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There’s rumor that President-elect Barack Obama plans to tear down the White House’s bowling lanes when he takes office. Apparently, his low bowling score during the campaign was something of a unsatisfaction. He’d prefer to stick to b-ball. Better known for his basketball skills, Obama recently rumored on the Jimmy Kimmel show about his plans to put in a basketball court to replace the Presidential bowling lanes.

Noting that Obama shamefully scored a 37 for 7 frames at a bowling event during the Presidential campaign, the Pro Bowlers Association is offering to give him free lessons from a veteran. PBA stars like Billy Oatman and Norm Duke are offering their services.

What’s next? Free bowling shoes? Give the man his own ball? What does it take to keep the future president of the United States from tearing down the same Presidential bowling lane that was first installed by Harry Truman? The same lanes that Richard Nixon is bowling in the infamous poster above the Dude’s living room in the Big Lebowski? Should we bribe the president with free lessons and free bowling equipment, just to give bowling another chance?

Bowling is an American sport. It’s affordable, accessible, and intensely social. It brings families together, keeps the kids, mom and dad entertained. Perhaps if Obama got just a taste of that magic, could really feel the launch of the ball off his fingers as it flies into the pins, then maybe he’d change his mind. Maybe he’d just put the basketball court in next to the bowling alley and leave the Presidential lanes alone.

I’m sending our future president his own bowling shoes. He needs to get hooked. Let’s give him his own ball, and make sure it fits his hand. Then maybe he’d give bowling a try. Basketball is American too, but bowling keeps on giving. Americans of all ages can enjoy, from six years old to 90.

Although the thought of Richard Nixon turning over in his grave at the sight of a basketball court in place of his bowling alley is rather appealing…

Why rush a painting? Oil paints work slowly, allowing artists to take their time.

The beauty of working in oil paints is that time is on your side. A valuable tool in your collection of art supplies, oil paints dry slowly, allowing you to work the paint into the canvas for quite a while, almost molding the paint like a living form. Plus, after the paint has dried, more layers of paint can be added for intricate detail without disturbing the original paint. Oil paints are an ideal medium as they can easily be molded to adjust to your creativity.

Oil paint is thick, almost like butter, but it can easily be diluted to adjust to your specific considerations, even molded with other colors to form an ideal shade. Thinners can transfer the thick paint to a transparent wash, so thin you can almost see through it.

Traditionally, oil paint comes in tubes. But don’t skimp on the quality. It’s best to buy quality primary and secondary colors, mixing a variety of shades for even greater options. They’ll get you farther than a range of cheap paints, which will impede the color and quality of your work.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend a lot on the quality. Discounts are readily available on the Internet as supplies and demand fluctuate. A search through Google or a one-stop site that has all the selection under one roof will reveal discount prices on top quality art supplies; oil paints needn’t be bought off the shelf at full retail value.

Thinners work to dilute oil paint, and also serve to help clean up brushes and other painting materials. Turpentine is often traditionally used, maintaining the oily quality of the paint while adding texture to the painting.

Mediums can be used to dilute color, as well as increase gloss and transparency, while reducing drying time. Various forms of linseed oil are ideal and safer to use than more chemically based materials.

Stiff hog hair brushes are ideal for thick oil paints. Cheap brushes work just as well as the more expensive variety, although they don’t last as long. Softer brushes create a stroke free of texture, while harsher brushes add the texture of the brush to the painting, creating an almost breathing thickness.

Oil paints have their advantages, including time and versatility. They give the artist options, while also allowing the artist to scope the paint to better adjust to the creation, almost as if it were a living thing. Thick paint can be diluted, and colors can be blended according to your exact desires. The possibilities are as endless as your creativity.

Making money where others lose:
Investment in a commodity fund gives you the leverage

Whenever the economy changes, there are losers, as any look at a newspaper will tell you. Photos of investors’ worried looks consistently run with headlines about the economic collapse. Even the big banks are worried.

What economists often forget is that in losing times, there are winners too. What’s lost by one company becomes another’s gain. The hard capitalistic fact is there are winners with every loss. The trick to difficult economic times is finding the gains that are ultimately made as prices shift and fluctuate.

