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Forget the World Series, the Presidential Election Race is the hottest ticket in town! This Tuesday, after you’ve headed out to the polls, gather with friends and family to watch the results Read on for some great election party ideas to help you throw your Election party.

-Reuse old 4th of July party decor, dishware and utensils. Just think red, white and blue!

-Put out snack foods that you might serve on put out for a television of movie party - popcorn, chips and dip, salsa and finger foods.

-Make themed drinks named after the candidates (recipes below)!

-For more election party food ideas, decorate cookies, cupcakes or a cake with a patriotic theme - red, white and blue icing.

-Put together a playlist of McCain and Obama’s favorite songs:

“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys
“Barracuda”, by Heart
“Touch the Sky”, by Kanye West
“Yes, I can” by Will.i.am
“City of Blinding Lights” by U2

Election day is on a weekday (as it always is) and all your guests, yourself included, need to make time to vote as well. So, keep the party planning as no-fuss as possible.

Election Party Cocktails:

The Barack Obama

Ingredients

• 2 Oz Citrus Vodka
• 1 Oz Blue Curacao
• 1 Whole 1/2 juice from lime
• 3 oz Sprite

Steps

• Combine all ingredients into shaker.
• Shake and pour into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
• Garnish with a slice of pear

McCain

Ingredients

• 2 Oz Respado Tequila
• 1/4 Oz simple syrup
• 6 Whole fresh Pomegranate seeds and juice
• 1 Oz passion fruit juice
• 1 Mint leaf for Garnish
• Raspberries for garnish

Steps

• Muddle Pomegranate in base of shaker
• Add other ingredients; shake with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

You don’t need to live in the southwestern part of the United States very long to understand the importance of water. Much of the area is desert and for the past 8 years or so, the rest has been as dry as a desert. However, a year ago that changed. Weather systems started to show up with regularity to drop massive amounts of rain, hail and snow over California, Nevada, Arizona and the rest of the southwest. But what brought about this climate change? Was the change caused by those who rain dance? Was it El Nino? La Nina? Tsunami? I don’t think so. I believe the drought of the past decade has ended because of one reasonme.

Actually, the drought has ended due to my magical tent. That’s right I have a magical tent. The past 10 times I have been camping with this special tent it has either rained, hailed or snowed. Not just briefly or lightly, but heavily. It started in February of 2004, then again in May, June, August, September and November. In 2005 it picked right up again in January, February and also in May. Over the past year and a half, I’ve had the opportunity to hear many people say something like, “this is the heaviest rain I’ve ever seen!” Or, I’ve heard them say, “it never rains this time of year!”

Tent camping in wet weather is not for the faint-hearted, but for those who are prepared, the experience can be very uplifting. For instance, it’s tough to have a cozy fire when everything is soaked unless you’ve taken the time and energy to get ready for it. We have a portable fire ring which runs on propane and we use it under our nylon canopy. If we do want a campfire when it’s raining or snowing, a road flare is an excellent way to get it going. Our camp is never placed in a wash or on the side of a hill. Even though we’ve received nearly 6 inches of rain in camp during a two day period, we’ve never been washed away. Here are two great benefits of camping during inclement weatheryou won’t have insect problems and it won’t be very crowded. For many campers, that’s as good as it gets.

The next time you hear something about the drought in the southwest or the next time you hear of flash floods in Arizona, you can rest assured that we are camping in our magical tent and someone is saying, “hey, I think it’s starting to let up,” right when the bottom falls out. Use this information and you’ll Get It Right The First Time. Get Outdoors!

Chuck Fitzgerald, The Outdoor Guy, has written a beginner’s guide to bird watching call “Learning to Bird.” Visit http://www.birdwatchingebook.com to see just how easy and how much fun Bird Watching really is. Chuck is the owner of Arizona based BackCountry Toys, an online store helping you to have fun in the great outdoors. To get maximum enjoyment out of your outdoor life, visit http://www.BackCountryToys.com where you’ll find great gear and the Tips & Tales e-newsletter, “FreshAir.” (800) 316-9055.

