Friday, December 14, 2007

Houston Flood Insurance Information

The houston area has an especially high risk for flood damage. The city is in an area that is at risk for hurricanes that can bring storm surges and very high levels of rainfall. The elevation of the city is close to sea level. The ground is mainly composed of clay that doesnt absorb water well. There are rivers, streams, and drainage channels that pass through houston on the way to the gulf. There are bayous for storm water that can overflow with heavy rain and flood nearby areas. Heavy construction in the city often can result in flood problems for surrounding areas. Changing weather patterns from global warming and other factors may result in more intense weather events in the future.

You can visit the fema.gov website to view maps of the houston areas flood zones. You will find that a large percentage of the city area has an elevated risk of flooding. Areas that have less risk are designated on the flood map as being in B, C, D, or X zones. It is important to remember that residents in low risk zones can suffer flood damage. If fact about 30% of all flood damages claims are from areas considered as lower risk.

We you are considering buying or leasing a residence it is important to consider the risk of flood. Ask your realtor or an insurance agent to tell you the flood zone for the property you are considering. If possible select a location in the B, C, D, or X zone. When you buy a property in a higher risk flood area you should consider the higher cost of flood insurance in your decision.

Flood insurance in most areas is inexpensive. Here is a chart of the current cost for homes that qualify for a preferred rate:

Home Coverage $20,000 Property Coverage $8,000 = $112 per year

Home Coverage $30,000 Property Coverage $12,000 = $138 per year

Home Coverage $50,000 Property Coverage $20,000 = $180 per year

Home Coverage $100,000 Property Coverage $40,000 = $233 per year

Home Coverage $200,000 Property Coverage $80,000 = $296 per year

Home Coverage $250,000 Property Coverage $100,000 = $317 per year

Contents only coverage is also available. texas residents can get more information at my Houston Flood Insurance website.

Lamb insurance Agency, (Farmers Insurance) auto, Home, Life, and Business Insurance for texas - http://farmersagent.com/glamb/ or http://www.houston-renters-insurance.com

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Greatest Super Bowls

There have been a number of great games over the years which makes finding one of the greatest super bowls out of this list a difficult task. Over the nearly 40 year history of this big game there have been a number of blowouts, but the close ones have given us something to remember for years to come.

5. Super bowl XXIII (1989, 49ers 20, bengals 16)

This was san Fran's 3rd Super bowl of the 80s and was won in thrilling fashion. The 49ers led in net yards 452 to 229 but still was down 16-13 after Jim Breech kicked a 40-yard field goal with a little over three minutes remaining.

In comes Joe Montana, driving 92 yards and ending with a 10 yard TD pass to john Taylor with 34 seconds left.

rice was named the Super bowl MVP after gaining a Super bowl record 215 yards on 11 catches. Montana had a Super bowl record 357 yards passing.

4. Super Bowl XXV (1991, giants 20, Bills 19)

The giants won their 2nd Super Bowl in 5 years by controlling the ball for 40 minutes in this game. The Bills scored 95 points in their two other playoff games that year, but only had their offense on the field for 8 minutes in the 2nd half.

But this game is known for only one thing, and that's Scott Norwood's missed field goal with seconds remaining, as it sailed wide right. That missed field goal basically set the tone for the Bills over the next four years, as they only found disappointment in the Super Bowl.

3. Super Bowl XXXVI (2002, Patriots 20, Rams 17)

As Norwood's miss set the tone for disappointment with the Bills, Adam Vinatieri's 48 yard FG to win the game help guide the Pats to Super Bowl wins in 3 of the next 4 years.

The Pats were 14 point underdogs who were outgained 427-267 in total yards. There were several turnovers in this game that let the Pats stay in it, the first being Ty Law's return for a TD, then Terrell Buckley's fumble recovery, and an Otis Smith interception. These three big plays let New england jump to a 17-3 lead.

After the Rams struck back to tie it up at 17, Brady moved the ball easily with 1:30 left in the game to help Vinatieri drill a 48-yarder as time expired. Brady ended up the MVP despite going 16 of 27 for 145 yards.

2. Super Bowl iii (1969, Jets 16, colts 7)

The guarantee by Joe namath basically makes this game great. The AFL hadn't even been competitive in the Super Bowl before this and they beat a Baltimore team that had only lost once in 16 games.

namath backed up his claim by completing 17 of 28 for 206 yards and earning the MVP honors. This game put the AFL on the map.

