Small Business Credit Card Advantages

Obtaining a business credit card enables the small business owner to separate personal expenses from business expenses. Offering business credit cards to their employees eliminates the need for employees to use their personal credit cards or cash to make company purchases. Employees using a business credit card will not need to fill out expense statements, wait for approval and reimbursement from their company. Transactions are itemized and reported on quarterly statements that make it easy for management to make changes if needed. Business credit cards can be provided to the employees with preset spending limit and helps in controlling employee spending.

One of the main advantages of a business credit card is that it provides efficiency and control over company expenses by consolidating individual expenses. Instead of receiving a flood of invoices and expense statements, the company can receive one expense statement each quarter with itemized employee expense. Also business credit card companies can provide an itemized year-end statement with summary of all transactions. This enables the manager to track expenses very clearly and also simplifies the figuring out of the company tax return.

Business credit cards offer many benefits such as 0% intro APR on your balance transfers and purchases, cash back rewards on business purchases, business travel rewards, no annual fee, online account management and discount on everyday business purchases plus a host of other features and benefits. These bonuses and rewards can lower the company expenses and add up to a significant amount of savings for the company. An important feature of business credit card is the ability to build the company credit standing and receive incremental increases in credit line and cash flow over time.

With a business credit card, employees are less likely to make impulse purchase, because they are aware that the business credit card is company property and should not be used to make personal purchases. Avoid mismanagement of your business credit card by always making payment on time thus avoiding late fees and higher interest rate. Make sure you read and understand the terms of use of your small business credit card.

Keeping Chickens For Beginners

People who do not have experience in cultivating livestock do not have to worry since you can easily go about it. Experience maybe an advantage but not necessarily a prerequisite. You will be surprised that keeping chickens for beginners can be as easy as ABC. You just have to be aware of some important points which will help you to slowly get the hang of it. As you go through the whole process, remember that every step is a crucial one. This will help you to get a better understanding of the basics of raising poultry.

The first thing you should do is to assess the main reason why you have decided to get into this kind of industry. A lot of questions are probably running in your mind right now and you will surely get the answers as you learn more about it. Remember that passion gives you the drive to learn and improve yourself. Same thing goes with keeping chickens; you need to be passionate about what you are doing to yield good outcomes. It will be difficult for you to raise them properly if you are not even interested. People who engage in this type of industry are truly passionate about it.

Once you are certain about your purpose and you have already decided to commit to the craft then the next thing to do is select the right type of breed for your flock. Your intended purpose will be the basis of the selection. Be aware that there are three types of breeds available. These are the egg laying stock, meat-type birds and dual purpose breeds. Each of these birds is genetically cultivated to serve a specific purpose.

You will now have to decide how you would want to cultivate them. You have an option of caging them within a pen or let them enjoy the beauty of nature. If you have very limited space 3-4 hens is a good number to start with. You do not actually need a large number all at once. Do not forget that you are still learning you will need enough experience to accommodate a larger flock. In the meantime, try to go about a smaller group and learn from it. A larger space is a more conducive area since it will give them enough room. Allowing them to grow in their own habitat is proven to be an effective means of developing them properly. Also, you need to construct a coop to house your flock. Even if you decided to raise free range birds you will still need to have one.

When you have completely satisfied all the basic requirements of raising livestock then it is now safe to say that you are good to go. Keeping chickens for beginners is truly something you would look forward to. The idea of being challenge into doing something you are not used to makes it all the more interesting.

Disney Virtual Magic Kingdom - Happiest Virtual Place On Earth

An Alternative

With a personal computer and an internet connection, you can get close to the real thing-this is Disney Virtual Magic Kingdom, one of the 'happiest places in the world wide web.' As a representation of the actual theme park, VMK will provide you with games and sections patterned after the attractions seen on the park itself. Just imagine a virtual version of Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and Adventureland; that's VMK.

To be a player, you must first create an account. Just log in at http://www.vmk.com and follow the instructions. From there, you can customize your account by setting-up a character. This process includes the selection of clothes, gender, facial features and skin tone. You can also establish your own guest room that may be furnished with game items, posters and other materials. But you must remember that the site will only provide you with one free room. If you want to expand your room, you must purchase the same. No real money will be used, so your parents need not be troubled. The players will use in-game credits to acquire stuff from the site or from other players.

