Peter the Great’s Summer Palace – St. Petersburg, Russia

During the communist reign in Russia, architectural styles could best be described as bland. Fortunately, the summer palace of Peter the Great wasn?t affected.

Peterhof

Known as Peterhof, the summer palace of Peter the Great is a very impressive area. The palace is arranged with a central rectangle format over roughly two or three acres. This area is then surrounded by areas of wood and ?nature? as the Russians call it. Peterhof stands out like a jewel among the bland communist structures found in greater St. Petersburg.

Fountains, Fountains, Fountains

At the time of construction in 1715, Peter the Great was clearly in his ?fountain? phase. Peterhof isn?t so much a palace as a collection of some of the most impressive fountains you?ve ever seen. There are fountains in the front, back, each side, in the bathroom and so on. All of them are impressive and worth a look.

Foremost of the fountains of Peterhof is the Great Cascade. Arriving from St. Petersburg by boat, one is offloaded on a long pier at the end of the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal cuts through the woods surrounding Peterhof directly to the front of the palace. As you proceed, you start to notice something big and colorful at the front of the palace. Welcome to the Great Cascade.

The Great Cascade sites at the base of Peterhof and is more impressive than the palace. Created in the Baroque style, the Great Cascade is hard to describe. At its base is a pool a large pool with rock platforms crowned by golden statutes spouting water. Rising up from the pool to the palace are two sets of steps surrounding a plateau. The steps are a combination of black marble inlaid with gold and white marble. The steps are crowned with statues and, again, fountains, which make them a combination of sprouting water and cascading falls. All of this is built up on a collection of rock and rises over 30 feet to the base of the palace. As I said, the Great Cascade is hard to describe. If you would like to see it, just do a search for ?Peterhof? on your search engine of choice.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Great Cascade is the power source. With fountains blowing water thirty to fifty feet in the air, there must be some serious pump action at work? Nope. Peter the Great created a system that runs entirely off gravity. Great, indeed!

Day trips to Peterhof are hocked something fierce in St. Petersburg. While I usually disdain tourist traps, this is one you should definitely see.

Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues.

zoom h4 recorder

Should You Sell Your Home Now?

As the real estate market cools across the nation, many homeowners are wondering if they should sell now or wait till some point in the future.

Should You Sell Your Home Now?

If you are worried about real estate values dropping, you need to take a deep breath. Yes, the market is cooling off fairly dramatically. This is not is a sign of impending doom for homeowners. The real estate market goes up and down all the time.

You can look at short period of times and draw all the wrong conclusions. If you looked at just the last five years, you would think that real estate always appreciates at double digit rates on an annual basis. If you looked at the market in the late 1980s, you would swear real estate is the worst investment given the flailing market at that time. Of course, neither short term picture is correct.

The simple fact is real estate has historically been a good investment over time. Yes, we are heading into a cooling off period, but the market will come back. It may take a couple of years or it may take ten. It really does not matter because you will still be building equity in your home by making your mortgage payments. Once appreciation takes off again, you will be in very good shape indeed. If all else fails, you have a place to physically live!

As you can probably tell by now, my recommendation is that you do not sell solely because the market is cooling off. There may be other reasons you feel you need to sell, but do not do it just because appreciation is slowing down.

The only exception to the above advice has little to do with the real estate market and everything to do with mortgages. There are a lot of creative mortgage products on the market these days, to wit, zero interest and low initial payment balloon loans. If you have one of these, you need to evaluate whether you can ride out a dip in the value of your property.

Raynor James is with the site – FSBO America – FSBO homes for sale by owner.

Takamine Jasmine

Big Chest (Completion of Chapter Two, "The Follower" Plus #3)

As they walked several days north, they noticed a shadow following them, and as Big-chest hid behind some rocks with Pekingg-girl, he jumped out of the bushes to attack the stranger, only to find it was Stern-toes. Thus, standing there for moment, they both stared at one another; like Big-chest Stern-toes knew there was nothing left for him either, that if he stayed, he?d also meet his fate, which was death. Again, they both stared at each other?a moment longer, to study one another, like two bears: for Stern-toes, he wasn?t sure if he could trust Big-chest, for he did a lot of malice throughout the years to the Horde, in stealing their wives and so forth, but on the other hand, he was trusting in him at this moment, which meant, he?d have to sleep at night, and he could kill him just as well as anyone could kill the other.