There are numerous activities in life which we really enjoy. Yet, we see to it that the task at hand has a certain degree of safety so that we don’t hurt ourselves in the process. The same is the case with fire pits. Although we do like to enjoy the company of fire pits and use them to make our day (or evening), still it is compulsory to ascertain some amount of fire pit safety so that we don’t end up getting burnt up ourselves along with posing a danger to other’s life and our own homes and neighborhood. After all, finally dealing with fire pits is playing with fire and gas which surely are lethal if not handled with care!

Fire pit safety is of prime concern whenever one is laying a fire pit plan or considers using a fire pit for any occasion. Even more so when our younger ones are in charge of getting the fire pit done. We must see to it that not only us and our family but in fact everybody around us is safe and sound and for that we must ascertain the level of safety our fire pit offers. So many accidents can happen with fire pits, primarily fire posed dangers however.

If you’ve begun searching for a sleeping bag on the Internet, then you already know how overwhelming it can be with all these online camping stores. The good thing is whether you’re buying a double sleeping bag for 2 people or searching for your kid’s favorite sleeping bag, odds are you’ll find it online at cheap discount prices.

There are many features and options people should look for in sleeping bags depending on your needs, such as what is the min/max temperature climate, is the bag material durable on the outside but comfortable on the inside, is it waterproof or water resistant, does it fit to your body shape and size? Sleeping bag insulation is also an important detail to look into, for example, are you looking for a cozy down filling with soft lining or is budget a factor making a synthetic blend a better choice.

You will also find a huge selection of styles to choose from like mummy, inflatable, rectangular, backpacking, semi-rectangular, youth and baby sleeping bags. Choose between the many different colors like blue, pink, yellow, orange, red, green, polka dot and brown. For your children, why not buy a fleece bag with cartoon characters on it like Spiderman, Disney, Bob the builder, NASCAR and Scooby Doo.

For sleeping bags or other camping gear, check out popular name brands like Coleman, North Face, Slumberjack, Marmot, Lafuma, Columbia, Wenger, Kelty, Wenzel and Nebo. If you still want to cut down your options, I would read online consumer reviews and compare sleeping bag ratings on all sorts of bags for camping, as it will make things much clearer.

L. Dente is a successful author and publisher of http://www.discount-camping-gear.org Get information on discount camping gear, cheap equipment and camp supplies like backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, camping furniture, cookware and other camping stuff.

Let me introduce you to the new “sport” of dam dropping.

Now the very name is enough to put a normal, sane, feet-on-the-ground sort of person (such as I am) immediately on the alert.

The procedure is described as a “form of river surfing, more commonly know as river sledging” and it involves going “over an 8 metre drop down the dam retaining wall, descending powerful rapids and surfing the standing waves” … on a plastic or foam sledge.

Yep … You hurl yourself off the spill wall of a dam on a bit of plastic.

Bet you a million quid you can’t guess what nation thought up this little treat.

Oh …

Yes, you’re right … the Kiwis.

The same folks who introduced the world to the delights of tying a rubber band around their ankles and throwing themselves from suspension bridges have come up with yet another way to keep the medical profession gainfully employed. They just love their extreme sports!

Not content with convincing crazy tourists to pay good money for the privilege of being turned into a dangly toy on a string or trusting their lives to a piece of foam, the Kiwis have also dreamed up a couple of other doozies.

One I saw involved strapping the unfortunate victim … er … tourist into a harness inside a huge plastic ball. Once its inmate was tightly confined, the ball was rolled to the edge of a hill where it was given a bit of a shove so it hurtled to the bottom, bouncing off the sides all the way down. For extra fun, you can choose to have a bucket of water added to the mix and get a nice tumble rinse on the way.

I can see you don’t believe me … OK, ye of little faith, click here to see a zorb: http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/nz/zorbing/

Fun?

