With one out of five Americans having visited a spa, chances are those who have not yet experienced the spa are at least aware of its benefits and services. To take the guesswork out of an experience that has been designed for relaxation, the International SPA Association (ISPA) has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I find the right spa for me? A: It’s important to do your homework beforehand. Spa newcomers will want to learn the difference between day spas, destination spas, and club spas before determining which one is the best fit. Prior to visiting a spa, phone them to learn more about their services and treatments. Professional spa staff will be happy to answer any questions. Family and friend referrals are also a great way to learn about specific spas and their services.

What can I expect to pay? A: Just like a hotel or restaurant, spas come in a variety of price points so it’s not difficult to find services that complement the pocketbook. Nearly all spas list their prices online, have a printed menu of services, or can provide service prices over the phone prior to booking a treatment.

What should I ask for when I book my appointment? A: Becoming familiar with spa treatments and services prior to booking an appointment is helpful. Do you want to try a massage? A mineral-essential facial? Spas can provide a menu of services that describe each treatment and its therapeutic value. At the time of booking, it’s important to express any preferences regarding a male or female therapist. Also ask about the spa’s cancellation and tipping policy. Some spas include the tip in the bill while others do not.

When should I arrive? A: It’s a standard rule of thumb to arrive 30 minutes prior to a treatment in order to check in and take a few minutes to enjoy the spa surrounds. It may also be necessary to fill out personal and health information prior to the service or treatment. At most spas, guests are provided a tour of the changing and relaxation areas, as well as being provided a locker key, robe, and slippers. After the service is completed, guests may leave their robes and slippers in the designated area.

What should I wear? A: It is a spa’s policy to never compromise your modesty. While most spas provide a robe to change into before treatment, it’s up to the guest whether they want to wear their underwear beneath the robe. During a massage, only the portion of the body that is being treated will be exposed at a time. For treatments that involve water therapy such as watsu, a swimsuit is appropriate. Thai massages require loose, stretchy clothing. It’s also a good idea to leave jewelry at home or remove it before a treatment. Don’t forget to turn off the cell phone.

Do I have to talk during my treatment? A: It’s up to the guest whether they want to talk during their treatment. Staff take their cues from the guest, but it’s always appropriate to ask questions. If a therapist’s touch is too rough or light, it’s important to speak up. The therapist is there to provide guests with the perfect spa experience. For those with an injury or physical condition, let the therapist know prior to the treatment. They can suggest adjustments or enhancements to the treatment. If a guest feels at all uncomfortable during the treatment, it’s perfectly appropriate to tell the therapist and then leave the room. Guests should then speak to a spa director or manager to tell them about the problem.

How long can I stay after the treatment? When a treatment has ended, the therapist will extend an invitation to “take your time getting up” while they exit the room. While guests are not expected to rush out of the room, they do need to keep in mind that the room may need to be used for the next client. After getting dressed, guests are met by their therapist who will lead them back to the changing/locker area. Afterward, guests may enjoy themselves in the relaxation room where light snacks and water are offered. It is recommended to drink a lot of water following a massage to help flush toxins that were released during the treatment. Guests are also invited to use the toiletries available in the locker areas to freshen up before leaving the spa.

In my experience, when female paddlers mess up their lines it’s not usually because of their lack of physical skill (although that can be the case too), but it’s most often due to their lack of mental preparation and focus. After all, it’s usually our lack of confidence, doubt and fear that makes us stiff and hesitant, which leads to bad lines and trashings. I’ve read books on sports psychology that give suggestions on imagery and affirmations that can help control negative thoughts, but someone very wise recently gave me a trick that is very simple and works well. And the best part is that it doesn’t just work for kayaking, but it’s also helpful in almost any situation that raises fear and uncertainty.

The trick is simple: whenever you’re feeling nervous when you’re kayaking focus on how grateful you are for the skills that you do have. It works something like this: I’m at the top of challenging whitewater that I’m about to run, but I feel really nervous and negative chatter starts going through my head. At this point I think: “I’m grateful for my skills. I’m grateful for my experience. I’m grateful for my strength. I’m grateful for my ability to read whitewater.” And so on – you get the idea. What this does is cut off the flow of negativity and doubt and focuses my attention on the positive. Then I can proceed with the rapid filled with positive thoughts, which usually leads to positive action.

