There is no way to determine exactly where or when the “baby shower” originated. There are several theories on baby shower history, but none can be proven. No matter where and when baby showers were first introduced, today they are a very special event celebrating a new life.

Some historians have found evidence of baby showers, or something similar, quite some time ago. These discoveries lead experts to believe that celebrating birth started in ancient cultures, like those in the Egyptian and Roman times. No definitive proof is available, but historians have deciphered data which could mean baby showers took place.

When you look at baby showers from long ago, you see that most of the gifts given to the family were handmade. Articles of clothing, blankets, and even food items were provided as gifts for the new family. Showers in the past occurred after the birth of the child, so many times part of the “baby shower” was the viewing of the new child.

The “baby shower” as we celebrate it today began after World War II. Family and friends gather together, in a party atmosphere, to celebrate the birth of a new baby. At the start, only woman were invited to attend such a gathering, but today these celebrations can include the father, grandfathers, and any male family members.

In recent years, the baby shower has started to occur before the actual birth of the child. With the new technology that is available to expectant parents, the gender of the child is not so much a mystery. Therefore, a baby shower can be thrown early in preparation for the baby’s arrival without the worry of buying the wrong thing.

No matter what the baby shower history is, the baby shower of today is a supportive and generous event toward new or expectant parents. With all the current trends toward “unisex” items, it is hard to buy the wrong thing!

English Version

The Merchant of Copan

[480 AD]

Advance: The ballgame at the Honduras courtyard in Copan, the year was 480 AD, Copan’s 3rd ruler, Mat Head, whom succeeded Quetzal Macaw, whom was the founder of the city is now the new ruler. Mat Head, was a female, the spouse of Quetzal Macaw, and here is where the story begins.

There was a main ballgame ready to start, the competition was extremely high, as usual you might say; that being, if the game was not played the world would end, so they believed, and so rain or shine it was to take place.

The opposing team had eleven players, all ornately dressed and painted for the competition. They had leather padding around their waists, over their shoulders, about their arms and legs; able to withstand the blows of the solid rubber ball. The weight of the ball was one kilo. The ball was now thrown into the play, and each player knew they could not let it touch the ground or their hands.

Mat Head was watching the game with intensity, knowing her sister was part of a bet of which, if the opposing team won, she’d be [she being: her sister] the property of a local merchant, a very wealthy merchant, the most wealthy merchant in all of the Copan Valley; she would be his property, to do with as he pleased; but if the merchant lost, he would lose all his properties to the brother-in-law, riches, and be vanished from the city of 27,000-inhabidents, Copan; perhaps to the Yucatan. It was not uncommon for such wagers; it was deadlier than the exhibitions at the Roman Coliseum, in Italy. That being, the losers of this game would forfeit their heads.

But the Merchant of Copan, as I have said, was very rich so much so, he provided flint, lime, and pottery to the elite of the city, the whole city and thereabouts. And the Brother-in-Law of Mat Head was married to her sister, the most beautiful young woman in Copan.

The Merchant of Copan, had watched her at a number of previous games, and could never take his eyes off her beauty, her shape, and lusted after her with eyes like a hawk’s. To him, it was worth the chance to bet on the game, all or nothing; he didn’t know how much Mat Head’s brother-in-law cared or didn’t care for his wife, but he knew he was insatiable, and made the bet nonetheless and he accepted it; thus, his instincts were correct; for he could not longer withstand the burning pain he had inside of him watching her walk among the temples of Copan, and wishing she belonged to him, at any price, and a hungry soul will do most anything to impede that hunger.

–The ballgame had started, as I had already said, and the ball was in the air; some of the players were kicking their feet, and thrusting their hips, as they knocked the ball back and forth, in the I-shaped field, 25-meters long, 10-meters wide; all the players not wanting the ball to touch the ground, which would end the game, and eleven-heads would be severed.

All of a sudden the game stopped…a silence took hold of everyone, eyes were being shut by eleven players; oh it was a great thing to die, to be sacrificed for the game, but on the other hand, it would have been better to have to do it at a later date, I’m sure most of the players felt that way.

The spectators took in a deep breath to see who won and lost. History would not favor the brother-in-law today, unfortunate for his wife to be sure. Yes, yes, fortune smiled on the Merchant of Copan; I’m sure my readers are now downtrodden on this matter but it is as it is what I can say.

Thus, the lucky fella grabbed her like a wild monkey grabbing a banana out of the feeder’s hands, and rushed her to his domicile. He threw her on the bed like an animal pelt, his eyes sparked with lust and passion, and he melted into her body like heat on ice; if anything, she was hurt beyond all understandings.

‘How could he do this?’ she moaned as this fat, ugly and rigid man pouncing on her. Yet she told herself, at least he wanted her. He was willing to give all his money for her; whereas, her husband sold her for a game ticket, and a bet. It was beyond her youthful comprehension.

Several years passed, and the fat old merchant got fatter and older, but other than being over lustful over her, he was a good provider, and gave her all she wished for. She became well known as a business woman, and at his 67-birthday, he died on the bed, as I suppose he wished it to be. Consequently, she was now the inheritor of the estates he once own, for there were no children involved.

