Category Archives: Guest Post

Choosing a Compound Bow

Guest Post:

Choosing a compound bow for a new enthusiast can be a tough decision. There are a few major things you should consider before deciding on a bow. This article is intended to give you an idea of what to evaluate when choosing a compound bow.

Axle Length
The axle length of a bow is the total length of the bow. If you are new to the sport choosing a longer axle length bow is best. A longer axle length bow is more forgiving for new users. More experienced users will prefer a shorter length due to its ease of maneuverability.

Brace Height
The brace height is the measurement between the bow string and the grip. A lower brace height will allow a new user to get a better aim but will lose speed. The same can be said vice versa for high brace height bows.

Total Bow Weight
You should consider the type of hunting you will engage in before choosing a bow. Heavier bows can become cumbersome on long walks but tend to make less noise when shot. Lighter bows are louder when shot but much easier to carry. If you will be hunting from a tree stand you might choose the heavier bow because you won’t be carrying it for long periods at a time.

Draw Length
You should have a professional at your local bow or sporting goods shop measure your draw length. Most bows have some leeway and can be adjusted to fit the individual.

Cams
Bow cams store power in a bow. Having one cam on your bow is pretty standard. It can make pulling the bow easier and allows the user more power in a shot. One cam bows have come a long way making two cam bows pretty obsolete.

Limbs
Limbs come in two types, split and solid. This is a personal choice for the hunter. Limbs do not affect the bows performance.

If you are new to bow hunting make sure you try out a verity of bows and test their performance. Also try to find a couple of good compound bow reviews. While store associates can be pretty helpful a bow purchase should be based on your own personal feel for the bow.

Panama hotels – cheap hotels in Panama

Guest Post:

When traveling to Panama you will likely arrive at Tocumen, Panama’s International Airport and the first thing to decide is which of the Panama Hotels you want to stay in. Your decision will be determined by a couple of things: your budget; things you want to do in Panama and what surroundings you prefer.

Cheap Hotels in Panama

If you are budget minded you will want to know about the Cheap Hotels in Panama. In Panama City you’re going to find low budget hotels in the El Cangrejo neighborhood. This is quite central in the City and there are numerous Panama City Hotels to choose from all along Via España. This part of Panama is very busy as it is the main area for both commercial and retail business. there are tons of shops, restaurants and hotels. This is not a tropical seaside locale though. It can appear a bit grungy and scary to the first time visitor but once you settle in the lively neighborhood of El Cangrejo can be quite a lot of fun. One of the best deals here is the Hotel Marbella. For under $50 you get a clean and comfortable room just a block from Via España. Don’t be fooled though El Cangrejo may be a busy and somewhat dirty part of Panama City but it is also home to some of the best hotels in Panama. The Crown Plaza, the Marriott Panama and the Wyndham Grand Veneto are also located in this part of town. Now, if you really want to go low budget there are a number of Hostels operating in Panama City and throughout Panama. But be prepared if you’ve never stayed in a hostel it’s quite the experience!

El Panama Hotel

El Panama is one of the original Panama Hotels. Back in 1946 just after WWII a group of visionary businessmen purchased over 60 hectares of land in this area now known as “El Cangrejo”. The land was originally owned by a Panamanian woman who at the time was living in Paris, France. At the time the President of Panama was Sr. Enrique Jimenez. When Presidenté Jimenez heard of the sale and purchase he requested that the businessmen donate a portion of the land to found a university. He also asked them to sell six hectares of land in the best corner of El Cangrejo  for the purpose of building a luxury hotel. This was to be first large hotel in Panama City it was to be  El Panama. Today El Panama continues it’s fine tradition of being one of the Best Hotels in Panama with over 330 luxurious suites,  35 meeting rooms, restaurants, a huge free form pool with swim up bar, casino, conference center and more.

More about egg-laying fish

By Rita:

In an earlier post I briefly described the most common egg-laying style of fish in a fish tank aquarium, egg scattering, and provided some insight as to why these eggs often did not reach adulthood.  In this post I will discuss some of the other egg laying strategies. Each group is presented in order of parental attentiveness to the offspring.

The egg scatterers have no parental interest in the eggs or the fry.  They are also likely to eat their own eggs after the spawn.