I like the ‘being grateful’ technique better than affirmations because there isn’t room for doubt when you’re being grateful. If I say: “I am strong, then my mind can always intervene with “but the River is stronger.” When I say ‘I’m grateful for my strength’ then I’m showing appreciation for and recognizing all of my experiences, my skill, my teachers and perhaps even a higher power, and there isn’t much room for doubt in that. And being appreciative, for me, produces a feeling of wellbeing that has a calming effect. It’s also very motivational and inspiring.

I think that if this teaching had come to me while I was competing I would have been a lot more consistent! I suggest that you try it and see how it works. It may help keep your positive juju flowing. Even if you think this sounds a bit ‘airy-fairy’ I challenge you to try it at least once if you have difficulty staying confident on the river. After all, there’s nothing ‘airy-fairy’ about acing a sick line on a challenging rapid!

When it comes to playing any kind of sport, wearing complete protective gears must be an understanding among all players. The same goes for those who have already played a particular sport for a long time and those who are trying something for the first time. Especially in biking sports, gearing up completely will protect you from highly possible accidents. Aside from helmets, you should not forget about the EVS neck brace that provides support to your neck, as well as your collar area.

One of the weakest parts of the body is the neck so in sports where there is a high probability of hitting the neck, athletes use neck braces or gears that cover the neck protectively. Our necks have soft skin and tissues and the only set of bones inside the skin is the spinal cord, which is very vital to our very existence. There are also a lot of veins that connect to our brain and other vital organs of the body. When one of these veins got hit, there is a high chance of bleeding shortly before you lose consciousness because you also run out of oxygen in the brain. In this circumstance, you might also experience asphyxiation because your air passages that are found in the neck area will be blocked. The neck also supports important glands and nerves in the body.

Understanding the anatomy of the neck allows you to gravely consider neck braces, as well as the other gears for the body when you are playing your sports. These gears are specifically designed for the athlete to perfectly perform the sport without being hindered by the gear too much. In biking, for example, the EVS neck brace helps the biker to incline the head for longer periods of time. Since a bike race is usually done in long tracks and particular routes, the neck will accumulate strain that eventually gives the biker a hard time. Chances are, the biker will lose the game because he will quit or he will push himself, disregarding his neck cramps just to win. When he chooses the latter, there is also a high probability that he gets serious injury. Aside from neck cramps, pressure is added to the upper body.

The EVS neck brace does not only support the neck, but it also provides protection to the collar system, making it an ultimate protection in many bike races. In addition, it offers a better and effective load transfer to the lower body starting from the shoulders. It bridges the gap between the helmet and the gear covering the upper body, thus making the protection more or less absolute.

Some people, especially those who are not athletes of these sports do not bother buying such gears. This is for the reason that they would not do the sport regularly so investing for gears is costly. This is not a good practice and it should be prohibited by authorities. The neck is very delicate and if you manage to get hit on the right spot, you might just die before you get to the hospital.

A little over a month and a half ago the world watched with glee as India’s voters buried their leftist parties, including that country’s communist party, under the trash heap of history. India set off an avalanche that is sweeping the globe!

In England, Gordon Brown lost four of his most vicious left wing cabinet members, including the infamous British Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith to various scandals. Brown himself barely survived that weekend as opponents from within his own party tried to stage an intraparty coup.

EU Parliament The European Parliament probably dealt the left the most humiliating defeat since the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the USSR. Conservatives in France, Germany, Italy and Poland emerged winners in the voting to select the European Parliament’s 736 deputies while the left was sent packing.

In Argentina “Old Wise Latino Woman’ President Christina Fernandez, whose political accomplishments include nationalizing billions of dollars in private pension funds and the country’s top airline, was dealt a swift and unambiguous defeat. Fernandez tried to stave off an anticipated massive defeat by holding the elections four months early. Alas it was in vain for the the results were just as disastrous. Her own husband, former President Nestor Kirchner, couldn’t even win a bid for a seat from Buenos Aires province.

In Honduras, the country’s leftist president, wanted to change the nation’s constitution. In a move that reminds me of the post presidential musings of the former president Bill Clinton, the Honduran President Manuel Zeleya attempted to find a way to get himself elected more often than the constitution allows. The military, at the behest of the country’s judicial branch, including the Supreme Court, with full approval of the Honduran Congress, arrested the leftist would be dictator Zeleya and unceremoniously deposited him in Costa Rica.

