By no means go hiking without a camping tent – I learned that the almost-hard way. I say “almost” because considering that I’m not just alive to tell the adventure but suffered no injuries, either, it probably wasn’t as hard as it might have been had I not been so lucky.

I and my friends did not have a camping tent among us since it was just supposed to have been an easy day-hike over (and up) easy terrain. A thousand-foot mountain affords nice enough views, to be sure, such that the curvature of the earth could be faintly seen, but it isn’t considered a big deal by any who hike or climb real mountains.

So, of course, we didn’t bring a camping tent. And sure enough we get lost, and with only an additional two hours of daylight left most of us choose to backtrack downhill – except for me and another companion. And though we do eventually summit, as novices we make the mistake of mistiming our descent, such that it is already twilight by the time we choose to head back.

You see, being so inexperienced we mistook the fact that there was still light in the sky for having enough time to get back down. But of course we were at the summit, where we had a great view of our surroundings – this was Mount Buck, the highest point in the whole Lake George area of New York.

And though the sun was low on the horizon it seemed wonderfully bright all around. Golds mixed with blues turned pink and white – it was a swirl of colors matching the happy dance of emotions within that we’ve finally reached the top.

Lost in our reveries, we did not realize that not only does the sun set in seconds, but that in a forest the canopy of foliage will make even mid-afternoon seem much, much later to the human eye….

Dallas Cowboys merchandise are among the best-selling in any sport, but especially preferred among football fans, even those whose first-choice favorite may very well be another team. That’s because the Cowboys are one of the most successful and storied outfits in all of football history, and it is memories of this kind that are evoked by all the varied forms of Dallas Cowboys merchandise available on the market, from clocks and towels to clocks and even license plates!

Perhaps the most common form of Dallas Cowboys merchandise to be found on fans and collectors are team jerseys, particularly those bearing the specific roster number of their favorite player. After that, however, must surely be those products bearing pictures, photographs or illustrations, of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders! No other team in American sports fields a cheerleading squad that is a veritable franchise in itself. It was purposely created to cash in on female sexuality and boost in-game attendance, and its genius was to offer an “All-American” look and feel that played well not only nationally but around the world as well. For many foreigners, a real American girl was someone like a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, fun and fit. In the United States, their popularity lead to two made-for-TV movies about the squad along with other media like annual swimsuit calendars.

Oh, yes, and as for the team itself – it was the first modern-era expansion team, and can boast of many notable achievements as a business entity. But of course, no one buys team merchandise on the basis of business innovations, and even the venerable cheerleaders would be just another squad were it not for the club’s outstanding performances on the field. Founded in 1960, just a decade later the team became a serious national contender, and by the end of that decade was the undisputed “glamor team” of the entire sport, with a cheerleading squad that epitomized what an American girl should be like and winning players and coaches who embodied American can-do.

Taxes and all of those forms… Let’s face it, tax forms can often times be difficult to understand. There are a good number of questions men or women ask when they receive or need to send out tax forms. One of the more prominent questions is, if you get a W9 form request, just what should you do with it?

Well if you receive a W9 request then according to the Internal Revenue Service you are required to answer it, provided that person requesting it is responsible to give you a 1099 form (this is an information return). If they are not required to give you a 1099 form (information return), well that is a completely different story.

So what will happen if you never reply to the W9 tax form request?

If you never reply to the W9 tax form request you will be subject to a fifty dollar penalty along with future backup withholding. Backup withholding? you might ask, well if select not to give the information needed to a required filer of an 1099 Form (information return, not to be confused with a 1040 form) they are required to withhold up to 28% which is remitted to the government.

Though the existing economic catastrophe has also troubled Connecticut realty, industry experts like Isaac Toussie believe that there’s no danger of oversupply in Connecticut in large part due to the state’s inventory levels being rather stable, possibly because of Connecticut’s housing escaping the kind of speculation other places have seen. Such a happy condition is probably also on account of the fact that Connecticut is home to some with the most expensive land anywhere in the country after California, with over three percent of them priced around a million dollars as of the turn of the century. Southwestern Connecticut lies within the greater New York City metropolitan region, but areas further away, such as those communities in the northeast, are better described as luxury retreats for the monied classes, given median home values in the multiple of millions.

