A tour of upland Guatemala will immerse the traveler in the archeology of the last aboriginal Maya of 900-1524, with unparalleled experiences in how archaeological knowledge about society, culture and astronomy is read in the ruins of the richest civilization of the Americas. The adventure travelers are guided by an archaeologist, who is author of many volumes. Our archaeologist tour director also deciphers the principal Mayan sites of the always climatically temperate highlands. The many Maya who live in the region today also provide keys in their lifeways to reconstructing the rich past. This incomparable experience of learning by doing archeology and anthropology is coupled observations of the incredibly rich flora and fauna under the guidance of an expert ornithologist.

Mayan Green Tours is offering a ten day expedition combining archeology, cultural anthropology and birding–to Guatemala during June 11-22, 2007. The four thousand– year-old Mayan culture still flourishes in highland Guatemala among millions of Mayan speakers today. While a glimpse of the aboriginal Maya is viewed in this year’s film Apocalypto our tour fully situates our members among still living Mayan communities with their colorful costumes, religious rituals and dance ballads, and more generally lifeways of the millennia. The discerning traveler thus experiences the ancient Maya in their archaeological cities situated on mountaintop as well as the living Maya at the foot of these mountain sites in their indigenous communities of today. This is the most authentic adventure and educational learning setting of the premier indigenous civilization of the Americas. In the achievements of writing, city building and the architecture of kings and high priests in palaces and temples, the Maya rank among the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and Chinese. If one is to fully understand the Americas, understanding its civilization is a must.

The observation of the wildlife in its natural habitat is the second of our twin goals. The Mayan landscape is also a biotic treasure trove where wildlife abounds around every tree. The setting of highland Guatemala is also unparalleled in its natural beauty –lofty volcanoes ring highland lakes, a rich diversity in flora and fauna are set in a year round spring-like climate of temperate days and cool evenings. The different altitudes make excursion rich in an ever-changing biotic diversity each and every mile. Ecotourism thus multiplies the Maya experience in their natural settings.

We travel by van across the verdant highland valleys and mountains to see the Mayan cities in their natural settings as they were on the eve of the arrival of the Europeans immediately following Columbus. Our first stop outside of Central America’s metropolis of Guatemala City is to Iximche, the location of the first Guatemala City (called then “Cuauthemala”) where the Spanish Conquistadores garrisoned in 1524. At 7,000 feet elevation, the citadel of Iximche was capital to the Cakchiquel Maya with whom the Spanish conquistadors allied in their strategy to “divide and conquer” the major Mayan kingdoms. This strategy was an improbable one of succeeding – for the native population was in the millions and the Spanish military force was merely in the hundreds. But in the final analysis the plan defied the odds in victory. Yet the Maya have dealt with conquerors before and have endured to rise again. And they have, for they represent the only indigenous American civilization still intact in so many of its original practices

The marvelous palaces, temples, ancient ballcourts, and murals at Iximche have been brought to light by meticulous archaeological excavation so that the site is the best preserved in the highlands. The city is intact and all there for understanding of meanings ascribed by the Maya. At this highest site in altitude and all sites that the tour visits a variety of birds inhabit the ruins.

Day two will find the group on Lake Atitlan, which is incomparable for its pristine beauty, for birding within the Reserva Natural Atitlan where hundreds of species of birds have been sighted and recorded. Next, we boat 10 miles across the lake and tour the ruined Tzutuhil capital of Chuitinamit in one of the most picturesque spots in the world. The more avian minded adventurers may climb on the forest engulfed Volcano of San Pedro with rich vistas of the tropical birds and of the Pacific coastal plain below.

In cosmology, Lake Atitlan was the southernmost edge of the Mayan world and was conceived as the place of the famous creation of humanity dramatized in the Mayan book of the Popol Vuh. (This book is the single largest native American epic, and has been translated into every European language plus many more around the world). After an evening of birding in San Lucas Toliman, the group may participate in the continued mapping of the only known Mayan zodiac. The archaeological remains of the zodiac, with each of the constellations of the night sky carved on huge boulders, is where the assembled Mayan tribes would ignite the flame of the solar calendar during the last week of January each year. The Mayan chronicles detail the actual ceremony and dance; vestiges of the ancient ceremony were enacted until about 50 years ago and are still remembered.

While the zodiac was simply the ritual south point for a highland Maya, the political and cosmic center was Utatlan (K’umarcaaj). This city was seen as center of the Mayan ritual and political cosmos. The astronomical principles dictating the arrangement of temples, caves and palaces of this most revered of the highland Mayan ies to coincide with the equinoxes, solstices and the rising and setting of particular constellations, will be decoded on site by Dr. Fox, based on his three decades of research.

When the conquistadors burned Utatlan as bastion of Mayan resistance in 1524, its population was forcibly removed to nearby Chichicastenango. Members of the tour will have the opportunity to bargain with Mayan vendors for their handicrafts of textiles, dance masks, pottery and much more in the biweekly market of today in the central plaza of Chichicastenango in much the same way it was when held in the central plaza of Utatlan before.