Matter of fact, Big-chest could kill him right this minute if he wished to, although Stern-toes was build solid, and for his kind was strong, he was not the equal to Big-chest, not over eight feet tall, nor 400-pounds, not a monster as often he was called: hands as big as his head, his neck as thick as his thigh. At one time, Big-chest would have killed anyone following him?not even think twice about it, but life changed, he had few friends, and the few he had he was walking away from, they were already dead. And what he really needed as he stood there looking, thinking, deliberating, was just that, a good friend, a comrade, another person who could share this endless journey with.

Big-chest nodded his head, up and down, up and down, indicating it was all right (with a little perky smile to boot), then beat his chest several times to show he was the boss, and Stern-toes said in his limited language: ?yes, si, yes, si?? and got the message across that he was, or could be the leader for the time being. Had Stern-toes stayed back in the Valley on the Cliff, at his age, or possibly at any age, for he was the last of his kind?and surely the Stone-builders would have sought him out eventually?it would have been his last fall and winter and he knew it. Climbing up and down those cliffs to get fish and water every other day was too much. And somewhere along the line he?d end up being someone?s meal (probably the dogs or the pigs or the Manticores).

Jaguar-Eyes

They now walked past the old campsite where the People of the Fire used to live, and were heading on up towards the ice-sheets [the beginning of the glaciers]. Stern-toes was much wiser than Big-chest, being a level higher in the evolutionary line than the Branch-People, whom were the descendents of Big-chest, actually; to set the recorded straight, it was rumored Big-chest had a father from the Horde, and a mother from the Branch-people, and so it is feasible he was a mixture of both divisions of evolution. And Stern-toes, was one-hundred percent from the Horde faction.

As they settled in, within the beginnings of a forest not far from where the People of the Fire once lived, covering themselves with leaves, eating some acorns, Stern-toes notice a fire going, burning, it was deeper within the forest. He could smell the burnt logs: hear the crackling of the fire, see the smoke seeping down and around the trees and branches, almost feel its warmth. He made a sound to Big-chest, and pointed, Big-chest jumped up as if to run in that direction and attack, but Stern-toes signaled him to stand-down?and they both started to creep within the thick of the forest, while Pekingg-girl remained hidden under the leaves where they had started to nest for the evening. When they got close to the fire, no one was there; then all of a sudden, Big-chest seen a movement by some trees and started to walk toward that direction, he was at times over confident in his ability, yet no one had ever seen him get beat in a fight. He spotted the figure of a man, he had seen this person before, it was Jaguar-eyes, the younger son of the chief of the People of the Fire, known as The Begetter, and he was now dead, killed by the Stone-Builders, a decade earlier. As Big-chest got closer to the person, Jaguar-eyes did not run, he was tired of running, and where would he run, in the direction of what (?) He had heard of Big-chest, the whole known world had heard of him; but he took his chances after seeing Stern-toes befriended by this monster like figure approaching him. When Big-chest?and now Stern-toes, had somewhat cornered him, it was obvious, he was feelings like them, that being: left out in the cold: no place to go, no family, no anything; plus, Big-chest knew he was not afraid to die, he could read a man if anything, and Big-chest did not have the will to kill, like he used to, nor did he find pleasure in it for his insecure ego any longer, for unneeded profit.

Single-tooth

Jaguar-eyes moved a little closer to the fire?he was some twenty yards from it, now he was twenty feet from it: as did the other two, just looking at everyone, each other; everyone trying to get acquainted, and familiar, and comfortable?if possible, not moving about too quickly, lest someone take it for a threat and a war start between them, and now Pekingg-girl joined them. Jaguar-eyes, was now holding his pet, a small Single-tooth Presiadapis.

