FlirtJerk asked:


There are many traits that attract a woman. What women want is someone who is genuine. A man who loves himself as well as loves her. Perhaps it is safe to say that a woman loves a man who doesn’t try to be something he isn’t. I think that all people are like that.

One very important trait that attract women is being a charmer but one that is real. In other words, don’t use your Casanova charm on her then turn around and use it on another woman. If you do, you are a player. She needs to feel like you want to just charm her and no one else. A woman needs emotional security and when you can show her that she is safe with you, you are bound to keep her.

Another wonderful trait that will attract a woman is how you love others. Do you genuinely love children or volunteering for your local fire station. Also, this must be a trait that is real, not just to impress her. A woman loves a man who is a nurturer, because they are natural born nurturers.

There is another valuable trait that attract women. That is how you handle certain situations. One thing that is a total turn off for any woman is the fact that a man tries to put the law in his own hands. Handling things in a macho man way is good sometimes, but being a jerk about it, is no way to win her over.

Children and pets, love them. I know, for some of you, this is an awkward request, but hey women love it. Have you ever noticed that woman smile at that man who is walking with his child? There you go, woman love that. You are nurturing a child and that is definitely a trait that attract women.

Being kind hearted is another trait that attract women. When a man can put others in front of himself, he is definitely someone that can become a keeper. Loving others is a quality trait and rare now and days.

Allow her to express her feelings openly and show her that you love her by understanding her and giving her that emotional security that she so desires. Woman need to feel wanted and needed. They need to feel that they are the only one for you. I am sure that you feel the same way. As different as men and women are, they really share a lot of the same qualities!

You will be surprised at how easy it is to win over her heart. Heartfelt sincerity is the absolutely most effective way to not only win her heart but to keep it as well.

I will say that the most important trait to attract women is to listen to her. Try to understand her and respect her. You may not always have the answers and that is okay. All she wants is someone to reassure her that everything will be OK. This is part of that emotional security that was mentioned earlier.

Saurabh Gupta asked:


/>Budget hosting - Getting started guide



This is a quick summary of how to find a budget host, followed by more detailed discussion for those who are interested.



This guide is meant for those who:



- Need a modest hosting plan for a site for a nonprofit / small business / personal / etc.



- Have a budget for hosting of about $8 a month or under - perhaps well under.



- Want a free standing hosting plan (not a reseller plan to aggregate several such sites).



- Find a free plan or ISP web space doesn’t meet their needs.



- Don’t expect lots of extras or handholding.



THE SHORT VERSION:



Well run, reliable hosts can find it worthwhile to offer plans for those with limited needs and budget. Some can make money doing it. Others find that it’s a way to bring in new clients whose needs will grow over time.



It’s good advice to avoid offers that are too good to be true - you often won’t get what you were promised, and neither will the rest of the horde of bargain hunters that overwhelm the host’s servers with their sites. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. You can get a good host on a budget.



- First, try to get some sense of the features, space, and bandwidth you’ll need. If you can come up with even a rough idea, it will help.



- Second, identify some good candidates for hosting. There are enough listed in this article to save you time in coming up with some candidates.



- Third, look for reviews of potential hosts from actual users. As with a restaurant, the quality of a host has a lot to do with the way it’s managed. New hosts might or might not be good; and established hosts can go downhill if the management doesn’t consistently stay on top of things. Service isn’t always perfect, but what separates the good hosts from the bad is how often there are problems, and how the host handles things when something goes wrong.



- Search WebHostingTalk.com. Do a Search of the Web Hosting Forum at WebHostingTalk.com, by searching on the host name. Don’t search on “All Open Forums” - you’ll get too many results that aren’t relevant. You might try a couple variations to allow for different ways people spell - with or without spaces between the words in the name, for example.



- Use FindMyHosting.com to find hosts and reviews of hosts. Their Advanced Search page lets you specify a lot of options, but often it’s best not to narrow it unnecessarily. Just enter your budget and location, and use the “List By Highest Customer Rating” option in the lower right corner. Also, see below for more discussion of FindMyHosting.com



- Google the host’s name, and variations of it, to see what turns up.



Neither of these approaches will find good information on every host, or has all the info on the host - unfortunately, that site doesn’t seem to exist. Many of the hosts mentioned below aren’t listed on FindMyHosting.com. But these resources should help you narrow the list to current good prospects for hosting.



Some U.S. budget hosts that seem promising so far, based on a January 2005 search, roughly in order of price:



E-rice.net - starts at $10/year, features should be good enough for simple sites. No backups, though, so keep that in mind if you have content that changes.



Doorhost.net - plans start at $20/yr.



HostPC - Budget package starts at $25/year.



T otalchoice - budget plan at $4/month.



Site5



Lunarpages



Dreamhost< /a>



Efextra.net - budget windows hosting starting from $4.95/month.



Links



As you might have discovered, most of the web hosting directories on the web are advertising driven - there are no real reviews there. Here are a few places to look for info:



- FindMyHosting. com’s Advanced Search page



- Web Hosting Reviews - not particularly focused on inexpensive hosting, but a number of useful articles and a list of hosts. The Related Sites page has a number of other useful links and sites as well.



- You can sometimes find a good price on a good host or domain registrar at Fa tWallet or the Anandtech Hot Deals forums - search for host, hosting, domain, and so on.



If you do find a particular site valuable when choosing a host, you might try to sign up via their links so they get the referral credit.



DISCUSSION



Narrowing the search:



1. User Forum. A forum discussing the host’s features and any issues that arise can be very useful. You can often find answers to questions that aren’t in the host’s help pages, without needing to contact support. It also gives you a sense for the kind of people you’re dealing with.



2. A whois search on the domain name of the host might give you a sense for whether they look reliable and established.



3. Money back guarantees. Many people recommend choosing a host with a money back guarantee. Maybe. I’d recommend choosing a host where you won’t need the guarantee, if you can! Often it isn’t worth chasing, if you turn out to need it.



4. Features. It’s a little hard to say precisely which features you’ll need for your site, but:



- You can do a nice little site with: Linux hosting, php, mySQL databases (multiple tables or databases), htaccess control, several email boxes, email forwarding, and webmail.



- With that, you can run quite a few things; but if you’re new to hosting you may want some preinstalled or auto installed scripts, too.



- Control panel. A poorly designed control panel (such as the one at 1and1) can make it slow and unwieldy to administer a site.



- Subdomains (help.mydomain.net, store.mydomain.net) can be nice to have.



- Multiple domains. If you need to host more than one domain name (mydomain.net, myotherdomain.org), be sure to check if the plan allows that.



You probably don’t need (and can’t get, on the really inexpensive plans) SSH, root access, or detailed DNS server setup - though if you know what it is you can decide for yourself!