Then of course there is Iran. The left has successfully managed to convince the world that so called “religious governments” are somehow “right wing”. Nothing is further from the truth. The centralized planning lack of freedom, and persecution of it population that characterizes the Mullah ruled Iran is identical to that experienced by the hundreds of millions of people that were subjugated to the leftist communist and regimes world wide. Iran’s street battles are evidence that freedom and individual rights are universal. Further proof that the right identifies more with the struggle of the Iranian people is the unforgivable attitude that the Obama administration has adopted towards the murderous Iranian regime and its leaders.

Bulgaria. The people of Bulgaria voted out the Socialists and gave the conservative party a clear mandate to bring the country out of the economic quagmire which has seen its per capita GDP drop to last place in the European Union.

Albania After day there is till no clear winner however as of right now, with all the precincts having been counted the incumbent Democrat party is ahead of the Socialist by about 1% of the votes. That an incumbent Democrat Party , in this case the conservative party, can hold its own and probably win, in the face of a very adverse economic climate, is vivid proof that the people of Albania want to turn their back on the socialist agenda and join the European Union.

Moldova. After violent and massive protests which included students raiding the parliament building the ruling communist party was forced to at least go trough the motion of recounting the votes before declaring themselves the winner.

Virginia Gubernatorial Race. Least you think that this is a ‘foreign’ phenomena allow me to draw you attention to the Virginia Gubernatorial race. While the general election is still months away,the liberals in Virginian already lost! That’s right, the liberals got their collective butts kicked up to their shoulder blades even in the Democrat primaries. In a field that included former Clinton’s “AFC to tum” Terry Calif,” the one lone self professed “Conservative Democrat”, R. Creigh Deeds, won and won big. Deeds got almost twice the number of votes that Terry Calif did and over twice that of the third place finisher. As if that’s not bad enough, for the lib socialists, the republican candidate is leading in the polls by over 10%.

New Jersey The current NJ Governor former Goldman Sachs CEO and far left millionaire John Corzine is trialing Republican nominee Chris Cristie by well over double digits in the polls. This in spite, or maybe precisely because, of a recent visit by Obama meant to shore up Corzine numbers. It worked out well, for Cristie, that is.

Cheney Vs. Pelosi. Further proving that the country may have had enough of the liberals the latest Gallup polls show that Cheney , fresh off the proper spanking that he delivered to ABM, has seen his popularity shoot up higher than Pepsi’s. I find it embarrassing for us as a country that the “Drivel-by-Media” has managed to bamboozle the populous into thinking that a man as thoughtful, serious , intelligent and through as Cheney is should even be on the same playing field as Pols but maybe we are coming around. As for Pols, what can we say? The woman can and has made rapid fires fire gaffes and contradicted herself in consecutive sentences and the media has never done anything other than bow in adulation. That in spite of all of that Cheney is polling ahead of her shows that America is finally rejecting Pelosi’s San Francisoc “values” based agenda.

Obama Even “The Blessed One” had to silently, like a thief in the night, order US forces to “Mirandize” terrorists in Afghanistan. Even the Obama knows that if he did this in the light of day, say maybe announce it in his Cairo’s speech, the public would be lining Pennsylvania Avenue with “Tea Party” signs.

Congressmen who have embraced and supported the Obama agendas, be it the socialized health care program or the cash to destroy perfectly good cars program are going home to town halls where they are confronted with a constituency that is not shy at all about expressing their disgust. Town halls all over the country are ringing with loud protests of Americans rejecting Obama’s socialism!

I’m not sure what caused the avalanche, maybe its a case of the left overreaching again or maybe with obama front and center and in the spotlight people are paying more attention to the left’s agenda. Whatever it is this avalanche seems to building up plenty of steam.