Putting much weight on your safety, the staff will keenly monitor you. In addition, Disney Virtual Magic Kingdom has rules that must be followed or as it's called the 'VMK Values.' If you're caught violating any of the rules, you may be banned from the site forever.

The Environment

Disney Virtual Magic Kingdom provides rooms where you can interact with your fellow players, though each room can only accommodate 15 characters max. The 16th player who wants to enter the room must wait in queue. If you don't want to stare at the screen while waiting for you to be admitted, you may ask for a free VMK pass. This pass will allow you to be in two places at the same time -- in line and somewhere else. You may even opt to wander around the site and explore or read the FAQ.

You are given a free guest room where you can personalize by installing a rug, placing a couch, adding some photos even putting up water fountains. To reiterate, first one is free, but for the succeeding rooms you'll be charged. Not only can you create the design of your room, you can create games as well.

As room owner, you have the 'admin power' to select who can come in, who can participate and who will be thrown out. A command for giving the boot may be found under the (annoying) player's profile. Just like in any other locations, there's always a VIP. In VMK, the VIP hangs in the exclusive 'Club 33.' Staff can readily use the room but you're only able to rent such room if you win the award for best room, which is handed on a weekly basis.

The Exciting Games

The site boasts a wide range of games from Magic Checkers to big screen inspired games like the Pirates of the Caribbean. Each area has its own games that will cater to every player. Do you like ghost hunting? How about trading cards? Looking for actions games? They're all here at Disney Virtual Magic Kingdom.

Panick Attack Facts

..."I felt I was laid back until I had a panic attack..." They are frightening and can feel like a heart problem, but there are ways to stop and prevent panic attacks.

Panic facts:

- At least one in ten people suffer from occasional panic attacks.

- The attacks themselves are not dangerous, but without treatment they may lead to depression or phobias in the long-term.

- Women are twice as likely as men to be affected by panic disorder.

Recognizing a panic attack - Panic attacks can be extremely frightening, but understanding what is happening is the first step towards beating the condition. The first thing to know is that although the symptoms are very real and psychical, not imagined, they are not life-threatening. However awful you feel at the time it will pass. A panic attack is a sudden rush of overwhelming fear that causes a range of physical symptoms often associated with hyperventilating. Attacks can occur at any time, often without warning - you may not even feel uneasy or upset before they happen. Because of their unpredictable nature, you may suffer intense anxiety between attacks, as you feel as though you're waiting for them to happen.

Symptoms can include several of the following:

- Dizziness or feeling faint

- Palpitations and/or increased heart rate

- Sweating, trembling or shaking

- Difficulty breathing

- Feeling of choking or nausea

- Chest pain

- Numbness or tingling sensations

- Chills or hot flushes

- Feelings of unreality and detachment

- Fear of losing control

- Fear of dying

- A sense of danger and an urge to escape

- An attack can last between a few seconds to ten minutes, and can recur for up to two hours

Where to get help and how to solve the problem.

Telling the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack - because many of the symptoms mirror those of a heart attack, it can be difficult to tell them apart. The most common symptom that isn't usually present in a panic attack is extreme pain. Pain in the centre of the chest that lasts longer than few minutes, or in the upper body parts - arm, neck, jaw or stomach - is one sign of a heart attack. But if you're in doubt, especially if you haven't had a panic attack before, you should seek immediate medical attention and can call NHS Direct. Panic attacks can be incredibly debilitating if you don't seek help. They can affect your work and relationships and, if left unchecked can increase you risk of clinical depression.

What causes them? - Panic attacks can be caused by a variety of things, including a traumatic experience such as bereavement, or a life change such as having children. They can also be caused by an unpleasant experience - for instance, a work presentation that went wrong. Diet can also play a role. fasting or eating fatty foods, which cause blood sugar levels to spike, can cause attacks, as can prescription medicines - such as asthma drugs - and caffeine, alcohol an recreational drugs.