5. Service and support. Look for a reasonable turnaround time (depending on the problem) and basic courtesy (always). And personally, I’d rather have them warn me in adaance about changes and downtime, than worry about how quickly they respond when my site goes down or some new “feature” they installed makes something stop working. Think about what’s fair to expect at the price of the plan you’re looking at. In any case, don’t ask for a lot of handholding - use the forums for that.



6. Does it feel right? This might not work for everyone, but many people get a sense of whether it’s a company they want to do business with. Sometimes it’s a good feeling, sometimes it’s a bad feeling. Don’t sign on with anyone who doesn’t seem capable and straightforward. Contrary to what some people may think, hosting is not a commodity business. There is intense competition, but the quality of management makes some firms a better choice than others.



Domain names



Like others, I always register my domain names at somewhere other than my host, even if it costs more. That allows me to very quickly change hosts if there’s a problem with the site for an unacceptably long time. Changing hosts can often be done in a matter of hours, if need be - see the Changing hosts with Almost NO Downtime thread on WebHostingTalk.com.



Look in the Domain Name Discussions forum for comments on domain registrars. As of January 2005, people seem to recommend godaddy, namecheap or maybe domainsite for inexpensive and reasonably reliable registrations.



The basics



For those new to hosting:



- You will get a shared hosting plan, at this budget. Your site will be one of many on the physical server it is hosted on.



- You will have varying degrees of control and features (depending on the plan you choose), but something less than full control.



- Your site may be affected by the usage of other sites on your server.



None of this is likely to be an acute or long term problem, if you choose a good host.



You may be able to host a couple small sites on one hosting plan, if you don’t mind administering them through one control panel, and your plan allows multiple domains.



If you have several sites you plan to oversee, you may be better off getting a reseller plan to host them all.



FindMyHosting.com



Note that FindMyHosting.com does not list every host. In fact, it only lists those hosts who are currently paying it a referral fee for new clients who find a host using FindMyHosting.com



Some people will have the knee-jerk reaction that’s inherently bad. And, it does have some drawbacks:



- Some good hosts don’t like to pay referral fees, or would just rather get clients by word of mouth. They won’t be in the FindMyHosting.com listings.



- Hosts who get terrible feedback may end their arrangement. All that useful feedback disappears.



But getting a fee if a client finds a host using the site does not completely undermine the fundamental idea of having honest host reviews, as long as they aren’t favoring one host over another, and aren’t trying to make them all look good. There are clearly some candid reviews at FindMyHosting.com. And FindMyHosting.com has bills to pay, too - depending on how much the fee is, it’s not unreasonable for them to get paid.



As always, you need to read the reviews with a critical eye. But FindMyHosting.com is a good supplement to the inevitably anecdotal evidence you often find by turning up a few forum posts here and there about a host.



A note on web host reviews



All comments and reviews of hosts - positive and negative - need to be looked at with a critical eye. And while they might not be exactly reflective of the truth - that doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable. In addition, if interpreted right, they seem to be a useful way to judge the frequency of problems and the way a host handles them. To the extent you can, it’s good to assess whether somebody understands hosting; had reasonable expectations; and took a reasonable approach to solving the problem. If so, I can empathize with them getting “emotional” if the host can’t fix the problem in a reasonable amount of time. That is, maybe people get motivated to post reviews when they’ve had a problem - but most people aren’t going to post the first time they have a little problem, either. It’s usually a big problem that they’ve had real trouble getting solved.



Also, there are no doubt some unreliable positive comments, too - people that haven’t been with a host long enough to tell, and people that are not completely independent of the hosts. So don’t believe all the good reviews, either!



Why this article?



Some of this may seem obvious to the more experienced readers. Sure, lots of people throw out a recommendation to search forums - but search on what? And for how long? Similarly, just mentioning FindMyHosting.com doesn’t really help much. This article would have saved me several hours when I first started looking.



And for those who can’t help but say “Price isn’t everything” - there are decent hosts for these needs and budget. Paying more will not necessarily get you a host that does a better job for these needs.



This article has been adapted for publication from a WebHostingTalk.com thread.

xNightstars asked:

Part two of my new series. Now, just because I’m bored, I’ll say most of my characters are based off of someone I know. Here they are.

Evie - Evie is based off of myself. I can be a very kind person, but get on my bad side and I’m a real jerk sometimes. Heh heh . . .

Chris - Just a character

Amy - Amy, Evie’s friend, is based off of my best friend. She’s a very kind person and wants to be there for Evie in her darkest times. Funny and kind.

Evie’s Mom - Just a character

Connell - One of my best friends who I can’t see that much anymore. He’s nice, funny, and cool to be around.

Song: Kiss the Rain

Debra Berndt asked:


As I watched the debates over the last few weeks, I kept wondering, “Who is telling the truth?” Politicians create their persona and tout their opinions on issues based on what image is going to give them the most votes. The same with dating, most men and women go out on dates with the guise that will provide the best opportunity to get a nod from the object of their affection.

Have you ever dated someone who seemed so nice in the beginning and then became a jerk after you slept with him? How about someone who filled your head with empty promises and soon after she got you decided she wasn’t ready for commitment? Sounds like the candidates who pledge they will make changes but nothing happens after they get into office. They played a role just to get you to like them. Have you ever done that when dating? Most people do and say what they think will make them more likable whether it is in the area of dating, getting a job, or dealing with family members. The problem is that we are assuming we know what other people really want!

In my early days of dating, I used to pretend I was cool, together and didn’t want a relationship because I thought that seemed more appealing to men. The nice guys stayed away and the womanizers were drawn to me like a magnet. It wasn’t until I was true to myself that I attracted the love of my life. I remember clearly that I was so fed up with trying to be someone else and just laid it on the line. By stating my genuinne intentions and admitting that I wanted marriage and a serious relationship, I easily found suitors that matched the message that I was sending.

Many people ask me to explain the best way to write an ad for the online dating sites and I simply answer, be authentic. If you are trying to get someone to like you through false pretenses, he or she will be able to feel it. Or, you may temporarily capture their attention, but eventually your true colors will emerge and the person may or may not want to stay when they discover the truth. I find it funny that some ads will seem as though the person is being sincere, but he is really just using his fake authenticity as another tactic to attract more responses just like a politician.

So if you are out to get a lot of votes like a politician, you may get more dates but lower your chances of finding a true match. You only need one person (at a time), so why not focus your target on what you really want. Being clear on the type of person you desire and simultaneously being sincere will surely expedite that love to arrive in your life.

Our subconscious is filled with pre-programmed acts that we follow in accordance to how we were trained by the world. To find your true self, you need to let go of those old behaviors and false beliefs that led you to your current single situation and try something knew. The main reason that people pretend is insecurity, they really do not believe that people would really like their real selves. Changing your subconscious beliefs of unworthiness and self-doubt through self-hypnosis can easily increase your confidence level. You need to genuinely like yourself for someone else to want to be with you.

