While I’m conservative on many issues, when it comes to healthcare I’m a little more moderate. I have a social conscience and believe better healthcare coverage is needed for the thirty to forty million Americans who are without healthcare in this country. I take a middle of the road approach to healthcare. I disagree with both the Democrats and Republicans when it comes to healthcare.

On one side of the issue are the Republicans who are against the type of comprehensive healthcare found in Canada. The Republicans argue that having a comprehensive healthcare system like Canada would cost too much and raise taxes through the roof. They also argue that a comprehensive healthcare system is hard to administer and would be inefficient.

On the other side of the issue are the Democrats who argue that it should be a right to have healthcare and that a caring society takes care of its citizens. They argue that it’s horrible to have so many Americans who don’t have insurance coverage. They also argue that children are the innocent victims in the current healthcare climate.

The Republicans are correct when they say that a comprehensive healthcare system is expensive and would greatly increase taxes. That’s why I disagree with a comprehensive system but I’ll discuss this later. The Republicans fail to realize that no child or adult is refused healthcare in Canada. Canadians are also allowed to get preventative care. The preventative care for health issues like early liver disease are treated immediately and people don’t have to wait until they’re near death to recieve emergency care. A condition that is left untreated could turn into a serious problem later.

I agree with the Democrats that a caring society should take care of its citizens. Children and adults without healthcare should be taken care of. I know too well the feeling of being laid off and being without healthcare. Yes we have COBRA available to us but it can cost anywhere from 500 to 1000 dollars per month. Who can afford that. In Minnesota where I live, if a person goes a certain period without healthcare insurance they become uninsurable. This is nonsense. Something must be done.

I advocate for an expanded healthcare system. The Government should provide basic insurance for those people who don’t have medical insurance. The majority of Americans have healthcare and I believe that corporate America would continue to provide healthcare insurance for their employees if the Government were to provide basic healthcare to people who don’t have medical insurance. The reason is that companies would want to attract talented employees. They would use their benefits to lure employees to their companies.

The federal government needs needs to provide coverage for those Americans who are laid off and are without insurance. It’s an unfair system when a person who is laid off (at no fault of their own) is left without healthcare coverage for themselves or their children. This is a heartless system. Why should the innocent children suffer? Expanding healthcare to these people is fair and just. The cost of expanding the system wouldn’t be nearly as expensive as a comprehensive system and America can afford this coverage.

Another solution to making the healthcare system better is to create legislation to prevent frivolous lawsuits. Something needs to be done to limit the amount of lawsuits and the crazy monetary awards that are being paid out to settle these claims. While doctors and healthcare providers should be held accountable for their mistakes, the monetary awards are burdening the system. The monetary awards are excessive and needless. If there was legislation to curtail the current trend of suing healthcare providers and receiving excessive monetary awards, healthcare would be more affordable and our rates wouldn’t continue to increase as much. I worked in the healthcare field and the amount of frivolous lawsuits and excessive monetary settlements are mind boggling. I also believe that people who bring about frivolous lawsuits should have to pay for all the legal costs of the people they’re suing and be made to pay punitive damages.

If the federal government were to create an expanded helthcare system and reduce the frivolous lawsuits and excessive settlements, the healthcare system would be better, more fair and would take care of those people who don’t have healthcare.

UPDATE ( June 9th, 2005 ruling by Supreme Court of Canada): “The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Quebec law banning private medical insurance in a decision that represents an acute blow to the publicly financed national health care system” (NYT.com, June 10th). In its ruling, The Supreme Court of Canada remarked that waiting lists for health services have become so long that they violated Quebec’s Charter of human Rights (NYT.com).

The court also mentioned that there is evidence that patients die or have died as a result of waiting for services (NYT.com)
Many Canadians argue that patients may wait for long periods of time to receive services but that life threatening health problems are taken care of. The court’s comments seem to contradict that type of argument.
It is expected that their will be lawsuits against other provinces which ban private billing of health services.

According to the New York Times article, Canada is the only industrialized nation that “outlaws privately financed purchases of core medical services” (NYT.com).