Instant fix - Very many attacks are accompanied by hyperventilation or over-breathing, which is caused by breathing too fast. This disturbs the body's balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The sensation that result can be very unpleasant but breathing properly can really help.

Try one of these exercises:

- Breathe in and out of a paper bag, which causes you to re-inhale the carbon dioxide you breath out. Never use a plastic bag.

- Hold your breath for as long as you comfortably can (around 15 seconds) to prevent the dissipation of carbon dioxide. Repeat until your breathing is regular.

- Go for a brisk walk or jog while breathing in and out your nose.

Best Foods For Climbing Training

Rock climbing is an intense sport that requires not only physical training to stay in shape but also proper nutrition to maintain that good physical condition. Good nutrition plays a very important role in climbing training, allowing climbers to avoid injuries, perform at their peak, and maintain optimum fitness levels. Here are some general nutrition guidelines to consider:

Try to eat foods that are as fresh as possible for nutrient quality. The more processed a food, the less nutritional value it has. You want to go for food that is going to provide you with the most energy. Complex carbohydrates are your best choice and include such items as whole grain breads and pastas, brown rice and vegetables. All of these foods are a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. When considering protein choices, consider lean meats such as chicken, turkey and fish. Beef is fine as long as you choose extra leans cuts. Don't overlook the high protein, low fat benefits of foods like tofu, cottage cheese and eggs. Many climbers like to use whey protein as well, making it into shakes or adding it to cereal or other cooking. It is low in fat and is one of the nearly complete protein foods available. Don't completely shy away from fat, just be sure to choose the right kind. The good fats contain much needed fatty acids that the body needs to stay healthy. Nuts, avocados, olives and cold water fish are good choices. If these foods don't appeal to you, fish oil supplements are a great alternative. As with all healthy diets, a rock climbing training diet must include plenty of water each day, and this is especially true when climbing. Staying hydrated is a vital element of strength and endurance. While some sports drinks are suitable for hydration, others that contain excess sugar, fructose or glucose should be avoided. Endurance is vital to successful climbing and one way to develop staying power and avoid fatigue, is to keep your insulin levels steady. Though a spike in insulin may make you fell energized at first, you will begin to feel tired as the spike levels off. It is far better to avoid sugar spikes and keep things level. This is most easily done by eating smaller meals at shorter intervals. It's recommended that you eat every three to four hours to regulate sugar levels. In spite of all your best efforts to eat well and stay in top physical condition, you are bound to find yourself feeling hungry or weak during a long climb, or when good food choices are unavailable. For these times, it is valuable to keep a meal replacement bar or shake on hand. A multi vitamin supplement is always a good idea just to boost up those vitamins and minerals that could be lacking in your diet.

Three Commentaries on Poetry (In English and Spanish)

The Poet's Shoes

(Nowadays :)

--To understand some poetry, or poets, one must have experienced what the poet has--identical experiences; or you must be shaped like the poet--, the exceptions are from the old school of poetry--one shoe fits all (thus, understanding the theme, plot and insight of poetry becomes much easier); from the contemporary scene, you must have the same shoe size of the poet to understand where the poet is leading you, and in poetry the poet should have a destination for the reader--lest he doesn't care (and he should).

--The poet survives perhaps because he or she is oblivious (or not connected so much) to the world, and all its compulsions (suicide is often on the other side of this coin, if not drugs and alcohol).

--Poetry has accomplished something if it causes one to mull over it...; stretching this a little further, there is (it seems) coming a day (not so far off in the future), when poets will not even need to know a thing about literature (most don't today); yet poetry is (or should be) considered the highest form of literature.

--Most poets write about love and death--which perhaps are the two main ingredients (or themes) to poetry; some write on social issues, which make for bad poetry; but it is "Beauty" that shines above everything, and that is often, too often over looked in place of self-interest, or a combination of negative delirious confusing thoughts put into writing by a poet under the influence of some kind of chemical. One can get a high off the beauty that surrounds them.

Last words: we as poets should not forget, we influence people, young people in particular, and owe an obligation to (if not duty to), set a good example by the way we live and write.