Let’s face it. It’s a cutthroat world where the weak get eaten. But by pooling resources, smaller investors can quickly become larger investors, increasing in both size and competition. Investment in a commodity fund gives the little guy the leverage to survive in these challenging economic times. Leverage makes investments competitive.

Wall Street these days is full of hard luck stories, but it’s changing times like these in which industries are born. Industry and innovation were a direct result of the Great Depression. Tough times make the tough get resourceful. Innovation is key to surviving in a changing economy, coming out on top when others are crushed under the wheel.

Protect yourself and your wealth. Then look for alternative opportunities to grow. Pool resources, leverage competition, enhance assets through mutual cooperation. As financial markets shift, investment opportunities shift. Markets open up as Wall Street falls and shifts, creating opportunity where there was none before. An investment in a solid commodity fund can make the most of these opportunities.

You don’t have to be an entrepreneur to grow wealth in a shifting economy. You just have to recognize opportunity when you see it. As prices rise and fall, commodities unattainable before become affordable, yet are sure to grow again once markets readjust themselves. The bottoming out of the housing market, for example, is an excellent chance to grow assets with a minimal amount of investment capital.

Don’t be hard on your luck. Make the most of your investments. Maximize your leverage; realize your opportunities. Invest in low markets on their way to the top. Do better than simply ride out the economic shift. Make the most of it. Utilize the changes in the economy for your own returns. Lemons are everywhere, and they make rich lemonade.

You’ve heard a lot about dietary supplements and energy boosters in recent years. These can replace the vitamins and minerals that you need for proper health if they are not being reached in your diet. But do you need to take them?

Maybe. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can provide you with all the nutrients you need for proper health. However, especially in today’s world, few people’s diets cover all of them. You may be deficient in some areas, in which case a dietary supplement would be a good idea. Here are a few that might help:

• Calcium gives you strong bones that you need to fight off osteoporosis and other bone-related diseases and problems.
• Vitamin D is produced by your body during exposure to the sun, and aids in calcium absorption.
• Fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids that fights cardiovascular disease.
• Folic acid fights heart disease and is found in many green leafy vegetables.
• Chondroitin and Glucosamine both help relieve and ward off osteoarthritis pain.
• Antioxidants and zinc prevent muscular degeneration.
• Probiotics keep your body’s digestive system healthy.

When starting to take a supplement, consult your doctor, and don’t overdo it. Also, remember that a healthy diet is still crucial – no supplement replaces a good nutritional diet.

A recent study reported that mortgage direct mail is the most cost efficient way for attracting new customers. Moreover, according to the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail from financial institutions and servicing companies was one of the five most read types of direct mail.

Many companies can give you some of the most versatile and effective lead generated tools available anywhere. These services will provide:

• Targeting to your specific audience with cost effectiveness.
• Generate mortgage leads and referrals with less time and effort.
• Easily adjust your messaging to reflect market trends.
• Respond to competitive activity and generate customer loyalty with well timed and relevant campaigns.

Types of Mortgage Direct Mail

Neighbor Mail

The fastest and easiest way to target your mailings. You select an address, your job site, perhaps, and your marketing pieces will be mailed to homeowners around that address. You target - we deliver!

Street Mail

You select the streets, and we will mail your marketing pieces to the homeowners on those streets. Use street mail for those key subdivisions where you know the homeowners will need your services!

Zip Mail

You select a zip code, and we will mail your marketing pieces to homeowners within that zip code. Zip mail lets you canvas a large area, in just minutes online.
Radius Mail

You can use radius mail to target residential consumers around a specific area such as home or retail location. With radius mail, you are not limited any one single neighborhood, zip code, or even state.

Personal

With the personal list feature, you can create and save your own mailing list—an easy way to stay in touch with customers and prospects. In addition, creating your list is just as easy.

Easy Farm

The easy farm feature lets you create and save a list of streets within your targeted mailing area. Define and manage your prospecting area online, without a mailing list. You specify the streets, and we automatically select addresses on those streets from our residential database.