Anthony B. is the founder and owner of ItsTheRightWay.com a news, political and sports commentary website.

Anthony has over 7 years of experience as a business professional

Recently I wanted to see how many web sites have funny or interesting domain names. I was motivated to do this after reading
an article on CNN about milliondollarhomepage.com. What an idea,
I thought to myself. So I started searching on similar web pages.
What I found out was a whole bunch of copy cats! One such example
is youllbefamous.com. Their idea is similar to milliondollarhomepage.com; if you buy a pixel on their site, they
will put an ad for you in Usa Today newspaper and you will be
famous!

So started searching more for funny domain name sites. What I came up with is astounding.

Everyone knows about Yahoo, Google, etc. But did you know there
is site with url : http://3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592.com?
If you are wondering what it means,
they have converted the value of famous mathematical constant into a domain name! However, there is more. If you go to their site, you
can find out the value of PI to the one millionth places after the decimal.

I found sites like www.indiapakistan.com which presents countries India
and Pakistan side by side. It is a cute site with a cute domain name.

There are sites with domain names www.thankyou.com and www.thanks.com. They are cool looking shopping sites, the first one for cakes and deserts and the second one for e cards.

Some of the sites, despite their funny domain names, are quite
serious and useful. Some of these sites are http://www.happynews.com/,
http://www.realityclock.com/, http://www.blinkbits.com/ etc.

I found web sites www.sexisforfags.com and www.ironhymen.com which with their funny domain name try to teach dangers of
having sex early in life to to young kids. Very commendable effort.

There are sites like www.two.com and i-do.com which, quite arguably, chosen a very appropriate names for the kind of business they are in. The two.com site really has cool flash
intro page. Check them out!

There are sites with very nice sights and sounds, e.g www.themeatrix.com, www.dreamcar.com, etc. Visit those sites, you
will not be disappointed.

Two sites deserves special mention, www.bugmenot.com and www.nomoreaolcds.com. Both sites live upto their well
chosen domain names. Check it out and you will see why. The first
site will help you bypass the useless registration page for various web site by giving you working login ids.

There is a site called www.rotten.com which true to its domain name, has lot of disturbing pictures and (supposedly real) on its site. Surfers are, however, warned beforehand before clicking on the link.

Did you know there is one site called www.billgatesisdead.com which starts with the fake news of Bill Gates’s death? Very funny. So is www.engrish.com which lists funny english phrases from foreign countries, especially Japan.

Most of you probably know about sites like www.fool.com and www.gorillatrades.com which
deal with pretty serious business, the business of making money
from stock market. In fact if you follow their advice, you will probably make money. Good luck.

Author is a software engineer by profession and occasional writer.
He has a web site at http://www.funnydomainnames.com/ which contains growing list of such sites.

There are logical and essential realities taking place on the Internet highway “today”.

According to the CIA World Fact Book there is going to be over 2 billion people on the Internet by 2010. Today there are just about 1 billion. What took 20 years to get here will now take only the next 4 to double in size.

Today, people are seeing an endless array of products and opportunities hitting them at staggering levels like no other time in history. The name of the game here “on a strategic level” is to be fully engaged with the bigger picture strategies rather than getting left behind with the details.

The average person is learning faster than anytime in history (keep in mind.. the average people are 90+ of the marketplace), they are able to make wiser choices and are easily able to identify what is honest and what is not, better than ever before and will continue to get better very fast.

If you carefully review the world’s top experts on the Internet highway who are driving in the most money, they are the ones who are fully aware of the fact that those who are able to master the art of establishing higher degrees of trust with their audiences will, in fact, be the ones who dominate at the highest levels.

When you look carefully at this real world phenomenon taking place right now as to the actual Psychological impacts the world’s best are now integrating into their business models… as far as establishing this strategic trust barrier…It starts to become almost scientific in it’s approach.

Because you see, the world’s best marketing strategist, for example; Seeking to position themselves at levels that zero in on mastering the purity issue. Asking themselves, in their minds eye, “How can I create an image of my product that feels real?”