Deep inside there is a knowing of your true self, but you may have been just too afraid to look. As you search for the truth you will find that you are wonderful, amazing and lovable. There is nothing to change except your self-acceptance. As you embrace yourself, you can draw the curtains and show the world who you really are. Your love is waiting to meet the real you.

John “Caveman” Gray AKA Ling Yai asked:


“Whatever We Do, The Environment Must Be The Central Piece”

Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Prologue

Most of us participating in the capitalism economy live way beyond our environmental budget.  Our buildings consume more materials, our air-con more energy, and our cars more resources than any single human being can justify on an environmental balance sheet.    

It’s a tribal thing driven by ego.  The most ego-driven among us succumb to one of humankind’s darkest and most common addictions – accumulating and flaunting money far beyond one’s ability to consume in a desperate attempt to demonstrate one’s “Value”. 

Just like the heroin addict, Money Addicts do whatever it takes to fulfill the need. 

Absent basic human values, one’s value becomes a numbers game, consuming more of our earth’s resources than any person can rationalize.  The more money in the Financial Credit Card, the greater the ability to consume, feeding that evil ego with a need stronger than cocaine.  The most ruthless money mongers end up flaunting their material wealth - complicating matters, millions more follow ala Thorsten Veblen in a frenzy of conspicuous consumption proving “I’ve also made it.” 

There’s nothing wrong with money, unless somebody makes more than they can spend at the expense of employees, customers and environment.  We can have all the money in the world, but that doesn’t buy position on the human decency or environmental balance sheet.

Unabated, over-consumption dooms both our species and our planet.  Elegant understatement is the key to our survival as a species.

Working in Hawai’i’s boardrooms, I learned we don’t need to be ruthless ego-driven predators to be successful.  My business heroes had great hearts and down-to-earth low resources consumption. They realized that honey attracts more flies than vinegar, and hard-ass managers are simply hiding their incompetence.  Coincidently, they spent more time giving away their money than they did making it.

As this vignette demonstrates, there are more ways to measure one’s value than money.

“The Best Christmas Present I’ve Ever Had”.

In scholarship days, times were lean.  School breaks found me and my backpack thumbing a ride somewhere accessible from L.A.  On the quarter system, UCLA winter breaks were almost one month, plenty of time to hitchhike deep into Mexico. 

I had $50 and a backpack full of peanut butter to last a month, and wanted to see how far south I could go.  Pesos were twelve to the dollar, and I could live forever on peanut butter and steaming hot corn tortillas straight from the village Tortillaria.  Every village has a tortillaria, but it’s a real treat to find a village with earthen-oven banana bread. It comes out every hour on the hour, so good when it’s steaming I can inhale two loafs straightaway – no butter, jelly or knife – just stuff it in and “broke ‘da mouth, Brah” as I learned to say later in Hawaii.  Even a poor student can live forever on banana bread and peanut-butter tortillas.

Just outside Mazatlan, I got a ride with a trucker all the way to Mexico City.  I could be there overnight and then on to some small fishing village on the lush coast south of Acapulco. 

We stopped at a red light two hours south of Mazatlan.  An oyster stand sat outside the cab.  I could almost reach out the window and grab a few oysters, but I have a lifelong phobia of eating shellfish, guts and all.  No matter how the chef decorates Oysters Rockefeller, they remain slimy creatures with no substance.

For some unknown reason I decided to try these shellfish.  On an impulse I gave up my ride, said Muchas Gracias, grabbed my backpack, and jumped from the cab to the oyster stand. 

The light turned green.  My new friend gave me one last gesture, waved goodbye, and disappeared into a cloud of dust.  What was I thinking?  There went my ride to Cuidad Mexico. 

I turned and grabbed an oyster from the tray.  What a stupid fool.  I just gave up one of the best rides of my life to discover Mexican oysters were the same as their California cousins.  It’s Rocket Science! 

I surveyed the surroundings, a crossroads traffic light on Highway One, the main artery down Mexico’s West Coast.  East was inland – I had no interest.  However, the road west went to the coast.  An extension cord literally ran along sticks stuck in the ground, snaking alongside the road as far as I could see.  The length was unusual for such a flimsy apparatus, so I asked the oyster-monger the story. 

I learned there was a fishing village 40 kilometers down the road.  The extension cord would bring electricity to the village, and the lights were scheduled to brighten the village for the first time on Christmas Eve, almost a week away.

What Xmas Break luck! I’ve been in three villages at the moment of electrification now, but this was my first.  This could be a real adventure, so I turned right and stuck out my thumb on a road with almost no traffic.  The road accessed several farming villages along the way – not much traffic and all short stops.  I was a rather imposing figure on my late 20’s – rugby fit, almost two meters, with hair to my waist and beard almost as far.  On campus, beautiful women told me they were jealous of my long, shiny hair.  In reality, I was more a scruffy mountain man than a fashion statement, and when I hitch-hiked the Mexican coast I was always Jesus Christo or Santa Claus to the locals!

It took half a dozen rides through this flat farming country to reach road’s end. Each driver asked this unusual hitchhiker where I was going.  Each time I said I was just following the extension cord. Their faces lit up - Ah, you are going to the village that goes electric on Christmas Eve! 

It was big news in this neighborhood. 

I finally reached the town.  It wasn’t much.  Green fields stretched behind the village, formed around an austere town square fronted by a beach, and an estuary where the road ended and the fishing boats began.   

This place was as simple as it gets – and there was another American.  A Texas anthropologist Ph.D. candidate was just finishing a six-month study.  He selected the perfect coastal fishing village for his studies, and then discovered it was primarily agricultural.  He didn’t realize it, but the egghead academic speaking broken Spanish was regarded by the villagers as something of a buffoon, and they were always playing games with his studies, answering his “observations” with inside jokes and ridiculous stories.  Instead of staying for a true anthropological event - the electrification of his study village - our future anthropologist was headed home for Christmas dinner.  The villagers graciously bid him goodbye, but I silently questioned his academic commitment.   

I instinctively camped on the beach 200 meters away from the village, and walked past the shrimp boat captain’s house every day.  The richest and most powerful man in the village, with the biggest “casa’” right on the beach, the captain had a full barrel of dried shrimp next to the table in the walled patio, and plenty of warm beer.  On my third day, he invited me in for beer and shrimp, a ritual we enjoyed every afternoon for the next three weeks. 

Soon, the college students from Guadalajara and Cuidad Mexico joined us.  I learned of the modern Mexico emerging in the early 70’s, of farmers’ sons going to University to train as engineers, teachers, doctors and pharmacists, to see the benefits of the “Agua Potable” projects I had seen fifteen years earlier. 

