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<title>Latest Hobbies Articles</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/</link>
<description>Articles at Populate.NET</description>
<language>en-us</language>
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<title>5 tips how to keep cut flowers fresh long enough</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/5-tips-how-to-keep-cut-flowers-fresh-long-enough.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/5-tips-how-to-keep-cut-flowers-fresh-long-enough.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:44:19 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>Flowers are meant to spread love and bring freshness in life. Flowers lighten the heart and improve the look of your room. Any person buying flowers desire that their flowers must look as fresh as possible. The florists have to maintain a large quantity of cut flowers so as to keep it fresh for a long time. There are generally 5 tips that help you maintain the freshness of cut flowers just like these were still on the branches of their plants. Whether you have been gifted a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers or you have cut the prettiest flowers from your garden, you should try to keep it fresh and flowering. Here are a few methods by which you can keep your cut flowers new long enough: - Buy the freshest flowers in the market: If you purchase flowers from some florist or from the flower market, assure that these are blooming. The flowers you buy should not be stored in cold storage before it reaches you. You need to check the quality of flowers you wish to purchase either to gift someone or to beautify your house. - Organise a correct container: The container in which you will be putting your beautiful flowers should be of sufficient height. It must be able to cover at least 3-4 inches of the flower stems with water and must also support the bunch of flowers. Before you decorate your flowers in any container, please clean it properly so that there are no bacteria in it, as bacteria decreases the life span of your flowers. While washing your flower holder, assure that there is no soapy residue in it as the leftover chemicals may prove to be very damaging for your fresh flowers. - Trim the endings of flower stems: Cutting the ends of flower stem in diagonal cut is recommended. The diagonal cut extends the surface area thus aiding the absorption of sufficient water for the flowers. Cutting needs to be done by putting your flower stem below the cool water level. Cold water is ideal for flowers to be fresh for a long timeas warm water dries it. - Make your vase ready: Fill up sufficient water in your vase so that it covers 3-4 inches of flower stem. Mix some flower food or aspirin tablet to increase the life of your flowers. - Cut the leaves on the flower stem: The leaves of the flower stem are submerged in water and this leads to production of bacteria. The bacteria are damaging for the life of your flowers. So it is essential to remove the leaves in order to prevent bacteria formation thereby improving the life of your cut flowers. Moreover change the water from the flower vase every two to three days and also put fresh water at least one time daily. So, now if you wish to keep cut flowers fresh for longer time, these five tips will be of immense help to you. Now you can make your house look beautiful and fresh if you adorn it with beautiful and bright fresh flowers and maintain its freshness with a few easy methods.</p> ]]></description>
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<title>Why Bird Watching is So Popular Today</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/why-bird-watching-is-so-popular-today.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/why-bird-watching-is-so-popular-today.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:15:03 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ On any given day, millions of people across the country are watching birds. They are watching via bird watching clubs that they are members of. They join bird watching tours not only in their own city, but in cities and sometimes countries far away. Those really into it, plan holidays and family trips around the migration path of their favorite bird species. For these people, bird watching is addictive. Once you start, and discover the joys in it, you're hooked.<br><br>Why do people love to watch birds? Just, what is the attraction? For one thing, it's relatively inexpensive. All you really need to begin your bird watching hobby is a reasonably good pair of binoculars. Then maybe in a month or two, you'll invest in a quality camera to capture for all time the birds you've seen.<br><br>Secondly, bird watching is a fantastic self-justification to spend time outdoors. Far too many of us spend our time either closeted inside our homes or trapped a job cubicle. In our air conditioned environments, we have forgotten what it's like to breath fresh air and commune with nature. We've forgotten that we're not the only creatures blessed to live on this planet. We've forgotten that it's natural to be outdoors.<br><br>Third - convenience. What's more convenient than watching birds in the comfort of your own back yard? You can go down to your local garden center or pet store, buy a bird house and some feed, and have a bird sanctuary in your back yard in one afternoon. And, if you've done your homework correctly, your newly discovered bird friends will love you.<br><br>Fourth - bird watching provides you with your own private animal reality show. Within days, you'll find yourself involved in the various bird families pecking order. Who is dominant? Who's selfish? Who's nurturing? Who's a bully? You'll begin to recognize distinct personalities. And those among us with slight psychological problems will start to name them.