This fascinating positioning game is unfolding right now as we approach 2006. For example, there is a new course that came out called “The Rich Jerk” that teaches inside tricks of how to dominate on the internet. Yes, it seems silly (as to the name) but why is their website “that’s selling the course” driving in staggering profits? Why? Because it does a few things. A- It takes on the posture with its image, representing a 1970’s look and feel. B- It then takes on the posture of being totally real. The timing as to this approach is nailed to a tee. Even the great Gary Halbert recently wrote about why it’s doing so well. Gary wrote that it’s doing well because it is real.

Another example of a person who is positioning himself strategically to dominate as we approach 2 billion Internet users is Mark Joyner. His new book, “The Irresistible Offer”, just hit the shelves and is flying out the door almost faster than any book in history.

What Mark did with his book strategically is brilliant. His front cover of the book takes on a 1950’s look. The fonts on the front cover give off the impression at first glance that you feel trust because of the fact that the 1950’s image is an image that stimulates trust of course.

In Mark’s book, he also takes on strategic positioning right off the bat where he is speaking from a position of sound proven methods that have been tested and proven to really work. He also (which I have never seen at this level prior) makes the beginning of the first few chapters so simple and easy to read that this alone gives a feeling of ease. That again triggers trust.

The name of the game for those that are seeking to profit nicely over the next few years as we approach this Internet explosion globally is to formulate not only an image that embodies trust but also your message must embody higher levels of strategy on the copywriting side.

Once again, when you look carefully at the world’s top earners, you see Best Selling author and online marketing genius Joe Vitale digging deeper than ever into old school methods from classical masters of copywriting such as Claude Hopkins, John Caples and Robert Collier.

This is not only Joe by the way…you see Internet marketing “wiz kid” Yanik Silver who recently created his image for his up and coming major seminar that captures the Austin Powers look and feel.

Those who are aware of the “power trust” games taking place right now globally and work with partners that not only understand this but also embrace it at levels where you are taking action as to formulating your systems, newsletters, websites, articles and more, “embracing the trust factors” will make a fortune over the next few years. (Just as long as you also have a product or opportunity that has mass appeal).

Old school copywriting and image strategies masterfully blended in with new technologies, formulate the dominate strategy for the 21st century.

Manny C. Lourenco’s current project “Coastal Vacations” is shocking experts of all walks of life because his partners are applying battle tested, proven methods that have his current partners driving in $5,000.00 to over $100,000.00+ per month after just 7 days and is growing, non stop.

For more information and also a cd mailed to your front door, at no charge to you, that outlines exactly how to drive in unlimited business, simply go to his main site. http://www.energyteam.ws

Welcome to article number 2 in our series “Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts”. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.

If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Here’s a breakdown of the articles to look for:

1. Article #1 - Choosing The WRONG Exercises

2. Article #2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results

3. Article #3 - Targeted Stretching

4. Article #4 - Targeted Exercises

5. Article #5 - Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Article #2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results

Bodybuilders are a stubborn bunch… almost as bad as runners! And they tend to follow the “HERD” doing whatever exercises and routines the “pros” are doing…

Now, if your goal is to be as big as possible and you are not at all concerned with your health and fitness, don’t even bother this article… this article is for bodybuilders who ARE concerned about their health and want to be big, strong, powerful, and agile… if that’s you, read on…

The reason so many bodybuilders suffer from so many different injuries is because there are several things the “pros” don’t tell you…

First off, the articles that you see in all the muscle mags aren’t even written by the “pros”… and the workout routines they recommend are always extreme and often not even used by the “pro” who supposedly wrote because their main goal is to sell magazines… not give you the real deal on bodybuilding.

If you are serious about bodybuilding and want to achieve your true peak, you need to stay injury free… and that’s just about impossible if you train they way most bodybuilders do.

There are several key strategies that you can use right now to not only eliminate any aches, pains and injuries you currently have, but also keep from creating more muscle imbalances in the future.

Strategy #1 - Target the Weaklings!

No, we don’t mean the exercises you think your weak at, or even the muscles you think are underdeveloped… what we mean is the muscles that are weak in relation to the opposing muscle group.