Chris Olt

People who are fond of antiques like jewelry, furniture, pottery or paintings collect these items as magnificent showpieces or use them personally. Several people have several reasons for investing in antiques. You can even run a profitable business by investing in antiques. These invaluable items that you had invested in years ago could hold you in good stead. Antiques can fetch you fairly good prices and sometimes even more. Thus investing in antiques will never go out of fashion

Antiques are Good for Rainy Days

If you invest in antiques you can be assured of a good price which might come handy when your purse strings are tight. These are not huge investments but you could probably fund your child’s education with the profits that you get. You may invest in antiques like furniture when you have some disposal income or something like jewelry that you want to wear. The benefits are that you get to use them and when you decide to sell them you get a good price as well. Some small antique pieces are reasonably priced when you buy them and even if it does not sell at your cost price it will not hurt you,

The True Picture

If you invest in antiques it could add to your wealth but not necessarily make you ultra rich. To get value from your antiques you need to trade in investment grade antiques which can help you to make money instantly and lose it also equally fast. By collecting these investment grade antiques the scenario would be similar to that of investing in a stock market for a long time, around 10 to 30 years. You can start collecting the antique furniture or paintings or sculpture and retain them for 10 to 30 years after which you can get a good price for these items.

Difference Between Antique and Collectibles

Collectibles are items produced in masses as per the demands of the collectors and dealers. Do not make the mistake of valuing your collectible on the same level as your antique. The cost of collectibles could be sky high for a period of time but could hit rock bottom after the phase has passed.

When is the Best Time to Invest in Antiques

The antique trade is at its peak as there is a slump in the stock market. Due to the fluctuating figures people are inclined more towards the traditional ways of investing. So if you do have antiques you can go about selling your wares or if you are an eager buyer then this is the right time to make your move of storing antiques and selling them at a higher price later.

Although China’s four great inventions of gunpowder, one of the birthplace remains a mystery, but as the country’s largest yet discovered gunpowder industrial sites, Jiangyou Laojunshan region is a real “hometown of gunpowder,” has no doubt. Recently, the reporter learned from the Jiangyou Laojunshan scenic, Chung Wa Laojunshan on the town in October this year, determined to build China’s first gunpowder industrial museum, ancient mining saltpeter, saltpeter refining this period of history will be restored in the museum, gunpowder Museum powder produced in China will also witness the eternal mystery. It is reported that NOx Laojunshan ancient sites are actively apply for world cultural heritage, a great deal of preparation.

Discovery Kwu Tung nitrate concentration more than 20 heritage sites In December 2003, a number of local experts in planning tourism development in heritage Laojunshan first found stuffed into the many caves on the cliffs, ancient saltpeter Laojunshan from hole site began to receive attention. Laojunshan ancient ruins located in Jiangyou City Glass Tung Chung Wa, Chinese New Year, Yongsheng, Wen sheng and other six towns, stretches 21 kilometers, has been found ancient cave system for more than 20 nitrate, Chung Wa Road Town is located in Long River, the legend is the Ancient important yinping Road and Taurus Road meets West.

Beijing cultural relics experts Professor Xu Xiangdong (State Administration of Cultural Heritage of Ancient Architecture Museum founder) took the lead manager of the site to Quest Laojunshan ancient saltpeter, according to him, Laojunshan difficult terrain, the local known as “NOx air raid shelter” and includes not only the country’s largest nitrate hole sun holes, as well as rain dong, senior officials dong, rhino dong, goblin hole, white hole, dry hole, as well as horns were holes, nine Cave, tobacco and other sub hole, the hole depth in the range from a few hundred meters to more than ten years. Zhaoyang Dong is about 7.5 kilometers, boil the stove nitrate, nitrate pool, scraps everywhere. Smoke in the adjacent sub hole, high concept of holes, such sites that could be seen everywhere. Thus, in Laojunshan powder on the construction of the museum is very appropriate.

Vision Visitors can personally experience the system for NOx Technology Rows of neat stove, a pit of different sizes in nitrate, nitrate pool … …. Visitors can even touch the ancients had used personally working tools and daily necessities, to imagine the ancients were holding wooden sticks in the stove side ao Sodium scene … … reporter Laojunshan Scenic Area office to see the future of gunpowder through the 3D animation industry museum scene. According to an initial program planning, the museum complex will be on the basis of Laojunshan Scenic Area, along the climbing path of nitrate hole stone using a special system of NOx and reproducing the work of the ancients was the venue, the entire planning area will reach 3,000 square meters.