The tour culminates in a flight to Tikal in the lowlands to see two hundred foot high temples loom above the jungle canopy and relish in the experiences of some of the richest birding locales in the world. Birding enthusiasts will probably note this as a highlight of the trip as do most visitors to Tikal. Tikal is testament to the grandeur and mettle of the Classic Maya. It is an enduring legacy in which the people of Guatemala take great pride.

The traveler will return with remembrances to fill a lifetime; the Maya will be known first hand in person and in their mighty archaeological achievements which have come to represent the indigenous civilization of the Americas. Flora and fauna will be observed and probably photographed in their native habitats in both the tropical highlands and lowlands –together comprising almost unparalleled species diversity.

Dr. John Fox together with Roy Smallwood formed Mayan Green Tours, Inc. to introduce tours to the rich archaeological and cultural labyrinth and ecosphere of Guatemala. Dr. Fox is a leading authority on the Maya and has published extensively having spent 30 years researching the highland Guatemala. Roy Smallwood joins the tour assisting in the identification of the avifauna of Guatemala.

Gout is a painful condition that is caused by a build up of uric acid crystals in joints. In most cases, this will happen in the big toe, or between the big toe and the one next to it. The overabundance of this uric acid will crystallize and settle in that joint and be pretty painful. Though gout is mostly a problem that men face, women develop gout on occasion. It is like arthritis in nature, but it can be very easy to treat with the right diet and certain medications. It’s a great idea for anyone with this condition to watch what he or she eats. Knowing what foods to avoid with gout will help greatly when you are eating out in a restaurant.

The foods that seem to irritate those with gout the most are those high in purines. These compounds are found in the human body, and in many different foods making them hard to avoid at times. So, when suffering from gout you need to be careful about the types of foods that you chose. Some of these purines won’t bother a person, but for others it leads to pain, and extreme pain at times. Knowing which foods to pass up can help you avoid the very painful episodes of gout that can leave you feeling incapacitated.

Some of the biggest problems for those with gout seem to come from eating meats and seafood. That is not good news for many, but avoiding these two food groups can help keep the pain down to a minimum. It is suggested that meat consumption be limited to six ounces a day and replacing proteins with eggs, and low fat milk foods as these are low in purines.

Some foods that are high in purines are okay to eat in moderation, for example peas, mushrooms, and beans. You shouldn’t eat huge quantities but you don’t have to limit them as much as you should limit meats and seafood.

Fats too must be limited, and foods fried in oils are never a good idea. Coffee and tea seem to be okay, but alcohol is not. When you add all of this together, eating at home can get complicated, but eating out can be even worse.

When you look through a menu, you may find that you don’t know what to get and what you should skip. The trick is to know what is in a dish, and also, how it is prepared. As someone who suffers with gout you may have to learn how to take the things you’ve learned at home and use them when ordering in a restaurant.

Someone with gout is going to have a hard time choosing something off a menu to eat, though this does depend on where this person is eating. It is always a good idea to ask how a dish is prepared, and ask for modifications to suit your gout friendly style of eating.

Most restaurants these days are very good at altering dishes to help those who might be dieting or who have specific medical conditions. Ask for the leaner varieties of your favorite dishes. Knowing what foods to avoid with gout will make it much easier to choose meals that are tasty to eat without causing you a painful gout flare-up. With the right modifications and knowing which foods to avoid with gout, a meal in a restaurant does not have to lead to pain and discomfort.

Grab your free copy of Lisa McDowell’s brand new Gout Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you discover more about gout symptom and for information on gout recipe please visit Cure Gout Now.

So you have partnered with a Virtual Assistant and now you are trying to think of ways to truly utilize them to your benefit. Here are twelve ways you probably have never thought of:

1. Internet Research

Want to stay a step ahead of the competition? Have your Virtual Assistant (VA) research what your competition is up to and provide you with a detailed report. Maybe you want to have an interesting and original corporate party this year, have your VA research a theme and provide you with a list of ideas. Maybe you want to know the best bang for your marketing dollars. Your VA can put together a detailed report including Internet rankings, costs and associated benefits.

2. Off-Site Data Storage

Ever wondered what to do with your computer backups? Have your VA store a copy of your data files at their offices. Now your business files and data will truly be protected from fire and theft.

3. Organizational Tasks

A VA can assist you in implementing new office systems that will assist with the information flow within your office. They can keep you on track so you no longer miss important dates or meetings. Ask your VA to provide you with some great tips to help you and your business become better organized.

4. Follow Up

A VA can follow up with your clients – send thank you notes, conduct surveys, etc. They can ensure your client doesn’t feel that the service ended once they paid you. A VA assists in making your clients feel they are important.

5. Business Support

Whenever you want to bounce ideas off of someone or get a second opinion, your VA will be there for you and your business. Ask your VA whenever you need a helpful hint on how to do something more efficiently or even if you just don’t know how to do something; they can assist you to complete the task. After all they too are a business owner and know what it takes to run a business.

6. Directions

A VA can provide you with directions to any location – be prepared before you leave for your business meeting and know exactly how to get there. Perhaps you are lost and in the middle of “no-where”, putting a call into your Virtual Assistant can help get you back on track and headed in the right direction.

7. File Conversions

Word to PDF or PDF to Word – a VA can assist you in converting documents to a format you can amend/edit or distribute without the fear of it being edited or amended.

