I have been a Packet8 VoIP user for several months, and have logged over 10,000 minutes of calling time on this service to date. During this time, I lost my dial tone 3 times and had around 6 incomplete or dropped calls. Two times, the person I was talking to said I sounded like I was in a “tunnel”. Other than that, the call quality has been excellent and I have no complaints. Other than the “tunnel” sound that happend twice, the other problems were due to my local network setup and had nothing to do with Packet8 at all. Since the length of my average call is about 45 minutes, I’ve used Packet8 for around 220 calls so far. With only 2 of these calls having quality issues that I can attribute directly to Packet8 service, I can safely say that Packet8 VoIP service has proven to be over 99% reliable.
With unlimited local and long distance calling for $19.95 a month, Packet8 unlimited local and long distance service with +99% reliability is the bargain of the year!

My Packet8 experience has been absolutely wonderful so far. When I received my Uniden 1868P VoIP adapter/telephone combo device, I was able to install it in minutes due to the excellent instructions that were enclosed. After making the necessary cable connections, I lifted the receiver, dialed the special code that was provided, and had an email confirming my activation within minutes. I made my first “live” internet phone call within 15 minutes of unpacking the adapter. As an IT professional, I have installed hundreds of new hardware devices and have never experienced a setup as quick and easy as this one. Installation is so simple that I firmly believe anyone can do it!

Most questions can be answered by reading the technical support postings on the Packet8.com website. For issues that are not covered, you can call a customer support number and talk to a “real person” or send an email. I emailed a question regarding the password to my VoIP adapter device, and had an answer within 10 minutes. This is perhaps the quickest response I have ever had from any company’s tech support! Packet8 is also very good about keeping subscribers informed of upcoming changes via email. I get an informative email from them every 3-4 weeks, telling me about enhancements they are adding to services or upgrades that are available for my adapter/phone combo device.

All account management can be done through the user section of the Packet8 website. I can logon and see invoice history, download updates and manage my services. The simple online control panel allows me to tailor services to meet my needs. I can set the number of rings before voicemail picks up, change my voicemail password, and turn voicemail on/off. I can also turn call waiting on/off or forward all my calls to a number of my choice if I’m going to be away from home for awhile. Beginning November 2005, I’ll be able to enter an email address that voice messages will be forwarded to. This is a great service that I
think I will use often; voice messages will come to me via an email attachment that can be
forwarded to anyone I wish.

The features I get for free with Packet8 are awesome – call waiting, call forwarding, caller id, distinctive ring (this is a feature on the Uniden 1868p phone), 3 way conference calling, call blocking and voicemail. I never paid the extra price for these features with my old land line service, but I sure do enjoy them for free! I think voicemail is one of the best features with VoIP. I was able to get rid of my answering machine and I can now check my voicemail from anywhere with a toll free number that Packet8 provides. If I want, I can add an 800 number or “virtual numbers” in another area code for a few dollars per month, and the distinctive ring service will tell me which phone number is ringing.

Needless to say, I am totally satisfied with Packet8 VoIP service and highly recommend this provider. Their main competitor is Vonage, who offers comparable service for about $5
more per month. If you want high quality, VoIP service for $60 less a year than Vonage, Packet8 is definitely the way to go.

Debbie Jacobsen is an information technology professional and author of SaveOnPhoneService.com – an informative website about Broadband Phone Service. If you are interested in learning more about VoIP, or would like to compare providers, please visit http://www.saveonphoneservice.com To read other articles she has written about internet phone service, visit her blog at djvoip.blogspot.com.

After receiving a positive diagnosis for stomach cancer, patients understandably feel depressed and uncertain about their future. It’s important for them to realize that they are not alone and that many people suffer from various forms of cancer every day. These individuals must learn to accept the news that they have been given, understand what they are facing and cope with the reality of the illness.