Gunpowder, the door to the museum will be designed to look like a cave mouth, the museum’s director of display, width, height also true for the reference simulation cave, tunnel, table and so on genuine attempt, in the trenches of the Liang Bi also knowledge will be hanging instructions Laojunshan Scenic Area, General Manager, Chen Zhen, said: “This will allow visitors to experience immersive visitor boil inside nitrate saltpeter, saltpeter system, and other industrial activities, industrial development of China’s gunpowder, there was understanding of the system. “

Quest What is refining saltpeter saltpeter cave in?

The nitrate is how the cave formed? Is how the ancients in such a strategically located and difficult of the mountains found in nitrate hole? And the harsh natural environment of the ancient collection will be out of nitrate for gunpowder production? Reporter decided to scenic spots together with staff to find out nitrate hole site.

As the saltpeter cave is almost reaching not see five fingers, scenic areas and old staff members had prepared in advance of the torch, torch is from local materials, will be installed in the bamboo tube in the diesel fuel made of. Our destination was located in heavy rain on the Chinese Laojunshan holes along the rugged mountain, in the scenic old has led the staff, we quickly climbed on the rain holes. Reporters feel that the temperature plunged in the hole. Rock walls in the hole, the old has used the index finger to gently pull a bit of white powder, he said: “This is the NOx, and inferred from the geological point of view, rain and other natural cavities are formed nitrate on the ‘hidden’ in soil, the ancients found out after their extraction. saltpeter mined in soil soaked in water first, so have a month NOx pool. immersion to a certain degree of nitrate soil removed from the nitrate pool after the stove on evaporation process within the boiler, brewed out of nitrate w! as crystalline. “

Under the guidance of the old who, through the dim light of torches in the cave a few corners, the reporter saw several places stove and nitrate pool, we can see obvious signs of excessive smoke. Stove caliber 60 150 cm between the locals hole about 100 meters wide and 56 meters, whereby estimates, rain hole can accommodate dozens or even hundreds of people simultaneously. Come to the end of the hole, the water can be heard buzzing sound of pouring tens of meters high cave at the top of the next Unit, springs, cave there are canals, it seems, when people have come to understand the water cited. Is every indication that, here is entirely a process of advanced NOx production bases.

Out from the hole, the old had told reporters: “This hole than Laojunshan more than 20 on the remaining NOx air raid shelter, the scale can not be considered large, but the ancients refining saltpeter saltpeter cave left nitrate residue, scraps and other mountain artificial mining traces are clearly visible. Unfortunately, the rain Laojunshan on the other holes as well as the era of nitrate hole can not accurately argue, but to judge according to a rough hole in kind can be sure that they are nitrate dong and the latest technology is also left by the Qing Dynasty. ” Prospects Ruins of ancient saltpeter active preparations for the inscription

Laojunshan ancient ruins nitrate in May 2006 was an exception approved by the State Council announced as the sixth national key cultural relics protection units, and now the ancient saltpeter Laojunshan launched a World Heritage site Youxiang sprint. To the ancient saltpeter Laojunshan declared as world cultural heritage sites, in September 2006, Jiangyou municipal government has invited international experts in the ancient ruins and artifacts Laojunshan experts to conduct investigations. Experts agree that the ancient saltpeter Laojunshan industrial civilization of ancient ruins, as related to China’s “four great inventions”, the inscription has a solid foundation.

People everywhere are adding usable living space to their residence by doing work in their basements. This makes some great living space that previously has likely been used for storing things or making a place for our washers and dryers. Much of the time when anyone decides to use the basement for additional living space, they will begin the remodeling task alone. This can be an undertaking that is huge and a more complicated job if there is an important factor to deal with like water condensation on the basement walls.

If you have ever had to repair a basement with condensation problems, you might not have noticed the damp appearance of the cinder block or cemented walls, but you will notice the musty damp smell that they often have too. If you are thinking to make real living space in your basement and you have wet walls down there, you will have to repair this obstruction before you begin. Even though you do not desire to ever finish your basement, you still need to remedy the condensation issue anyway because of the eventual water damage it can do to the wood that is exposed to it.

To check your basement walls for dampness, take a large square piece of plastic wrap, perhaps 1 foot by 1 foot, and tape it to the basement wall securely. Leave it for a number of days and then look and see if there is dampness on the inside or outside of the plastic. If there is moisture on the inside then the moisture may be caused from a drip somewhere in the basement, but when it is on the outside, then it is a condensation problem.