<br><br>Fifth - bird watching is relaxing. No matter how stressed you've been throughout the day, once you sit down with your binoculars and point it towards your bird friends, you will detect a sense of calm and serenity engulfing you. It's inevitable and can't be stopped. It's virtually impossible not to feel your blood pressure dropping and the stresses and worries fleeing from your mind.<br><br>Sixth - you'll be helping nature by helping the species to survive. In many parts of the country, the natural habitats of the native creatures, including birds, have been destroyed. In modern society, new industrial or housing development trumps nature every time. With your bird watching hobby, you can help restore some of the habitat balance by providing nesting places, shelter from predators, and food for the birds that you enjoy.<br><br>Seventh - bird watching is a great social activity. Finding people who love the same thing as you do and spending time with them allows you to re-connect with your humanity. Instead of spending hours in front of the television, you can form friendship bonds that will stay with you the rest of your life.<br><br>Eight - It's great exercise. Hardly a day goes by without us hearing some newscaster talking about the obesity epidemic and how we Americans are getting fatter and fatter by the day. We all know that we should exercise more, but very few of us actually do it. Bird watching is a great way to exercise and have fun at the same time. Following and tracking birds through forest settings will give you plenty of exercise and help to keep you in good health.<br><br>For all these reasons, and more, bird watching is an activity that becomes more popular each year. In truth, it surprisingly has become one of America's most popular pastimes. ]]></description>
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<title>Free Energy's Seven Reasons for Do-It-Yourself (DIY)</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/free-energys-seven-reasons-for-do-it-yourself-diy.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/free-energys-seven-reasons-for-do-it-yourself-diy.html</guid>
<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:22:39 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>Free energy is all around us but collecting it does cost. The power is free and the collecting and delivery is costly. What you have to do is get rid of the delivery and you only have collecting cost. By building your own energy source you can get the collecting cost to zero, no cost. That only leave the up front investment. If you have a contractor install energy devices, the payback period is typically 25 years. If you make and install the devices your self the payback is typically less than 5 years and may be 5 months.</p>
<p>The rules are different when you build your own energy with a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. No delivery cost, no installer cost and investment payback interval is usually under 5 years.</p>
<p>Here are seven reasons to build DIY homemade power:<br />1.) Free power is everywhere. You just need to collect it. <br />2.) Collecting no cost power is straightforward with solar, wind, and solar hot water systems.<br />3.) Free energy investment is cheep for DIY. DIY projects can be 1/10 the cost of commercial and payback is 5-10 times sooner, ordinarily under five years.<br />4.) The governments promote free energy collection. The government will reimburse you. In the USA the tax credit is 30% up to $2000 for solar electric and solar hot water and up to $4,000 for small wind turbine. That's not much for commercial investment of $20,000 to $80,000; but this is a bunch for DIY projects of $100 to $6,000.<br />5.) Free power is green. The more you collect the less the Power Company pollutes our planet. That makes a greener planet for our future and the kids' future.<br />6.) Do-it-yourself guides that build free energy projects uncomplicated and low cost are cheap. Projects are a $100 - $200 investment. Multiple projects can get you off the grid completely.<br />7.) Remote sites like a vacation home or cottage, hunting lodge, campsites can be powered by these free energy projects, no gas generator and no kerosene.</p>
<p>Solar Panels<br />Solar panels are a grouping of solar cells, soldered together into a structure. The cells can be bought on eBay for just about $50 per 100 watts of power. You assemble the cells in to 70 - 175 watt panels. Installing the panels is a matter of some brackets and wire. Solar panel installation is much more flexible and portable than wind turbines. They output 18+ volts in to a battery charge controller. The controller fills deep cycle batteries with the energy throughout the day. Energy can be generated most days, even with clouds. The limitation of solar panels is the sun. It's up only half the day. A power inverter converts the battery's power to household power for your regular use, day or night. Making several panels can achieve 1000+ watts of power.</p>
<p>Small Wind Turbine<br />Wind turbine is not for everybody. You need an open space, not for the reason that they are too large but for the reason that the wind flows better in the open. You need a least of 10+ M.P.H. Wind speed with 20+ M.P.H. Being ideal. An advantage to wind turbines is the wind can blow all day to make energy day or night. Another important point is the wind turbine requires to be on a tower. The higher the better, in the 20 - 60 foot range. This usually requires local zoning permits. If these are not a problem you will get two times the power out of a wind turbine than for the same cost in solar panels. The break-even point is $400. Further than that, the wind turbine is less costly to build for the same energy output. You can easily get 450 watts to 1,000 watts from one DIY homemade turbine. Like the Solar Panel explanation above, you stockpile the power in deep cycle batteries and use an inverter to make household power, day or night.</p>