A stomach cancer patient may wish to conduct their own research, either online or at a local library. There are many educational resources available, which will help a patient to become more familiar with what is happening to them and let them know what to expect during treatment. A smart patient is an educated patient and reading is the best way to keep abreast of new medical developments, treatments and options. A cancer patient must remain active in their own care for as long as possible. Discussions with a doctor, asking questions and getting answers will all lead to a more productive treatment method.

When dealing with any type of illness, including stomach cancer, family and friends can provide an excellent support system. Understandably, these individuals may also be in a lot of emotional pain in dealing with the illness of their loved one. If that’s the case, a patient may decide to join a local support group or get involved in an activity that they enjoy doing. If the patient feels like doing something, it’s a good idea to continue living a productive lifestyle and one that is enjoyable. While activity is important, it’s also necessary to take some time out for rest and relaxation. As is the case with any illness, rest is key to a successful recovery.

Depending on how advanced a cancer patient’s diagnosis reveals, several treatment options are available. When a patient decides to move forward with treatment, he/she may also consider seeking a second opinion from a qualified physician in order to confirm the diagnosis and recommended treatment. The best outcome is to eliminate the cancer but, if that is not possible, the doctor may attempt to prevent the cancer from spreading or to relieve the symptoms that a patient may be experiencing.

Assuming the patient’s health will allow it, and he/she wishes to pursue remedies, the most common method of treatment is surgery. Depending on the location and size of the cancer, a doctor may be able to remove all or part of the stomach and surrounding infected areas.

Another common approach to treating stomach cancer is for the patient to begin a series of chemotherapy treatments. This process involves the intake of medicines to help fight the cancer cells, which can either be taken orally or delivered through the patient’s veins. This option is often most useful to rid the patient of any remaining cancer cells following surgery. In addition, chemotherapy may be used to control the growth of cancer, relieve symptoms and prolong life. This treatment does carry a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, which make many people hesitant to begin. For those who do, there are various medications that can help ease the side effects of chemotherapy while allowing your body to recover. Radiation therapy, often used in conjunction with chemotherapy, utilizes the help of high energy x-rays to fight against cancer cells. Radiation therapy affects only the area where cancer is present, whereas chemotherapy affects your entire body. This type of therapy can leave burns on the skin, which are similar to that of a sunburn and may also cause other ill effects, but it does help to treat stomach cancer and relieve pain associated with pain and blockages.

This article should not be construed as professional medical advice. If you, or someone that you know, is concerned about the possibility of cancer, you should seek medical attention immediately. A medical doctor can discuss various options, prevention and treatment possibilities should the presence of cancer be detected. A series of tests may be conducted in order to confirm, or rule out, any such diagnosis and can only be done by a medical doctor.

Sunny weather can be very conducive for most sports enthusiasts. The scorching heat of the sun can even boost ones stamina to do better in any game. However, ever knew of any game that can be played even when there’s a rainstorm? Surely, not many people can enumerate any sport that can be executed even when its raining hard.

All sports, especially those played outdoors are affected by the changes in weather conditions. The first to be really impacted upon are the players who have to adjust physically, mentally, and emotionally — factors which often dictate what could happen at the end of the game.

Playing golf entails proper training in order to hit the tee perfectly under a gloomy climate. Weather conditions, for example, since it affects the growth and texture of the grass, have a big impact on the leveled surface vital to a golfer’s performance. This is usually called “throwing darts”, it means that the ball and the shots are not high enough which results in lower points.

Remember that the conditioning of the green can influence the game of the golfers and the golf course operation. That is why the a change of strategy is helpful when playing golf during bad weather since golf is a game that is specifically dependent on the weather.

When there is low humidity and dryer soil, the greens are maintained more easily. That is why golfers often play during fall or spring. The favorable and consistent sunny skies and growth of the turf allows a considerable and reliable time for golfers to hold their tees.