If it is a leak making wet walls, they can usually be easily corrected. To remedy condensation, you must find the cause. It could be a dryer with exhaust that is not getting to the outside properly, from hot water moisture from a shower or tub because there is no escape for the moisture, from cooking moisture, from dew, or from dripping basement pipes. Every one of these problems may be fixed and must be before you put up sheet rocked walls in a basement.

Putting in exhaust ventilators in your basement will help discourage any moisture that might build up, especially if there is a shower, tub, or cooking vapors getting down there. Circulating air with a fan might help some. Putting insulation around duct work, pipes, and walls will also help stop dampness. Water can not accumulate on these surfaces if you do not allow the cold air to get to these places.

The concept of mascots to help promote businesses and drive up profit margins is as old as businesses themselves. In the United States some of the first mascots to be used by businesses were: – The Quaker Oats Man (The Oldest Dating back to 1877) – Aunt Jemima – Uncle Rastus (Cream of Wheat) – Uncle Ben (Rice) – The Campbell Soup Kids – The Morton Salt Girl – The Sunmaid Raisin Girl – Sailor Jack and Bingo (Cracker Jacks) – Mr. Peanut (Planter’s) – Betty Crocker – Elsie the Cow (Borden)

Historical Business Mascots and Controversies

Many of these icons have become household names and are easily identified by Americans and many people from around the world. Historically, some of the mascots listed above became very controversial and had to undergo a transformation.

Aunt Jemima became associated with slavery and a negative connotation of a subservient role of female African Americans. The company removed the headscarf and dressed Aunt Jemima in more fashionable clothing. Uncle Ben and Uncle Rastus (Cream of Wheat) underwent some revamping, but none as drastic as Aunt Jemima. Uncle Rastus was originally a woodcut likeness and evolved into that of an unnamed waiter from Chicago. Many people had issues with the term Aunt and Uncle being used for the African American mascots. This was used often to refer to mature African Americans by whites and held a negative connotation for several years.

Mascot Transformations to Keep Up With the Times

Not all mascot transformations by businesses are due to controversial reasons. Betty Crocker has been through eight transformations over the years. Largely the transformation is to keep her looking fashionable and resembling women of today. Also, her current incarnation is such that it is almost impossible to tell what race or nationality she is.

The Sunmaid Raisin Girl had her inception back around 1915. She was based off of a young girl in California. It originally was a picture drawn of her. The updated version is a computer graphic of the original with a few differences, but it is still based upon the original girl.

Mr. Peanut has pretty much maintained his identity over the years. He’s underwent three transformations. Also, he has maintained the monocle, cane, and white spats.

Modern-Day Business Mascots

They may not be the first businesses to have mascots, but they are certainly some of the most popular. The Pillsbury Dough Boy came of the scene in 1965. He has become synonymous with warmth, happiness, and good feelings about baking. Over the years has likeness has been replicated into: banks, cookie jars, salt and pepper shakers, stuffed toys, greeting cards, keychains, and kitchen utensils to name a few.

Cereals, especially those targeted at children, have many well-known mascots. Snap, Crackle, and Pop, Tony the Tiger, Lucky, and Captain Crunch are all household names children and parents are familiar with. These mascots have also undergone transformations over the years with generally an updated drawing of the cartoon mascot.

Some of the most well-loved business mascots have been the brain child of Geico car insurance. The Gecko has been running for several years on and off as their signature mascot. Also, the cavemen they featured became so widely popular that a sitcom featuring them was started.

Where Business Mascots are Heading

As technology changes the way business is conducted and marketed, so will the need for changes in mascots. Mascots are now on the Internet to help promote products, services, and political campaigns to name a few. The Internet mascots may have a virtual reality feel to them or resemble people. Often they are computer generated characters that have a cartoon or anime quality to them. Many are designed to be thought of as cute and instill positive feelings about products.

University of Oregon football fans have to keep track of numerous things right now, so we’re going to break down the highlights for you. Eugene football fans will be glad to hear that there’s still one more chance to get Oregon Ducks football tickets this season, the Ducks’ bowl game! Head on over to StubHub to see the Ducks in action one last time.