<p>Solar Hot Water<br />The energy required for a household hot water heater is almost 30% of the household energy cost. The solar hot water can with no trouble cut that in half. Solar hot water uses the hothouse effect. Construct a box with a glass top and some pipes and you can make hot water in the range of 120 - 130 degrees Fahrenheit winter and summer. Feed this hot water into your hot water heater for storage and the hot water heater will shut down, no energy cost. The hot water heater will only opperate once a boost is essential like washing clothes. The construction is cheap and easy.</p>
<p>Energy guides will give you direction, a plan, techniques and the answers to years of trial and error. Get a guide they are cheap. For under $50 you can get a step-by-step tutorial and when it is needed a video. To find a good guide with a critical review go to <a href="http://www.ResidentialEnergykit.Com">www.ResidentialEnergykit.Com</a></p> ]]></description>
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<title>Buy Your Pet Rabbit a Den - Not a Cage</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/buy-your-pet-rabbit-a-den-not-a-cage.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/buy-your-pet-rabbit-a-den-not-a-cage.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:14:20 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>You will find several animals that can be kept as pets. Majority of them wish to tame dogs, a few others might wish to keep birds, some others might like monkeys, snakes, rabbits, cats etc. The choice in pets is endless. However remember, pets are not only meant to fulfill your personal wish, you must take utmost care of your pet and provide best shelter that makes them feel secured and not as if they are in enclosures. You have to consider your pet as your family member. You have to shelter and nurture your pet and offer a lovely and secured environment where it grows healthily. You should pay proper attention to the predators that are roaming in and out of your house, save your pets from being harmed by them. So the shelter should be rightly suitable where your pet feels relaxed and safe. There are a few things that you should take care of while providing a shelter for your pet rabbit. The shelter you purchase for your pet rabbit must be spacious and simple to maintain and clean. If you love your pet rabbit so much and want to shower all your love and care on your bunny rabbit, it is good that you buy him a den and not a cage and you can do it as it is easily possible to provide it a den to live in. If you are thinking about buying your pet bunny a brand new house, think about it as their home and not only an enclosure to keep it in. The shelter you choose should be huge enough where you pet roams freely and doesn't feel as if it is captured in it. Even if it will truly be a cage, you can make it feel like a rabbit den to them. The size really matters a lot. Your pet rabbit is going to spend sufficient time in his den, so you need to pay great care and time to maintain and clean it regularly. Always remember that the den you choose for your bunny rabbit should comfortably fit in your lawns. Moreover, it must be strong enough to protect your lovely pet from predators. Predators are not only around your house, these may be in your lawns too. Some dreadful pests or parasites might attack your delicate little bunny and this might lead to dreadful illness to the animal. So it is necessary that you keep your lawns clean and spray organic disinfectants regularly to keep the pests and worms away from your pet cage . If you are keeping your rabbit den indoors, maintain hygiene in your home too. You need to protect your pet rabbit from animals and people too. Some people might harm your pet. Choose a rabbit den which can withstand harmful weather conditions thereby providing cozy atmosphere for your pet rabbit. Apart from spaciousness, sheltering from weather and predators, the rabbit den should be convenient to clean. You should be able to feed your pet with water and food easily. If you want to purchase a rabbit den for your bunny rabbit, you can look for it online. You will be amazed to see the number of online stores displaying best quality and spacious rabbit dens on their site. The complete collection is displayed on these websites thus helping you to look a perfect rabbit den easily.</p> ]]></description>
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<title>How To Build a Chicken Coop Guide</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/how-to-build-a-chicken-coop-guide.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/how-to-build-a-chicken-coop-guide.