8. Purchasing and/or Supplies Management

Your VA can assist you by ordering your supplies/inventory items and having them delivered directly to your office.

9. Business Card Management

So what are you doing with all those business cards you collect at networking functions and corporate events? Why not have your VA input them into a spreadsheet or contact management program so they are usable to you?

10. Human Resources

A VA can assist you with your staffing needs – they can take care of placing advertisements, screening resumes and applicants and conducting reference checks.

11. Reminder Calls

Ensure you are never left waiting again. Have your VA contact your clients and remind them of upcoming events. Perhaps it is you that needs the reminding; have your VA remind you of important meetings and dates.

12. Event Planning

Be it a conference, a seminar or a meeting, your VA can assist you with all the details from concept to on-site coordination – they can ensure all permits, licenses and equipment are there and ready for your use and that location, snacks and registration are accounted for.

As you can see there truly are many ways to utilize a Virtual Assistant over and above those tasks you are utilizing them for right now. The tasks your Virtual Assistant can complete are limited only by your imagination and their skill set.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Yvonne Weld is the owner of Canadian based ABLE Virtual Assistant Services specializing in providing administrative and bookkeeping support to busy entrepreneurs. She is also the author of The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business which provides a step-by-step guide to documenting your business. For your free audio teleclass on the areas you should consider when documenting your business and for more information about The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business, visit the Web site at http://www.thrivingbusinessmanual.com.

Yvonne Weld is the owner of Canadian based ABLE Virtual Assistant Services and the author of “The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business”. For more information visit http://www.thrivingbusinessmanual.com

When you are out riding on trails, there is a right way-and a wrong way-to go down hills. As with many skills in riding, the key to successfully and safely navigating hills is good balance.

A horse going down a hill has a hard enough time balancing on his own, let alone with a rider on his back. To that end, it’s important that you do what you can to help him out. If your horse is having a hard time riding down hills he’ll let you know. If he rushes, tosses his head, or even bucks, it means that he’s is having a hard time balancing.

First of all, if you ride your horse down hills frequently, it’s important that his saddle fit correctly. A shifting saddle will cause pain, and even a horse in good balance may speed up going downhill in an attempt to get away from the pain the saddle is causing. Second of all, be sure that you are knowledgeable when it comes to riding down hills. That’s right! It’s not just up to the horse. You have something to do with it as well!

What is the most common mistake riders make when going down hills? For some reason, novice riders often feel safer asking their horses to “zigzag” down hills. But if you are going down a hill without switchbacks or a trail, this isn’t a good idea. Why? Well, if you ask a horse to angle down a hill, he won’t be able to balance himself over his hindquarters. A horse’s hindquarters should be aligned with his body, otherwise he can actually fall over. As you can imagine, this isn’t a good thing for either horse or rider!

It’s tempting to play with your position when riding down hill, but avoid the temptation. Instead, just stay in your basic position, with your body balanced over your feet and your weight in your heels. Be sure to look up and ahead, not down.

Many riders instinctively lean backward going down hills, thinking that this will help the horse. It won’t. Your horse really needs his hindquarters to navigate a hill, and by leaning back you are just getting in the way. Instead, lean forward ever so slightly and keep your balance over your feet.

The less you interfere, the better things will go. While novice riders may feel more secure going down hills with an iron grip of the reins, it’s best to give your horse lots of rein so that he can use his head and neck. If you restrict the reins, you’ll be restricting his movement, pulling him off balance, and making things difficult for him in general.

If you are a beginning rider, it’s best to practice going down some small hills before you tackle the big ones. Find a short hill with a gentle slope, and take care to stay in balance and keep your position. As you master the smaller hills, you can move up to progressively larger ones. Soon you’ll be taking them all on!

Ron Petracek - Director of Articles & Equine Classifieds
Educate yourself on the how to’s of equine here ::
Click => Http://http://www.TheEquineYard.com/network.php
Classifieds Ads with 12X the Power. List Once Get 12

Virtual real estate is comprised of your suite of content rich sites that are built on the Internet. In some cases virtual real estate will increases in value faster than traditional real estate holding. However, you must buy low and sell high. You can increase your virtual real estate by increasing the number and variety of websites under your control.

Unlike traditional real estate that is subject to market conditions, virtual real estate retains it value over time. However, the one caveat for virtual real estate is the same as traditional real estate. The one rule that most real estate investors adhere to religiously is to buy the least expensive house in the most expensive neighborhood.

On the Internet this means getting the best hosting company where your sites will reside. The worst thing that a virtual real estate owner can do is to build their foundation on shaky ground. An unreliable web hosting company will reduce the value of your virtual real estate.

The second rule of virtual real estate is to maintain your property. This involves keeping your virtual real estate up to date. You mow the lawns, keep the outside surfaces painted in traditional maintenance for your properties. To keep your virtual real estate updated, you must constantly add fresh content that is delivered in a variety of ways. The update of content can be automated or manually.

The quality of your content will increase the value of your virtual real estate value. Google loves fresh content and will reward you with higher page rankings. This higher ranking converts into more sales. Content is the heart and soul of your virtual real estate holdings.