Over the fire was a huge body of meat, a huge body known as the Brooding-bird, with several eggs by the fire [Carnivorous in nature]. Said Jaguar-eyes with his own language of sounds and grunts, and a few words, actually he had more words than the other two for his group was even one level higher than Stern-toes in development, yet one level lower than the Stone-people: which Stern-toes understood slightly,

?et, et dith mee,? he said, and he and Stern-toes both looked at Big-chest, all knowing one another somewhat from the past: all smiled, and Big-chest for the second time in Stern-toes? life, Big-chest didn?t kill anyone out of enmity. He actually smiled?thought Stern-toes?and was so hungry, and getting weak, he grabbed the leg of the monster-bird, and devoured it in a few minutes; while the others ate vigorously, but at a slight slower pace.

Even though Big-chest seemed to be a new person inside to everyone, and his ferociousness was tamed compared to how it used to be, he demanded his girl be by him, he was not willing to share her: but then he normally didn?t, I mean, he just never did, or never would, he had a double standard, and didn?t think anything of it, as if it was supposed to be that way. But this was not of any consequence to the other two males; they always knew Big-chest had a passion, if not a lustful desire for all the sex he could get, even in his aging it never seemed to cut back.

Broody-bird

As the night lingered on, both Jaguar-eyes and Stern-toes drew pictures in the sand, and tried to communicated with one another, as well as with Big-chest, all trying desperately not to offend anyone, especially Big-chest, lest they die before they even touch the ice of the north; so they seemed to connect and all fell to sleep, happily for once; and to be blunt and for the first time in Big-chest?s life, he shut both eyes and fell into a deadly sleep. He had never done this before, he had never dared to; he slept with one eye open always, and that was not an uncommon practice for any species of his environment. Sleep meant death in the past.

?In the morning, when all awake, Big-chest again?somehow understanding, and hit his chest several times at Jaguar-eyes, and Jaguar-eyes knew his reputation, and nodded his head, almost bowing it, but short of that, in essence, saying he was the leader, or that he did not protest to his being the leader. Then Big-chest smiled, and started to eat another portion of the big-bird. It was the second time now either Big-chest or Stern-toes had eaten meat cooked, and the faces they were making showed it. Even Pekingg-girl, whom was swallowing the meat down whole, was surprised at its flavor. Stern-toes started to vomit it up at first, and then slowly he started chewing it with more vitality, like he did last night, found out it digested well that way.

Chapter Two

Notes: Ice Ages are often triggered by warmer climates by the poles (known as: polar warming)?: this snow from the ice cap falls to lower latitudes; in essence, this is what was happening during Big-chest?s life time.

The Ice Sheet and the Cave

The Cave

And so it was, or seemed: a new group was born, or was being created, a good sample of everyone who existed in the old world environment seemed to be stepping into Big-chest?s path (except for the Stone-builders), a little bit of this and that, that is to say, they not only had a good sample of the population, but a pet as well. At hand, were three groups now, the Branch-People, the last survivor of the Horde, and a royalty of the Fire-People? ?Had fate brought them to gather:? thought Pekingg-girl, as she looked at each and everyone within the group, as they all sat around the fire?watching it flicker about, warming up; that in itself was a new experience for all but Jaguar-eyes: still eating the big bird three days later, as they all sat around enjoying the evening; possibly it was fate yes, why not, mixed with necessity of course. Stern-toes had weapons of stone, and Jaguar-eyes of spears, and Big-chest, muscles to spare, and they had a pet that seemed to be able to sense any danger, incoming predators long?long before they could be seen: even when birds flew over head, or were about, Single-tooth would squeal with a high pitch: ?eek?eek?eek,? and all eyes would look where Single-tooth was looking?and sure enough, the birds would appear a minute or so flying over head

See Dennis’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Takamine Jasmine

Interview for "Dressing the Man You Love: A Woman’s Guide" Author Besty Durkin Matthes

Today we are talking with Betsy Durkin Matthes, author of ?Dressing the Man You Love.? Welcome to Reader Views Betsy.

Betsy: Thank you. I?m delighted to be here.

Juanita: ?Dressing the Man You Love? is a thoroughly detailed compendium of information. How did you go about researching and compiling the information into book form?