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:40:05 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>Building chicken coops can be an adventurous experience, but remember your fun and excitement should not ruin your chickens. People often love to keep chickens, its not only fun to watch them grow, but you also get a huge supply of fresh eggs regularly. Moreover, you will appreciate yourself to provide a cozy shelter for these little ones to live comfortably. So, now you are excited to build a perfect chicken coop. Before you build a chicken coop, you need to be careful about a few things to ensure maximum comfort and safety for your delicate, fluffy chickens. - Size: Firstly, while building a chicken coop, you need to think about the size of the chicken coop. The size plays a major role for proper growth of your chickens. It solely depends on the number of chicken you plan to keep. The chicken coop should be of comfortable size where the chicks can roam around freely, yet feel secured. If you build a smaller chicken coop, chances are that your chickens may not be able to grow properly as they may not feel comfortable, at times they may feel suffocated too. Remember, your chickens are free birds so they need enough space to enjoy their freedom. Moreover, your chicken will grow in future, so the height of chicken coop in another important factor to be considered while building a chicken coop. - Safety of your Chickens: You need to think about the safety measures for your chickens. You need to save them from predators as it your responsibility to take care of the little ones. You must see that the chicken coop you build must be safe and secured for your chicken and no predator can attack it and cause harm to your lovely chickens. - Maintenance: The chicken coop you build should be easy to maintain. The little chickens are going to litter around. So it must be easy to clean regularly. Cleanliness is utmost important so as to prevent any diseases or illness spreading in your chickens. Design a chicken coop that is wide and easy to clean, also ensure that the water and disinfectant used to clean the chicken coop should drain away easily rather than getting trapped in the center of the coop. - Bright and warm with proper ventilation: The next thing to be considered while building a chicken coop is that it should be bright as well as cozy. Proper ventilation is a pre-requisite and all these things are essential to prevent any sickness that may harm your chickens. Your chicken coop should be warm and dry in cold and wet seasons, and it should be airy during the hot season. This will keep diseases at bay and your chickens can enjoy living in a chicken coop built by you. To get a better idea about How To Build a Chicken Coop Guide, there are several online stores presenting a complete guide to help at every step to build a perfect chicken coop. Remember, you are taking a responsibility of nurturing a LIFE of an innocent bird, so assure that you take all the precautionary measures to ensure their safety and wellbeing.</p> ]]></description>
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<title>New Labels and News at moreTvicar</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/new-labels-and-news-at-moretvicar.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/new-labels-and-news-at-moretvicar.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:52:40 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>Tons of t-shirt news and all the exciting things that have been happening at moretvicar over the last 2 weeks. Celebrity updates, new ranges, special and limited edition t-shirt news plus new and exclusive designs plus a media update. <br /><br />Choose from over 500 different t-shirts from 50 top t-shirt labels including London's coolest urban labels. Jakes is the quintessential Soho label famous for the timeless Lucky 7 t-shirt and for counting David Beckham amongst its famous fans. Chunk is famous for retro t-shirts that play the nostalgia card brilliantly. Star Wars and Dangermouse have both been given the Chunk treatment and MoreTvicar.com has the very biggest collection of Chunk tees online. The A-Team tees and the VW Camper Van t-shirts are the perfect gift for Dad - memories really were made of this. Other cool labels include Yes No Maybe famous for great graphics and tongue-in-cheek slogans. The Keep Calm and Carry On tee has become a classic. London's Tee Hee label is retro t-shirts writ large - cool music themed tees rub shoulders with some retro US inspired baseball tees. Checkout the Peckham Panthers and the Camden Chiefs t-shirts.<br /><br />moreTvicar spend a lot of time scouring the planet for the best tees on offer and occasionally come across a label that stands out - a label that has a look, a signature, a personality. <br /><br />When moreTvicar first came across We Walk they were struck, not only by the gritty urban graphics but also the unique cut of the tees. We Walk hand customise each item (think Gok Wan with a pair of scissors and a strong pair of hands!) and transform the humble tee into a bespoke fashion garment. Splits, ties and gathering techniques combine to produce garments that are both feminine and street. Chic fashion pieces with a gritty urban edge. The 2 new tops from We Walk have an authentic rock chick look and feel and the Cobain top with bold distressed guitar graphics has a go at redefining the saturated market that is music t-shirts. <br /><br />MoreTvicar has always attracted a celebrity following and the past few weeks have been a right bobby dazzler bonanza! Two weeks ago Heat magazine feature the A-List Attitude 'Richer than Richie' t-shirt as one of the best 3 icon tees and last week moreTvicar cropped up again in Heat with Mr T4 - the very sexy Steve Jones wearing a Local Celebrity 'Respect Your Mother' tee. Not content with that the very very lovely Alesha Dixon is soon to be seen wearing a brand new moreTvicar special edition t-shirt and the new T4 braun-with-brains Mr Rick Edwards has not only recently mentioned moreTvicar as one of his favourite online stores in an interview but has also chosen some brand new Chunk tees to add to his cool collection of vintage tees. AND lastly - but by no means leastly - the celebrated international artist Paul Schutze has designed a one-off tee for moreTvicar that is strictly limited to a run of 100 and which has already caught the attention of the Japanese who are the fashion barometer for all things achingly cool. Although not planned or engineered, it is no surprise that moreTvicar has become synonymous with celebrity t-shirts</p> ]]></description>