Content is analogous to adding high amenities to a traditional house. When you provide the little extras in traditional housing, you can command a higher price. You only want to add those amenities that will increase the value of your property.

For example, adding a swimming pool to a property that will house a young couple with toddlers may not be a wise investment. Just as adding flash to a website might look amazing but discourages serious buyers from entering your site.

There are a variety of ways to construct your virtual real estate. You can focus the websites on content or products. You can build an entire subdivision of Adsense websites that exist only to provide bait for the search engines to increase your income. The highest and best use of virtual real estate is to include all three varieties of websites.

On the Internet, you can provide a unique experience for the web visitor that will keep them coming back to visit your website as if they were visiting an old friend. If you have made your virtual empire entertaining and welcoming, people will visit often and stay longer.

You have the opportunity to provide remarkable value to your visitors by providing them with relevant and updated content. You can use different language versions on your website that will translate article content into several different languages.

You can also add pictures, RSS feeds and videos that entertain and delight your visitors. Your suite of websites is valuable real estate. Maintain your virtual property the same way you maintain offline property. Your return on investment from owning and maintaining your virtual real estate will rival that of the real estate investments you make in the real world.

=============================================================

Virginia Sanders is an advocate of “Nanas and Old People Need to Be Rich Society”. She is past president of OJA (Opportunity Junkie Anonymous). Virginia lives in Sacramento, CA. She is the mother of twin daughters and “Nana” to a precocious 8-year-old nicknamed Tre’.
Researching and writing articles is a part-time endeavor; Finding lucrative online opportunities is her passion. : Create Hundreds of Adsense clickbank & Amazon.com Websites in 2 minutes Flat

Copywriting as a job can be one of the most fun things you can do with your time. If you set yourself up properly you can also make a lot of money in an exciting field.

The biggest secret to getting into copywriting as a job is to do something you are interested in. There are many types of jobs that involve copywriting. Figure out what you like or would like to get into and start looking in that field. Wherever you find that someone has written something in that field that’s a lead for you to get copywriting as a job. Many times the person doing the writing is not even called a copywriter, but the job description involves writing.

You can write books, instruction manuals, research reports, white papers, web copy, emails, direct response ads, brochures, instructional videos, seminars and so on… Copywriting as a job opens up all kinds of possibilities for you.

Here’s a little used secret to get into copywriting as a job: If you know about something approach some companies that would be interested in having someone write about it. Better yet, write an informative series of articles or research report and send it to some companies that deal with that subject. Offer to write more material for them or give them the rights to distribute your material for free to people who would be interested. Just make sure they give you credit for writing the report.

You will find that if you are writing about something “that turns your crank” your writing will have a special quality that people will find interesting. When word gets back to the people handing out your report for free that that they like your writing, they will come back to you for more…

This is where the interesting, exciting and lucrative part starts!

As your notoriety builds, you will be able to charge more and more for what you write. People will be willing to pay you in advance for bigger projects. They will pay for sending you to conferences and events that you would gladly have paid for and gone to on your own.

The best part is that as you get more and more of your writing out there, life will get easier for you. People will approach you instead of you having to approach them. If you want to just get a job in a certain field all you need to do is show them your portfolio and some of the recognition you have received in terms of testimonials, printed articles, awards etc. and you will command a higher salary than someone who can’t produce all these references.

Ultimately you might find that freelancing will pay better and give you the lifestyle you want, but copywriting as a job is a good place to start.

Learn copywriting from the best. Now you can see a top copywriter rip sales letters apart on video FREE! Go to: http://www.netman-ecommerce-guru.com/fortincopyvideo

Acne affects nearly everyone, not just teenagers. It can appear on our faces in adulthood as well. Acne can be painful, annoying and embarrassing. Acne is a medical condition, and it is not your fault for having it. You have not done anything to create the acne you might be experiencing. You could have acne on your face, neck, chest, arms, back, and more. This medical condition even affects people all over the world, of all ages, of all backgrounds, of all races, and of all genders. Acne is a medical condition that unfortunately has no cure, but it can be treated with the right medication.

The key to treating acne is preventing it from showing physical signs. You might try a variety of medications before you finally try one that works in preventing acne from showing up, and when you do, stick with that medication treatment.

How Acne is Caused

The important thing to remember is that you are not causing your acne, your skin is. It is not about how you clean your skin, what you eat, how you exercise, or any other matter. It is a medical condition that happens underneath your skin.

An acne mark or blemish will actually begin to work under your skin for about two weeks before you even see anything visible on your skin. It begins within your hair follicles, or pores on your skin. Inside of your pores there are glands that create the oil for your skin that maintains your skin’s moisture and softness.

Your skin is constantly creating new cells after old ones die. When your skin is working normally, the old cells die and fall off over time creating space for the new cells. However, the way our skin regenerates itself is different for everyone. If the dead cells fall off evenly, new cells can be replaced and your skin will look soft. But sometimes these cells clump together and clog pores, causing bacteria and oils to get trapped underneath your pores. Of course, your body reacts to this problem by sending white blood cells to fend off the bacteria, but your oil production continues which causes your skin to start swelling because the oil can’t get out. Eventually, a blemish will appear because of this progression.