1. Super Bowl XXXIV (2000, Rams 23, Titans 16)

This game ended with mike Jones being tackled by Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line as time expired, giving the Rams their first Super Bowl title.

The Titans defense really stepped up as the Rams took it into the red zone on their first 6 possessions but were held to 3 field goals and a TD.

The Titans finally got their offense going by scoring a pair of touchdowns on two seven minute drives, but a missed 2-point conversion made the score 16-13. Then with only 2:12 left in the game Al Del Greco tied the game up with a 43-yard field goal. It didn't take long for the Rams to strike back as on the first play Isaac Bruce went deep for a quick TD with 1:54 left. The Titans wouldn't quit and drove downfield to Tennessee to the 10 with only six seconds remaining. Without a timeout left, McNair attempted a quick pass to Dyson, who caught it at the 3 but was stopped at the 1 by Jones as time expired. Warner was the MVP with a Super Bowl record 414 yards and 2 TD. Holt and Bruce both had big games, the former with 7 catches and 109 yards with the latter going for 162 yards on 6 grabs.

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Dependency On Results

It's good to care about how you're playing because that's what makes golf fun, but there comes a point where you care too much or you care about the wrong things. Playing to impress people counts as one of those things. I would call this "ego golf".

You know you're an ego-golfer when your happiness hinges on your success on the golf course. When the good shots provide emotional highs and the bad shots make you feel depressed. A simple round of golf can be an emotional roller coaster for the serious ego-golfer. If you find that your good shots make you feel the desire to snap your clubs and throw them into the nearest pond then the diagnosis is coming out positive for ego golf. But you know you've really got it bad if you lie awake the night before a tournament worrying about your performance. (That has been me at times).

Other signs of the ego-golfer include bragging about your achievements and making excuses for your failures. And anything that involves straining to hit the ball further than your playing partners for no reason other than to see the look of awe on their face and know that you are more of a man than them. Alright, I still enjoy that one, but hell who's perfect ;).

The irony, the bitter irony, of this whole situation is that being an ego golfer makes you play worse. It's utterly self defeating. You get tense, nervous, sometimes euphoric and sometimes angry and make a lot of bad decisions. And golf really isn't much fun any more because as we all know golf has a nasty way of knocking you down one way or another.

Fortunately there is a definitive test to determine whether you are an ego golfer, which happens to be the cure as well.

Here's what you're going to do:

It is incredibly easy. You are going to play a really bad round of golf. Intentionally.

If a normal round for you is 80 then go out and take 100. If you're normal round is 90, aim for 110... go crazy and shoot 120, you get the idea. The whole point of this is to play about as well as the average baboon on ecstasy and have your playing partners believe that you are really trying.

A golfer who has no desire to impress anybody will probably find this an amusing thing to do, but overall it won't be a big deal at all. Maybe even a bit pointless.

However for an ego golfer this could be a huge epiphany. It can completely destroy the mindset of trying to impress other people. To intentionally play badly in front of others is the ego's worst nightmare, right? Topping the ball off the first tee in front of a large crowd. But soon you'll realise that nothing bad happens at all when you do this. Playing badly does not hurt you. The worst that can happen to you is people will playfully joke about it with you and that's just fun. In fact, you'll probably have a great time without the pressure of needing to impress people.

The key to this process helping is to make it seem believable to other people. If they find out what you are up to the whole thing will be ruined. Your acting must be on top form. If somebody mentions how badly you are playing appear to be distressed and be all like, "Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with me." If your ego forces you to tell someone well then you'll just have to do it again!

If you're feeling conservative just do this on a practice round but it's most effective to do it in a competition and completely screw up. Get the dreaded point one on your handicap. The most bold amongst you will do it whilst playing foursomes when the need to impress is highest. NOTE: www.goodatgolf.com will not be held responsible for any bloody noses inflicted by your partner's fist after you have hit two of his brand new ProV1's out of bounds, followed by lipping out from 4 inches for birdie after he has hit the best approach shot of his life.

But seriously, try this out. If you're scared all I have to say to you is you must be an ego-golfer, otherwise you wouldn't care! That's right I have you now, mwahahaha. Meh.

Happy hacking to one and all.

Fraser Hasell is the owner of www.goodatgolf.com.