For example, in the first article we talked about why the Leg Extension is not a great exercise and why it’s responsible for so many cases of knee, hip, and back pain… and the reason is, most people, especially bodybuilders, are already over developed and stronger in the quadriceps… and usually have a significant imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings.

Another reason bodybuilders tend to develop so many severe muscle imbalances is because they emphasize the front of the body more than the back… a great example of this is what we call “The T-shirt Muscle Workout” and it usually consists of dozens of sets of chest and biceps…

you know what we mean… in just one workout you do flat bench, incline, decline, pec deck, dumbbell fly, cable cross overs… and then for biceps you’ve got barbell curls, dumbbell curls, preacher curls, cable curls, machine curls, and the list goes on…

So instead of emphasizing the muscles that are already strong, why not really hit those weak and under worked muscles like: neck, upper back, shoulder rotators, hamstrings, glutes, hip rotators, lower abs, and shins.

These areas tend to be weak, tight, out of balance with their opposing muscles, prone to muscle strains and pulls and most importantly, these imbalances lead to major injuries and conditions like back pain, knee pain, rotator cuff tears, tendonitis and others.

All of these conditions are caused by muscle imbalances and will NOT go away unless you work towards correcting the imbalances… and the only way to know for sure which imbalances are causing your pain or injury is to do a series of physical assessments like the ones covered in our “Lose the Back Pain Video”.

Strategy #2 - Experiment!

Here’s a personal challenge for you: Replace at least 1 of your normal weekly workouts with something totally different like combat martial arts, kettle bell training, functional training, or even strongman style exercises.

For example, instead of doing your super heavy, 3 inch partial rep leg presses, try a single leg squat… and if that’s easy, try adding weight! Or instead dozens of sets of shoulder presses and lateral raises, see if you can do 1 handstand push-up.

Those are just a few examples… do yourself a favor and experiment with other types of exercises. You can find hundreds of different types of training styles by taking classes, reading books, watching videos, surfing the web, hire a personal trainer, etc.

We aren’t asking you to give up your traditional workouts… but just cross-train a bit so you not only work towards a balanced body but also towards a stronger, more powerful and usable strength. Again, what good is muscle if you can’t use it!

Strategy #3 - Switch It Up!

Another great way to minimize the number of missed workouts due to injuries is to vary the exercises that you do for each muscle group. For example, if you always do barbell squats try rotating in other exercises like single-leg leg presses, trap-bar dead-lifts, d-bell squats, etc.

Conclusion

Remember, the key to eliminating injuries and preventing future ones is to identify what areas you need to target. In the next two articles we’ll be discussing in detail, how to address various injuries like back, hip, knee, and shoulder pain with targeted exercises and stretches. In the meantime, be sure to read thru all of our detailed articles and if you have questions, please post them in our discussion forum.

Article by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, CMT, CPRS of http://www.losethebackpain.com. If you’ve got back pain or sciatic pain, you’ve gotta check out their video.

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secures the cigarette until it is re-lit and smoked again!!

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Until now smokers have not had a convenient or safe way to save
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It’s amazing how similar we are to machines. We have jobs that
we are designed to be able to complete easily, and we do just
that. It may seem simple to us, but have you ever watched a cat
try to turn a doorknob? Have you ever tried to jump up to the
top of your china cabinet in a single bound? If you just tried
to accomplish that one, try shrinking yourself to one-tenth your
current size and try again, even harder right? We are designed
to do specific things, just like machines.

We’re not talking Darwin here, why we are designed the way we
are is not what I’m investigating here. Whether we randomly have
opposable thumbs, or if God put them there, whether we beat
other similar species because of our superior eyesight, or we
were just plain old lucky, is inconsequential to me. We’re here
and I like it.

But we are just another type of machine. We need fuel, we have
exhaust, we break down, we error, we complete tasks
successfully, and we even have keys to make us start. Our keys
are not small, silver, and painful when you sit on them, our
keys are made out of motivation. I like learning new things,
cash is a good motivator too, and I suppose some people enjoy
shiny objects, but sometimes I work and sometimes I don’t, it
depends if I have the right key. We are organic machines, built
by nature.