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<title>Graffiti for hire</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/graffiti-for-hire.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/graffiti-for-hire.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:47:47 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>Graffiti is a form of art that is available in a lot of different types. Graffiti is in great demand these days as you et the latest for your home, office, hotel, pub or any place where you want something unique and creative. Tagging is the most common for of Graffiti which involves simple collection of letters and is monochrome, but with some artistic value. This is form of Graffiti is very common as it can be produced quickly and is small. Though tagging is prevalent forms of Graffiti, but more proficient arts can be noticed on larger or huge spaces, like on the walls. Graffiti on walls have artistic complicated designs and are usually multicolored. Earlier Graffiti was irritation to property owner where it is created, but now a majority of people specially order for graffiti arts! The artisans are trained to create Graffiti designs with their innovative ideas and artistic skills. And if you too want something creative for your walls, you can hire a graffiti artist from a reputed online company offering you the best Graffiti arts. A genuine online company offers you amazing work of art which is 100% unique and original. Your project will never be a copy of a copy of a copy. They offer you the original form of art. These companies hire excellent and expert professional artists having creative inputs and their true artistic efforts can be seen right from beginning to the end of your project undertaken by them. You will be amazed to know that the online company offering you graffiti designs have an excellent team of professional fashion creators and designers, multimedia designers, graphic designers, product designers and all those who posses incredible talent to produce something mind-blowing. They are all under one single denominator, all are graffiti artists. You can easily contact them to experience their remarkable services in graffiti arts. If you want, these companies give you what you want. If you have some photo or picture, you can send it to this company along with the photo of your wall where you want the graffiti to be done. The company will revert back to you immediately with a replicate of your wall. This way you will come to know how your wall will look and you will also get how much you will need to spend on this priceless creation. A lot of satisfied customers have expressed their views saying that, the professional designers working for this company painted a huge picture of his childhood which is around 3 meters, it is just beyond words. A pub owner said that he has got an incredible art done for the walls of his pub, they really have a true talent. Their work is quite fast and one of the customers was amazed to see that his walls were painted in not more than 3 hours! This is called the real form of art. If you too want something artistic for any piece of your wall, contact the online company offering you designer services immediately and give a completely new look to the place where you want the graffiti to be done.</p> ]]></description>
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<title>Down By The Depot</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/down-by-the-depot.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/down-by-the-depot.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:08:50 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>American railroad stations (or depots, as the smaller buildings are commonly known) were once an all too common sight in our country as almost every town, large and small, could claim one, which was largely due to the fact that railroads once went literally everywhere, reaching almost any and every town.<br /><br />While Pennsylvania Station in New York City was without question this country's most famous railroad station and arguably the most beautiful (along with the New York Central's Grand Central Terminal), those which served the smaller towns and cities across the country were much more than just buildings to load and unload passengers.  For many years, until the automobile became a reliable means of transportation the railroad depot was the center of life for these towns and cities as it was the only means to and from the outside world for almost everyone (unless you would rather take the journey by horseback, which would not only take much longer but also was very grueling and tiresome).  Because the depot was the focal point of small towns the phrase "down by the depot" became commonplace.<br /><br />Not only was the depot used to board and de-board your train wherever it may be taking you, but it also nearly always delivered the goods you purchased. For instance, if you had a small business such as a farm and needed a few items shipped that were either sold or up for sale you would simply stop by the depot and talk with the station agent who would set you up with a price (which was determined by weight) and give you a receipt known as a waybill.<br /><br />And, the same can be said if you had an item(s) waiting at the depot to be picked up.  When you believed it had arrived (much like postal mail) you simply stopped down at the depot and asked the station agent about items you were awaiting.