Betsy: Actually I compiled the information in very much the same way I wrote term papers while I was in college. I poured through massive amounts of material, filling out index cards with information, always making sure to list their sources and page numbers. Later, when I began my actual writing, I was able to divide my subject matter into chapter headings and could always refer back at any point to double check facts. I also spent a great deal of time talking to women, taking notes on their ideas and suggestions. I think you could say that I assembled the book piece by piece much as a brick layer constructs a building.

Juanita: Betsy, what inspired you to write ?Dressing the Man You Love??

Betsy: Initially it was my desire to support my fellow actors. Three years ago Joan Jaffe, an actress and a lifetime friend, told me about a class in ?on-camera techniques? that she was teaching at the Screen Actor?s Guild Conservatory. I volunteered to do some research for her on various aspects of dress. It was at that time that I became fascinated with men?s classic clothing.

Juanita: Why do you think there is such a lack of knowledge regarding classic men?s clothing?

Betsy: I wouldn?t say that there is a lack of knowledge really. It?s more that it?s spread about in many diversified locations. During the course of writing, I discovered many wonderful sources of information written by some of the acknowledged giants in the world of men?s fashion. What I felt was needed was to bring it all together for women in a form that would be easily accessible as well as enjoyable to read.

Juanita: What can readers expect from your book ?Dressing the Man You Love??

Betsy: They can expect to find down-to-earth information on men?s classic clothing. I have tried to present useful facts in a non-intimidating way with a lot of easily understood illustrations. Some of the topics I cover in the book include, assessing a man?s clothing needs, the best suit cuts for major body types, color considerations for different complexions, recognizing the important elements of quality and a great deal more.

Juanita: Tell us a little of your thoughts regarding how successful attire can equate to success in life?

Betsy: I think we would all like to believe that our various talents are all we require to win the opportunities for success in life that we seek. Whether we like it or not, first impressions open the door to these opportunities. When we don?t take the time to care about how we look, we send the message to others that we approach our work in the same haphazard manner. Is this a fair assumption? Possibly not; but it is a fact of life.

Juanita: Why focus on ?classic? clothing for men as apposed to fashion and trends

Betsy: Classic is forever. Like a great movie we can experience it over and over again and never cease to appreciate its value. And buy the way, classic dressing for a man doesn?t necessarily mean up-tight and conservative. What it does mean is tasteful styling that has stood the test of time. Trends come and go. Classic dressing for men will always be around.

Juanita: What could be the biggest stumbling block or challenge a woman may have choosing a new wardrobe for the man in her life?

Betsy: Getting his cooperation. Shopping, as every woman knows, is not a man?s favorite thing to do. Still, when you love someone, you enjoy doing things together; so why should shopping for his new wardrobe be the exception? In my book I give women a few simple rules to follow that will not only get the job accomplished, but will allow her to do it in such a way that it becomes enjoyable for both parties.

Juanita: What advice do you give women that can not afford to immediately purchase a whole new wardrobe? Any tips on essentials or how they can integrate new pieces as the budget permits?

Betsy: When shopping for a new wardrobe especially with a major change of career involved, a few standard core pieces should be selected initially. After these purchases he can then move on to expand his inventory. For example, a young man graduating from college and moving into the world of corporate business is going to need the ?ultimate power? solid navy blue suit with complimentary shirts and ties for a start. His second purchase should be a charcoal gray suit. Once he gains a foothold in his new profession with the accompanying salary increases, a lighter gray or navy pinstripe is in order. Buying selectively, and knowing what to purchase first can help him to look his very best on a limited budget.

Juanita: Do you talk about dressing different body types in ?Dressing the Man You Love??

Betsy: Yes, I do. The entire first chapter is dedicated to assessing men?s various body types and the best suit cuts for each. I also discuss the most appropriate fabrics, patterns and colors, not only for his suits, but for his accompanying dress shirts, ties, belts, shoes and pocket squares. For example, a shorter, heavy set man will look best in a dark, solid or vertically striped suit, made up in a smooth woolen fabric, with side vents in the jacket, and cuff-less trousers. For him the object is to create a long un-interrupted line from his jacket collar to the floor. This in turn will help him look taller and slimmer.