Forty years after Pancho Villa, Mexico was growing up, and thanks to my family’s adventures, I experienced it from the ground floor in the late 50’s.  Now the first generation to benefit was off to University – my drinking buddies.

The setting was still traditional Mexico.  The captain got a real kick out of hosting the Gringo.  Inside his adobe walls, we sat at a large heavy wooden table with non-stop beers and that casket of shrimp.  Across the courtyard, the women of the family sat in the kitchen door deciding if I was Santa or Jesus.  In this rural Macho culture, the women were light years away from Women’s Lib. I wondered if their UCLA sisters comprehend the difference between the two neighboring worlds, or appreciated their own amazing opportunities within progressive California society. 

I still had a good time, flirting from afar with the 20-somethings of my own generation, totally understanding that’s as far as it could go.   

The anthropologist was the big topic at the patio table.  The students got great glee telling stories of leading the scientist down dusty paths to nowhere, to sites of “great significance”, of how they invented absurd farming and fishing techniques and humorous tales of teenage courting strategies in an era of an emerging society.  They verified the unsuspecting anthropologist didn’t have a clue about their tongue-in-cheek antics.

Worthwhile University guys the world over have an innocent mischievous streak that demonstrates whit and creativity, especially in a rural Mexican village still without electricity.

When my new friends learned I was from Los Angeles, i.e., Hollywood, they asked if I knew Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdink and Carlos Santana.  It wasn’t surprising – these three were the stars of Mexican Pop Culture of the day.  I did photograph Carlos onstage at a United Farm Workers concert, and carried my classic photos every time I hitch-hiked Mexico, both close-up and full stage arm-in-arm with Cesar Chavez.  The guys went nuts, and I certainly gained acceptance in local society - no bonehead anthropologist here.

But Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdink?

We definitely bonded, and then the big day came – Christmas Eve. 

A string of 20 very basic electric lights hung from a string of sockets and electrical cord were strung around the town square.  Even though it was the main village in that end-of-the-road neighborhood, the town still wasn’t crowded, but on the appointed day people sat in the square for hours before full darkness, waiting to turn on the lights. 

The University Boys gathered on the beach and enjoyed a beautiful sunset, passing around skinny bottles of cerveza donated by the shrimp boat captain.  They went to school in Guadalajara and had seen it all before.

As the last red disappeared from the horizon, we walked to the plaza.  Obviously, everybody was there.  As the last light of day dropped into darkness, the Mayor flipped the switch, and the plaza came to life.  Unlike the University boys, most villagers had never left their hamlet, and had never seen incandescent light.  When it happened – in an instant - a universal gasp energized the square.  The unfrosted lights were definitely bright. 

Somebody started walking around the plaza counter-clockwise.  Every ambulatory member of the village, including me, soon joined him.  It was great.  I stood a head higher than anybody else, and had enough hair to match everybody else combined, so I looked across a sea of sombreros as we all walked in the same direction.

When I was bored with walking in a circle, it was time to play Santa Claus.  I packed a red T-shirt, red stocking hat, a can of white hair spray and small duffel bag. 

Wherever I was in Mexico for Christmas Eve, I bought all the wrapped penny candy I could find.  Armed with long white hair and beard, red hat and shirt, and a 10-kilo bag of candy over my shoulder, I entered a different Mexican town square every Christmas Eve of the early 70’s.  The script always played the same.

Village kids see pictures of Santa, but never a real live Santa Claus. 

When I walked into a town square and start handing out candy, the naturally polite kids were orderly for about a minute.  Every kid under 12 could smell the sweet stuff, and I handed out the first morsels one at a time, placing a candy in a palm and a smile in their brain.  I was soon surrounded by a sea of jumping, screaming, laughing kids.  At that point, I just reached into the bag, grabbed a handful, and started throwing the candy like raindrops (hence wrapped candy only).  The scene became a madhouse of laughter as kids grabbed the air for flying candy or dove for the majority of sweets that ended on the ground. 

Then the cleverest kids would figure out where the candy came from.  Kids going for the bag start grabbing my arms and legs, climbing up toward my shoulder.  I continued grabbing and tossing candy with up to three kids hanging onto each arm, praying I would run out of candy before I was swarmed by a sea of kids laughing and screaming “Santa Claus’!  Santa Claus”!  Eventually they always overwhelmed me and I collapsed into a sea of excited children.

It was great.  What a wonderful, positive way to celebrate Christmas – far better than any sedate and polite turkey dinner with people I only saw once a year. 

This time, a real living Santa appeared in the village on the same night as electric lights.  What a miracle, maybe more for me than the village kids!

Christmas morning was hotter than hell, a great day for the town’s first rock concert, complete with a live Rock ‘N Roll band.

Well, almost a band.  They didn’t speak English, but made a valiant attempt at memorizing the words.  They didn’t speak music either, but made a valiant attempt at that.  The group was far from those great California Flower Power concerts of the 60’s and 70’s, but I still gave them points for even attempting a band in these parts.

I will never forget their rendition of Tom Jones’s “She’s A Lady”, by far the worst piece of music I’ve ever heard – but one of the best memories.

The band set up against the side of a store, the dance floor was a dirt road, and the band earned money by running a rope across the dance floor every few songs.  When dancers stepped over the rope, they paid a peso.  About a dozen of us University boys sat in a coconut frond restaurant passed the hat every half hour so we could buy one skinny cerveza, take a sip, and pass it on. Our only topic was figuring out the pattern of the collection rope so we could dance without paying. 

At mid-afternoon, two large Winnebago’s drove through the town square, complete with all the bells and whistles.  Both had motor scooters mounted over the front bumper and trailed small outboard boats.  It was quite a shock.  No villager had seen anything like this, so they were very excited.  I had a more ominous feeling – Middle America might muck up this perfect Christmas. The camper vans continued down to the estuary and I hoped that’s where they would stay. 

Those rigs just didn’t look like their occupants would fit in with local people, and this was a very special Christmas.

About an hour later, the Louisiana rednecks invaded our Christmas Party.  They arrived in almost comical fashion; a fat, overweight, middle-aged couple on each bike.  The husbands were driving, definitely drunk, with their wives laughing on the pillion seat as they drove towards the party in corkscrew patterns, almost falling over several times. 

The first motorbike drove right into the middle of the dancers, where it crashed in the middle of the dance floor.  What a grand, typically redneck, totally embarrassing entrance.  Remember, this demographic is the base of Bush politics.  At this very moment, “W” was an alcoholic fraternity boy evading National Guard duty while Nixon was extending the Vietnam War as long as possible.