There can be a lot of “upside” to Connecticut realty. Condominium inventory in Connecticut are actually at steady ranges despite the financial downturn of late, which is really an extremely positive sign that bodes well for the overall real estate market there. Connecticut land ought to be fine pretty soon. Investing in commercial properties there is typically a good bet even in this economy. Slow but steady growth has marked the history of Connecticut property for some time. In truth, in spite of the current financial meltdown these days, the State of Connecticut has not witnessed a lot of overly dramatic shifts.

The Danbury Fair, the state’s largest shopping mall, is a case in point. Founded in 1947, it has three levels, forty-seven shops, and nearly four hundred thousand square feet of retail space. Industry experts like Isaac Toussie believe that once the New York City Metropolitan Area recovers, retail outlets like this one in Connecticut will follow right along. Indeed, three of the state’s eight counties, which also happen to house most of the population, make up the Tri-State Region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Despite such proximity to a world-class metropolis like New York City, it should be noted that Connecticut was never that hot a real estate market, so it shouldn’t be surprising that Connecticut has endured the housing scandal and its subsequent crisis much better than many other states. Indeed, once-industrial and then dilapidated Waterbury now attracts newcomers, most notably Orthodox Jewry, a welcome development that has brought new life to the local economy.

Certainly, Connecticut has in fact done well compared to states like Florida, Nevada, and even California, for sales are already reported to be running at about 70% of 2008 levels, and though median prices have moderated they are at least not nose-diving! Yes, mortgages are harder to come by, but a lot of this is because of the long-overdue correction of slipshod lending practices in the first place and is actually, in the long term, a positive development for Connecticut’s economy.

Having said all that, readers are still advised to consult those properly licensed and/or otherwise qualified when it comes to making business decisions of any financial importance as neither author nor publisher shall be held liable for such information as has been presented so far, which only constitutes mere opinion and should under no circumstances be misconstrued for financial advice of any kind whatsoever!

Marriage counseling has arguably become a rite of passage for modern American couples. Social conservatives lament such facts are proof that the social fabric has frayed considerably while others view such developments as a positive sign that everyone is owning up to reality at last.

Whatever the case, marriage counseling has certainly been a growth industry, though whether such trends will hold in such recessionary times remains to be seen. What is expected, nonetheless, is that the need for such services will only increase – particularly in recessionary times. For what most drives couples apart is not sex or the children but money.

Marriage counseling often reveals that the main issue eating away at a relationship is one of control, or who has how much say over what. This is why it’s essential to select spouses with really similar values! But whatever the situation, the first thing to establish is clear and open lines of communication. Understanding is fundamental, and without good communications it is really unlikely for anything to be accomplished.

Interestingly, the choice to go into therapy or counseling frequently seems shameful but is really a good sign, a sign that the couple in question is still willing to try to work things out somehow. The very agreement, however reluctant, to enter into a possible make-up rather than heading straight into breakup shows that honest communication is desired, at least minimally.

Depending on the situation, things might be so bad that the counselor or therapist has to meet each party separately, but the fact that any attempt is being made at all at a reconciliation is hopeful. However, while reconciliation might be desired, it doesn’t follow that breaking up, despite counseling, means failure. In cases of intractable differences, going separate ways might actually represent the best possible option for all concerned.

“Multimedia” and “virtual reality” used to be big buzzwords throughout the second half of the ’90s, before the “dot bomb” when internet start-ups were going up like crazy and the stock market couldn’t get enough of them, throwing money at almost every one in a confident shotgun fashion.

And now those days are long gone, having moved onto the next big bubble (which was, by the way, subprime mortgages, something that’s still a crisis the world over), but virtual reality and multimedia have only become better and better – though full sci-fic implementation is still quite some way off. That’s because a lot is involved in comprehensive sensory replication, though for many, the “rated-G” audiences of families on a vacation package, say, something like the New York Skyride by serial entrepreneur Zalman Silber would be just fine (it is, briefly, an IMAX-like helicopter fly-over of famous city attractions synchronized to motion seating). But in research and development labs around the world, all the biggest names in consumer electronics are busy figuring out how to apply declassified military technology in a relevant way to ever more immersive videogaming and other kinds of entertainment.