Juanita: You talk about the triangle of interest. What is that exactly?

Betsy: The triangle of interest is the area just below a man?s chin. It includes the labels of his jacket, the collar of his shirt and his tie. This is the most important area to focus on when putting together a man?s outfit. The color, angles, and proportion of the items in this triangle will either enhance or detract from his facial features making or breaking that all important first impression.

Juanita: ?Dressing the Man You Love? is geared towards women dressing the men in their life. Is it also written in a way that a man without a significant female in his life could read it and change the direction of his wardrobe?

Betsy: Absolutely. Although my original intention was to direct my book to women shopping for their men, I have been delighted to find that men are reading the book as well. It seems that men know less about their own classic wardrobes then I had thought, and they are anxious to know more. From my point of view this makes ?Dressing the Man You Love? a more than useful resource for women; it makes it a resource for single men as well

Juanita: Betsy, you have had a significant and successful career as an actress, singer/ dancer and as a lyricist. Your work has included Broadway, off-Broadway, touring productions, day time dramas, over 100 television commercials, and songs that have been recorded by major artists. What has this impressive life experience taught you about the importance of ?dressing for the part you want??

Betsy: As a young actress, I learned very quickly that ?dressing for the part? gets you the job. As you have so kindly pointed out, I have done a lot of television commercials over the years. I don?t believe for a moment that I was always the best actress auditioning; but I certainly did take the time to present myself as the character for which I was being considered in each of the winning commercials. I think that holds true in any and all professions.

Juanita: I understand that you went back to college and received a degree at the Marymount Manhattan College in 1996. Tell us about your scholastic history and what led you back to college at this point?

Betsy: Much to my parent?s horror when I graduated from high school I decided, instead of heading off to college, to accept a scholarship to The American Theatre Wing in New York City. After attending the wing for only one year, however, I obtained my first professional job as Polly in ?The Boy Friend? with the Cherry Lane Theater. From there I went on to have a long and rewarding career. Still, I always felt very badly that I had never received a real college education. So later in my life, I decided to enroll at Marymount Manhattan College. I wasn?t even sure that I was college material, but I was determined to give it a try. It was a tremendous experience for me. I even graduated in 1996 as the class Valedictorian. Aside from all that I learned from getting my degree in both International and Women?s Studies, I discovered that there is never any one time in person?s life for doing anything. If you are willing to put in the effort, wonderful and surprising things can happen to you at any stage in your life.

Juanita: Well Betsy, with a whole new audience evolving from your writing talents, you will continue to be an inspiration for many years to come. Thank you for talking with Reader Views today. Your book ?Dressing the Man You Love? is a classy, definitive, easy-to-follow guide that is not only highly informative, but a complete joy to read. Please let your readers know how they may find out more about your endeavors, and do you have any final thoughts for us today?

Betsy: I have really enjoyed sharing this time with you. For any of your readers who would like to obtain more information on ?Dressing the Man You Love,? they can visit my website at www. dressingthemanyoulove.com. I have included a little peak into my chapter on men?s shoes, some additional tips on selecting men?s classic clothing and a listing of any up-coming events including book signings where I hope women will join me in sharing their own unique experiences. There are many expressions of love, but I believe that helping your man feel better about himself by assisting him in looking his very best is a kind of love that men never fail to recognize and truly appreciate.

Juanita Watson is the Assistant Editor for Reader Views.

Schwinn Elliptical 430

How Personalized Address Stamps Can Help You Cut Down On Your Correspondence Time

For the person on the go and pressed for time, anything that saves you even a couple of minutes could greatly help you when completing everyday activities and tasks. What do you do when you wish to save a little bit of time when mailing out letters and packages? You might never think it, but a personalized address stamp may be just the handy tool you need to rush through the many correspondences you may have. This especially becomes a real time saver when the holidays roll around. Christmas will seem like a breeze when it comes time to send out cards and gifts.