Despite their disgraceful behavior, polite Mexican villagers reached over to help up the drunken bikers, who came up screaming about how the dancers got in their way.  Refusing helping hands, the couple got up, dusted themselves off, and left their bike on the ground in the middle of the dance floor, leaking petrol into the ground.  The screaming husband started pushing dancers out of his way to clear an open dancing space without tripping on his own bike.  It was straight out of Hollyweird, except this scene was tragically real. 

When the rope came by, the drunken husband stumbled across the string without realizing its purpose.  When the manager explained with gestures, the millionaire pulled a thick wad of money from his pocket, and shouted, “I’ve got all the money in the world, but I’m not paying one peso for this **** music”.  He then stumbled into a couple politely trying to ignore him. 

They were loud, rude, spoke Southern and the guy literally had a red neck, the arrogant, unaware kind of folks who voted Bush into the White House and were stupid enough to re-elect him.   It was one of those moments that make decent people ashamed to be American, so I slid over on the bench deeper into the shade, trying to be invisible. 

We passed our own “hat”, bought another skinny beer, and I took my swig.  It would take more than one sip of beer to lessen the embarrassment created by my compatriots.

Then the Redneck saw me.  He froze in his gyrations, stopped dancing and marched straight to our table, fists clenched, arms swaying like a determined Porky Pig cartoon.  I never said a word and tried to ignore him, but it didn’t work.  He walked under the coconut leaves, directly across the table from me.   I was happy the table separated us.  I was 28, playing national championship rugby, and he was a short, fat middle-aged drunk.  I didn’t want to be forced into a one-sided physical confrontation on Christmas.

“You know what’s wrong with you fucking hippies?  You just don’t give a **** about money.”

“It’s Christmas.” I replied.  “Let’s just relax and have a good time.  Where you from?”

Mr. Redneck came back at me.  “I’m a Louisiana oil millionaire, and I know that money is everything.  You fucking hippies aren’t even dog **** - - - because you just don’t care about money.”

All the University Boys were sitting at that wooden table, six on each side.  While the Red Neck harassed me, my friends were asking in Spanish, “Both of you are American.  Why is he making a problem for you?” 

Rural Mexicans are much too polite to consider such behavior.

As I explained that all American aren’t the same, Mr. Red Neck shouted, “Hey Hippie, I’m talking to you.  You just don’t give a **** about money.” 

“Listen, I’m a scholarship student at UCLA, and I do care about money, but it isn’t everything, and this is Christmas.  Just relax and let these people enjoy their holiday.”

“Fucking Hippie, everything is all about money.”

The sloppy disgraceful redneck was beginning to upset me, but not in a physical way.  This was Christmas, and I just wanted the village to enjoy the biggest day in their history. 

I replied, “Money can buy material things, but it can’t buy the most important things in life, like love.”

“Want to make a bet? Honey, come here.”  He grabbed his wife by the arm, yanked her close to him, looked me in the eye and said, “Money sure can buy love,” said Mr. Redneck.  “Doesn’t it honey!” squeezing his embarrassed wife so tight about the shoulder I worried her head might pop straight up.  I felt truly sorry and embarrassed for her.

“Well maybe money can buy what you think is love, but money certainly can’t buy friendship.”

“Oh, really?” said Mr. Louisiana.  “Watch this.”

“Cerveza for everyone, on the house!”  Mr. Millionaire gallantly waved his arm over the entire table like a Magic Wand.

It was a clever ploy.  The day was hot, the table was packed with young male college students, and we were so poor there was only one skinny bottle of beer on the table - empty.  We were all sweating in the heat, and a cold beer on Christmas for each student would be Heaven.

I was willing to play the peacemaker.  If this guy bought a round for everyone, he might shut up and we would satisfy our thirst. 

I said in Spanish “Come on, guys, just forget this asshole, take the opportunity to mellow out this jerk and enjoy a cold beer.”

I was surprised when all heads shook “No”.

In Spanish I explained, “Every one of us wants a cold beer.  We all know this guy is a total jerk, so it won’t change our friendship if we enjoy a beer.” 

Long faces still shook their heads no.

“OK, guys, just consider the beer a Christmas present.”

Nothing worked.  Then, in perfect English I never heard in the previous week, an Engineering student replied.  “Hey, Gringo.  We really don’t care how much money you have, but you offended our friend - and you aren’t good enough to drink with us in the first place! 

“We don’t want your millionaire beer.”

Mr. Redneck was in shock.  Like many of the rich and powerful, he bought a comfort zone of panderers who didn’t really want his friendship, but were willing to brown-nose for some of his money.  For this, they sold their friendship and dignity.  It’s a common clique, the magnate and his “trusted” handlers telling him what he wants to hear.

Yet in this small, poor Mexican village electrified less than 24 hours before, Mr. Millionaire finally met people so proud they could not be bought. 

He looked at his wife and said “Come on, honey, let’s get out of here.”  They gathered the other couple and both motorbikes careened away from the party and back to the estuary.

An hour later, two Winnebago’s drove out of town.

The integrity of those simple villagers denying a free cold beer on a hot day left me with a friendship and sense of character no money can ever buy.  To this day, it remains a far more important Christmas present than any material gift 

I stayed in the village another ten days, until school started again in Guadalajara.  Every night, the University Boys went to the Plaza to watch their village walk around the fountain until midnight. 

It was always counter-clockwise, but the University Boys, at least, all knew that once electricity arrived, there was no turning back the clock.

# # # # #

A decade later, I frequented Fortune 500 boardrooms, not in Louisiana, but in Honolulu.  Aloha shirts, not coats and ties, are the standard attire, and the management practices are as professional as they get – maybe more.  At least until I left Alohaland in 1989, the typical power-playing hard-ass jerk didn’t stand a chance of becoming a director in a Hawaii-based corporation (excepting Harry Weinburg, who bought his way onto the Alexander & Baldwin board.) 

My highly successful clients had money to burn, but they never bought a friendship.  Filled with Aloha Spirit, they didn’t have to.

LABYRINTHOSdotORG asked:

Bully, by Rockstar Games for Playstation 2 & other systems

Check this game at GameSpot. And check the guy Jack Thompson at Wikipedia. He’s a real jerk, a very strange person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_(attorney)

John Bruce “Jack” Thompson is an American attorney and activist against obscenity and violence in media and entertainment, based in Coral Gables, Florida. Thompson describes himself as a Christian conservative and a Republican.

After an initial foray into politics, Thompson concentrated his efforts on activism against obscenity, particularly obscenity in rap music and broadcasts by radio personality Howard Stern. More recently, he has focused on violence as well, particularly in the content of computer and video games and their alleged effects on children.

©2006 Rockstar Games. All rights reserved.
Rockstar Games, Rockstar North, Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar Lincoln, Rockstar San Diego, Rockstar Toronto, Rockstar Vancouver, the logo, and related logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Kevin Perry asked:


Like many of you, i’ve searched the internet far and wide to find an easy way to make money online. Also like many of you, i’ve purchased ‘Get Rich Quick’ programs that promised us the world but were disappointing in the long run.