Compare us to a computer for instance. Lets look at the basic
components of a computer: RAM, processor, the hard drive, a
cooling system, a motherboard, an interface, and an assortment
of other accessories that vary from computer to computer in
quality and quantity. Now the main difference is that a slower
computer is an older computer; yet an older human is not
necessarily a slower human, at least not in thinking capacity.
The RAM is random access memory, or in a human, short term
memory. The processor, the ability to quickly determine what the
hell is happening around you. Hard drives can be fast or slow,
faster hard drives, such as SCSI drives, can bring information
up much quicker than a standard hard drive.

How hard is it for you to remember details of an event that
happened when you were ten years old? Maybe you’re a SCSI and
you can remember every shirt you ever wore, but most of us are
just regular old hard drives. Computers have cooling systems, we
have cooling systems, and we sweat so that evaporation can cool
our outer shells. You know what happens if a human overheats,
fevers can be very dangerous, much like an over heated computer,
something can break. The motherboard in our computers are very
similar to our central nervous system, they both control the
wheelings and dealings of the rest of the components. And of
course a computers interface, or our face; both show what is
happening inside. How about the mouse and keyboard, much like
our hands.

Did we create a computer in our own image? I doubt very highly
that someone looked at the machine that is a human, and decided
to base a computer system on us. If we didn’t do it on purpose,
maybe there are standards that all functioning nodes must meet?
That would imply that we are much closer to the creations we
create than we generally accept. It also suggests that something
created us, whether it be DNA and Darwin’s concepts, or God
Almighty.

So the next time your computer isn’t doing exactly what you want
it to do, don’t get mad, don’t smack it, you can swear at it if
you really want because that’s what I do, or you can try to
understand what the computer wants. It probably wants something
that makes sense. Think of a computer as a baby, it wants
something that it needs, it just sucks at telling you want it
wants. Or the next time your wife, or father, or great Uncle Bob
get sentimental over throwing out an old vehicle, don’t laugh.
The machine is a part of us, and not just because we invented,
built, used, and destroyed it. It’s a part of us because it some
ways, in a lot of ways, it’s just like us.

Due to ever-increasing costs of going to college, it is a good
idea to search out available scholarships and apply for them.
Scholarships are one of the most enticing forms of financial aid
available today. This is because they are available to anyone
without any repayment requirements! Many scholarships are
overlooked and therefore are a missed opportunity for many
students.

If students know about scholarships, they can apply for them,
but many students do not know that college scholarships exist.
Most students do not understand that there are scholarships
obtainable to them, which could pay a major part of their
education. In fact, the college scholarship can be used for any
educational opportunity. This is includes private or public
college, junior college or four-year universities, graduate or
certificate programs.

What are college scholarships?

College Scholarships programs come in a variety of forms, which
are normally considered free college money. College
scholarships, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid.
Scholarships can be awarded directly to students in a form of a
check or to the school itself. You can receive a scholarship
from any of the following types of organizations: charitable
foundations, businesses, schools, universities, government
agencies, and sometimes-even clubs or groups within the school.

Who can get college scholarships?

Although many scholarships are granted based on grades, this is
a misconception. There are scholarships for less than perfect
academics as long as you meet the other requirements. They range
from athletic scholarships, to community service scholarships.

Many scholarship providers want to reward students for choosing
a particular school or state. It is believed by older students
that only college-bound high school seniors can apply for
scholarship awards, this is not true. Scholarships are
accessible for all levels of college study, from freshman
undergrads to graduate students. You will need to make sure that
you check the requirements for each scholarship for which you
apply.

How do students find college scholarships?

It takes some time and energy to find and apply for
scholarships, but the hard work will most likely pay off. You
can sometimes find them by asking department heads if there are
available scholarships, in the department you will major in.

Some student’s use highly regarded and accurate scholarship
search services on the Internet to save time in the searching
process. This is highly recommended. Online resources are a good
idea as long as the website offers updated, current data and a
way to match the student with the scholarship.