She then made a deal with her ex-husband, knowing he liked to gamble, and wanted money. She made the same bet, well almost, a similar kind of bet anyway with him, as the Merchant of Copan had done before; she bet all her properties on the next game, that her team would win, and should he lose, her ex-husband, he’d have to give up his head, like the losing team had to. Well, he felt he could win her back should he lose the bet or win, and thus, took his chances and made the bet. But again, life did not favor him, he was not meant to be a gambler for sure, and after losing he begged her for his life, to take him back, saying in essence, they both could enjoy the riches she acquired, and their old position in the kingdom.

Oh gosh, she was such a caretaker, and told him she’d go home and think about it and make up her mind tomorrow. Well, he thought that was fine, at least it seemed better than losing his head today, and just the fact she was thinking about it was enough to enlighten him, feeling he would have the final victory, and that was the one that counted, he’d have her back and the treasures, what more could he ask for.

But as I had told you before, fate was not always in his pocket, that night the ruler, Mat Head, asked for the head of her Brother-in-law, being he had lost the bet. He begged for her to wait for her sister tomorrow and she’d strengthen it all out, but she said:

“A bet is a bet…and it must be paid.”

Can’t remember what else she said but his head was off within a heartbeat.

Upon Mat Head’s sister’s return the following morning, she asked for her ex-husband, and found out by her sister, the Mat Head, she had beheaded him. She cried a tear, a very big tear, and then smiled at Mat Head.

Dedicated to Jorge, 7/3/05

Spanish Version

Versión en Español

El Mercader de Copan

[480 Después de Cristo]

Avance: Juego de pelota en el patio de Copan en Honduras, el año era 480 después de Cristo, el 3er gobernador de Copan era Mat Head, quien sucedió a Quetzal Macaw, quien fue el fundador de la ciudad ahora el nuevo gobernador. Mat Head, era una mujer, la esposa de Quetzal Macaw, y aquí es donde la historia comienza.

Había un juego de pelota principal listo a comenzar, esta competencia era extremadamente interesante, como siempre podrías decir; esto es, si el juego no era llevado a cabo, el mundo se terminaría, o eso era lo que ellos pensaban, y entonces lloviera o soleara éste debía jugarse.

El equipo contrario tenía once jugadores, todos adornadamente vestidos y pintados listos para la competencia. Ellos usaban algo acolchado hecho de cuero alrededor de sus cinturas, sus hombros, sus brazos y piernas; que les permitiría soportar los golpes de la pelota de caucho sólido. La pelota pesaba un kilo. La pelota ahora fue lanzada en el juego, y cada jugador sabía que no podían dejar que ésta tocara tierra o sus manos.

Mat Head miraba el juego con intensidad, sabiendo que su hermana era parte de una apuesta en el cual si el equipo contrario ganaba, ella (su hermana) pasaría a ser propiedad de un comerciante local, un comerciante muy rico, el comerciante más rico en todo el Valle de Copan; ella pertenecería a él para hacer lo que a él le antojara. Pero si el equipo contrario perdía el comerciante perdería todas sus propiedades, que pasarían a manos de su cuñado, sus riquezas, y sería expulsado de la ciudad de 27,000 habitantes, Copan; quizás a Yucatán. Esto no era raro en esta clase de apuestas; esto era más mortal que las exposiciones en el Coliseo romano, en Italia. Esto era, los perdedores de este juego perderían sus cabezas.

Pero el Comerciante de Copan, como ya lo había dicho, era muy rico tanto que él proporcionó sílex, cal, y cerámica a la elite de la ciudad, a la ciudad entera y sus alrededores. Y el cuñado de Mat Head estaba casado con su hermana, la joven más hermosa en Copan.

El Comerciante de Copan, la había mirado en un número de juegos anteriores, y nunca podía sacar sus ojos de su belleza, su forma, y lujuriaba detrás de ella con ojos como de halcones. Para él, era valiosa la posibilidad de apostar en el juego, todo o nada; él no sabía cuánot el Cuñado de Mat Head se preocupaba o no se preocupaba por su esposa, pero él sabía que él era insaciable, e hizo la apuesta sin embargo y él la aceptó; así, sus instintos eran correctos; por que él no podía soportar más el dolor ardiente que sentía dentro de si mismo al mirarla caminar entre los templos de Copan, y deseando que ella le perteneciera, a cualquier precio, y un alma hambrienta hará algo más para impedir aquella hambre.

— El juego de pelota había comenzado, como ya lo dije, y la pelota estaba en el aire; algunos jugadores estaban pateando, y empujando sus caderas, mientras ellos golpeaban la pelota hacia adelante y hacia atrás, en el campo de forma de “I”, de 25 metros de largo, 10 metros de ancho; todos los jugadores queriendo que la pelota no tocara el suelo, el cual terminaría éste, y once cabezas serían cortadas.

De repente el juego se detuvo…un silencio se apoderó de cada uno, los once jugadores cerraban sus ojos; ah! era una gran cosa morir, ser sacrificado por el juego, pero por otra parte, habría sido mejor tener que morir más adelante, la mayoría de los jugadores sintieron de esta forma, estoy seguro.

Los espectadores respiraron profundamente para ver quién ganó y quién perdió. La historia no favorecería al cuñado hoy, lamentablemente para su esposa por seguro. Sí, sí, la fortuna sonrió al Comerciante de Copan; estoy seguro que mis lectores están ahora oprimidos sobre esta materia pero esto es como es, que puedo decir.