I don’t know about you, but I bet i’ve tried almost every scheme out there….and I found out the hard way that over 90% of these so-called Get Rich Quick programs were a complete waste of my time and money! They all sounded enticing with “real testimonials”, bank statements suposedly showing the success of the program, and finally the wild guarantees that you can make thousands a day by only working 5 minutes. I’m sure YOU have fallen victim to one of these types of programs before! In reality, the only person who is going to make money off of most of these programs is the creator….because they rope people in to buying their useless ebook!

As I discovered (and as you probably have!), most Get Rich Quick programs have the following characteristics: - contain useless information that anyone can get for FREE off the internet - in order to learn anything you need to spend more money on other ebooks - infomation is out of date - no money back guarantees, or refund is such a hassle that it is not worth it - need a degree in marketing or accounting to understand the technical jargon - no support sections if anyone needs help

Therefore, i’ve decided to use my experience with online financial misfourtunes to help you find the programs that could actually help you make a decent living online!! On my website, listed below, you will find the only programs that I have found to be effective in generating income, as well as a new product on website creation that I just released in June 2006….so of course I have to include it!!! I will be updating this list often, so check back regularly.

Thanks for reading and good luck making money online!

Nick Shane asked:


Have you ever wondered why this girl you have a crush on goes out with a selfish and abusive jerk? You would treat her so much better of course but still…she completely ignores you. Why?

This mystery bugs the hell out of almost every guy out there. Most men just can’t figure out what it is that makes women fall for the wrong guys…the bad boys!

So the question is: Why are so many beautiful women attracted to arrogant, abusive and selfish jerks?

It took me many years until I figured this out but now I’ll let you in on this secret.

If you want an answer to why and how bad boys attract so many beautiful women, you have to look through the looking-glass the other way and ask yourself…

Why are those women NOT dating the nice guys who treat them like real princesses?

Obviously, they are dating the arrogant jerks and bad boys … and NOT the guys who are nice to her, pay her lots of compliments, bring flowers and want to take them out on a dinner date.

The first thing you have to realize now is that ‘being BAD’ gets you 10 times more women than ‘being GOOD’. Look around you and have a look at some couples where the woman is really beautiful and attractive.

Her man definitely isn’t the nicey-nice type of guy.

So how do these bad boys do it? What makes them so attractive and sexy to women?

It’s because women want to be with guys who are a challenge and not easy to get. Bad boys and jerks don’t give a damn if a woman likes them or not, whereas the nicey-nice guy is needy, clingy and desperately wants to take her out on a date.

Bad boys are wild, brake rules and do what they want. Women get automatically attracted to such behavior because it is exciting and unpredictable.

Nice guys ALWAYS do the expected and predictable, therefore making themselves boring in the eyes of any woman.

Bad boys are always superior when it comes to attracting and dating the most beautiful women out there. Have a look at some of the female celebrities out there. They can literally choose any guy they want…and who do they end up with?

It’s either an alcoholic rock star, bad boy actor or abusive jerk with tattoos all over his body.

But what attracts women to these guys isn’t their abusive attitude, their arrogant behavior and wife beating tendencies…hell no.

You see, if you were a woman and you had to choose between a nice guy who has nothing else to offer than the classic dates such as going to a restaurant where he pays for everything or a movie where he brings chocolate and flowers … then the woman wants THE OTHER guy there is.

And that, sadly enough, is the bad boys on the block.

You hear so many people say that those kind of guys are the ‘wrong men’ but what else is there?

As a woman, you always choose the man who is wild, rebellious and in love with himself over the nice-nice wimpy guy who would do anything for you.

Think about what class you fall into.

dresscloth asked:


Sunglasses or sun glasses are a visual aid, variously termed spectacles or glasses, which feature lenses that are coloured or darkened to prevent strong light from reaching the eyes. In the early Twentieth century they were also known as sun cheaters (or simply cheaters).

Checked ShirtMany people find direct sunlight too bright to be comfortable. During outdoor activities, the human eye can receive more light than usual. Healthcare professionals recommend eye protection whenever outside to protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation, which can lead to the development of a cataract. Sunglasses have also been associated with celebrities and film actors primarily due to the desire to hide or mask their identity, but this may also be due in part to the fact that film lighting is typically stronger than natural light and uncomfortable to an unprotected eye. Since the 1940s sunglasses have been popular as a fashion accessory, especially on the beach.

It is said that the Roman emperor Nero liked to watch gladiator fights with emeralds. These, however, appear to have worked rather like mirrors.[1] Flat panes of smoky quartz which offered no corrective powers but did protect the eyes from glare were used in China in the 12th century or possibly earlier. Contemporary documents describe the use of such crystals by judges in Chinese courts to conceal their ****** expressions while questioning witnesses.

James Ayscough began experimenting with tinted lenses in spectacles in the mid-18th century. These were not “sunglasses” as such; Ayscough believed blue- or green-tinted glass could correct for specific vision impairments. Protection from the sun’s rays was not a concern of his.

Yellow/Amber and brown-tinted spectacles were also a commonly-prescribed item for people with syphilis in the 19th and early 20th centuries because of the sensitivity to light that was one of the symptoms of the disease.

In the early 1900s, the use of sunglasses started to become more widespread, especially among the pioneering stars of silent movies. It is commonly believed that this was to avoid recognition by fans, but the real reason was they often had perennially sore eyes from the powerful arc lights that were needed due to the extremely slow speed film stocks used. The stereotype persisted long after improvements in film quality and the introduction of ultraviolet filters had eliminated this problem. Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929. Foster found a ready market on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began selling sunglasses under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth on the Boardwalk.

Sunglasses first became polarized in 1936, when Edwin H. Land began experimenting with making lenses with his patented Polaroid filter.

Hiding one’s eyes has implications in face-to-face communication: It can hide weeping, being one of the signs of mourning, makes eye contact impossible which can be intimidating, like in the stereotype of the guardian of a chain gang as depicted in Cool Hand Luke, or can show detachment, which is considered cool in some circles. Darkened sunglasses of particular shapes may be in vogue as a fashion accessory. Note that normal glasses are very rarely worn without a practical purpose curiously, they can project an image of uncool nerdiness that sunglasses do not have. The impact on nonverbal communication and the cool image are among the reasons for wearing sunglasses by night or indoors. People may also wear sunglasses to hide dilated or contracted pupils or bloodshot eyes (which would reveal drug use), recent physical abuse (such as a black eye), or to compensate for increased photosensitivity. Fashion trends are another reason for wearing sunglasses, particularly designer sunglasses. Shutter Shades are a prime example of sunglasses worn for fashion rather than functionality due to trends in pop culture.