That’s nothing … What about strapping yourself and two mates into a cocoon while a crane hoists you 40 metres above Mother Earth, then pulling the ripcord to send you and the aforementioned mates plunging landwards at speeds of up to 130km/hr? And then swinging back the other way and then the first way and then the … Well, you know enough about elementary physics and kinetic energy to get the picture, and let me tell you it’s not a pretty sight. (This little pastime goes by the innocuous name of ’swooping.’)

What amuses me about these operators is the way they tout the magnificent views you get from the platforms … Who’s going to give a damn about the rolling hills, snow-clad mountains and sweeping vistas when they’re fighting to keep their breakfast where it belongs and not adorning the spectators ogling from below?

Who wants to be next?

Not this little black duck, that’s for sure. In fact, the less firma the land the more terra I feel!

J M Stewart is a freelance writer and editor. Sign up for free, weekly writing tips that have been delivered every Friday since 1998: mailto:WritingTips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
J M Stewart’s travel site http://www.traveltoaustralia.write101.com provides intending travellers with all they need to know to visit, live and work in Australia. Drop by now to see if you’re eligible for an Australian work visa!

Oahu is encircled like a lei with more scenic miles of sandy beaches than any of the Hawaiian Islands. The island also abounds with water sports, many of which support ecotourism and are inexpensive or free. Yet most tourists spend their entire vacations at Waikiki. And they never know what they are missing.

Some of the best beaches in Hawaii and the United States are found on Oahu. You may have seen some of them on the Travel Channel. At least two of them, Lanikai and Kailua Bay, have earned number one position on Dr. Beach’s list.

Even on a tight budget, you can kayak, snorkel, swim, body board, take a surf lesson, go on a sailing dolphin swim cruise, paddle on a body board to a deserted off shore island, and still have money left for other eco activities. Amazing sunsets on the North Shore and the Leeward side are free of charge, as are front row seats to world class surfing championships.

And with shore waters surrounding the island no colder than most indoors swimming pools, there’s no need to rent a wet suit. Those with disabilities can use, free of charge, one of the many Landeez All-Terrain Wheelchairs provided by the Honolulu Department of Parks.

Before heading off for your fun in the sun, consider a few words of caution. Only enter the waters where there are lifeguards and no signs warning of strong currents or other dangers. Check with the lifeguard about ocean conditions. The City and County of Honolulu has a map of lifeguarded beaches that can be printed from their Website at
Hawaii Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division

Here, you will also find beach safety tips provided by Hawaii lifeguard, such as warnings about climbing around on the rocks near the surf. You should always stay off rocks that are close enough to the water for waves to crash on them and/or that are slippery. And to avoid a painful sun burn, always remember to apply waterproof sunscreen. The cooling trade winds make you feel that you are getting less of those intense tropical sun rays than you are.

Stay safe and go home with lots of happy memories.
As always, pay attention to signs and check with lifeguards if you have any questions.

You will find a small, but helpful beach guide, in Aloha from Hawaii, one of the free magazines in the rack near the Honolulu’s Airport’s visitors information booth. To look at the maps and read the Oahu beach guide online, surf to http://www.hawaiihotelsdirectory.comand click on “Guides and Maps” at the top of the page.

This article is an excerpt from the “Ocean Play” chapter in the author’s new ebook The Hawaii Eco Budget Vacation Guide to Oahu This 155 page guide book gives you all you need to plan a Hawaiian vacation that not only costs less than half the average one but provides much more for your money than the cheapest Waikiki package deal. This easy-to-use ebook is ad and sponsor-free, practical, and jam packed with suggestions (along with contact info, links, maps eCoupons, and other tools) for creating your own eco vacation itinerary and making reservations for everything from airfare to snorkeling equipement. Read it online or off in your browser. The author, a journalist and former Hawaii teacher, has done all the research for you. She’s even included sample budget tables. Download the book and/or browse the portal, “Pathways to Paradise,” free image gallery and more at CoconutRoads.com.
“Taking you to the Heart of Hawaii.”