The roughs can become heavier which makes it difficult for shots to recover when soaked in water. Water ends up between the ball and the clubface because of the fewer spins than a normal spin. Bad consequences are then more inevitable after an off-line shot. This is when a good golf playing strategy during wet weather is needed for it will be more considerable to have the ball always elevated off the grass as fast as possible. During these situations, footprints and marks of the ball are deeper and the sad part is that scores tend to be lower. When this happens, extra effort is needed for the player to end with better scores.

Points to remember when playing in a wet weather condition:

Make it a point to keep the grips and the hands dry during a rainy day. The caddy can bring one towel for grip drying and another one to dry hands.
Ask someone to bring a cover for the golf bag. This will be a good idea since it will keep the grips of the tee dry.
A golfer will be comfortable and can sustain long hours of golf game if the equipment and he himself is dry.
Just be patient and the scores will be higher even during the wet weather condition.
Strategize more, visualize the goal in mind prior to entering the game. This will prepare the player for any difficult situations he will need to face on wet and uneven fairways.

Golfers need to have the balls to land as close as possible to holes to lessen the amount of rolls of the balls on wet grass. Balls will have to be hit harder to prevent breakage and to halt sooner.

Even expert golfers can surmount the challenge of playing on soaked grass field at times when the weather does not permit any good sunlight to watch over them. Rule of thumb is that even if a golfer is faced with such a difficult task, he must keep in mind that his competitors are too. When golfers are wet, the playtime is longer for the ball can’t roll smoothly and far which is a plus for those who drive the tee off longer.

Weather conditions might affect the environs of the game, but a skillful and prepared player won’t have a hard time thinking of ways to ward off the weather’s bad effects on one’s game. Enough determination to play well and a little knowledge on how to outsmart the weather will make playing golf a cinch even when the day’s weather is not that good.

Edwin Shackleford has been helping individuals improve thier golf game for years. Try his Free Online Training Today! www.improve-your-golf-game.com

I had a neighbor that was looking to buy his small family a new camping tent to take on camping trips. He said he was just going to go and buy this 3-person, 3-season tent that he saw at the local mega outdoor store. I told him that he had the season right on the tent, but the person size is probably not correct.

Why is that? When you buy a camping tent you should generally buy the next size up if you are going to purchase a tent for general camping. The interior of a 3-person tent would not really be large enough and, in the example of this family, they would be happier if they got a 4-person tent.

When you are camping and weight does not matter, the larger size tents are better for comfort. For instance, if you are driving to the campsite and you expect to basically park your vehicle next to the camping pad then you are not really going to have to worry how big and heavy the tent it. It’s better to get a little extra room for your enjoyment.

However, for those hiking with a buddy, you definitely want to pack a 2-person camping tent because you want to conserve space and weight in your backpack. Generally backpackers will split up the load of carrying the camping gear they share, but they still want to pare down the weight and load as much as possible.

So if you are buying a camping tent for general purpose camping, don’t always expect the tent manufacturers to know what your needs are when purchasing that tent. A 3-person camping tent is for a maximum of three people. The room to maneuver and store gear is not really taken into account. That’s why it is better to go up a size when purchasing your tent. You will be a lot more comfortable in your camping tent.
A father of two daughters, Chris loves the outdoors and counts camping, skiing and bicycling as his favorite pursuits. Chris is the owner of http://www.camping-tent-guide.com, a website for camping tent information, camping tips and outdoor adventure discussion.

“Virtual Real Estate Investing” is a relatively new concept. There are many variations on what this term means, encompassing everything from using the internet to aid in real estate investing efforts to participating in online games such as SecondLife.

To get the facts, I sought out the man generally considered to be the father of virtual real estate investing: Bryan Ellis of BryanEllis.com.

Ellis says he adopted the term “virtual real estate investing” sometime before Y2K after he realized that making money online is conceptually very similar to making money with physical real estate.

Bryan Ellis cites the similar strategies one can employe to make money from “virtual property” and “physical property” as a primary parallel of the two markets. “These types of assets – websites and physical real estate – can be monetized in very similar ways like buy lo/sell high, leasing/rental and advertising opportunities” he says.