The egg hangers on the other hand are not as apt to eat their own eggs.   The spawning fish lay and fertilize each egg then hang them by a fine, sticky thread from plants usually near the top of the aquarium.  Beyond that there is no parental care.   This group of fish includes Lyretail, Panchax, Lampeye, and Rivulus plus others.  Most of this group is not common to the average tropical fish aquaria.  One of the reasons is they are among the more expensive fish. The expense is due to the fact that it takes more time and space for breeding. The female will lay up to 200 eggs over a 20-day period.  The young will then hatch in a staggered period according to the day laid.  This can result in a hodgepodge of growing fry.  The younger fry is in danger of being eaten by the earlier hatched larger fry.

Nest builders are the another group and they take a slightly more active parental role. The nest is first prepared either by sticking bubbles together or gluing aquarium debris into a nest.  The eggs will be deposited into the nest.  The nest is then protected until the eggs hatch.  Once the fry hatch they are on their own. The fish that comprise this group are the Sticklebacks, Siamese Fighting-Fish and Gourami.

The most protective of their eggs and off spring is the egg hiders and the egg anchorers.  This group consists mostly of Cichlids and Dwarf Cichlids.  It also includes Angelfish, Jack Dempsey and a few others.  As the group name implies the eggs are attached to a surface either secluded (the egg hiders) or in the open.  Both partners concern themselves with preparation of the spawning bed, the care and protection of the eggs, and the care of the fry for a period of time after hatching.

To leave a pair of spawning fish in a community tank is always a risk. A properly prepared breeding tank would greatly increase the chances of having viable young.

Why gluten-free means opportunity

Guest Post:

If you have been diagnosed with some form of gluten sensitivity, you will have to adapt to a gluten free diet. Some people, when faced with this change, become upset and even incredulous. How can you possibly replace a key ingredient in so many standard foods, from birthday cakes, biscuits and muffins to spaghetti and ravioli?

It might elicit some cognitive dissonance to see it this way, but adapting to a gluten-free diet will be bring greater joy and energy to your life in two distinct ways: greater creativity and variety. I appreciate why many people may be skeptical about such a claim, but stick with me here. This isn’t your usual rationalization for enduring gluten allergy symptoms and adapting to a gluten-free diet.

Humans thrive on creativity and variety. So many people don’t realize this anymore because they get stuck in some kind of comfortable daily rut. But just go draw a random picture or write something silly and creative (even if you feel you can’t write). Even people who don’t consider themselves creative will find some subtle, quiet joy at the very act of creation.

Furthermore, variety is the spice of life, right? What this means is that variety keeps the exuberance of living fresh and vital. When you experience the same thing over and over, time runs together. Hours turn into days and days turn into years and soon enough you’re wondering where it all went. With variety, we experience a renewed perspective and interest in our daily lives.

How does this apply to adapting to a gluten-free diet? As you refine your palette and dietary habits to adapt to your gluten intolerance, you will find yourself exploring more creative and diverse culinary avenues than you have in years.

And what you will discover is that eventually you will not miss foods containing gluten. Instead, you will relish the greater diversity of foods you’re enjoying and savor the increased creativity of putting together your meals.

Marcum fish finders

When it comes to ice fishing gear it seems that the world has gone completely crazy over electronics. This isn’t for no reason, mind you.  The electronics world has taken ice fishing to the next level.  Gone are the days of sitting on a bucket staring at a hole hoping that a fish may actually be down there to bite your offering.  No, today we take our fancy electronics and make sure that the fish is down there.  In addition, we could even use an ice fishing camera to see the fish and what species they are.  Heck, we could even see them bite the hook if we wanted to.

And this is where marcum fish finders come into play.  If you are using an ice fishing flasher you have a much better chance of catching fish that a counter part without any electronics to aid him.  It is the run and gun style of the modern ice angler.  If you put your flasher down a hole and don’t see any fish, it is time to move.  Keep moving constantly until you locate fish on your flasher and then try to catch them.  Much like you wouldn’t sit in a boat on open water in one place for a couple of hours catching nothing, you should not do that on the ice either.  if you aren’t seeing fish, move to another hole.

Which brings up a good point.  In order to enable moving constantly we need to have a lot of holes at our disposal.  Make sure that you punch a significant amount of holes before starting to fish.  15-50 is a good number to think about.  The more you have the more agile you can be and the more fish you will likely catch.  Granted once you find that honey hole you likely won’t leave it, but until you do the numerous holes around you afford a lot of room to roam.

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