Written in the Plaza de Armas, Huancayo, Peru, 10:00 AM, Wednesday, 9-19-2006

Note: Read by Eduardo Cardenas Jr. on the Radio Universitaria (UNCP-Universidad Nacional del Centro del Peru) Huancayo, Peru; also Publisher in the "Primicia", issue dated 1 October, 2006

Versión en español

Un Comentario sobre Poesía por: Dennis L. Siluk

Los Zapatos del Poeta

( Hoy en día:)

--Para entender algo de poesía, o a los poetas, hay que haber experimentado lo que el poeta ha pasado--experiencias idénticas; o haber sido formado como poeta--, las excepciones son de la vieja escuela de poesía--de que un zapato encaja a todos (así, entendiendo el tema, el argumento y la perspicacia de poesía se hace mucho más fácil). En la escena contemporánea, debes tener el mismo número de zapato del poeta para entender dónde el poeta te conduce, y en la poesía el poeta debería tener una destinación para el lector--a no ser que él no se preocupe (pero él debería).

--El poeta sobrevive quizás porque él o ella están inconscientes (o no están unidos tanto) al mundo, y a todas sus compulsiones (el suicidio está a menudo al otro lado de esta moneda, o las droga y el alcohol).

--La poesía ha logrado algo si ésta causa que uno reflexione sobre ésta...; exagerando esto un poco diría que, habrá (parece) un día que vendrá (no muy lejos en el futuro), cuando los poetas no tendrán que conocer algo sobre literatura (la mayoría no lo sabe hoy); aunque la poesía es (o debería ser) considerada la forma más alta de literatura.

--La mayoría de los poetas escriben sobre amor y muerte--que quizás son los dos ingredientes (o temas) principales en la poesía; algunos escriben sobre cuestiones sociales, lo que hace que la poesía no sea buena; pero es "La Belleza" la que brilla sobre todo, y a menudo, o muchas veces, es ignorada a cambio de intereses propios, o por una combinación de pensamientos negativos delirantes confusos puestos en la escritura por un poeta bajo la influencia de una especie de sustancia química. Uno puede inspirarse en la belleza que a uno lo rodea.

Palabras Finales: nosotros como poetas no deberíamos olvidar, que nosotros influenciamos en la gente, en los jóvenes en particular, y tenemos una obligación con ellos (o un deber con ellos), demos un buen ejemplo por la forma en que vivimos y escribimos.

Escrito en Plaza de Armas de Huancayo, Perú, a las 10:00 AM, miércoles, 20-septiembre-2006.

Nota: Leído por Eduardo Cárdenas en Radio Universitaria (UNCP-Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú) Huancayo, Perú.

A Commentary on Poetry by: Dennis L. Siluk

Substance of the Poem (Part II)

Some folks have said--substance in the poem does not matter--? I question that (even though, seldom do we know poets who know the reason for their poetry. Often when they reread their own poetry, they have forgotten what reason he might have originally had (had he any at all)), no substance for recollections.

--Curious speculation tells me, a poem has to have substance to survive...!

--Perhaps there is too much fumbling around by too many poets--using modern verse (for an excuse) to escape a theme or insight for a poem.

--In writing a poem, like anything in life, one must have a plan, destination (where do you want to take your reader?).

--A poem perhaps is the secret life of the poet; his black twin, his detached self--this is too often the case. Thus, the poet and poem become more of a riddle of despair than a work of art. You either sink or rise with the poet and his poem. That is, sink into dark perversion, or rise into a beautiful fire of emotion.

--Healthy poetry is almost unseen, and becoming unnatural nowadays, but it will uplift you, make you re-read it, and the best critic in reading poetry is the reader--and the best evaluator is the poet.

Versión en español

Un Comentario sobre Poesía por: Dennis L. Siluk

Sustancia del Poema (Parte II)

Algunas personas han dicho--que la sustancia en el poema no importa-- ¿? Yo discuto esto (aun cuando, raras veces conocemos a poetas que saben la razón de su poesía. A menudo cuando ellos releen su propia poesía, han olvidado que razón pudieron tener al principio (si es que tuvieron alguna en absoluto)), ningún fundamento para recuerdos.