There are 5 Main Causes of Acne

Inflammation: This is what happens as explained above when your white blood cells start to try to get rid of the bacteria in your skin. Your skin will then swell causing painful, red and swollen areas.

Bacteria: Acne is something everyone has in their skin, but some do not show the physical signs of acne. When a pore becomes clogged the bacteria acts up creating physical signs of acne.

Hormones: This is probably the most known cause of acne, because it usually happens when someone begins puberty, becomes pregnant, and even during menstrual cycles. If you suffer from acne certain hormones in your skin will overreact and create visible acne.

Speedy Shedding: When your dead skin cells shed too fast, they can cause clogged pores, which cause acne to appear.

Too Much Oil: When our skin creates its natural oil it makes our skin soft and moist. However, if your skin is making too much oil your pores are more likely to clog and create acne.

Acne is not your fault, and it is a medical condition. You can live a life free from acne.

For more information on acne problems and other conditions, http://www.AcneGurus.Com is the place to go. This site offers a clearing house of articles on treatments, cures and causes and can give those who suffer from these facial conditions solid advice on options available to them.

The great irony of being in a situation to encounter one of these issues at an informal investigative hearing is that you have established yourself as one of the best and brightest, have or are about to graduate law school and you are about to set forth and pass the bar exam.

This interesting situation of having to answer questions about your past indiscretions, your past or perhaps recent use of marijuana or cocaine or alcohol to excess, or the fact that you have been seen by and counseled by a mental health counselor is that you have most likely dealt with these issues and moved on.

Law schools, as you know, screen applicants with extreme focus to be sure the best and brightest are going to be admitted to their school. Then as a distinguished alumni, they will funnel contributions to the law school to make it an even stronger and more viable institution.

You may be interested to know that law schools do not expect everyone who is admitted to law school to graduate. This is to be expected because the rigors of law school and the methods of teaching are not suited for everybody who is bright enough to be admitted. The bottom line here is that you have survived and you see the finish line ahead. Congratulations!

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners is not evil, vindictive or sadistic.

I have had the opportunity to work with The Florida Bar for many, many years and this experience has allowed me to work with and along side those who are actually employed by the Board of Bar Examiners as “prosecuting attorneys” and the distinguished panel of Board members who volunteer their time to guarantee the integrity of this process. Their collective goal is to weed out those who are not fit to practice law. My experience has shown that the Board’s application of the stated policies and rules at an investigative hearing is one that allows for an excellent evaluation in the early stages of those who need further scrutiny and those who do not.

Most of you who apply will meet the requirements therein, and pass the bar examination with your character and fitness issues behind you. Some of you will not. This is not to say you are less human, but I have a hypothesis to help you answer the “why me”.

You who have had an opportunity to experience life have not been sheltered or ushered through your formal education experience by your parents or some other benefactor.

This all boils down to one basic concept, most who are invited to discuss large credit card debt, former substance abuse, mental health counseling or common real life indiscretions that involve the criminal justice system are normal healthy active and otherwise excellent citizens.

It is just my opinion, but it is my opinion nonetheless, that those of you who have had the opportunity to experience life on its own terms without the safety net of legacy or other helpful heredity, will in the end make the best advocates and counselors of the law.

The application process and investigative hearings:

The application process is the most important stage of your legal career bar none (pardon the pun). I say this because having been a lawyer for 17 or so years and one who has dealt with these matters for many, many years, I have found that the application and how it is filled out is either the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning.

You have either done the right thing, the application’s out of the way and the character and fitness issues are now being evaluated, or you have not done the right thing and committed “unintentional suicide” while filling out the application. I say unintentional because you will fill out the application as you have others, and you will see nothing wrong with your answers, but the Board of Bar Examiners may take issue with the “quality” of your responses.

The application process is the best time to find competent assistance. I would urge all of you to do so if you have any of the life issues that I’ve already mentioned. I can tell you with great confidence, none of these issues will disqualify you to become a lawyer.

Believe it or start writing your own headstone.

I have represented people who have been in prison for more than 5 years because of various crimes such as robbery or as we lovingly said in my prosecution days, “relieving someone else of the responsibility of taking care of their own stuff.” They are now members of The Florida Bar and their experiences in life have made them excellent lawyers. I have also represented folks who have had 3 dozen credit cards all of which were charged to the max and then discharged the whole mess through bankruptcy. Everyone of them now has the title “Esquire” after their respective names.

I have seen dozens of applicants who have had various and sundry mental health issues from a single visit to a counselor after a drunken binge, to those who have been diagnosed as bi-polar or schizophrenic or both. They are now practicing lawyers and excellent members of our bar. And, finally, I have seen several dozen applicants who had documented substance abuse problems whether it be alcohol, street drugs or prescriptions. They worked hard at sobriety and are doing just fine.

You may be surprised, but I have found that those who have faced such problems and overcome them are much more likely not, and I repeat not, to have any formal involvement with The Florida Bar disciplinary system unless it’s to voluntarily work as a grievance committee member.

Responding to Inquiries from The Board of Bar Examiners after you have filed your application: Those of you who fill out your own application without help will probably be peppered with inquiries from the Board of Bar Examiners. This is your second chance to mitigate or ameliorate future damage to your ability to be admitted. There is just too much to cover in this area, but be that as it may, the same advice applies. Experienced assistance is advisable before responding.