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Yoga Instruction - How to Find the Right Yoga Teacher for You

In order to find a quality yoga instructor, you need to know what to look for. Since there is no universal certification program for yoga teachers, not all of them are created equal as you can see by the following example.

I had been practicing yoga in my home for a while when I decided to take some classes at a local center. I had been using a variety of yoga videos and DVDs that were taught by senior instructors with impeccable form, so I expected the same quality of yoga instruction when I arrived at this class. Unfortunately, it wasnt the case.

The teacher who taught the class was sloppy in her style as she moved through the poses and it seemed more as if she were doing her own practice, rather than leading the class. She never came around and adjusted the alignment of any of the students, which really annoyed me because that was the main reason I decided to attend the class. Additionally, she was facing one way and the students were facing the opposite way, so it was very difficult to see what she was doing. Needless to say, I wasnt impressed.

I am optimistic by nature so the next morning, I took another class at the same center, but this time there was a different teacher leading the practice. Her style was more of what I was looking for. Her execution of the positions was excellent. She showed the students how to do the pose and then she got up and checked the alignment of the students and made necessary adjustments. She brought attention to those students who did a pose particularly well, and she encouraged others to go a little deeper. I was very happy with the teacher, and even though the class did not fit my schedule particularly well, I attended it on a regular basis.

Although my initial endeavor into the world of taking yoga classes was somewhat hit or miss, by asking certain questions and checking some details, you have a better chance of finding the right yoga instructor for you.

Here are some things to consider.

Decide what your goals are for your yoga practice.
Do you want to practice yoga to relieve stress, heal from an injury, or gain strength and flexibility? If a center offers yoga that is very fast paced and very physically challenging, it probably wont be the right match for you if you want to learn how to relax.

What style of yoga interests you? Make sure that the center offers that particular style.
Are you interested in a certain level of yoga instruction? If you are a beginner, you probably dont want to take a class that lumps all levels together. You also dont want a class that is too advanced where you have a greater chance of feeling discouraged because you cant keep up with the other students, or worse, you could get injured. You want a class where the instructor takes ample time to explain the postures and also helps students achieve the correct alignment.

Ask about the teachers level experience
Find out how many years the teacher has been practicing yoga and how long he has been teaching. With my experience with the two yoga teachers, I found out that the one that didnt impress me had just become a teacher, while the one I liked had been teaching for quite some time.

Ask about how many hours of training he has received. Although there is no universal yoga teacher certification, many quality studios require that their instructors complete a minimum number of training hours before they are allowed to teach. If the instructor has 200 or more hours of training, there is a good chance that he has solid skills to work with.

Does the instructor know the benefits and contraindications of each pose? Can he offer modifications for students who have physical limitations? You want a teacher who can provide information about how each pose relates to your unique physical condition.

Also, find out if the teacher has specific training in basic anatomy. I cannot emphasize this point strongly enough. When I was in my early twenties, I took a gymnastics class which was taught by an instructor who had no training in anatomy. Each week he stretched my body in a position that caused me a great deal of pain. If he knew about body mechanics and physiology he never would never used that stretch, because it is almost guaranteed to cause injury. The end result for me was years of pain and permanent injury. If the teacher is not trained in anatomy run, dont walk, out of the class.

What is the teachers personal style?
In order for you to get the most out of yoga, you have to feel comfortable with the teacher. Is the teacher friendly, encouraging, and supportive? Does she treat students and others with respect?

Yoga is intensely personal so it is critical that you like and trust the teacher. She will be touching your body to adjust your alignment, so you need to feel totally safe with her. A good instructor will make the class a secure and peaceful experience for students.

How clean is the studio?
As you look around, do you notice dust or dirt? Is there a musty or sweaty odor? A yoga class encourages you to practice barefoot and breathe deeply. It is very difficult to get the most from your yoga instruction if you are worried about contracting a disease from an unclean studio.

How does the teacher handle your personal beliefs?
A good yoga teacher does not impose her personal beliefs on students. Yoga is not a religion. You should be able to practice any religion, or none at all, and still feel comfortable in the class. You also should not be required to eat or act a certain way to be considered acceptable to the teacher.

Yoga promotes freedom, so you should not be held bondage to someone elses beliefs. You should be free to live whichever way is right for you.

Quality yoga instruction can be very important for you in your yoga journey. By keeping these ideas in mind when you search for a yoga teacher, you are very likely to find the one that is just right for you.

Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life.

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