-- ¡La especulación curiosa me dice que, un poema tiene que tener sustancia para sobrevivir...!

-- Quizás hay mucha hurga alrededor por muchos poetas--usando verso moderno (como una excusa) para escapar de un tema o conocimiento de un poema.

-- Al escribir un poema, como todo en la vida, uno tiene que tener un plan, una destinación (¿a dónde quieres llevar a tu lector?).

-- Un poema quizás es la vida secreta del poeta; su gemelo negro, su yo separado--esto es muy a menudo el caso. Así, el poeta y el poema se vuelven más un enigma de desesperación que una obra de arte. Tú, te hundes o te elevas con el poeta y su poema. Es decir, te hundes en la perversión oscura, o te elevas en un fuego hermoso de emoción.

-- Casi no se ve poesía sana hoy en día, y se hace un poco anormal, pero esta te elevará, hará que lo releas, y el mejor crítico en la lectura de poesía es el lector--y el mejor evaluador es el poeta.

The Poet's: "harawi!" (Part III)

We are a people of personality, appealing or not, it is who we are; we can be mystic, skeptical, a fugitive deeply in love, an isolated person--whom it beocmes painful to socialize with others. We express in tones of maculinity, or otherwise--; there is something ancient, to this: a voice of force--but seldom does it comfort....

There is a tone in the Andes (also)--old poets often have used it in the past--("harawi"),a mystical inward compulsion, or complait. Call it folk-form, of the Andes (Vallejo knew it well); it is an echo for modern surrealism--. Poetry in this form can make deperate things alive, like God pointing his finger; or Sastan whispering to Judas....

In Poetry, metaphore is matched by skill or talent, the poet--the poor man with his verse and voice sees through himself: the ruminates, the unimaginable--that is his "harawi".

Written 10-3-2006, in the Plaza de Arms, Huancayo, Peru, 12:30 PM, #1489

Disability Insurance Quotes - Why Are They Important?

"It will never happen to me" is an extremely popular phrase that has persuaded people around the world directly into thinking that they have no requirement for disability insurance. It's not a sensible mind-set, when you consider that unusual challenges happen all the time: vehicular, child birth, surgeries...What exactly could you do if one of the aforementioned problems suddenly took place, and then you weren't actually able to pay for those things you needed? Imagine if you could not buy the items your family considered necessary. These are the factors why you have to be set by having an insurance plan, in the event that a problem really takes place.

Way too many times, people are unable to go forward earning a living because of their physical troubles. Always opt for a plan B, if perhaps plan A does not happen. That is why a multitude of consumers are beginning to seize control and purchase coverage, since at some point it may possibly happen to you. You are no exception.

It is no question that when you want to look for disability quotes, you desire to find the best attainable coverage and price. If you are possibly not hunting for the lowest priced, and ideal plan, what might be the point of trying to find disability quotes in the first place? There would definitely be no reason whatsoever to keep on looking after you located the first insurance agency. But most of people do not have vast amounts of money to shell out for disability insurance policies; if everyone did, we might not need the insurance from the get go.

Selecting the best carrier for your unique circumstances isn't necessarily an easy task, simply because it requires a lot of time and investigation. Then again, the World Wide Web provides plenty of good alternatives for you when you want to locate long term disability insurance quotes or perhaps short-term quotes.

The thing that almost everyone on the lookout for inexpensive insurance prices have to fully understand is that often providers with the largest volume of buyers don't invariably offer the preferred plan for you, and they're not necessarily the most affordable. Sometimes, the most suitable insurance policies may even come by means of smaller-sized insurance carriers which also have a limited amount of buyers. Take note that firms, irrespective of how big or compact, are hoping to earn an income.

You will discover 4 vital features that disability insurance plans have: the chance to renew yearly, built-in rule-outs, the description on their approval of disabilities, as well as the exact definition of residual disability. Your distinctive policy needs and wants are actually what you should bear in mind whenever studying packages coming from insurance carriers. It's always safe to say that normally the greater the plan, the greater it is; it does not matter how big or little the agency is going to be. This is why the old expression addresses the honest truth: "You get that which you pay for." Never allow insurers tell you differently. There's really no such item as 100 % free protection or coverage.