-The Civil War One of the biggest rivalry games in the nation, the so-called Civil War between the Oregon State Beavers and the Oregon Ducks turned out very similar to the real American Civil war, with the southern Ducks of Eugene taking on the role of the Union, and the northerly Beavers of Corvallis taking on the role of the Confederacy.

Although the Beavers were at home and were playing for a spot in the Rose Bowl, they were unable to match the high-powered U of O offense, as the Ducks did a Lincoln on the Beavers by a tune of 65-38. According to the Sports Xchange, Max Unger, and Oregon offensive lineman, said:

“We weren’t trying to knock anybody out of the Rose Bowl, but there’s no way in hell we were going to come in here and try to give it to somebody. It’s a hell of a win. I think the seniors here, this is about our 50th game we’ve played together, and this is hands down the best win I’ve ever felt in my life. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

-Holiday Bowl Beating Oregon State meant a couple of things: First off, Ducks fans got the pleasure of seeing Oregon State’s Rose Bowl dreams crushed before their home crowd. But as fun as it is taking pleasure in another’s misery, the win was also good for more magnanimous reasons. Oregon improved to 9-3 overall, 7-2 in the Pac-10, and they are now set to play in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California on December 30th.

Any U of O fan worth his weight in duck feathers will try to get some Oregon Ducks football tickets to see that game live, so make sure to grab the good tickets while they’re still available.

-New Coach? While the current coach of Ducks football, Mike Bellotti, is going to remain in his position indefinitely, Oregon has announced that the heir to the Eugene sideline throne is Chip Kelly, the offensive coordinator for the Ducks for the past two seasons. One of the new trends in college sports is naming a successor prior to the departure of an older coach, so as to smooth over the transition. The Ducks are making that move in order to secure what should be a bright future. Bellotti’s record at Oregon is 115-55, so there’s no rush by fans or the media to oust him from his job.

But it’s good to know there’s a contingency plan for his eventual retirement. Kelly, who was rumored to be fixing for a head coaching job at Syracuse, has now been quoted by the AP as saying: “I will not speak to any other schools. I’m a Duck.” Is that a quote from a live-action Disney movie about a plucky youth hockey team?

For many people, a coffee table aquarium is truly the best of both worlds. Where else can you enjoy your coffee break, yet also have beautiful fish to look at? This is often a coffee table choice that is used in a larger office setting, especially since it is impressive to customers or clients. Overall, you can count on the properties of a coffee table aquarium to reduce stress and promote relaxation as you take a break and enjoy natural fish and aquatic plants.

If you are considering an aquarium for your home, it may be even better to have an aquarium actually built within a coffee table as opposed to sitting on its own table or shelf. This gives the aquarium its own personal space, and it can also work as a centerpiece for your living area. It will definitely be a conversation starter for any guests, and it also provides the perfect ambiance to your living room.

From there, you can add even more to your coffee table aquarium, like the sound of small waterfalls or fountains to enhance relaxation. A coffee table aquarium can serve as a beautiful centerpiece for plants and fish to attract attention, and you can even go so far as to choose fish that match the color of your living room design. How creative! Fish come in a number of colors and sizes, so as an example, you may want to choose only black and red tropical fish if you have black and red furniture and decorations already in your living room. Some of the most popular fish choices for a coffee table aquarium are guppies and swordtails since they live in freshwater and are easy to care for. If you are a fish expert, you may want to invest in a coffee table aquarium with salt water for a more exotic choice.

One of the main benefits to this type of aquarium centerpiece within your coffee table is that it offers tranquility to your existing home decor. This is the perfect choice for a living area or office, and you can be creative in your design, depending upon what size or shape you are looking for. When you are considering what style of coffee table aquarium to choose, begin by assessing your space available to you. If you have a smaller coffee table, you can begin with a smaller aquarium. However, if you are considering a coffee table aquarium for a larger office, you can invest in a larger size of aquarium.

The truth is that coffee tables are such a popular living room accessory, and why not combine them with your love of fish? This style of aquatic coffee table provides instant entertainment as a centerpiece, yet it also allows you to cultivate your hobby by adding additional coral, rocks, and plants to the design. These types of aquariums are easy to manage with the right choices in fish and plants, and they are even easier to enjoy on your coffee break!