I'm the first to admit, I've always had a yearning to own a fast sports car but it's funny how your interest in cars changes over the years. 

Sure I've owned a few sports cars during my life, but I think I enjoyed them more when I was dreaming of the day I could own one. Once I actually owned one, the ugly face of reality stepped in and spoiled it all, somehow. 

As soon as I bought that Porsche 911, I became an instant attraction to all police in the area.  My bank manager didn't want to talk to me anymore and my accountant nearly suffered a heart attack when he heard about my latest folly. 

Speeding fines competed in my mail box with bills for service, new tyres, engine repairs, insurance etc. At first I thought it was worth those envious glances from the guys and the admiring smiles of the ladies. 

The pleasure of owning such a work-of-art, a pinnacle of automotive engineering at first was boundless. Hours were spent on weekends, lovingly washing & polishing the solid curves of shiny duco. 

That was short lived, however as the car also attracted the unwanted attention of young rednecks who were hell-bent on ruining my fun.  The joy was slowly replaced by a paranoia of protective instincts. I could not bear to leave the car parked anywhere out of my sight.  I would wake at night, imagining I had heard sounds of tinkering in the garage.

I expect that rich people don't suffer from this as much as those like me who have never been, in all reality, wealthy enough to afford such extravagance.

The simians would tauntingly rev their engines at the traffic lights, or pull alongside in traffic, with sneering looks and make rude gesticulations at me.

Left alone, the car was a target for psychopaths who gained some inexplicable pleasure from scratching the paintwork with sharp objects or denting the door panels with karate kicks. One evening I discovered two pathetic individuals who had just finished severing one of the rear view mirrors with a karate chop, I asked them (in a somewhat annoyed tone) what they were doing. They asked me in threatening tones what I intended to do about it.  Having had no training in self defence, I simply said "you must be very proud of yourselves!" and got into my damaged car with the intention of telephoning police. The two simpletons vanished within seconds. 

In another tormenting encounter I stopped at a drive- in shop only to find a drunk amusing himself by climbing up and sitting on the delicate aerofoil at the back of the Porsche while being cheered-on by his mates. Naturally I saw red. I floored the accelerator to dethrone the birdbrain The spectacle seemed to amuse everyone but myself. In hindsite he could have been injured and I would have been sued.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had become disillusioned with my beautiful sports car and soon after, I sold it at a great loss to the first buyer who promised to give it a good home. 

I purchased a second-hand four door hatchback, a  Renault 25, which I've driven for the past 8 years and I've lived in peace and  mostly harmony with other road users ever since. Nobody notices me anymore and I feel secure knowing that the car is paid for and that the next service will not cost a month's wages.
I can carry 4 passengers in comfort and still have room for luggage.

So I've gone the way of many a sports car fan, due to advancing years and the arrival of wisdom .. 

Hey! - did you see that go past!
Was that was the latest Lamborghini? ! 
Wow !... I'd love to own one of them !!

OK this month's country, by some co-incidence is bella Italia!

Ciao ciao bambini, arrivaderci ..!

Dr John K. Flynn B.D.Sc.
The Xerostar Times Editor 
Caring for Creative People
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Elliot J. Huntley is a 28 year-old writer and musician based in  Sheffield, England. 

Elliot has a thriving freelance career writing for magazines and  television comedy sketch shows, and has been a George Harrison fan, collector and archivist for over twenty years.  When not writing, Elliot has a flourishing showbiz career, both as a stand-up comedian, Frank Sinatra tribute artiste and occasional magician.

To read all about this promising artist: Click Here
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I've chosen to make this Forum 'public' so anyone can participate, so feel free to tell your friends!
To view the Forum:   Click Here
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Europe's kinky over-the-knee boot has it all: popes, painters, polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates. Its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduce just about everyone. In Italy you can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and see more beautiful churches than you imagined could exist in one country. Naturally you can also indulge in the more elementary pleasures of enjoying good food and wine, improving your wardrobe and seeking out la dolce vita.