The similarities really are obvious. After all, if you own a valuable piece of real estate, it’s “valuable” because other people are interested in that specific piece of property. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. In either case, you could sell or lease the asset and turn it into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

I know not all people have played croquet. So few people have played croquet; in fact, that croquet may not even seem like a cool thing to do. It may seem like a nerdy, boring, or childish activity; a kids game. On the contrary, however, it is very cool. In fact, the game is cool in and of itself, and if you play it, you are bound to become cooler yourself. I am not just saying these things to defend myself from being not cool for having played the game myself. On the contrary, I am cool person and the game is cooler for my having played it.

I, myself, was first introduced to the game of croquet as a kid. I think that my parents had a set. I do not remember it very well, however; only a vague remembrance of seeing a croquet set around the house, so I will talk about my later introduction to croquet.

One of my friends in high school had a croquet set, and we used to play at his house sometimes. We always just played in his yard somewhere, rather than going to a field somewhere else to play. We could play in the front yard, the backyard, or on the side somewhere, wherever we wanted. That is one of the cool things about croquet, you can play it wherever and whenever you want. Sometimes we played in the day, and sometimes we played at night with the porch light on. Some of our games would end quickly, while others would last a long time. Basically, you never know what is going to happen when you play croquet, where you might play, who will win, or what exciting things will happen. It is always a wild adventure; a battle of perseverance, intelligence, and strategy.

But, are those things cool? Of course they are. What could be cooler than living spontaneously, not knowing what is going to happen next? Some call it living on the edge or on the wild side of life. You can play croquet anytime, anywhere, for nothing. Then you add in the competition, cold, merciless and heartless as you roquet a competitor’s ball off of the field or they roquet yours. Finally there is the glory of winning, the glory of having utterly defeated all of your opponents, crushing them under your foot. Is that not cool? I think it’s cool.

Now, I know croquet may not be for everyone. Not everyone can be cool, I guess. But for those out there who would like to be cool, to live wildly and spontaneously, to experience the fierce, relentless, and merciless competition, I would suggest getting a croquet set and playing croquet. If you would like, you can even play in the mountains by a large cliff, to add some more excitement, if any can possibly be added to such an extreme game.

Well, it was cool to play croquet while I was in high school. It is also cool to play in college. If you are really one who likes to be wild and cool and live on the edge, you can play croquet professionally. There are several thousand professional croquet players in North America today, and the number is rapidly growing. The competition is fierce, the players merciless, and the sport a little crazy. Like I said before, croquet is not for everyone. It takes a special breed of people to live such a wild and exciting life. But is sure is a cool one. Croquet is cool!

Peter Jay is a Vice President with Yard Game Central and a manager and web administrator with PlayCroquet.com. For more information about croquet sets, visit PlayCroquet.com.

Marble game — is it only a game for kids or regular sport branch? Most people remember this game from their young years. But today there are many prestigious marble tournaments around the world every year. In this article I will take a look at some facts about marble tournaments and show you how can you represent your country in these very popular events. Please keep in mind that even thought I will speak about international tournaments, you are welcome to participate!

Marble tournaments are most popular in Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Slovak Republic) and America (United States, Canada, Brazil). If you look around you will find various rules of marble game. In the Europe most countries prefer hole game (players shoot marbles to the hole), in America and United Kingdom the game called Ringer is more popular (the object of the game is to shoot small marbles in the ring out of the ring by shooter, a bigger marble). Some countries play both, hole game and Ringer (e. g. Deutsches Murmelrat – the German marble federation – has four different games).

Many marble tournaments are held in the Czech Republic. In 2002, 2003 and 2004 the Czech Marble Federation organised international tournament called Czech Open.

One year later, in 23 – 24 July 2005, the first World Marbles Championship in individual hole game took place in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It was played on Strelecky Ostrov, the island in the Prague center. After 2 days of serious matches was known the world champion — Svatoslav Sterba from the Czech Republic.