High school students can ask their guidance counselors about
their eligibility for local or state scholarship awards. You
should also make sure that you contact the financial aid office
at the school you plan to attend, to see if they qualify for
awards issued by the school. Finally yet importantly, students
should ask their parents and friends to be on the lookout for
scholarships, while always checking local bulletin boards and
newspapers for additional scholarship listings.

For more information, visit
http://www.collegescholarshipinfocenter.com

According to Thomas R. Cutler, spokesperson for the ETO
Institute (www.etoinstitute.org), “Encompix continues to capture
significant marketshare in the ETO environment because few other
ERP vendors truly understand the nuances and significant
distinctions of the ETO process versus the repetitive
manufacturing process. Encompix now has more than 200 of the
leading ETO manufacturing firms in North America using their ERP
Software solution.”

Encompix (www.encompix.com) has filled the manufacturing
software requirements of Engineer-to-Order companies since 1992.
Gillis West, Jr. is vice president, General Retail Solutions,
The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. West began his career with
Reynolds in 1986 as a credit correspondent II. In 1993, he was
named director of business planning and in 1997 served as
director of APG marketing. His most recent position was vice
president of Solutions Marketing. He holds a bachelor’s degree
in accounting from Cedarville College, Cedarville, Ohio, and a
master’s degree in business administration from Wright State
University, Dayton.

He is a member of the Dayton Area Liberian Association and is on
the Board of the Dayton Ballet Association and the Reynolds
Foundation. He is a past member of the Dayton Sister City
Association, past chairman of the Monrovia-Dayton Committee of
the Sister City Association and past chairman of the elders of
Clearcreek Chapel. Gillis’ professional affiliations include
AICPA, OSCPA and the Strategic Leadership Forum.

West has served as an Encompix board member since 1999. The
company name, Encompix, reflects the commitment to developing
business application solutions which encompass the complex areas
of project-based and job-based manufacturing. Encompix provides
ETO manufacturers with a competitive advantage by improving
bottom line results.

Encompix www.encompix.com Roger Meloy rmeloy@encompix.com
513-733-0066

Imitation is the easiest route to fluency. If you imitate
something long enough, it will become real for you, and this is
especially true for mastering a foreign language.

You can see this easily in children, the world’s greatest
language learning machines. They imitate the language they hear
around them all the time. They hear something, try it, and see
what kind of reaction they get. They get feedback from family,
friends and teachers, and adjust and learn.

The use of imitation is a true language-learning gem, and it
will serve you well to the extent that you use it! Listen and
copy. Listen and copy. Listen and copy. Imitate until it is real
for you. Imitate your way to fluency.

You might be wondering how to do this, but really it is as
simple as it looks and sounds. As you listen to native speakers
of your target language, say on TV or on the radio, repeat back
what they say as soon as you hear it. This works especially well
with news broadcasts for two reasons. First, the announcers use
clear, standard pronunciation. Secondly, the speed at which
announcers speak is a natural for the native listeners, yet
moves along at a speed that is likely to present you with a bit
of a challenge, especially in the beginning.

At first you may find it a little hard to wrap your mouth around all of those words, and that is fine. Be gentle with yourself
and know that the more you do it the better you will get at it.
The first few times you try it you might just catch a few words
here and there. Then you’ll breakthrough to being able to
imitate phrases, and then you’ll increase your ability so that
you will be able to repeat whole sentences and keep the string of
language going. Pretty soon you will be communicating you own
ideas with the same clarity and ease.

Before you know it you’ll be sounding like a TV star or
newscaster of that target language! You’ll have brilliant
pronunciation, and a greater ability to catch and understand the
words you hear from various speakers of that language, and
you’ll develop an incredible level of fluency that you acquired
in a very short time — all through imitation!

Here’s to Your Success!
Teresa Bolen

Copyright © 2006 by Teresa Bolen. All rights reserved.

Teresa Bolen is a teacher at Todaiji Academy, one of the top 5
schools in Japan, and the author of Master Plan to Master Exams:
How to Discover Your Hidden Abilities to Create the Success You
Desire. You can get her ‘Academic Excellence Report’ at
http://www.MasterPlanToMasterExams.com.

‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life
you have imagined.’
— Henry David Thoreau –

© 2006, All Rights Reserved

Sunshine, crashing waves and hands-on activities. These are three things every kid loves. That’s what makes deep sea fishing the perfect family outing. Especially during summer months when children can get bored, deep sea fishing makes for a wonderful time of togetherness, education and excitement.

Before you venture onto any vessel, you’ll want to run through the checklist below. Taking time to prepare before launching into the deep blue sea can ensure your trip will be a huge success.

Safety

No outing can be truly fun for everyone unless it is also safe. There are steps you can take to ensure you and your family will have a day of adventure as well as safety. Be sure to ask the captain of the boat about the following:

_____ Life Preservers - Make sure life preservers on the boat are current. Preservers need to be within easy reach. The boat should have a variety of life preservers in different sizes to fit both adults and children.

_____ Coast Guard Inspection - You’ll want a fishing vessel that is big and seaworthy, and that has passed all necessary inspections. Look for a U.S. Coast Guard safety inspection sticker to be sure. Also check for a radio and emergency beacon onboard.

_____ CPR - The crew aboard your deep-sea fishing boat should be CPR and first aid trained.

_____ Sun Protection - The sun gets very intense over water. In fact, you get 180% exposure to the sun while on the water as opposed to on land. (100% direct sun exposure plus 80% exposure from water reflection.) You’ll want to pack sunscreen as well as hats and sunglasses.

Fishing

Your fishing experience will be different depending on which area of the U.S. you are in. Water temperature, local weather and current surface temperatures can all play a role in the success of your trip. While these elements may be out of your control, there are other elements you need to verify before casting off.

_____ Experience - Your captain and crew should have plenty of experience fishing in the local waters. They should be comfortable navigating the area and should be able to find sweet spots where fish commonly gather.

_____ Equipment - The boat you choose to sail on should be outfitted with the latest fish-finding electronics to help ensure you get what you came for.

_____ Bait - Bait used while fishing should be indigenous to the area. Fish can be finicky about what they will and will not eat.

_____ Unwanted Transfer - Be sure to wash your hands (or have the crew wash their hands) after applying sunscreen, aftershave or other scented lotions. The smell (and taste) can transfer to the bait causing the fish to stop biting.

Kids

When deep sea fishing with kids, special considerations come into play. Ask your crew about the following if you plan to bring young children onboard.

_____ Family Friendly - Is this a family friendly ship? Is language controlled? Are alcoholic beverages served? Is smoking allowed?

_____ Stories - When the fish aren’t biting, things might become quiet. Will the crew tell stories about the area, share educational information, teach knot tying or allow kids to steer the boat?

_____ Naps - Is there a bench or cot where small children can lie down if they get tired?

Everyone

To ensure the enjoyment of the trip for each family member, you’ll want to:

_____ Bring Plenty of Snacks and Drinks - Even though the boat may provide chips or sodas, they may be limited in their variety. Pack your child’s favorite snacks and juices plus plenty of water. You’ll need to stay hydrated while out in the sun.

_____ Get a Good Night’s Sleep - Deep sea fishing is an absolute blast! It can be tiring, however, especially for younger children. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep before venturing out.

_____ Take Dramamine - If you are prone to seasickness, or don’t know if you will become seasick, take Dramamine or Bonine the night before and the morning of your trip just to be on the safe side.

_____ Bring Your Camera! This will be a day that memories are made of. You’ll want to capture every moment for your photo albums. Be sure to bring plenty of film and/or an extra battery.

When you’ve checked off everything on your list, you’ll be ready for a wonderful day filled with family fun and adventure. With the right captain at the helm, your deep-sea fishing journey will soon become a family tradition you’ll look forward to year after year.

Steven and Michael Perkins are co-captains of The Nor’easter, a 42′ vessel dedicated to deep sea fishing in Maine. Visit www.noreasterfishing.com today for pricing and details on scheduling family charter fishing tours in Maine.