Two trends appear ready to finally come to fruition: 3D and kinetics. First, three-dimensional technology is one of the most heavily looked into fields in home electronics, and it seems poised for a prime-time debut in the form of amazingly advanced television screens that require no 3D glasses to view 3D imagery. Secondly, the multiple billion-dollar videogaming industry has been critical in developing kinetic controls, whereby user commands are conveyed not through a physical interface but through the user’s own body movements. These two advances are being marketed right now by some of the biggest names in the business, famous labels such as Nintendo and Microsoft, companies that have a proven record of success in most of the things they do. A far cry from the likes of Zalman Silber!

Besides entertainment, the most obvious other uses for these technologies would be in real estate as well as education. Teaching subjects like chemistry and physics are sure to be revolutionized by the implementation of intuitive user controls and interactive 3D graphics that do not require a special interface. Wholesale property investment already makes broad use of virtual reality by providing 360-degree views and video walk-throughs of real estate to likely buyers from around the world. Using virtual tours over the internet, prospective buyers can consider from the comfort of their own homes whether an actual site visit is warranted, though property is also often bought solely on the basis of the virtual tour!

Everything started when I was swimming pool resurfacing just last week. I normally see her only in her bikini, which is quite an eyeful all right, but this time she wasn’t wearing one.

No, despite the hot summer sun she was all dressed up in a business suit. But her buxom bosom couldn’t hide itself, all the same, and her generous shapely hips filled up every centimeter of her mini-skirt.

I looked up from swimming pool resurfacing, of course, and greeted her the way I usually do, politely, professionally.

“I like that pink skirt you are wearing.”

I answered that they were shorts, fashionably baggy and made out purposely to look like skirts.

“They look wonderful on you, honey.”

Now usually I’d think she was being polite, but for some reason I suspected – hoped – that this being my last day on the job before school starts, which meant that there was a subtext to our conversation now.

“I’ve never ever seen you like this, Mrs. Fugon. You look wonderful!”

“I’m glad you think so. I sort of wore it just for you.”

And there I was, in the middle of swimming pool resurfacing when she and I somehow found ourselves kissing and fondling one another. I told her how stunning she was and she said the same of me. We spoke of our mutual secret yearning all the days of this long summer now so suddenly short seeing how I was heading off back to college across the country and we finally decided to confess to one another.

“There’s always the weekends, Amy. Not to mention the holidays.”

I began to protest that there would never be enough time for me to spend time with her – all the usual sentimentality that comes with being so young, I now realize scarcely a week later, but she hushed me with a kiss and told me never to say never.

“And do not call me Mrs. Fugon; you know it’s Claudia.”

Regrettably, it didn’t quite come to pass that way. I blame youthful exuberance for embarassing her, though she was very gracious in demurring.

Well a girl can still dream!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And when in Sydney, Australia, you do the Skywalk, a one-of-a-kind experience from serial entrepreneur and success story Zalman Silber. It’s a must-see and must-experience that is first on many an out-of-towner’s itinerary, for nowhere else will you be able to walk outside a skyscraper and look straight down – literally.

Zalman Silber’s Skywalk is in essence a glass-floored catwalk, a bit like the fire-escapes of many an old-styled New York City walk-up. The only real difference, which makes all the difference in the world at almost a thousand feet up above the ground, is that instead of walking on metal grating you would be walking on nothing more than glass. Glass! The very thought might shatter some nerves, and indeed visitors are very careful to walk gingerly – though of course everything is as safe as can be, with guests outfitted in special “sky suits” that are securely tethered by cables to the metal handrails.