Full country name: Italian Republic
Area: 301,250 sq km (117,487 sq mi)
Population: 57.6 million 
Capital city: Rome (pop 3.8 million)
People: Italian
Languages: standard Italian and numerous dialects, German, French, Slovene
Religions: 85% Roman Catholic, 
                 5% Jewish and Protestant
Government: Republic
Prime Minister: Silvio Berlusconi

GDP: US$1.18 trillion
GDP per head: US$20,800
Annual growth: 1.5%
Inflation: 1.8%
Major industries: tourism, engineering, textiles, chemicals, food processing, motor vehicles, clothing & footwear
Major trading partners: EU (esp. Germany, France, UK, Spain, Netherlands), USA
Member of EU: yes
Euro zone participant: yes

To find out more please Click Here
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To find out more Click Here
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Get a Hobby 
Probably the easiest, simplest, and least time-consuming way to nourish your creative side is to have a hobby. 

Maybe you used to have one.  Maybe you already have one right now, but you don't even know it. 

When I browsed through Dictionary.Com I made a few discoveries: 

a) Yes, a "hobby" is a spare time activity. 

b) But it can also be defined as "a ruling passion," "a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort." 

c) AND, the old definitions of the word origins for hobby include "to move," "to stir," and "to jump." 

So - more than just being a "pastime" - a hobby is actually something that moves you, stirs your passion, and makes your spirit jump up and dance. 

Shouldn't all of us know our priorities well enough to create time for something like THIS? 

What A Hobby Can Do For You 
The truth is that all of us are creative. 
No, no... scratch that. 
THE TRUTH is that all of us have a NEED to create. 

We all knew it as kids... now it'll probably take an article like this to make us remember it as adults. 
Creating something out of nothing is something ALL of us can do. 

Creating also gives us a sense of power, an affirmation of our worth as human beings. 
Suddenly we are not helpless.  Suddenly we are in control again.  Suddenly no problem is too large or too long or too big. 

We are creative, and we have the ability to face any kind of challenge and walk off with the solutions. 
In this sense, you might say that a hobby that stimulates your creativity is like a drug that gives you a high. 

And the good news is that - besides being all-natural & healthy - high-inducing hobbies even have the potential to make you more money. 

What A Hobby Can Do For Your Business 

If you can find a way to bottle the "high" created by a good, healthy hobby, you can sell it and become horrendously rich. 
But barring that, there are 3 other ways for you to actually make more money from your hobby: 

Turn your hobby into your business 

Nothing beats doing what you love to do best.  And, as many successful people have discovered, turning your burning  passion into a money making enterprise often results into  the most successful venture you can ever make. 

Almost any hobby can be transformed into a business.   If you can't sell your finished products, you can sell the supplies needed to re-create your products, or the  equipment needed to pursue your hobby. 

You can also conduct classes & seminars for beginners on  the topic, along with re-packed "starter kits" to get them  on their way. 

Use your hobby to add "personality" to your marketing materials. 

One dentist placed his scrapbook in the waiting room at his office. As a scrapbook it contained all the usual elements:  facts, design, & photographs. 

But as a marketing tool, it did much more:  it showed the successes & highlights of his career, it revealed endearing details about his staff, and it graphically illustrated the remarkable improvements in patients whose teeth he had  treated. 

The clients who thumbed through his scrapbook weren't only entertained & impressed; they were also suddenly assured of their dentist's expertise and professionalism, as well as  the reliability of his staff.  And none of them even had to say a word! 

Even if you're not into scrapbooking, there are many other ways to incorporate your hobby into your marketing  materials. 

Part-time magicians have used "magic themes" in their brochures & calling cards; hobby soap makers have created personalized soaps as giveaways to their most loyal  clients. 

The only limit is your imagination... and how much of your hobby you really want to show. 

Use your hobby to market yourself. 

Allotting time for your hobby often also means joining  groups & meeting new people in this specialized area.  And  whenever you meet new people, you create more opportunities  to find the
ones who need your services the most. 

Tell fellow hobbyists about your business, and ask them for referrals.  Or give your office a personal touch (and  lively conversation starters) by displaying your  collections & masterpieces. 

Either way, your hobby will always set you apart from the rest, making you more memorable & your service more marketable. 

Besides being an easy way to revitalize your spirit, a hobby also gives you more opportunities to earn extra money. 

...And even if you didn't have such "important" reasons as these, having a hobby is just plain FUN! 

Try it today! 