Así, el muchacho afortunado la agarró como un mono salvaje agarrando un plátano de las manos del alimentador, y apresuradamente la llevó a su domicilio. Él la lanzó sobre la cama como una piel de animal, sus ojos brillaban con lujuria y pasión, y él se derritió en su cuerpo como el calor sobre el hielo; si algo, ella fuera herida más allá de todo entendimiento.

‘¿Cómo podría él hacer esto?’ Ella gimió, mientras este hombre gordo, feo y rígido se le echaba encima. Sin embargo ella se dijo que al menos él la quería. Él estaba dispuesto a dar todo su dinero por ella; mientras que su marido la vendió por un boleto de juego, y una apuesta. Esto estaba fuera de su joven entendimiento.

Varios años pasaron, y el viejo comerciante se volvió más gordo y más viejo, pero aparte de ser lascivo sobre ella, él era un buen proveedor, y le dio todo lo que ella deseaba. Ella se hizo conocida como una mujer de negocio, y en su 67 cumpleaños, él murió sobre la cama, como supongo él deseó que esto fuera así. Consiguientemente, ella era ahora la heredera de las propiedades que él una vez tenía, porque no habían hijos implicados.

Entonces ella hizo un trato con su ex-marido, sabiendo que a él le gustaba jugar, y que quería el dinero. Ella hizo la misma apuesta, bien casi la misma, una clase similar de apuesta con él de todos modos, como el Comerciante de Copan había hecho antes; ella apostó todas sus propiedades sobre el siguiente juego, que su equipo ganaría, y si él perdía, su ex-marido, él tendría que ser decapitado, así como el equipo vencido. Bien, él sintió que él podría reconquistarla así perdiera o ganara la apuesta, y así él acepto la apuesta. Pero otra vez, la vida no lo favorecería, él no fue hecho para ser un jugador, por seguro, y después de perder él la rogaba perdonara su vida, que lo aceptara de nuevo, diciendo en esencia, que ambos podrían disfrutar de la riqueza que ella había adquirido, y su vieja posición en el reino.

Ah ¡mi Dios!, ella era tan cuidadosa, que le dijo que iría a su casa y que pensaría en esto y lo decidiría al día siguiente. Bien, él pensó que esto estaba bien, al menos eso le pareció mejor que perder su cabeza hoy, y solamente el hecho de que ella lo pensaría era bastante para iluminarlo, sintiendo que él tendría la victoria final, y que era él quien contaba, él la tendría de vuelta y los tesoros, que más podría él pedir.

Pero como ya lo había dicho antes, el destino no siempre estaba en su bolsillo, esa noche el gobernador, Mat Head, pidió la cabeza de su cuñado, como que él había perdido la apuesta. Él pidió que ella esperara por su hermana hasta el día siguiente y que ella lo arreglaría todo, pero ella dijo:

“Una apuesta es una apuesta…y ésta deber ser pagada”.

No puedo recordar que más dijo ella, pero su cabeza fue cortada en un segundo.

Cuando la hermana de Mat Head volvió a la mañana siguiente, preguntó por su ex-marido, y descubrió por su hermana, Mat Head, que ella lo había decapitado. Ella gritó un rasgón, una lágrima muy grande, y luego sonrió a Mat Head.

Napoleon and Chess

“A leader has the right to be beaten, but never the right to be surprised.”

– Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte was with no doubt one of the greatest military leaders of his time. For him, failing to prepare meant preparing to fail. Without a plan there was certainly no victory. Without a great strategy you were doomed to lose in battle. And back then that meant your life.

And Napoleon had all the attributes a great leader must have to be successful, and he worked on them by playing an ancient game; a game that has never lost its popularity: Chess. And he sharpened his strategic senses by playing it on a regular basis. And as you might have correctly assumed, he was a master at it.

So I asked myself:

What are the specific positive side effects by playing this game?

And how can we profit from it?

Reason #1 – Creativity

Playing chess will benefit your creativity. While the various opening scenarios of the game might appear similar (I have never played a game that was totally the same), the possibilities afterwards are simply too complex. In this way you really encounter new situations with every game you play – guaranteed. And there are no limits to your creativity. Every game asks for new ways to beat your opponent, you need to vary your tactics in order to outsmart your opponent. For Napoleon these patterns were important for his military strategies: Every battlefield had different conditions and different settings; and not to mention the many different moves of his opponents. Chess seemed to be the perfect practice for this kind of thinking.

Reason #2 – Concentration

In Chess situations can get really complicated and difficult. You have to take several options into account before you finally make your move. This demands a lot of concentration and focus. This is the tough part of chess. Having the will to really think things through.

Imagine how Napoleon would sit over a plan for hours and hours. I don´t know how many hours of the day he used for sleeping but I bet he was simply to focused and concentrated on the task at hand that he might have forgotten to go to bed.

Reason #3 – Logical Thinking

Another great attribute that chess is adding to your life is the improvement of your logical thinking processes. In chess the playing figures are inter dependent, this means that you have to use the figures in harmony with each other. And you do this by logical thinking. You also have to take your future moves into account and most importantly how your opponent might react on this move. You need to think in logical patterns.

