Friday night’s Busch race gave foreboding signs to NASCAR
drivers before Saturday’s Cup event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
after that race was interrupted by a record 14 cautions.

The next night 16 drivers including five Chase competitors
encountered problems with blown tires as experienced the night
before due to a smoothed track surface from its previous
trademark bumps. The Goodyear tires could not adequately grip
the revised track surface after the increased dizzying driver
speeds which led to blowout anxiety or casualty for many.

Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway was a mixture of being a
laughingstock and an outright hazard to human life. Tony Stewart
even suggested tounge-in-cheek that he should seek an immediate
renewal of his life insurance policy after losing the lead due
to tire problems.

Elliott Sadler, Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne also blew tires while
leading which prompted other drivers to not race full capacity
to prevent a threatening tire failure. The track’s choice to
grind down its former bump traction has been deemed a disaster
and won’t be forgotten for a very long time.

The night was fraught with adversity for all of the drivers but
one rose above the obstacles and prevailed. Jimmie Johnson
succeeded to win despite tire troubles as well as a mid-race
battery switch and a shaky electrical system and also even a
failed alternator. Jimmie also started 41st due to a failed
engine before qualifying.

It was his fourth consecutive win at Lowe’s despite the
challenging situation which also raised his placement +3 to tie
with Tony Stewart for the Nextel Cup standing lead. He certainly
earned his pay that day in Concord, North Carolina.

Will fate continue Jimmie’s ride to be the next victor of the
Chase for the Nextel Cup? Will it competitively propel Tony
Stewart to resume his 2005 stranglehold on wins as well as top 5
and top 10 finishes after finishing a humbling 25th at Lowe’s?
Or will fate cause a shakeout leading to a storybook ending for
one of the other contenders including the retiring Mark Martin
or Rusty Wallace? The showdown is upon us now and looking like
it could be a classic.

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Planning a fishing vacation, whether to one of your local lakes for a day or two or off to Brazil for a 15 day exotic excursion, can be a trying experience. How do you narrow down the choices to find the fishing destination that is right for you? After all, “fishing is not a matter of life and death, it is much more important than that.”

The easiest method of selecting a fishing destination is to begin by identifying your priorities. Do you want to fish Saltwater (surf, deep sea, reef) or Freshwater (lake, stream, river, etc.)? Are you going by yourself, or is this to be a group adventure?

If you are going as part of a group, it would be a good idea to sit down with everyone else who is going and discuss exactly what it is that each person wants out of the trip. It is not enough to simply decide you want great fishing, because that can mean very different things to different people.

Does great fishing mean catching a fish on nearly every cast, or catching only one fish all day–provided that one fish was trophy size? And what constitutes a “giant” fish to you? Would a 30-pound chinook salmon make you happy, or would it have to be a 50-pounder?

What fish species are you interested in trying to catch? Although this sounds like an overly simplistic question, it definitely needs to be discussed if this is to be a successful group outing. Do you want to catch lake trout, walleye, northern pike, bass, salmon? If members of the group have different ideas, you should pick a location that has multiple species available.

What is your preferred method of fishing? (trolling, spin/bait casting, light tackle, fly fishing, etc.) Do you want to fish from shore, from a drift boat, canoe or raft, or wear full length waders and wade the currents and riffles?

Your level of fishing experience is also a determining consideration. Choosing the right guide to help with equipment choices and techniques is critical. The more experience you have, obviously the less advice and help you will need.

Other considerations include, will any non-fishing companions be joining you, and is this strictly a fishing trip or will other leisure or even business activities be involved?

A final consideration–what is your realistic budget? Let’s face it, money is a deciding factor for most of us. You need to be honest about how much you are prepared to spend–and how to spend it. If you have $2,000 to spend on a trip, do you want 3 days at Lodge X with all of the comforts of home, or 8 days in a tent camp where you cook your own meals, but have a better shot at catching trophy fish?

Finally, check to make certain that all of your equipment–particularly your rod and reel is in safe, working order. You might end up a long way from the nearest tackle shop. Check your line carefully, and restock that tackle box, especially hooks, flies, sinkers and lures depending on the species of fish you are after and the conditions you expect to encounter.

Best wishes for a great trip, whether it be rainbow trout in Montana or giant sea bass in Chile, you’ve prepared for the ultimate fishing journey!

About the Author

Larry Denton is a retired teacher having taught 33 years at Hobson High in Montana. He is currently V.P. of Elfin Enterprises, Inc., a business providing information on a variety of topics. For a canoe full of advice and resources about fishing, visit http://www.FishingFolks.com or http://www.FishingFest.com

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There is no need to waste money on fancy jewelry cleaning
solutions. You can save money by cleaning your jewelry at home
using things you’ll find in any kitchen or bathroom.

Cleaning Your Silver Jewelry

Use a soft bristle toothbrush with mild soap and warm water to
restore the shine and brilliance of silver jewelry. Avoid
immersing your sterling silver jewelry into jewelry cleaning
dips, they should be cleaned by hand. Use a soft cloth to buff
your silver jewelry for a nice, clean shine.

Cleaning Your Diamond Rings & Jewelry

Use a solution of six parts water and one part ammonia. Use a
soft bristle toothbrush or toothpick to remove any dirt or
particles from any crevices. Rinse well in water and buff dry
with a soft cloth.

Cleaning Gold, Platinum and other Gemstone Jewelry

Use a solution of mild dishwashing liquid, like Ivory. Soak
jewelry in this solution for a few minutes, then lightly brush
away any dirt with a soft brush. Rinse with lukewarm water and
air dry or buff with a soft cloth. Be sure not to soak any soft
stones like turquoise, amber or lapis, as soaking can damage
their polish. For particularly dirty gold jewelry, soak in
alcohol or ammonia before cleaning.

Cleaning Pearls

A mild soap and water solution works well for cleaning pearls.
Then wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Cleaning Costume Jewelry & Rhinestones

Use a soft brush to sweep away any dirt and dust. Use window
cleaner, like Windex, sprayed on a soft, lint free cloth to
clean the stones surface. Also try alcohol on a q-tip to get in
between small spaces.

With just a few minutes of care, your jewelry will be sparkling
like new!

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Wired Plastic is the brand name of one of the most rewarding prepaid debit cards out there. Unlike credit cards, there is no debt involved when purchases are charged to a debit card. This is as the card holder must first deposit money into his or her account before purchases can be made. Thus, users can only spend the amount of money they have in the account and not a penny more.

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