The (Board’s) inquiries are artfully drafted and generated because a formal investigation has uncovered issues of interest. There are rules (i.e., proper procedures of how these questions should be answered and in what time frames). Each question must be answered and then sworn to in affidavit form (i.e., you swear you are not fibbing again).

I have had clients who have literally been so busy with internships and job interviews and the excessive pondering of how they are going to pay their law school loans that they have actually ignored the Board of Bar Examiner inquiries. The mail from the Board of Bar Examiners was put to the side to the point where formal charges are not only levied, but actually admitted against them without their knowledge because they haven’t actually promptly opened their mail.

At this point, not only is it much more financially cumbersome to “dig out”, but it is tougher to overcome some character issues that have now been formed by the Board of Bar Examiners. When “the dog eats your mail” or you don’t know the difference between junk mail and “extremely important career threatening” mail, the Board may just form the opinion that you would not do well with a trust account.

As to the investigative hearing, you may be invited to what is lovingly called an informal investigative hearing. These hearings are awkward to those who have “opportunities/issues” with their character and fitness. Character and fitness is carefully dissected here. Most of my colleagues would agree that preparing and attending the hearing alone is a mistake.

It has been my experience that the preparation for these hearings tends to amount to preparations that we trial lawyers routinely take getting ready for a jury trial. This means they try to anticipate every question that might be asked and based on experience and common sense, understand and appreciate the reasons why certain questions or issues may be outlined in your invitation to the “informal” investigative hearing.

Now, everybody has a right to have counsel, but a great many decide to go it alone which often compounds the need for counsel in the future.

The Rules. If you read the rules regulating admissions to the bar here in Florida, you will find there really are not that many of them and they are written in terms that, compared to other procedural areas of law, are general versus detailed. The hearing is described generally to see if you have the requisite character and fitness without clear guidance of how it is measured.

“Rule 3-21 Inquiry process. The Board shall conduct an investigation and otherwise inquire into and determine the character and fitness of every applicant or registrant. The Board take and hear testimony, administer oaths and affirmations and compel by subpoena the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers and documents.”

The Possibilities. After the hearing before three Board members, you will receive a notice of Board findings:

a) your notice may say the Board has decided to recommend your admission;

b) your notice may say that the Board has decided to admit you if you meet conditions subsequent. This will delay your efforts;

c) your notice may say that the Board has decided to defer their decision pending further investigations; or

d) your notice may say the Board has decided to file formal specifications and endeavor to disallow your admission altogether at a formal hearing.

If you have not sought counsel up to this point, I would strongly urge that you do so now because there are opportunities for positive future interactions through the Board of Bar Examiners that you may avail yourself of without having to or prepare yourself for and go through the rigors of a formal hearing which are to say the least “challenging”.

The Formal Hearing.

The formal hearing is much like trial on the merits of those charges or issues that have filed against you, the formal specifications.

If you look at the rules, for example 3.22-23, the Board’s rules regarding bar admissions outline how this process will actually take place. There are some things that are similar to civil procedure and some things that really aren’t, but those that are similar to civil procedure are, for example, the answer. Specifications will be much like a formal complaint that may be answered either by admitting, denying or some other form of negotiated result to any specification. You will find that the formal hearing is much like the informal investigative hearing regarding the rules of evidence. There are also some avenues of reciprocal discovery that you can avail yourself of and generally exhibits and witness lists are exchanged beforehand.

Interesting aspects of the process: There are some very interesting aspects concerning this entire process and I will mention them here.

First, the application itself. Although there are some extremely pointed directions concerning the application and how it is to be filled out, there is plenty of room for self-analysis and self-determination.

Second is the investigative hearing. The hearing is announced as the informal investigative hearing. As you walk in, you will find a court reporter who will not only have his/her fancy court reporting machine, but also a tape backup and microphones strewn about to make sure nothing is missed.

You will also find that the Board members that are asking you questions have a document to which they are referring in an effort to formulate questions. This document is the substance and result of the investigation of your application and any and all responses you have made to inquiries. I will tell you what I always tell those who seek my advice - the investigative document being used by the Board members is complete, accurate and unbelievably detailed. For example, they found that my client had not properly withdrawn from a university in the mid 60’s (yes, 45 years ago), he/she had actually been administratively expelled. He/she never even listed this “attempt” at secondary education in Ohio, I believe, on any job application in his/her entire life. My client had already passed the bar exam.

I will also tell you that I do my best to match the Board’s investigative skills, but they pale in comparison. In other words, this is not informal, nor is it investigative. By the time your invitation is mailed, an exhaustive investigation of your past has left no stone unturned and the investigation is over. The Board learned that my client was a gang member before college. In the hearing, he admitted to selling crack and stealing cars. He had never been arrested as a “gang member” or related activity, and he had not admitted this to me.

Lastly, this investigative report will be the foundation for the formal hearing in regard to preparation for the six member Board. You will never, ever receive a copy of it or get an opportunity to even glance at the contents.