Reason #4 – Problem Solving

One of the greatest feelings a chess player can get is the feeling of a successful solution of a problem. Sometimes you can literally feel the pressure when a player is in the aggression mode and is attacking your armies. You need to bring all of the mentioned aspects together to master this difficult situation. By playing chess you not only get used to problems you also get used to start thinking about reasonable solutions. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don´t, but the important thing is that you start the process of trying to solve them.

Reason #5 – Importance of Sacrificing

Back in the days of Napoleon sacrificing was certainly not the best option – resulting in the death of a lot of soldiers. But in chess it sometimes becomes inevitable. You sacrifice in chess in order to get an edge either in your position or in material. Great players are masters of this principle of sacrificing. They draw the attention of their opponent to the initial sacrifice while planning a completely different, more complex way to beat them. I highly recommend to study the following game that was played in 1871 between Glinksberg and Miguel Najdorf. It is called the “Polish Immortal”. In this game Najdorf sacrifices like crazy only to beat Glinksberg with a tiny bishop move at the end. This is art.

Reason #6 – Decision Making

In life and as well in chess you are presented many options. And you are the one to figure out which move is the best in each situation. And it is so nice to see how a chess game develops. With only one move of your opponent many new options are created and presented. And with every new move you have to think them through and make the best possible choice. What a great practice for real life.

Napoleon recognized all these benefits and sharpened his mind by playing a lot of chess. This was a part of his preparation. This was his way of making sure never to end up being surprised.

Today, most of us are not facing a military battlefield but there are a lot of personal ones in our lives:

Our careers, our relationships and even our faith.

So let’s use chess to sharpen our minds and prepare ourselves for all the possible battlefields out there.

Vanuatu game fishing has it all! World Class Blue Marlin fishing all year round. Fishing just doesn’t get any better than you will find in friendly, peaceful Vanuatu, and because this is a small nation, it’s possible to enjoy it all on a single visit perhaps with a day of game and-or reef out of Port Vila or a week long trip through the islands passing by volcano’s and rain forest’s. In the waters of Vanuatu it’s common to release a sail fish and a marlin or two in a single day, and not unusual to catch several wahoo, yellow fin tuna and mahi-mahi. We also catch short billed spear fish, rainbow runners, G.T’s and the mighty dogtooth tuna.

The majority boat operators release all billfish that are not record contenders, so the future of the resource is assured. The tagging program is carried into the fishing competitions that are run mainly by the Port Vila Game Fishing Club. Any billfish that are killed or die during these events carry a penalty or deduced points. One of the biggest comps on the Vanuatu game fishing calendar for the year is the Marlin Classic which sees anglers coming from various parts of the world to try their hand at winning the USD$30,000.00 that is usually up for grabs. This comp is usually run in June and is tag and release only and each vessel carries an observer to make sure the I.G.F.A. rules are strictly followed.

If catching a giant billfish on a fly rod is more to your taste, a number of charter operators specialize in big game fly-fishing. Several Pacific blue marlin have been caught on a fly here in Vanuatu that are current I.G.F.A world records. A lot of the operators are also equipped and experienced in light tackle and ultra light tackle fishing. Generally the standard of the charter boat fleet is very good. Most of the top boats in Port Vila are around the 34ft mark. There are a variety of brands with Lures, Blackwatch, Capricorn, Bertram, Reefmaster all being represented. Most of the skippers pride themselves in gear preparation and maintenance. There are also some smaller, cheaper operations that can also provide a good day out on the water. Some of these operators are NiVan or local indigenous and can take you to some great spots in smaller boats.

Several of the operators with larger vessels run trips through out the islands either live-aboard or live-away. The live away option is very popular as it allows the anglers to get off the boat each evening and with the operators having arrangements with guest houses and resorts a lot can be learnt about the Vanuatu culture.

If you need to travel with your family however they don’t share the same passion for Vanuatu game fishing as you do there are lots of great quality resorts, hotels and accommodation to suit every budget and requirement. Some of the major resorts offer Watersports, golf, tennis and can organize other tours such as snorkeling, horse riding, off road buggy tours, rock climbing, sunset cruises and much more. If you decided on this idea there is fantastic fishing 15 to 20 minutes out of Port Vila so day trips are a great option. Several operators also offer accommodation and fishing packages for groups of anglers, corporate parties and incentive groups. These also make great opportunities to run a mine tournament to keep things interesting.

If you love fishing, warm weather, friendly people and amazing scenery Vanuatu Game Fishing is for you.

Android as one of the two most popular mobile app platforms is continuing to remain popular by powering the largest number of smartphones. The operating system which empowers vast majority of smartphones now has evolved in features and capacities and every year we have new updates that make Android further rich with features and functionalities. Android Oreo, the latest update for the platform came with a whole range of new features and enhanced capacities. It is designed for the most advanced smartphones including the latest Google Pixel 2 and the Nexus phones.

Let us have a look at the key enhancements Android users will enjoy with Android Oreo.

• Improved Battery Life

Android Oreo will boost the battery life of any device simply by smart controlling battery usage while you are using multiple apps.

• Picture-In-Picture Mood

Android Oreo will also come with the long-awaited picture in picture feature allowing you to minimize a video within a small preview screen while accessing another app.

• Autofill Framework

Android Oreo will also come with smart autofill feature allowing auto filling if various forms and pages if as a registered user you already have all personal details and authentication details stored on your phone.