And finally, you will need to take into consideration the reality that although you may find cheap disability insurance quotes, they will often not even insure each of the things you require them to deal with. Always go with a top-notch insurance corporation that you really feel confident in putting your hard earned money into. Some insurance agents actually buy hot insurance leads, so in case you ever get a call from one, it most likely doesn't hurt to pay attention. But without exceptions, it's always best to keep your hard earned cash beneath your mattress rather than squander it on a company that will constantly try their utmost to not have to pay for one's disability claims when you find yourself injured. Make sure to stay away from all of these providers when inquiring about free of charge quotes for disability insurance.

Book Review of 'Keynes Hayek' by Nicholas Wapshott

Keynes Hayek by Nicholas Wapshott, WW Norton, 2011, 382 pp.

In one of those delicious coincidences that history sometimes throws up, two of the greatest economists of the twnethieth century took turns on the roof of Kings College to watch out for Nazi planes intent on bombing the venerable ivory towers of Cambridge University. The Nazi bombers never came. Nevertheless, in 1942, when John Maynard Keynes and Frederick Hayek took their turn as firemen on the roof, they used those quiet hours to plan the new economic order that each hoped would dominate the post-war world.

Keynes at the time was working for the Chancellor of the Exchequer. A wealthy man, he took no salary, instead considering his work as noblesse oblige. Hayek, too, would have loved nothing more than to contribute to the war effort. However, as an Austrian, he was not trusted, and his numerous efforts to get a job with the government were rebuffed.

So while Keynes immersed himself in the war effort, Hayek planned another battle, which he called the "war of ideas." During the 1930s, Keynesian economics had become the orthodoxy, in which government priming demands was considered the best way to deal with economic downturns. That meant governments pumping money into the economy, printing more as necessary to stimulate necessity for goods and services. In the wake of the Great Depression, this remedy was picked up by many Western governments and historians who believed that Keynes's economic ideas would lift the world out of the Depression. Hayek, however, disagreed. During the 1930s, he engaged in running battles with Keynes, in which he argued that the markets, if allowed to run free, would sort out the peaks and troughs of the economy. Moreover, he argued that government interference had worsened and prolonged the Depression.

In the wake of the global financial crisis, the debates on the role of governments in managing the economy could not be more relevant. In Keynes Hayek, Nicholas Wapshott not only replays many of the arguments between Hayek and Keynes, but also brings these two men to life. The picture he provides throws up some surprises.

Keynes was a complex character, whose mercurial intellect overwhelmed those he met. Even Hayek was intimidated by Keynes. Recalling his first meeting, Hayek explained, "He had a habit of going like a steamroller over a young man who opposed him. But if you stood up against him, he respected you for the rest of your life. We remained, although we differed in economics, friends till the end." Hayek did stand up to Keynes, and they became unlikely friends. And so, while Hayek regarded Keynes as a mediocre economist, he stood in awe of his intellect, even expressing admiration for his books for "their outspokenness and independence of thought." Although Keynes died in 1946, Hayek continued to wage his war of ideas, and by the 1980s, the neoliberals, who accepted Hayek's free-market ideas, were in the ascent in both London and Washington. Since the onset of the global financial crisis, the conflict between the ideas of these two great economists has gained new relevance.

Wapshott's book strips away the mythologies that have grown up around these two men, promoted by left- and right-wing ideologies. We discover that Keynes did support the free market and believed that governments should only intervene in extraordinary circumstances. He shone in business, and his investments made him a very wealthy man. Hayek, on the other hand, never worked outside academia and was hopeless in managing his financial affairs.

For me, perhaps the most surprising discovery was that Hayek was not opposed to social welfare, and had he been alive today, may even have supported "Obamacare." Writing in 1944 in The Road to Serfdom, Hayek remarked that wealthy nations could afford to provide their citizens with "a comprehensive system of social insurance in providing for those common hazards of life against which few can make adequate provision."