It’s easy to imagine the excitement, but altogether different when you experience it first-hand. But while first, as previously mentioned, on many a visitor’s agenda, it is by no means the last, for there are many, many other things to do and see in the Harbour City. Though not as heart-stopping as the Skywalk, the Sydney Opera House is much more famous and will also take your breath away, though in a rather more cerebral fashion.

As the site of the first British settlement on the island-continent, Sydney has had a long time to come up with a variety of interesting attractions for both residents and visitors alike. It is, after all, an international locus of commerce, arts, fashion, culture, entertainment, education, and of course tourism. Being the country’s largest and most heavily populated city, you would expect nothing less. And so the city hosts over two million guests a year with world-famous attractions such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Australian Museum, and the Sydney Tower, site of Zalman Silber’s Skywalk.

When in Sydney, don’t forget to take a walk on the Skywalk. It is the only way to see the city from the air with nothing between you and the air. No glass windows, no thick railing. Only the Sydney weather at a thousand feet above the street. Only at the Sydney Tower. Only on the Skywalk from Zalman Silber.

The Sydney Tower Skywalk. Bringing you to Sydney. Bringing Sydney to you.

Surgical masks are most often worn by health professionals, but in many Asian countries they are worn basically as a way of protecting oneself from the smog, a common problem in that part of the world. Asians also wear surgical masks when sick in order to not infect anyone else. Interestingly, such a simple everyday thing is involved in one of the most uncanny of popular legends in Japan.

Kuchisake Onna, or “slit-mouthed woman” in Japanese, was originally a really gorgeous woman whose jealous husband cut her mouth from ear to ear, taunting, “Who will think you are beautiful now!” Ever since then, on foggy nights, she can be seen roaming around in a surgical mask. When she encounters somebody, usually youth, she will shyly inquire whether the person thinks she is beautiful.

If the answer is yes, Onna will take off her surgical mask and ask, “How about now?” Different versions of the legend give different outcomes if the answer remains affirmative, all bad: she will either cut the individual from ear to ear to resemble herself or kill the person – or both – or, inexplicably, give a large blood-soaked ruby and walk away.

Different versions of this tale provide for the same general set of choices even if the original answer had been negative – mutilation or murder. Basically, meeting Kuchisake Onna is bad luck. However, more modern versions these days advise that responding “You’re average” or “So-so” or even asking her what she thinks of one’s own beauty will turn the tables on her and confuse her, providing an opportunity to escape.

And, in one of those only-in-Japan kind of things, there’s even the tactic of simply informing her that you must be on your way, so as to embarrass her for forgetting her manners and making her excuse herself from your presence!

Arsène Lupin III is a formidable thief capable of cracking all the safes in the world. A fictional character introduced by the mangaka (Japanese for “comicbook artist”) Kazuhiko Kato, better known as Monkey Punch, in the 10 August 1967 issue of Weekly Manga Action, Lupin is supposed to be the grandson of another fictional character, Arsène Lupin, a French gentleman thief and detective created by Maurice Leblanc, the best-selling early Twentieth Century pulp fiction writer. As the world’s number one thief, in addition to safes Lupin is also a master at disarming traps and alarms. His journeys have proved him quite a talented driver and pilot as well, and he is an expert shot – with a pistol, no less.

For all his abilities, however, Lupin has a doltish, even idiotic appearance. Yet they belie his ferocious reasoning abilities and social charms; Lupin is able to get past folks with about the same ease as when negotiating safes, particularly booby-trapped ones.

When not practicing his art – he seems to steal more for the challenge than for any personal gain, often discarding treasures or not caring if he should lose them after first conquering the quest of acquiring them – Lupin enjoys fishing, gambling, and dating beautiful women – not necessarily in that order!

Giving rigor to the dubious proverb about honor among thieves, Lupin will frequently foil other criminals who are engaged in activities of a violent, murderous nature. In fact, most of his adventures involve not only the police, epitomized by his nemesis Inspector Zenigata, but really sinister characters of deep malice.

Immensely popular and voted among the Ten Most Iconic Anime Heroes, Arsène Lupin III has been ubiquitous in three television series, five feature films, almost two dozen television specials, and a number of original video animations and videogames.