• More Power To Google Assistant

Android Oreo will also boost the ease of use and overall user-friendliness with the easier integration of Google Assistant in almost everything. This new update will allow using Google Assistant right inside any mobile app.

• Vitals – The Security Layer

Android Oreo will also have an additional security layer called Vital. Vitals run in the background ensuring the device safety while keeping your device away from viruses, hackers and worms.

• Smart Text Selection

When you select particular text and if the selected text is an address, the smart text selection feature helps you with the direction or if it is a phone number it dials the number.

The Usefulness Of Android Apps For Enterprises

Many industries and enterprises find Android apps useful since it is the sole platform to connect the maximum number of smartphone users. Particularly Business to Consumer (B2C) apps that need to connect widespread audience finds Android more useful as a platform. For a business to start with a mobile presence through a native app, Android comes as the less expensive mobile platform than others. If you want to market your products and services with the objective of creating a loyal audience, there is no better way but to start with an Android app.

Some of the key advantages of Android apps for businesses include the following:

1. Wider Audience: Android as a mobile platform enjoys the widest smartphone using audience across a variety of niches and demographic groups.
2. Cost Benefits: Android offers the unprecedented cost benefits for building new apps as compared to other competitors. Being an open source platform it offers a wide range of SDKs for free and that makes Android app development less expensive.
3. Easier Customization: Android apps can be easily customized with all sorts of business specific and audience targeting features and functionalities require superior technical expertise. Lower learning curve makes Android further equipped for customization.
4. Business Integration: Struggling to keep your hodge-podge disconnected functional systems connected? Avoid bottlenecks and boost employee productivity with the business integration android app. Proper management software will take a back seat to short-term revenue acceleration goals and the business will grapple with one decision to manage expanding operations.
5. Better Hardware Compatibility: Android apps deploy easily on different devices and this emphasis that similar user experience is witnessed by all your customers. The apps are easily implemented on multiple hardware configurations.
6. Graphics Support: Android supports powerful 2D and 3D graphics that attracts visitors and ultimately boosts the sales. High-resolution graphics are crucial for mobile applications. Games without high resolutions images seem incomplete.
7. Linux Kernel: The core of Android is based on Linux Kernel meaning that core features of Android are just like Linux Kernel. Moreover, having Linux based OS means Android is robust, stable and secure platform ready to deliver out of words performance.
8. Greater Flexibility: Android provides great flexibility due to its ultra-rich OS. It caters more flexibility by empowering the apps to run on Firefox, Opera and Chrome to run a capability. When the application is uploaded in Google Play Store, the turnaround time is pretty less compared to apps in Apple Store.
9. Open Source Platform: Open Source Platform indicates that not just developers have the freedom to easily adapt and edit the codes but even becomes cost-effective.
10. Offers Complete Security: At the time Android app development was in nascent level, most of the Android devices witnessed hardware malfunctioning and hacking issue. So, Google brought address space layout to market, which is the protection process securing the operating system from various viruses.

Android is enjoying a whopping 84.2% market share among the smartphones and this clearly shows the leading position of the platform

Globally, Android is continuing to be one of the two most popular mobile platforms besides other platforms and given the saturation other apps are experiencing in terms of revenue, Android is leading in terms of growth.

Android Developers Dominate The Mobile Talent Pool At 72%

No wonder majority of top businesses and a vast majority of small and medium enterprises across the niches prefer hiring Android developers to shape or reshape their mobile presence. Android has marked its presence in different industries and is ready to rule the industry as ‘best platform for mobile app development’.

• Education – Do you know? 81% of students use mobile devices to study! Mobile is/has reshaped the scenario of the world today. On one side you have geeky, cool mobile apps and students just love them. While on other hand, students have exams, textbooks to study and a lot of learning to do which they are not fond of. So when you blend both of these things, amazing results follow for students. Amazon Kindle & Coursera are one such app you will find in every readers mobile.
• Games and Entertainment – “90% of Google Play’s revenue came from games” Jaws down? Hold them as it is certain that Android will keep creating such wonders. If you have the Android app and you are alone, you are likely to click the entertainment or gaming app. A single device in your hand that helps you to store, access, play, edit and share different media with multiple people.
• Lifestyles Apps – The third highest category ranking in Google play store with 2,44,659 apps is the lifestyle. The Lifestyle apps keep your business and life running and thus makes Android phone more powerful like a touchstone for your hobbies and passions.
• Business Apps – Android rocks as it serves you the power to be productive at any time. No matter you look to sort out the budget or looking to travel for your business activities, want to manage different projects efficiently or work on multiple spreadsheets, documents, work on a presentation or remind you about different tasks/meetings scheduled in the day, Android apps are there for you.
• Best Utility/Tool Apps – The android phone has the potential to act like a Swiss Army Knife of mobile devices – with the android apps you can do anything you need. How? Utility apps can help you to track expenses when you travel or keep your phone secured with different security apps or install apps that get you most out of your battery, GPS, and other features.
• Travel & Transportation – Until now you would have realized that your Android phone has the power to act like a great business tool, best entertainment device, lifestyle companion, and amazing travel aid. Yes, a great travel app with Android is a boon! So you are planning your first trip or travel usually, you will find everything you need for a travel journey. From flights to language or place information.

This is how Android transcends growing pains which were previously held back from taking their business to the landscape of growths.