<br /><br />In many ways, what railroads did back then (before automobiles became reliable and efficient) is much the same thing that trucking companies and deliverers like UPS and FedEx do today by shipping small, mostly lightweight, items.  Of course, what made the idea profitable for railroads back then (by shipping merchandise of any kind, large and small) was the fact that they were the most reliable and quickest means of transportation (they had a near monopoly on the market, which is a major reason why they were regulated so heavily by the government and in turn caused the catastrophic industry collapse in the 1970s).<br /><br />It was this waiting for something to arrive, shipping your goods, and catching the train that fostered a community gathering at the depot and many folks went down simply to mingle and talk about the latest things going on in the area with their neighbors.  Because, remember, back during the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries most folks did not live in the large cities being scattered about in small towns and communities (and most of those were in the country).  So, with no other means of transportation other than either on foot or horseback traveling was often long (compared to today) and not that comfortable which made for fewer trips to town and usually only when necessary.<br /><br />However, the local (and often small) hometown depot was not the only type of railroad station constructed and as the railroad industry progressed and grew, so did its stations which became more and more ornate and grand, ultimately culminating in this country's (and perhaps to even some extent the world's) greatest and most stunning station to ever be built, New York City's grand Pennsylvania Station (better known as Penn Station) constructed by the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and opened in 1910.   These large and grand stations, however, worked on essentially the same principal as their smaller siblings with folks mingling and coming together. The one difference, of course, is that these larger stations moved many more people and often included additional features such as restaurants, shops, and other amenities.  One other difference is that large stations typically did not take small, local, freight shipments to either be loaded of offloaded as this work was handled at a specialized freight depot designed simply for that purpose (to load and offload freight shipments).<br /><br />Railroad stations built during the 19th and early 20th century also were true works of art, many with designs which reflected the Victorian or Roman eras as well as being constructed many times from the very same materials such as marble and crystal, which is a big reason why many are preserved and so coveted today (especially after the loss of Penn Station which used countless tons of many different types of marble in its construction).   Even the stations and depots from that same time period built from wood and/or brick also were constructed with beautiful designs in mind (many of these are from the Victorian era), which is why those smaller towns and cities who have preserved their stations and depots take such pride in them and realize their beauty is unmatched (and many times these buildings are the centerpiece efforts in revitalizing their downtown areas, whether the tracks still remain in place and used or not).<br /><br />As the automobile came of age, however, and our highway infrastructure became much more reliable the local railroad station fell from importance and no longer was the most essential building in towns. As the 1950s came so went the local depot in most smaller towns where the car or truck was much more accessible and reliable for the short to medium travels folks in those areas made (it was also a huge financial drain on the railroads to maintain these smaller depots where the little passenger traffic there quickly dried up after World War II, so they were very happy to discontinue these trains and shutdown the depots if possible). And, by the 1960s even the larger and more prominent railroad stations were not immune to closure or demolition, as was the case with Penn Station.<br /><br />Penn Station in many ways would be the spinning image of the rise and fall of the railroad industry itself through the 1970s, as the PRR was desperate for cash during the 1960s and ordered its demolition to sell off the property and air rights. While many other railroad stations would meet a similar fate between the 1950s and 1970s, the loss of Penn Station signaled a change in this country's attitude towards its historic structures as the outrage in the aftermath of its loss triggered a movement to preserve these buildings (the result of which thwarted later efforts to demolish the New York Central's beautiful and breathtaking Grand Central Terminal, also located in New York City).<br /><br />While Penn Station is no longer with us and the local depot's use for both freight and passengers has long since disappeared in favor of more efficient and faster means of transportation, the grand station's loss was a wakeup call to this country, and aside from Grand Central Terminal a number of other large, and small, stations and depots across the country have since been saved and preserved for use as both hometown community buildings to their original intent, as a place for passengers to catch their train to wherever their journeys may be taking them.<br /><br />For more reading about railroad stations please visit the website below:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.american-rails.com/" title="http://american-rails.com">http://american-rails.com </a></p> ]]></description>
