, fish and poultry in gourmet recipes, for example, crown roast, partridge baked in rock salt shells, a Beef Wellington baked with a light flaky crust or duck prepared with plum wine sauce are unforgettable gourmet repasts. Gourmet recipes are always made from freshest ingredients and always from “scratch”.

There may be several phases to cooking specific gourmet recipes. They may begin with paring and chopping in one phase, graduate to light braising next and finish with a final baking phase.

The Gourmet Cook

A gourmet cook never lacks innovation when designing a new dish. This is a critical aspect of the character of a gourmet chef. They are both innovative and creative and this in fact is where you can really shine and have some fun.

Each new gourmet recipe is a study in the art of fine cooking. Artful presentation of the meal is important. Gourmet preparation results in extraordinary tastes and colorful design.

All of the above combined makes for an enjoyable cooking experience.

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If college students could have one wish it might be to receive a good college education without having to spend the next twenty years paying off massive student loans and college student credit card debt.

“Genie, grant me my wish.” Poof. What college student credit card debt?

Dear Aladdin wannabe’s, if only it were that easy! The truth is you can earn a great college education with less college student credit card debt. It takes a little money management savvy and an increasingly un-American concept called self-control.

“There are more money issues for today’s students than in any other generation before them,” says Todd Romer, executive director of Young Money Magazine.

From the rising cost of colleges to luxuries like cell phones and high-end dining establishments that are popping up all around college campuses, you may find yourself graduating into college student credit card debt hell by the time you’re twenty-two years old. And all you truly wanted was a debt-free college education!

If you’re looking to stress less about money and be proactive about college student credit card debt, give the following tips a try:

1. Use credit cards sparingly.

The average credit card debt owed by college students is about $2,700, with close to a quarter of students owing more than $3,000. About 10 percent owed more than $7,000! That’s not even including student loans.

“Getting a credit card is not a bad idea,” says Romer. According to a recent study of student loan applicants conducted by Nellie Mae, a leading provider of higher education loans, 78 percent of all college students today have at least one credit card. That being said, Romer advises that college students keep your credit card in the deepest part of your wallet to use for emergencies and/or large purchases that you know you will pay back within thirty days.

Have a tendency to use credit cards as, say, gift cards? Romer suggests that college students call their credit card company and ask them to put a $500 max on the card. Also have them not change the limit until you are the one who communicates to them that you want to increase your credit limit. “Until you become more responsible, and that just evolves over time, have a third-party reign in on your spending,” adds Romer.

But how can you earn a college education minus college student credit card debt when some colleges and universities form multi-million dollar partnerships with credit issuers and give them the go ahead to solicit students right on campus? “If you see a Bank One credit card table showing up at your school in the student union once a week, just realize that you don’t have to participate in the promotion on campus,” says Romer. “Treat it like anything else you’re going to be tempted with in this world. Be smart about what you get involved with.”

2. Start a budget (ahem) weekly spending plan.

Yeah, a weekly spending plan is a sneaky euphemism for a budget, but c’mon, we have to make it sound a little more appealing to you college students. “In terms of taking charge of your finances, it really starts with knowing what you truly make,” says Romer. “Look at it as a weekly spending plan to help you earn a college education and reduce the stress of college student credit card debt.”

Romer adds that while more college students are working part-time or full-time than ever before, many still find that they’re spending more than they’re earning. “If you monitor your weekly spending plan about twice a week, you should be good to go,” he adds.

3. Be smart about college student loan debt.

“When it comes to your student loan, look at it as the most positive loan you could ever have and try not to stress too much about having to pay it back because you’re investing in your college education,” says Romer. That being said, you can escape graduating with student loan and college student credit card debt as high as our parents’ mortgages. For one thing, don’t be swayed by the hype about how everyone’s attending a name brand college and racking up student loan debt so — therefore — you might as well, too.

An article on CollegeBoard.com reveals that for the 2006/2007 school year, about 65 percent of students enrolled at four-year colleges or universities attend institutions that charge tuition and fees of less than $9,000 per year and fifty-six percent of students shell out yearly tuition and fees between $3,000 and $6,000. Moreover, while private four-year institutions have a much wider range of tuition and fee charges, College Board reported that only about 5 percent of all students attend colleges with tuition and fees totaling $33,000 or higher per year.

If your life long dream has been to earn a college education from a name brand college and you have your heart set on it, go for it! Romer suggests that you scrap for every type of scholarship and financial aid available though to avoid a college student credit card debt nightmare.

However, if you think that a name brand college is the only way to ensure future success and earning power you’re mistaken. “If you have a four-year degree, how you end up carrying yourself in an interview is much more important than whether you graduated from an ivy or a state school,” says Romer.

4. Think hard about graduate school.

Some new grads who aren’t yet ready for the working world decide to go to grad school immediately after college. While there are right reasons to go to grad school immediately after earning a college education, if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons, it’s a huge financial sacrifice, not to mention the years you’re missing out on gaining work experience.

“Gaining work experience is very important and you always have the opportunity to go back to grad school,” says Romer. “A lot of times, the company that you are employed by has the ability to pay half, if not all of your grad school expenses.”

If you have a concrete plan for grad school and where it will take you, it might not be a bad idea to go straight to grad school. If you’re just going because you don’t know what you want to do with your life, Romer advises that you gain a little work experience first. Explore careers and start to pay down some of your college student credit card debt. “Going to grad school without a concrete plan is going to be a financial negative on you because you’re not guaranteed that you can make a salary to help you pay back those loans relatively quickly,” he adds.

According to FinAid.org, a financial aid resource, the average graduate student borrows $37,000 in student loans – $42,000 if you count undergraduate debt.

5. Invest, invest, invest.

“Establishing a weekly spending plan in college and learning how to invest raises students’ confidence in their ability to take charge over their finances after they graduate,” says Romer.

“But I’m a broke college student already in credit card debt,” you might protest. “I don’t have money to invest.” Romer says just $25 to $50 a month will do to start. “Commit to learning how to invest because of the power of time and the power of compound interest,” he says. Romer adds that another benefit of college students investing while they’re still earning a college education is how it actually changes your spending behavior in other areas of your life.

“Once college students see that their money is beginning to work for them they might look at how they’re spending money on things like clothing. They might say, ‘Maybe I don’t need that $80 pair of shoes.’ They look at their account and see it’s growing and want to be able to add more to it.”

Maria Pascucci is the President of Campus Calm – the award-winning website for today’s stressed-out students, parents and educators. Download your Stress-Less Kit with 4 FREE gifts at (http://www.campuscalm.com).