Those of you with some experience will probably compare this to a federal prosecutor’s work product. If you review the Rules Regulating the Rules of Admission to The Florida Bar, you will see the various criteria concerning the determination of your character. Some of them are obvious, some are not.

The Board reserves the right to decide after caucusing with each other, subsequent to an investigative hearing or formal hearing, what is believable and what is not. You may not be in agreement with their conclusions, but as you will see, if you review the cases, there are not many options, if any, to overturn the decisions made by the Board of Bar Examiners.

To highlight the opportunities for changing the results at such a hearing, you may want to refer to Florida Bar Board Examiners re: L.K.D. 397 So.2nd 673-675 (Fla.1981). The long and short of it is that the Supreme Court of Florida reserves the right to review the Board’s recommendation by reviewing the factual underpinnings produced by the application process, informal investigative hearing and the formal hearing along with all of the exhibits and witnesses brought forward by reviewing the transcripts of these hearings.

The caveat as in cases involving lawyer discipline is that you should be careful what you ask for. I say this because the court may and has overturned the recommendations of the Board of Bar Examiners, when after a formal hearing, has actually recommended the admission of the lawyer and similarly the Supreme Court increased the disciplinary sanctions recommended by a referee where the respondent lawyer has requested a review by that Court.

The only interesting twist in cases involving candidates for admission to The Florida Bar is that the Supreme Court reviews every decision that the Board of Bar Examiners makes and must concur. For some interesting reading, I recommend that you read Florida Board of Bar Examiners Re: M.B.S. Fla. 2007, if you have Lexus, or if you have West Law, it is Florida Supreme Court Case No. SC05-1118.

Lastly, I will tell you from my experience that I don’t actually know of a case right off the top of my head where the Supreme Court has overruled the Florida Board of Bar Examiners and let someone in that the Board recommended should not be admitted.

Cases and Discussion: Mental Health Issues: In re Ford, 854 N.E. 2d 501, (Ohio 206). You will find that Mr. Ford was a May 2004 graduate. He was rejected for lack of character and fitness. He had a history of mental health issues and some financial issues. He had filed bankruptcy twice and had been in treatment for years for a medical condition. At the time of the hearing, the committee found that Mr. Ford had his mental issues under control with medication and counseling, but had concerns regarding the stress of practicing law and this condition. As you will see if you read this entire case, the court adopted the recommendation of the Board, which precluded the admission to the bar.

After reading this case, I am confused, but believe the Ohio court backed into their decision by an unidentified concern about the mental health issues by highlighting a perceived pattern of disregard for some drug and alcohol issues. The applicants disregard for the laws of Ohio were cited but it appears that there weren’t enough criminal violations or substance issues that would have otherwise kept him out.

Lack of Candor: You will find that when you fail to fess up to prior criminal convictions and the circumstances therein, not only will the Board find out, but they will have a concern over your candor. If you further go to an investigative hearing and continue to stand on these tiny fibs, your initial lack of candor will be exacerbated to the point where you will be asked, more than likely, “to take some time off”. An interesting example of this can be found in Florida Board of Bar Examiners Re: D.M.F, 491 So.2d 1104.

Criminal Charges: Mr. Lee King was a peace officer and could serve summons, deliver court papers and was authorized to carry a handgun. He was upset when he wasn’t given a full time sworn police officer position. While off duty he got drunk and used his service weapon to shoot two men several times at close range. The victims were unarmed. Apparently because of Mr. King’s inebriation he was a poor shot. He was convicted, served time, went through mental health counseling.

He then decided law school was a good career move. He was admitted to the practice of law in Texas in 1994. He later moved to Arizona and began working in a law firm in Arizona. He passed the bar exam and finally, after two rounds before the Board of Bar Examiners, the recommendation was that he be admitted to practice law and as in Florida, Arizona has the procedural caveat where the supreme court reserves the right to review all recommendations by the Board of Bar Examiners. The Supreme Court stated that Mr. King would have to show an extraordinary amount of rehabilitation. The court said he would have to establish that he accepted responsibility for his past conduct and identified and overcame the weaknesses that led to the unlawful conduct. In his bar application he stated that due to his strained emotional state and the anti-police sentiment of the day (2003) that it was in his best interest to plead guilty to one charge and throw himself upon the mercy of the court rather than fight the charges. The court felt that King’s explanation was a bit lacking in sincerity and common sense. He never became a lawyer in Arizona. Perhaps he is a “packing heat” Texas lawyer!

Closing remarks: To borrow a theme from some commercials of the day: “The cost of law school $100,000.00. The cost of preparing for and taking the Bar exam $5,000.00 . Perhaps the best feelings you will ever have …hearing that you passed the bar exam. The cost of not having to explain to ‘everyone’ why you have a law degree, passed the bar exam and can’t practice law … PRICELESS.”

Paul A. Remillard is a sole practitioner and a member of The Florida Bar and Colorado Bar. His practice focuses on lawyer discipline defense and bar admissions. Mr. Remillard worked for The Florida Bar for nearly 10 years. During his tenure at The Florida Bar, he authored the Ethics School and founded the Professionalism Center. He is a graduate of Boston College and Nova Southeastern School of Law. Mr. Remillard may be contacted by e-mail at rem-law-paul@hotmail.com or visit http://www.remillardlawfirm.com

If you haven’t looked into buying an outdoor storage shed lately, you may be under the impression that these sheds tend to be drab, boring, ugly, and hard to take care of. And twenty or so years ago, you probably would have been right!