Sending multiple thank you notes, invitations, as well as birthday greetings becomes a much easier task when using a personalized address stamp because in the time it takes to address one envelope, ten or twelve could be completed in the same amount of time.
Not convinced? Let’s take a look at all the times you have to write your address throughout the month, whether it is to pay a bill or send a letter. This number also becomes increasingly higher during times of celebration, such as Thanksgiving or Easter. Just think of all the Christmas cards you send out or the letters you write to loved ones. As if choosing cards and gifts, as well as signing the note cards that accompany them isn’t enough of a mind breaker, you sometimes just want to be done with the process, especially during the hectic frenzy of the Christmas season. Having a personalized way to address your envelopes will save you the extra energy it takes to complete the task.

When receiving a gift, especially just after a wedding or baby shower, sending a thank you note is the polite thing to do. Sometimes, if the occasion was big, a large volume of envelope addressing is required. What will those who have just held a 300 guest wedding do? Opting for an address stamp not only saves you time, but you also get to choose a personalized theme, such as the first letter of your last name.

There are also many different situations when a personalized self inking address stamp comes in quite handy. What if you attend a gallery or any other type of event that requests your address for a mailing list, how convenient would it be if you had your own way of just placing it on there in a matter of seconds? Very easy and quick, indeed. You can be the only one not holding up the signature line. If you have attended an event that features many different information lists, a self addressing stamp is perfect to save the ache of having to write down everything all at once. You will soon find that the convenience is too overwhelming to pass up.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as internet postage at http://www.internetpostageonline.com

Schwinn Elliptical 430

Older Women In Love With Younger Men: Can It Last?

Have you ever dated a younger man? If you are a man, have you been seeing an older woman?

The older woman/younger man duo is more prevalent today than ever before. But this couple also faces some challenges. Some remain as a strong couple, but others disintegrate. Have you wondered why some older woman/younger man relationships last and others do not?

Here are some of the main reasons a couple falls apart, and what you can do to prevent it:

* A different vision for their lives.

Many couples who come to counseling express that they had one idea of what they thought the marriage should be and then discovered too late that their spouse had another.

Take some time and ask each other what you would have your life be if you had the ideal situation and partner. Ask what each of you expects of the other in a relationship. Write your answers on paper first, and then share them with each other.

* Different values.

You say that you value family relationships, and you have a close relationship with your family members. Your love interest says they value the same thing, but he or she never calls anyone in their family and they do not make plans to go and see them. How will this difference play out for you over time?

Make a list of the top 10 most important values to you and note if your beloved shares and demonstrates those same ones.

* Conflicting messages.

Conflicting messages will drive you nuts with the “come-here-go-away” attitude. One minute your partner is telling you that you are the most important person in the world to them. They are convincing and you believe them. The next minute they are unexpectedly running out the door, breaking your plans for the evening, to be with an old friend.

Develop your boundaries about what is okay with you and what is not. If you have an agreement with your partner and they break it, you need to let them know how you feel and then take appropriate actions. (Have clear cut, realistic expectations of each other; make sure your plans are stated clearly; have the hard conversation about what each of your priorities are and what you can expect from each other.)

* Communication.

This one seems obvious, but it isn’t. The strength of any relationship lies in communication. Too many people walk around, not having the commitment they want or knowing where the relationship is going because they are afraid to ask. They don’t want to hear what they think the other one might say. Whether you are the older woman or the younger man, after a reasonable amount of time, you deserve to know the intentions of your beloved, and the depth of their caring. In most cases, if you don’t ask, you don’t receive. And if you don’t hear what you need and want, you need to move on, because you deserve someone wonderful.

All of the issues for a older woman/younger man couple seem to wind up in the domain of communication. If there is strong chemistry, values, shared dreams, and interests, communication makes those qualities stronger.

Visit http://www.tonjaweimer.com or http://www.singlesdatingtips.com for more tips, skills, and insight on dating, relationships, singles, and love. Subscribe to our F*ree Savvy Dating Newsletter from master single’s coach, life coach, and syndicated columnist, Tonja Weimer. Copyright 2006, Tonja Weimer. (Please note source if reprinting this article.)