People with severe visual impairment, such as the blind, often wear sunglasses in order to avoid making others uncomfortable ??not seeing eyes may be better than seeing eyes which seem to look in the wrong direction. Those whose eyes have an abnormal appearance (for example due to cataract) or which jerk uncontrollably (nystagmus) may also do so.

Sunglasses can improve visual comfort and visual clarity by protecting the eye from glare.[3] Various types of disposable sunglasses are dispensed to patients after receiving mydriatic eye drops during eye examinations.

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) can cause short-term and long-term ocular problems such as photokeratitis, snow blindness, cataracts, pterygium, and various forms of eye cancer.[4] Medical experts often advise the public on the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect the eyes from UV[4]. In the European Union, a CE mark identifies glasses fulfilling quality regulations. In the preparation for solar eclipses, health authorities often warn against looking at the sun through sunglasses alone.

There is no demonstrated correlation between high prices and increased UV protection. A 1995 study reported that “Expensive brands and polarizing sunglasses do not guarantee optimal UVA protection.” [5] The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has also reported that “[c]onsumers cannot rely on price as an indicator of quality”.[6] One survey cited below even found a $6.95 pair of generic glasses with slightly better protection than Salvatore Ferragamo shades.[7]

More recently, high-energy visible light (HEV) has been implicated as a cause of age-related macular degeneration[8][9], and some manufacturers design to block it. Sunglasses may be especially important for children, as their ocular lenses are thought to transmit far more HEV light than adults (lenses “yellow” with age).

Some sunglasses also pass ANSI Z87.1 requirements for basic impact and high impact protection. These are voluntary standards, so not all sunglasses comply, nor are manufacturers required to comply. In the basic impact test, a 1 in (2.54 cm) steel ball is dropped on the lens from 50 in (127 cm). In the high velocity test, a 1/4 in (6.35mm) steel ball is shot at the lens at 150 ft/s (45.72 m/s). In both tests, no part of the lens can touch the eye.

There are three sunglass standards.

The Australian Standard is AS 1067. The five sunglass ratings under this standard are based on the amount of light they absorb, 0 to 4, with providing some protection from UV radiation and sunglare, and a high level of protection.

The US standard is ANSI Z80.3-1972. According to the ANSI Z80.3-2001 standard, the compliable lens should have a UVB (280 to 315nm) transmittance of no more than one per cent and a UVA (315 to 380nm) transmittance of no more than 0.5 times of the visual light transmittance

The European standard is EN 1836:2005. The four ratings are 0 for insufficient UV protection, 1 for sufficient UV protection, 2 for good UV protection and 3 for full UV protection.

Water sunglasses, also known as surfing sunglasses, surf goggles and water eyewear consist of eyewear specially adapted to be used in turbulent water, such as the surf. Features normally available include

a) shatter proof & impact resistant lenses

b) strap or other fixing to keep glasses in place during sporting activities

c) buoyancy to stop them from sinking should they be displaced from the wearer

d) nose cushion

e) vent or other method to eliminate fogging

Many sports utilize these sunglasses including surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, wakeboarding, kayaking, jet skiing, Bodyboarding, and water skiing.

The colour of the lens can vary by style, fashion, and purpose, but for general use, green, grey, yellow, or brown is recommended to avoid or minimize color distortion which would be dangerous when, for instance, driving a car. Gray lenses are considered neutral because they do not enhance contrast or distort colors. Brown and green lenses cause some minimal color distortion, but have contrast-enhancing properties. Red lenses are good for medium and lower light conditions because they are good at enhancing contrast, but cause significant color distortion. Orange and yellow lenses have the best contrast enhancement at depth perception but cause color distortion. Yellow lenses are commonly used by golfers and shooters for its contrast enhancement and depth perception properties. Blue or purple lenses offer no real benefits and are mainly cosmetic. With the introduction of office computing, ergonomists can recommend mildly tinted glasses for display operators to increase contrast.[citation needed] Clear lenses are used typically to protect the eyes from impact, debris, dust, or chemicals. Some sunglasses with interchangeable lens have optional clear lenses to protect the eyes during low light or night time activities. Debates exist as to whether “blue blocking” or amber tinted lenses may have a protective effect.[11] Blue blocking sunglasses typically also block some light of other colors to function well in full sunlight. Some low blue glasses are for use inside at night to avoid suppression of the sleep promoting hormone melatonin. They provide enough light so normal evening activities can continue.

Some models have polarized lenses, made of Polaroid polarized plastic sheet, to reduce glare caused by light reflected from polarizing surfaces such as water (see Brewster’s angle for how this works) as well as by polarized diffuse sky radiation (skylight). This can be especially useful when fishing, as the ability to see beneath the surface of the water is crucial.

A mirrored coating can also be applied to the lens. This mirrored coating reflects some of the light when it hits the lens before it is transmitted through the lens making it useful in bright conditions. These mirrored coatings can be made any color by the manufacturer for styling and fashion purposes. The color of the mirrored surface is irrelevant to the color of the lens. For example, a gray lens can have a blue mirror coating, and a brown lens can have a silver coating. Sunglasses of this type are sometimes called mirrorshades. A mirror does not get hot in the sunlight and prevents scattering in the lens bulk.

Sunglass lenses are made from either glass or plastic. Plastic lenses are typically made from acrylic, polycarbonate, CR-39 or Polyurethane. Glass lenses have the best optical clarity and scratch resistance, but are heavier than plastic lenses. They can also shatter or break on impact. Plastic lenses are lighter but are more prone to scratching. Plastic offers more resistance to shattering than glass. Polycarbonate plastic lenses are the lightest, and are also almost shatterproof, making them good for impact protection. CR-39 is the most common plastic lens, due to their low weight, high scratch resistance, and low transparency for ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

Any of the above features: color, polarization, gradation, mirroring, and materials can be combined into the lens for a pair of sunglasses. Gradated glasses are darker at the top of the lens where the sky is viewed and transparent at the bottom. Corrective lenses or glasses can be manufactured with either tinting or darkened to serve as sunglasses. An alternative is to use the corrective glasses with a secondary lenses such as oversize sunglasses that fit over the regular glasses, clip-on lens that are placed in front of the glasses, and flip-up glasses which feature a dark lens that can be flipped up when not in use. Photochromic lens gradually darken in bright light.

Frames are generally made from plastic, nylon, a metal or metal alloy. Nylon frames are usually used in sports because they are light weight and flexible. They are able to bend slightly and return to their original shape instead of breaking when pressure is applied to them. This flex can also help the glasses grip better on the wearer’s face. Metal frames are usually more rigid than nylon frames thus they can be more easily damaged when participating in sporty activities, but this is not to say that they cannot be used for such activities. Because metal frames are more rigid, some models have spring loaded hinges to help them grip the wearer’s face better. The end of the ear pieces and the bridge over the nose can be textured or have a rubber or plastic material to hold better. The end of the ear pieces are usually curved so that they wrap around the ear; however, some models have straight ear pieces. Oakley, for example, has straight ear pieces on all their glasses.