Following on from my other ‘Top things to See’ features, here’s the shortlist for the top 5 things to see in Botswana. It’s a fascinating country and whilst most of the attractions listed below are focused predominantly around wildlife, there is plenty more to this stunning country if you’ve got the time to explore.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve, home to the San Bushmen, is the largest game reserve in Botswana. It’s arid conditions are often considered inhospitable; however, when the summer rains arrive in Deception Valley the plains come to life and offer visitors a fantastic safari experience. Grazing species such as gemsbok, sprinkbok and other antelope, predators such as lion and cheetah and a plethora of other wildlife are all to be found here. Some consider the game viewing in the Central Kalahari during this time to offer an experience similar to that of the migrations in nearby Tanzania and Kenya. The habitat is also a favourite for reptiles, scorpions and insects as they have been able to adapt to the erratic conditions of the area.

Learning more about the traditional San people of the Kalahari is an incredibly interesting experience and allows the visitor to find out more about how these nomadic people live side by side with their environment.

Chobe National Park

The second largest national park in Botswana, Chobe has some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife found in Africa. Probably, most famous for its huge migratory elephant population (somewhere in the region of 120,000 individuals!), the park also boasts good numbers of other animals and is also popular with migrating birds.

The Chobe National Park is diverse and has much to appeal to all visitors, with four distinct ecosystems being apparent within its boundaries. You can experience, the lush and dense forests of the Serondela by the banks of the Chobe river, the marshlands around the Savute Channel, the swamps of the Linyanti and the hot dry plains in between.

The park is a great destination all year round, although game concentrations are particularly high during the drier month, generally between April and October.

Makgadikgadi Pan

Makgadikgadi Pan started life as a large lake, but many years ago the water evaporated and left behind a glistening salt-encrusted pan. Today, this striking natural feature made up of two large salt pans, Sowa and Ntwetwe and a number of smaller pans, is thought to be the largest salt pan in the world. The Makgadikgadi Pan and surrounding nutritious grasslands are home to a large number of predators and antelope species. Huge flocks of breeding flamingos flock to the pan as do many other bird species.

Whilst the wildlife here is fascinating, it is the remoteness and uniqueness of the pan itself that is the main attraction. Sunset over the Makgadkigadi Pan is not to be missed as the changing light casts wonderful shadows against the shimmering surface of the pan and makes for some startling photographs and images to treasure.

Moremi Game Reserve

Covering the eastern side of the Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve offers visitors a great mix of floodplains, forested areas and open savannah plains. Such habitat provides refuge for around 500 bird species as well as other wildlife species including leopard, giraffe, lion, cheetah, hippo, hyena and red lechwe. In addition the reserve is home to a large percentage of Africa’s population of wild dogs – catching a glimpse of these endangered beautiful ‘painted’ creatures is certainly something special.

Taking a mokoro trip is a must here and it allows the visitor to observe wildlife from a slightly different perspective as you traverse the lagoons and channels. You can also explore in a vehicle or on foot. Visit during July to October for peak game viewing when the pan starts to dry up and wildlife focuses its attention around the permanent water.

Okavango Delta

One of the world’s largest inland water systems, the Okavango Delta is a highlight for many visitors to Botswana. The deltas famous floods are created by the Angolan rains and a number of other tributaries which flow down through Namibia and into Botswana to create the watermass for which this area is famous. At peak flow, the Delta covers an area of around 16,000 km shrinking to less than 9,000km in the dry season.

The Delta is home to great animal and birdlife, including large numbers of crocodile, sitatunga, elephant and wattled crane to name but a few. Ornithologists should time their visit during the rainy season (November to May) for best bird viewing, whilst animal life is at its most prolific along the flooded areas during the May to October period when the vegetation has started to dry out.

Choose to explore the Okavango Delta in a vehicle, on foot, on elephant back or in a mokoro (a traditional type of canoe)!

Did you know that betting on football brings in more money each year in the United States than any two other sports combined? Whether we are talking amateur or professional play, people are quick to jump at the opportunity of making the sport a little bit more exciting through laying a bet. In fact, there are some people who are able to make some good money betting during the course of a football season.

You might have dreams of winning big through football bets one day, but the odds are pretty good you are not there yet. You might know all the statistics and figures for every team in the NFL, but unless you have a knowledge of how football betting and sports betting in general works, that knowledge won’t get you very far. This article is designed to help set you on the road to winning ways as far as football betting goes.

Types of bet

The most popular types of bets in football are bets made on the spread. The spread refers to the number of points a team will win by in a game. A team must win the game by that amount of points, or more, in order to be considered the winner. Here’s an example:

New England Patriots -21

Pittsburgh Steelers +21

The Patriots have to win by more than 21 points in order for those who wagered on them to collect their bet.

If you don’t like taking chances on points, then you can just bet on who will win the game. This is called money line betting. If you want to bet on a favorite team to win, you will have to pay more money than you stand to win. In other words, you will have to bet $150 for every $100 you can win if the favorite takes the game. You will still get your bet back, so you actually receive $250 from the book if you make the right call.

On the other hand, sports books try to balance the betting by offering better value to those betting on football underdogs. Instead of paying $150 for the team to win, you receive that money for every $100 you bet.