The second World Marbles Championship will take place in Prague too, in 22 – 23 July 2006. In fact, the participants can come sooner and enjoy the beauties of Prague and its neighbourhood. The sportground at Strelecky Ostrov is available 24/7 for training and on Friday evening, 21 July, there will official training take place.

On Saturday, 22 July, there will be opening ceremony and the championship will start by matches in groups. On Sunday it will continue by double elimination system. This day will be most important for all players because one of them will become of the world champion!

But World Marbles Championship is not only strong competition. There is enough time to discover some of hundreds sightseeings, go shopping or go to the pub with players from another countries. Because the organizers signed up a contract with quality accommodation facility, marble players can stay as long as they want and pay only 8 – 16 EUR per night.

As I said, even thought you are not professional marble player, you are welcome to come to Prague and participate! There are many countries where are marbles played by children but nobody organize the tournaments. Now you have tho opportunity to change it – come to represent your country and play with participants from another countries. For more information about World Marbles Championship and marble game rules visit official website of the Czech Marble Federation at http://www.kulicky.com/world-marbles-championship .

Golf fitness evaluation can be an invaluable tool in helping any golfer to assess where they currently stand and thus help them reach a decision of what they can do to improve.

It is now an accepted fact amongst golf experts that an improvement in golf fitness almost always means an amazing improvement in the quality and standard of play by any golfer, whether in the junior level or a senior citizen, and irrespective of whether they are male or female.

In the old days it was rare for golfers to think of anything like golf fitness evaluation. In fact the word “exercise” could have been classified as a dirty word in golf.

In those days golf was considered a gentleman’s game where most played an almost entire game while hardly breaking into a sweat. Therefore exercises and golf fitness evaluation programs were virtually unheard of. But times have changed.

The modern game has changed and golf-specific exercises are the rule rather than the exception amongst professionals and so are golf fitness evaluations.

Even amongst amateur golfers who are serious about improving their game, it is important to do an evaluation of ones’ golf fitness. Without any evaluation of your current golf fitness level followed by some concrete action, like joining a golf exercise program, chances of enjoying your golf game are very slim and the possibility of you improving your handicap are close to nil. This is because increasingly you will find yourself playing against golfers involved in golf exercise programs.

In fact recent research has clearly proved that as golfers who do not exercise, grow older, their game deteriorates making it a more and more frustrating experience rather than the enjoyable leisure activity they may have known for years.

It is now becoming increasingly clear by the day that golf fitness evaluation are set to become even more commonplace and a vital tool to help golfers take the necessary action to improve on their game.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is the featured expert for Golf Magazine’s GolfOnline.com site, one of the top golf performance experts in the country, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. Take a look at his just released golf fitness dvds and manual at his golf swing tips site – Perform Better Golf.

Before any golfer, pro or otherwise, picks up a club, they look at the capability of their body versus the requirements of the swing.

What exactly does this mean?

Most of us are aware that golf requires rotation at the hip joints, shoulder joints and spine. So, what if a golfer has a very tight low back or any restrictions in their shoulders? Well, the obvious answer is that any loss of range of motion creates swing flaws in addition to injuries. This is a fact based on human performance and movement. It is also necessary to create a fluid and natural golf swing. Not only does golf require good rotation at each joint, but it must be efficient and explosive.

Last fall I had the opportunity to visit such a human performance center where some of the more famous tour players train. I was able to explore the same tests they take as part of their initial assessment period. Remember since we are all built differently and have different strengths and weaknesses, we all test differently.

The results of these tests help guide, direct and prioritize any training program moving forward. How successful is this approach to golf conditioning? I watched it place a green jacket on a well deserving young player just a couple of years ago.

What exactly do you test for?

Muscle strength. Evaluate each significant muscle group. Are there any significant differences between your left side and your right side?

Range of Motion. Do you have adequate range of motion in the joints which most affect the golf swing? How does your lower body look versus your upper body? Does your left side match the flexibility in your right?