Frames can be made to hold the lenses in several different ways. There are three common styles: full frame, half frame, and frameless. Full frame glasses have the frame go all around the lenses. Half frames go around only half the lens, typically the frames attach to the top of the lenses and on the side near the top. Frameless glasses have no frame around the lenses and the ear stems are attached directly to the lenses. There are two styles of frameless glasses: those that have a piece of frame material connecting the two lenses together, and those that are a single lens with ear stems on each side.

Some sports-oriented sunglasses have interchangeable lens options. Lenses can be easily removed and swapped with a different lens, usually a different coloured lens. The purpose of this is to allow the wearer to easily change lenses when light conditions or activities change. The reason for this is because the cost of a set of lenses is less than the cost of a separate pair of glasses and carrying extra lenses is less bulky than carrying multiple pairs of glasses. It also allows easy replacement of a set of lenses if they are damaged. The most common type of sunglasses with interchangeable lenses have a single lens or shield that covers both eyes. Styles that use two lenses also exist, but are less common.

Nose bridges allow support between the lens and the face. Nose bridges also prevent pressure marks caused by the weight of the lens or frame on the cheeks. People with large noses may need a low nose bridge on their sunglasses. People with medium noses may need a low or medium nose bridge. People with small noses may need sunglasses with high nose bridges to allow clearance.

Craig Mumby asked:


This under rated trolling technique may be one of the most successful…

By Craig Mumby

If there is one technique that not many people consider when heading to the lake it’s trolling fly lines and it can produce some of the best fishing imaginable. This technique hasn’t had a real chance to prove itself as fly fishermen don’t do it often because a lot of the joy comes from casting and using finesse to persuade the fish to bite. If they’re going to troll why not just break out the spinning or bait-casting gear. On the other side of the coin, non-fly fishermen tend to be intimidated by fly rods and think that it’s both expensive and difficult to learn. Truth be told you can get a fly rod for a very reasonable price these days and it’s actually fairly simple to pick up the basics with minimal practice. More expensive gear and different casting techniques comes with experience, but for this technique you don’t need either. You don’t even need to know how to cast!

There are a wide variety of fish you can target with this method. It is a great technique for all trout species, even early and late season lake trout. But also bass, walleye, pike and pretty much anything else that swims in under 25ft. of water can be fished this way. For me, this is the single most consistent method for catching still water trout.



Go get yourself a fly rod and as I said it doesn’t have to be an expensive outfit though there are certain advantages to things like multiplier, or large arbour reels, as the retrieve ratio is greater and you will be able to gain line quicker on a fish running toward the boat. A standard 9 ft. rod is perfect; anywhere from a 5 weight to a 7 weight are ideal in most situations, but if you’re looking for bigger fish go with a heavier weight; lighter for smaller fish. Personally I like to use a 7 weight because it has enough backbone to work a variety of baits. There is a wide variety of line on the market and the body of water you’re fishing should dictate what “type” to use. There are six types of full sink line: type 1 – type 6. Type 1 runs the shallowest and type 6 the deepest. I use type 6 almost exclusively as it can get down faster and you can effectively fish around the 18 – 22 ft range with a lot of baits. An electric motor and fish finder are certainly advantageous as trout can be easily spooked and it can be crucial to know your depth so you can work your lines along the bottom structure properly. Bring along a good selection of flies such as shrimp and streamer patterns. It’s always a good idea to check with the local tackle shops to see what’s working. Lures like flatfish, quikfish, hot shots and rapalas are excellent choices to bring as long as they don’t have much dive to them and have high action while trolling dead slow. Pick up some fluorocarbon leader material. Leaders in the 9 – 12 ft range are best. I usually use Berkley Vanish and if I’m using something other than a fly, which I usually do, always tie a swivel into the leader or you will have quite the mess on your hands.

“Ripping” flies is one of the most consistent techniques for picking up active fish. Make a nice long fluorocarbon leader, no need for a swivel down to your fly, all on your type 6 sinking line. Don’t be afraid to use big flies! My best fly has always been a double shrimp pattern on a #2 hook. The key to ripping is exactly what it sounds like. Let your line out until the backing, keeping the trolling speed a little higher than what you might be used to and repetitively jerk the rod as hard as you can. The more power the better! This is another benefit of the heavier 7 weight rod; it makes this motion a lot easier on the arms. Essentially, this will make your fly almost swim through the water like a jerk bait and you get a lot of impulse strikes.

If you want to switch to hardware make sure you check the action of your lure at the side of the boat before you lower your line so you know how to gauge the speed for your troll. For example, flatfish are designed to have a lot of action at a very slow rate of speed, so by trolling dead slow you achieve the perfect action which you will notice on your rod tip, and be able to get deeper than lures that require faster action. So, when you want to get to some deeper fish with your type 6 line troll dead slow with a flatfish, kwikfish, or hot shots and you can effectively fish close to the 20 ft mark.

Getting used to the way the lines follow the boat is very important if you want to work an area properly. Let your line out to the backing if you’re fishing deeper than 12 – 15 ft. Fly lines have much greater water resistance than standard line and due to the thicker diameter it won’t cut the water like monofilament. For example, when you make a fairly sharp turn with fly line it will swing more with your turn and follow the path of the boat instead of cut across water and thus stalling your lure. This allows you to work your bait more effectively. When you get used to fishing this way you can estimate your depth and where behind the boat your fly, or lure, is running to within a few feet. Boat control is absolutely crucial when working deeper structure and you can actually work the lines to ride right up a drop off or sink down, whatever the case may be. So, if you’re trolling in 20’ feet of water and you see that the bottom is rising, all you have to do is gradually speed up so your line is elevated by water resistance caused by the speed of the boat. The reverse is also true when you come to a drop off; slow right down and let the line sink with the bottom and speed back up when your line is deep enough. This will put more fish in your boat and you’ll find a lot fun out of concentrating on the bottom and trying to work it properly. Some of my bigger fish have been caught while stalling on a drop off to let the lines sink, then as soon as you kick into gear hold on!

Even though this is not a popular technique it is not due to its lack of productivity. The only reason is that people never think to do it. There are so many different situations where you can apply this technique. I’ve had enormous success fishing for bass, walleye and pike with crankbaits and flies. Another great place to give this a shot is salmon fishing on the west coast. I’ve done very well fishing for coho, pink and sockeye salmon on a third rod out the back in between my downriggers. One of the biggest things to learn in fishing is to be versatile if you want to be consistently successful. Give this technique a shot and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.