Tatiana is the publisher of: 
The Fortunes Ezine Weekly at:
TakeYourFortune.com,  and owner of the traffic-solution slam advertising sites:
Guaranteed-Hits.com & Guaranteed-Hits.net 
To find out more, please Click Here
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Jixxa is an award-winning jigsaw puzzle game for Windows. It includes such outstanding and user-friendly features as Hint and Auto-Solve for a helping hand, a challenge timer for those who want to compete against the clock, up to nine organizational boxes for sorting pieces, and rotating pieces for the expert game player. With many other features and options, Jixxa is one of the most authentic and fun jigsaw puzzle games available.
Version 2.0 features a new puzzle browser and revamped interface that allow you to easily see thumbnail images of all of the available puzzles and browse both your hard drive and CD-ROMs visually. It now offers options to select various background colors as well as textures and wallpaper, to zoom in and out, to create puzzles from your own digital pictures, and to keep tabs on all stray pieces via a new map feature. 
Download the trial version for free!  Click Here
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A web site where you will find a huge choice of ezines covering every interest.

Please rate the XT at Cumuli.com  Click Here
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Back in 1988, when I started teaching classes here in Florence, I searched for the best quality I could find from the Mercato Centrale, the Central Market at San Lorenzo. There I met the Conti family. They've been my adopted family since. In recent months, I've told Stefano what I would like to have available for my clients to take home to their kitchens. To my delight, Stefano, his mother Germana, and his wife Grazia have created a wonderful kit full of Italian cooking goodies for setting up a Tuscan kitchen at home -- the Divina Cucina Tuscan Kitchen Starter Kit. 

You can order the kit directly from the Conti's online store Tuscany Flavours. Also, browse their web site for other wonderful Italian ingredients and kitchen gadgets.    Click Here

12 Tips for Writing Articles on the Internet
By David McKenzie

I have compiled a list of 12 tips I think should be helpful when you are writing articles on the internet.

1. Use lots of white space. People like to read in 'chunks' of information so have lots of space in your background.

2. Use short paragraphs. Following on from tip 1 keep it short and let your visitor read little pieces of information at a time.

3. Use the occasional exclamation mark (!) to get your readers attention. But please do not over use this as many people now appear to be doing.

4. Ask a question so that your visitor will read on to find the answer. This keeps the readers attention focussed.

5. Put a lot of thought and effort into your heading. If the heading does not get the visitors attention straight away then they will just move on and not even read your article. Try 'The 7 Secrets to Successfully breeding Cane Toads' rather
than 'How to breed cane toads'.

6. Use bullets to quickly outline a number of points that may be important in your article. Readers can scan through these.

7. Use numbers if this is appropriate for writing an article. For example the way I am writing this article.

8. Outline the benefits to your reader. They want to know what they can get out of reading the article so portray the benefits of what you are writing about.

9. Do not waffle. This is never more important than on the internet. People get bored quickly and there are a million other articles they could be reading instead of yours. Get to the point quickly - in the very 1ST line!

10. Target your article. Make it on one topic only and stick to the topic. Do not try to write about 2 or 3 things in the same article. Keep your focus on one topic to keep the interest of your reader.

11. Conclude with a strong message. A message that summarises  your article or gets your reader to take further action.

12. Finally, be humble. People admire people who are humble. Do not talk down to your readers.

Learn as much as you can about writing on the internet.  It really is different to writing in the offline world. Read as many articles as you can and see which ones you find easier to read.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
David McKenzie is the author of a new e-book titled "How To Write Free Articles and Market Them With a $0 Marketing Budget" Get a free newsletter!
mailto:brisney@brisney.com Click Here
...

This is the very first in-depth critique of George Harrison's solo career since the break-up of 
The Beatles. 
Important Announcement!
The book is now on sale!

To order your copy please see the directions
at the web site.  Click Here
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This web site offers you the opportunity to drive your dream car !  With your excellent credit, you will have the sportscar you have always wanted. You will be able to drive the cars of your dreams. Acura NSX, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Viper, etc. Imagine yourself over the next 3 years being able to switch your car whenever you want, without the hassle of going to a car dealer. With Dream Lease this is now a reality. Drive 4 exotic cars in 3 years with 1 monthly payment. Find out more: Click Here
 

I can thoroughly recommend The Newbies Club because the owners Tom Glander & Joe Robson are dedicated to educating newbies about computers and using the Internet to establish a profitable business. They have written several very popular books. The latest being "eMail for Newbies" which costs only $14.95 for the two volumes..