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<title>Famous Golfers and their Successes</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/famous-golfers-and-their-successes.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/famous-golfers-and-their-successes.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:53:06 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>It was played knocking stones into rabbit holes. The previous permanent golf course started in Scotland. It introduced club membership. The important championships are the four most respectable men's tournaments. They are, the Masters, the US Open, the British Open Championship and the PGA Championship. The basic golfing Tactics are, golf grip and a good swing. You should hold properly. A good follow-through accompanied with a good swing gives a perfect result. Golf products that are used in the game are cover drivers, fairway woods, irons, putters, golf balls, shoes, apparel, training aids, accessories and other golf gears. There are many famous golfers known to its history. Eldrick Tont "Tiger Woods" an American golfer born in 1975 is probably the first name to cross any golfer's mind. He is now the topmost professional golfer according to the official world golf rankings. When Woods entered the world of golf he was only thirteen years old, and went on to win six junior championships. Tiger Woods golf method are very popular as beginners try to be trained from the master. He had an unbelievable golf swing to the stance; people are crazy for the golf techniques of Tiger Woods. His golf swing was pure power. He was born in South Africa. In his career, he has won at least 166 professional tournaments, with nine famous major championshipship victories. He was among the 'Big Three" players, along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus who were veterans of golf from the late 1950s onwards . Jack Nicklaus, popularly known as "Golden Bear" was one of the greatest golfers. He was born in Columbus. Nicklaus had made the competition of golf popular, as is seen today. Nicklaus was just twelve when he won his first Ohio State Junior title. He became a specialized in 1962 and won the US Open. This famous golfer has a total of 18 major titles, 113 professional triumphs and 73 PGA tour victories to his credit. The history of golf considers him as one of the great putter and longest hitting golfer. Arnold Palmer was the most famous golfer to challenge Jack Nicklaus. During his career he had won a hundred of golfing competition. He has won many awards and trophies. There are other famous who plays golf like Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Harry Vardon and Nick Faldo. Gene Sarzen won the grand slam award. He was alongwith the inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Sarazen's originality also included a weighted practice club. He was of the opinion, for enlarging the hole size and adding more made putts will increase the popularity of the sport.</p> ]]></description>
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<title>Train set manufacturers</title>
<link>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/train-set-manufacturers.html</link>
<guid>http://www.populate.net/Hobbies/train-set-manufacturers.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:52:43 -0700</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ <p>A German firm Marklin, which specialized in dollhouse accessories, rolled out the first model train, in 1891, with track system and ran with clockwork. The initial model trains, earlier to Marklin models, of the 1840's ran on steam filling the model with water and showing it on a heating surface. Other German toy manufacturers followed Maklin's success, and soon became popular everywhere. Other early model train sets firm from around the world were Lima, Bing, Fleischmann and Rivarossi. Common method was using direct current. Marklin used alternate current. American Flyer used AC power on two-rail track. In 1910 electric models came into use.Electric model came in 1910. In the 1920's the first Hornby train sets were launched in UK and subsequently in 1955 it changed its base to China. Frank Hornby made Hornby models.It was a great piece. It was in the afterwards part of 1930 Hornby launched Hornby Dublo 12 volt DC electric and clockwork models when 0 gauges were obsolete. In 1923, Bassett-Lowke, an UK based company produced the first tabletop model trains in 00 scale.The period between1930-40 saw many new model railways manufacturers like Trix and Bachman. Thereafter, The National Model Railroading Association was formed and the railroad was standardized. In 1946 the American Flyer company initiate S scale. Eventually, during Second World War, the materials for producing model train sets became short in supply and thus model trains were built on H0 scale, which was easy to handle in smaller homes. As a result, the H0 range became popular because the model railways took less space. In 1970 European modelers started producing model trains in N scale. This was the minimum size model railroad designed. The model was popular. The price was cheap. In 1972, Marklin made Z scale. The model was not popular.Marklin then produced in older model. Today, the model railroads and trains are not as accepted as it was fifty years ago, but it still draw buyers and selling the goods of different make. Every year trade shows are made. You can buy many things for model trains. The model toy trains are still in demand and available in a wider range than earlier to. Most ironically, Hornby has launched its 'live steam' 00 gauge models of Greesley A4 and Flying Scotsman which are still available in the market. Dozens of producers around the world sell their model railways products through many catalogs, magazines and online.</p> ]]></description>
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