Core strength and endurance. Do you know how to properly engage your core region? If so, for how long?

Aerobic capacity and endurance. Do you have what it takes to last through a solid 18 holes? Is there an opportunity for improvement?

Balance. Do you have proper balance? Do you know what normal balance for golf looks like?

Physical assessment tests similar are commonly used by the top touring pros today. These tests are being offered at some of the top golf performance centers and will surely be the wave of the future. It is your true understanding of your relative strengths and weaknesses that creates opportunities for immediate and sound improvement in your game.

Susan Hill is a Golf Fitness Expert, Sports Nutritionist and President of FitnessforGolf.com. For more information on how to properly assess your golf specific strengths and weaknesses, visit www.fitnessforgolf.com.

How many of you have gone to the local pro shop or golf store, bought the latest and greatest club, and found that it did not help your scores at all?

I imagine all of us can say yes to this question at some point in our golfing careers. The reality of this situation is that new clubs will not necessarily improve your game. Don’t get me wrong! I enjoy getting new clubs just like you. I get all excited when I get a new driver, putter, or even golf balls and cannot wait to head to the range to hit them.

What if I told you that there was a simple solution to improve your game? Some of you may be telling me; “yeah right, whatever, heard it before, and it is not true”.

Well, I am here to tell you there is a way to improve your golf game.

It is not a secret; it is not some new fangled training aide, or ancient golfing philosophy. I like to reference it as P.P.T. and this stands for PROPER PRACTICE TIME. Yes, the only way to improve your golf game is practice! And proper practice is even more important.

How many times do you go to the range and see someone purchase a jumbo bucket of balls and without warming up, pull out driver and start smacking balls all over the range. How well is this going to improve your game? I am sure most of you would agree to the notion; “not very well”.

This is simply improper practice, and to truly get better at this game you must practice properly. What do I mean by proper practice? Well, let me tell you.

If you have ever heard Dave Pelz speak on the Golf Channel, he often discusses statistics in relation to successful shot making. This describes the percentage of probability that a shot can be hit successfully.

For example, if you are staring down a fairway 20 yards wide, and pull out driver. What is the probability of this shot being successful? Probably quite low for any golfer, and given what Pelz discusses, it is best to stick with shots that have the greatest probability of being successful. In the example above, I would guess a 3-wood, 5-wood, or 3-iron has a higher probability of success.

Additionally, Pelz also discusses the statistical breakdown of shots made in a typical round of golf. For example, more shots are made within 100 yards to the hole than are off the tee box. I would also guess that more putts are made in a round than tee shots. Given this statistical breakdown of shots during a round, Pelz suggests that your practice time mimic the requirements of a round of golf.

This is where the notion of PROPER PRACTICE TIME comes into play. Knowing such statistics and abiding by the idea of practicing the shots most commonly made during a round, what would you suggest to be the breakdown of your practice time?

I think we can easily state that time on the practice range should be set up with most attention spent on putting and your short game. Putting and short game (100 yards to the hole) is where the majority of shots on a course are made, so why not spend more practice time on this part of the game? Most of us would probably agree and speaking with most any swing coach, they will say that more strokes are saved on and around the green then off the tee box.

But what do many of us do with our practice time? We spend maybe 5 minutes on the practice green, after hitting driver for 25 minutes, and maybe we will chip a couple at the end of our practice session. Knowing what you know, how beneficial will this type of practice routine help in the overall improvement of your golf game? Not very well at all.

If you follow the advice of Dave Pelz, and watch how touring pros practice. You will probably shift gears and practice putting, short game, sand game, and other facets of the game in a descending order.

Think about it and ask yourself how shots would you of saved in your last round if you were a better putter, short game, or sand player? I am guessing at least one or two. One or two shots a round can be the difference between an 88 and 90, or an 81 and 79. Much different scores if you ask me. Don’t forget about your handicap and what 2 strokes saved a round can do to that number.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.