Many of us who are adults now have some memory of an old rusting, dented metal storage shed from our childhoods. Maybe we have bad memories about the shed… it burnt our hands when we touched it, or a bent piece of metal cut us, or it just plain looked ugly.

But those days are far behind us, and you might be quite surprised at what’s available these days in storage sheds. There are actually some new storage shed designs that might look nicer than your house does!

Many new styles of outdoor storage sheds are actually designed to look like small cottage guest houses or bungalows. These come with windows, planter boxes, beautiful doors, windows with shutters, and even a steeple or cupola for the top too.

Some of these new designer storage sheds are such a fantastic addition to a home that many people are even putting electricity in them, and using them for home offices, exercise rooms, serenity rooms for getting away from the family and activity of the main house, garden workshops, hobby and craft workshops, and much more.

With the new styles and designs in outdoor storage sheds comes many other options too. Metal sheds can still be purchased for instance, but they’re much better made these days and much easier to maintain too. Metal sheds often feature double walls for better insulation, and special coatings which make them less susceptible to rust or fading from the sun so you don’t have to repaint them as often to keep them looking nice.

Some metal shed designs come with a vinyl exterior, which reduces the chances of color fading from the sun even further, and almost eliminates the chances of the shed rusting from the weather.

There are many new outdoor storage shed designs made from vinyl alone too. These also tend to have insulated walls, and are excellent choices for almost any type of climate. The don’t leak rain, they tend to handle snow built up well, and they don’t fade or rust from sun and other inclement weather either.

Some of the prettiest, most decorative shed designs are made of wood. These are quite popular because they end up being a garden decoration as well as a useful storage facility. Many of the wooden shed designs are meant to look like small cottages, cabins or bungalows too, so this can add to the overall value of your property.

Wooden shed designs can be painted to match the colors and design of your house as well, which ends up making the shed look more like a guest house or add on to your home. These wooden designs can often be bought in a kit form with pre-treated wood, so they’re long lasting with minimal amounts of care and maintenance too. If you don’t relish the idea of repainting every ten years or so, you can even choose to put siding on your wooden shed to reduce the maintenance needs even further.

Please be sure to visit http://www.outdoorsstoragesheds.com/ today and browse through the many types, sizes and styles available to meet your outdoor storage shed needs.

So you have a knack for creating wonderful, unique, creative gift baskets and everyone you know says you should start your own gift basket business, right? Well whether you do it for love, or to utilize special talents and skills, starting a gift basket business is a wonderful way to do what you love and are good at, while making money from it too.

Starting a gift basket business can be done from your home, and there are a variety of ways to do this. If you plan to grow your gift basket business quickly though, you’ll want to dedicate at least one small room to your supplies and to use for a work and business area.

Knowing how you’ll sell your gift baskets will help you get things setup properly though. If you sell your gift baskets online through EBay or your own website for instance, you’ll need to set up a packaging and shipping area. If however, you plan to simply sell your gift baskets at local flea markets or craft fairs, you won’t need shipping zones but you might need storage zones instead.

Let’s say for instance, you only sell your gift baskets at flea markets and craft fairs once each month. All the rest of that month is likely spent designing and putting together your unique gift baskets. So you’ll need a safe, dry, clean place to store them until it’s time to take your business to the markets and fairs.

Another thing to consider when starting your own gift basket business, is whether you’ll create just certain types of gift baskets only. Will you for instance, only create baby shower gift baskets, wedding baskets, or graduation baskets? Or will you create all sorts of different gift baskets for different occasions? A similar decision to make involves custom gift baskets… will you offer this service to customers who ask for it?

Setting up your product line and sales methods are very important steps to starting your gift basket business. Streamlining these things will help quite a bit too, particularly when things get busy.

If for instance, you create a line of ten different gift baskets to start with, you can create a list of each item that will go into each of those gift baskets. You can also decide on one or more decorative color schemes, and even one or more basket types for each gift basket. Then when you’re ready to get started, you’ll have lists of supplies that must be purchased to create each basket. And if you have enough funding, you can buy enough supplies to create ten or twenty of each gift basket right from the start.

When buying supplies for your gift basket business, be sure to keep track of how much it costs to create each basket. You’ll need to know exactly how much your supplies cost, and also how much time it takes you to create each basket. This way you can price your products appropriately.

If you offer a gift basket in your business for instance, which costs $20 for supplies, but takes you 30 minutes to put together properly, you should not base the sales price of that gift basket on the cost of the items alone. You’ll need to work in a set fee for your time, plus profits as well. So for instance, if your time is valued at $20 per hour, you’d add $10 for the half hour it took you to create the basket. That’s a cost of $30. You’ll then want to add in a profit margin, and that’s generally anywhere from 20%-50% depending on the markets your gift basket business will cater too.

There are of course many other factors involved in starting your gift basket business, but these are some general things for you to start with.

For additional information, help, and resources on starting your own gift basket business, please visit http://www.gbexchange.net/