Maybe you are so skilled at predicting the outcome of football games that you think you can pick four winners out of four matches. If so, you can opt to bet the parlay (a single bet that links together two or more individual bets.) In order to win, every team you pick on a card has to be victorious in their game. Parlay bets are harder to win but offer a much higher payout than any other type of bet.

Football betting tips for beginners

o Bet one game a day: It can be really hard to limit your betting activity, especially if the bet you placed on any given Sunday is a losing one. However, making more than one bet as a rookie is a big mistake and you stand to lose a lot of money. Keep it to one game and you won’t find yourself chasing losses.

o Don’t take heavy favorites: Make sure you only make what are known as good value bets. There might be a dominant team out there, but the book makers know it just as well as you do. You should never bet more than twice what you could win, even if you think the outcome of a game is a given. Football is unpredictable, and a loss on a bad value bet can really set you back!

o Avoid really close spreads: At least for those starting out, good sports betting strategy says to avoid close spreads. It’s better to take less money on a straight up win.

Avoid really close spreads: At least for those starting out, good sports betting strategy says to avoid close spreads. It’s better to take less money on a straight up win.

Whether you intend to place a wager, enter a competition or simply attempt to predict football outcomes for fun there are many aspects worth considering before making your final choices. Many people make the mistake of simply allowing a teams reputation to rule their selections. For example Manchester United are the current reigning Premiership and European champions, if they were playing Middlesbrough at the Riverside many people would go on Manchester United’s reputation and select them to win the fixture. In reality with United only picking up one win in the last 4 seasons away to Middlesbrough in the Premiership this may not be such a good pick.

So how can you improve your premiership predictions?

Firstly take advice from professionals. And by this I don’t mean these tipsters that are offering their special insider knowledge for a fee all over the internet. I mean bookmakers. Bookmakers don’t like losing money so will reflect this in the odds they offer for the winner of fixtures. Many bookies display their odds in decimals, but don’t worry about figuring this out just know that the lower the number the more likely the bookmakers believe the particular outcome will happen. Don’t take this to be gospel however, bookmakers can be wrong sometimes.

The second step is research form. This doesn’t necessarily mean going back over months and months of data to find out if a team will win or not but seeing the results of the last six home games, last six away games and the last six home and away game record combined will give you an idea of whether a team is playing well or suffering a loss of form.

Thirdly we want to check if the team we have in mind are struggling with any injuries or suspensions to key players. The team we fancy may be on a hot streak at the moment but if the next game they play they will be without their star defender through suspension and their top goal scorer picked up a knock in training we need to know about this. There are no one man teams in the premiership but missing key players upsets the balance of teams and can cause unexpected results. We want to expect these unexpected results.

Finally it is well worth looking at previous results between the two teams playing each other. Bogey teams exist and can continue inexplicably through various incarnations of a team. A quick look at the head to head record between two teams can quickly reveal any recurring results and are well worth bearing in mind when making selections.

There are absolutely no guarantees with football predictions, particularly premiership predictions as the premier league is widely respected as one of the most competitive in the world. However if you follow the tips above you will improve your chances at making the correct selection where others wont.

Fun and games are always an inevitable part of entertainment for the young and the old alike. People in America celebrate this festival of charitable giving through their avid participation in the game of football that brings in waves of sheer joy and pleasure in the hearts of multitudes of fanatic football fans who are driven mad by football mania during this festive season. Over the years, football has become synonymous with this joyous festival of Thanksgiving.

Many interesting traditions permeate deep into the festival of Thanksgiving such as the game of football compliments this festival of merrymaking. Professional football was the last of the contemporary trends of celebrating the spirit of Thanksgiving. In 1874, eleven years after Lincoln’s proclamation, the first intercollegiate football game was played. Two year later the Intercollegiate Football Association was formed in the northeast, which instituted a championship game principally to amuse the people on Thanksgiving Day. Every year, strong competitors like Princeton and Yale would vie with each other to bag the most coveted winner’s trophy. Players, students and fans would wear their school colors as a mark of representation with banners flying high from carriages, hotels and business establishments of New York City. On Thanksgiving Day church services would wind up early to accommodate the fans, with the game kicking off the season of festivity for the social elite in New York. It had gained such popularity that soon by mid-1890s, 1,20,000 athletes from colleges, clubs and high schools partook in 5,000 Thanksgiving Day football games across the nation.

The custom of watching a match of football on Thanksgiving Day has evolved during the early decades of twentieth century. As football paved its way into the heart of the people winning hearts of millions, giving it a huge popularity as early as 1920s and 1930s and earning itself the much prestigious position that it enjoys at present, many people began to visit the football stadium to watch the same. Renowned teams playing for the world famous football league of America eventually established the tradition of playing nationally televised games on Thanksgiving afternoon. Besides the conventional competition organized by the nationally recognized football league in America, many high schools and colleges also organize “Turkey Day” football games over Thanksgiving weekend, often between regional or historic rival. However, Thanksgiving football played in schools and colleges of America, has now more or less faded into oblivion in most sections of the country with it being kept alive only in two franchise cities of this globally recognized football league of America, namely Detroit and Dallas, where Thanksgiving football is very much a way of life.