Wapshott does an excellent job bringing both men to life. While it takes little to show Keynes as a larger-than-life figure, the author has done an outstanding job in seeking out interesting anecdotes on Hayek, who is a much duller character. Although the author tries to be even-handed, Keynes is really the star of this book.

If the book has a fault, it is the lack of attention to Keynes's contribution to Bretton Woods, which Wapshott devotes a bare half-dozen pages. Nor is there any mention of Hayek's reaction to Keynes's model of a new economic order. In light of the spread of globalization, Wapshott failure to discuss the last chapter of The Road to Serfdom is titled "The Prospects of International Order." Is inexplicable

Wapshott also fails to describe how Hayek helped forge a generation of ideological warriors who championed free-market economics and overturned the Keynesian orthodoxy. While Wapshott does mention the Mont Pelerin Society, he neglects to give an account of Hayek's influence over Antony Fisher, who created a model for a neoliberal think-tank that was replicated in the US, UK, and other western countries and should be credited with inspiring the free-market policies of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.

At the end of the book we see that Hayek lived in the ivory tower of theories, which made his ideas ill-adapted to the world of practical policies. While he lived to see the Thatcher and Reagan neoliberal revolutions, he never took credit for them. Too much of a purist, he felt that his ideas were never taken seriously. On the other hand, Keynes was the ultimate pragmatist. When questioned on his lack of consistency, Keynes replied: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" Now that we live in an uncertain world where circumstances constantly evolve, I think I would rather have a dose of Keynes's pragmatism than one of Hayek's purist economic prescriptions.

Tips on Ordering Basketball Uniforms For AAU Leagues and Tournaments

AAU is one of the most prestigious athletic organizations you can participate in. High school coaches and college scouts alike recognize the talent that comes from the Amateur Athletic Union and its members. Joining a team or forming your own AAU team to participate in competitive leagues and tournaments is easy. There are some requirements which you should follow when ordering uniforms though. The next few paragraphs provide a basic outline on what to follow when designing and purchasing basketball uniforms:

Home and Away Sets: This is where the initial cost first comes in. The AAU requires that teams have a "home" and "away" jersey to participate in league play. This is quite surprising, considering the high school I played for only had 1 uniform for both. There are ways around this to make better use of the team budget when being required to have two separate uniforms:

1. Order reversibles! As long as one side is light, and the other is dark, a reversible will suffice in most AAU district leagues. Typically, the reversibles can get a little heavy, although a reputable uniform company will have means to manufacture a lighter uniform to solve this issue. You can also choose to sublimate or screenprint the jerseys instead of tackle-twill to take some of the weight off.

2. Order a reversible jersey with standard short. Some uniform companies offer the option of purchasing a reversible jersey with a single sided standard short to match the jersey design. This is a cost cutter versus ordering a full reversible because typically the single-sided shorts are much less expensive than having a reversible.

3. Order two jerseys and one short to match both. If weight becomes an issue, or the age group participating is under the 9/10 range, you can always order two separate jerseys and a short to match. You can get a short color that matches the color scheme both jerseys, or get a reversible short to go with either. The guarantees the jerseys won't be AS heavy as the reversibles and may even be a relief on team mom's not having to wash the same uniform over and over again!

Customization Customization is a crucial part of the AAU uniform. Unlike middle and high school play, most AAU districts allow the team to have unlimited customization on the uniform. The kids feel great, look professional, and most of the time this translates to them playing a little bit better! Basketball is the most "flashy" of all sports uniforms, so get creative with piping, accents, sublimation, and logos. A reputable uniform company should be able to provide you a unique design from scratch, and allow you to add just about any thing you want to the uniform.

Numbering: Numbering can generally be either tackle-twill, screen-print, or sublimation. But, once again, districts do vary, but most follow the following rules (quoted from the NJ AAU girls basketball website): "Each player shall be numbered on the front and back of the shirt with plain Arabic numerals.

The following numbers are legal: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 00, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55. (But double zero and zero cannot both be used for the same team) The number shall be at least 6 inches high on the back and at least 4 inches high on the front and not less than 3/4-inch width."

I hope this helps all you AAU coaches and interested participants out there!