If you're new to computing then The Newbies Club will fast-track you on your way to success.
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Do you enjoy word puzzles or playing with words?
Are you a Scrabble®  fan?
This fascinating program will help you solve the
most difficult word puzzles. The manipulation of English words is taken to a new level. 
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Born in Italy from genuine passion for good Italian cuisine, ItalianFood.com will introduce you to the best of Italy's gastronomic traditions.You'll find a great number of typical regional recipes, tasty menus and all sorts of info concerning Italian food. You'll be able to subscribe to their mailing list to discuss your recipes with the other Italian food fans world wide, receive the latest news, and regular features about  Italian food and wine.
For more info please Click Here
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Here is a wonderful site for model enthusiasts !
Colpar Hobbies, situated in Denver, Colorado USA sells a whole range of different makes of models from around the world. Colpar Hobbies was originally founded in 1969 by retired Air Force Colonel Russ Collie and a relative, Karl Lapar. They have pages of
info about clubs and coming events, articles on hobby techniques as well as useful links to other hobby sites. For more info you'll need to  Click Here
.....

At a time when most men look to retire, Eric Doughty took up cycling. At 66 he needed something to improve his health so he progressed from walking to cycling. Now 81, Eric has won events all over the world as well as completing a mammoth 14,686 km ride around Australia in 96 days, at 75 years of age. 

When asked what had been his best result since he started racing,  Eric said "I won the World Championship in St. Johann in 1995. It was a good win as there were 62 riders in the race, but I managed to break away and win. I actually caught the race that started in front of me." 

Where else have you competed?
"I raced in Russia four years in a row and won six events in their version of the World Championships. I've also done the Honda Masters in Alice Springs several times and gained some good results."

How much training do you normally do?
"When I'm training hard I try to do one and a half hours on the turbo each day and 100 km on Saturday and Sunday. 

TelI us about the ride around Australia.
"The Department of Veteran Affairs wanted to promote a fitness program for 'old' soldiers, so they approached me after I won in St. Johann. I ended up circumnavigating the country with Jack Griffin from Geelong and became the oldest cyclist to do it." 

You've just won eight gold medals at the Australian Masters, what does the future hold for you?
"I'd like to go back to St, Johann. I'm caring for my wife at the moment, so I'm sticking to local events. Maybe I'll get back there one day."

Champion Eric Doughty is proof that you're never too old to became a living legend. He only started cycling at 66 and has won world titles, umpteen races and rode around Australia in 96 days! 
Photo: Jeff Smith
..

This powerful new guide takes you step by step through the entire process -- 
A must-have book for anyone that's interested in developing and selling software on the internet

Worried about going back to school? Worried about school bullying? Intimidation, taunting, violence?

This positively amazing All-Star Rated Children's Safety & Anti-Bully Video for elementary age kids can teach a child you love life-saving and life- betterment skills to help enable them in creating happier, healthier, and more successful lives. 

This is precisely why this video was created- to teach children in an easy, fun way:

1) How to choose peace 
2) How to positively deal with teasing & put-downs 
3) The four easy steps to deal with bullies and anger 
4) How to feel good about themselves & form healthy friendships, with affirmations to raise self-esteem. 
5) Stranger awareness - How to recognize & avoid lures of strangers.
6) Simple & effective self defense techniques taught by certified self-defense instructor Daniel Maiz to protect children from the danger of abduction. 

Coalition for Quality Children's Media gave "The
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Give your child or another child you love the gift of confidence and safety!

To order the video send check or money order $19.95+$4.95 shipping & handling, payable to - Daniel Maiz, PO Box 141 Sherman, Ct. 06784.USA Please allow 5-10 days for shipping. 
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See Daniel in action in Bethel  Click Here

Find out more about Bullying: Click Here
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What? Science can be funny? If you spend your days thumbing through dusty academic journals full of dry-as-toast research reports (worse yet, if you are someone whose job depends on creating those reports), you'll enjoy this wry look at the humor,
pathos and wackiness hiding in those august pages.

The Annals, the newsletter companion to a Web site and print magazine, is a monthly compilation of arcane research, scholarly presentations, news items and other odd happenings suitable for an 
educated giggle or two. Recovering academics will find the material eminently chuckleworthy. 

To subscribe, send email to mailto:LISTPROC@AIR.HARVARD.EDU 
with SUBSCRIBE MINI-AIR Put your first name & last name in the body of the email . Click Here
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