Thanksgiving football more often than not is associated with the team of Lions and a tradition that has been popular since 1934 in the city of Detroit. The game has been the idea of G.A. Richards, the first owner of the team with ferocious lion like quality players comprising the team. In fact four generations of Detroiters have been a proud part of the American celebration of Thanksgiving. Some 71 years later, fans residing in the state of Michigan have transformed a local event into an annual holiday event, giving it the shape of single greatest tradition in the history of American professional team sports. In fact no other team in professional sports can claim to be so much a part of an American holiday as that team with ferocious lion like players’ team with Thanksgiving. This team has hosted a game every Thanksgiving Day since 1934, with the exception of 1939-1944 due to World War II. The Dallas have also hosted football matches every Thanksgiving Day since 1966.

We thus find that it all saw its genesis in 1934 when a local radio executive, G.A. Richards, had purchased the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans and moved the team to Detroit, the Motor City. The Lions being nouveau arrive in town had taken a backseat to the Baseball Tigers in the sport pages. Richards had practical reasons for scheduling the game on Thanksgiving Day as he was also wise enough to figure out that the best way to give publicity to the team would be opting for the Thanksgiving Day contest for attracting the Motor City fans during the teams’ first season. The fierce clash between the Lions and the invincible World Champion, meaning the robust Bears of Chicago proved to be an all time classic. The Lions were exceptionally good with eight wins backing them, leading them to their entry alongside the Bears with a 10-1 record. But Chicago had even a better record holding a commanding position with 11 straight wins. The match then reached an interesting phase where a win in the sole fateful game would ensure whether the Lions will get the first-place tie with the Bears. Two weeks in advance of that fateful match, 26,000 tickets were sold out for the “Turkey Day” clash in the University of Detroit Stadium. Richards was not disheartened over the last two losses rather pretty content the way his team performed in its very first year. His faith and confidence in the team was well rewarded when Lions won the 1935 America’s popular football league Championship. The final match was scheduled on Thanksgiving Day when the Lions defeated the Bears 14-2 to bag the west Championship trophy. Radio with its huge publicity potential was used as a bait to capture the audience. Richards along with the nationally recognized broadcasting radio company, set up a 94-station network to broadcast the Lions-Bears showdown. Since then the league conventionally schedules two nationally televised games on Thanksgiving, usually featuring the famous football players of Dallas, one of the most successful and popular franchises in the sport and the players of Detroit, one of the least successful.

2006 will be the 87th season of globally acclaimed American football and is presumed to run from September 7 to New Year’s Eve, December 31. Three games have been ideally scheduled to be played on Thanksgiving Day. In addition to the traditional annual game between the world renowned American football players of Detroit and Dallas home games during that day, the Kansas City Chiefs who hosted games during their days in the football league of America, will relive that tradition in 2006 by hosting the players of Denver on Thanksgiving. All these games are scheduled to be broadcast in prime time.

Friends and family all over America usually prefer to huddle around their radio or TV sets to catch the live telecast of the match while munching on the special dishes prepared to commemorate Thanksgiving. Thus each Thanksgiving would actually revive the old, classic tradition of enjoying a match of football as a part of the celebration. Over decades, football and Thanksgiving has established a strong bond, leading to a high adrenaline rush.

The love for golf is reason enough for golfing aficionados to join a club and opt for the best stay and play golf packages. However, the advantages of a club membership expand further than just the game or the facilities a club has to offer. The benefits of a membership don’t only extend to players, but also to their family and friends. It’s also one of the best ways to hone your pitching and putting skills. Even if you are associated with one particular facility, reciprocal memberships give you an opportunity to know about the other courses near you. Besides improving your game, there are plenty of reasons for you to join a golf club. Here are three benefits of a club membership:

1. Provides Great Conditions for Golfing

You will be able to play like a pro when you join a club that takes special care to keep the entire course in an immaculate condition. Professional courses have a proper maintenance schedule. The staff is experienced enough to ensure the best playing conditions throughout the year. They make sure that the fairways are rolling, fast and firm, and the greens are receptive to help you play easily on a course. With a reasonable number of players on the course, you will also experience reduced foot traffic and less divots on the expansive greens.

2. Fosters a Sense of Fun, Friendship and Belonging

Being associated with a golf club helps you connect with other members, thus promoting companionship. Grab this opportunity to build personal as well as business relationships. Your friends and family can be a part of this fun and excitement too. They can participate in club sponsored activities, enjoy a delicious meal at the dining hall and whip up a refreshing drink before taking a dip in the swimming pool. The shopping-savvy members can even go shopping and visit some of the tourist attractions nearby. It’s a wonderful feeling when you are loved and pampered. You soon feel that you belong to the course. Polite and courteous waiters are there at your service to look after your needs.

3. Hones Your Golfing Skills

Joining a club is always more beneficial than putting at one of the courses. Being associated with a club will give you an opportunity to participate in golfing lessons. Try to reap the maximum benefits from these sessions if you are a novice or an intermediate level golfer. Reputed clubs have PGA professionals who will guide you about the rules of the game and teach you swing techniques. Mastering these techniques will help you triumph over a challenging hole in the course. You can also take advantage of priority scheduling to practice the game at your convenient time.

When joining a club, ensure that you settle for only the best stay and play golf packages and nothing below that. It’s financially beneficial too as most packages include other facilities such as sponsored activities, outings, tennis courts, gym memberships, special events, and the option to purchase golf items on discount.