Team record under 500-no problem in the nbs

This year in the NFL, where even the Wild Card teams sported a .688 winning percentage, the Kansas City Chiefs were left out of the post-season tournament after going 10-6 (.625). Major League Baseball saw the San Diego Padres win their division and earn a 2005 playoff berth with a .506 winning mark, but they were an anomaly. This season all other MLB playoff teams won 90 or more of the 162 games they played. Over the past five years 98% of the baseball teams that have been playoff bound have won 90 (.556) or more games and none have had losing records. The NBA is different.

In the 2003-04 NBA Playoffs four of the eight Eastern Conference teams that had the honor of making the second season earned records of .500 or below. In the Atlantic Division, the 8th seed Boston Celtics, one of the most winning franchises in professional sports history, touted a 36-46 (.439) record as they headed into the playoffs. At 39-43 (.476) the New York Knicks weren’t much better. In the Central Division, New Orleans and Milwaukee, 5th and 6th seeds respectively, finished at .500.

The next year no sub-500 teams were in the tournament but New Jersey, the 7th seed with a 43-39 (.524) mark, and Philadelphia, the 8th seed compiling a 42-40 (.521) record, were marginal. This year, as we approach the mid-way point of the professional hoop season, it’s clear that there’s a good chance that as many as four sub-500 teams--25% of the playoff mix--will be shooting threes and banging the boards in the post-season.

The Milwaukee Bucks, the current 6th seed, are 19- 18 (.514); the Philadelphia 76ers, which hold the 7th seed, are 18-20 (.474); and the Washington Wizards, the potential 8th seed are 17-20 (.459). Washington will probably have some stiff competition for that final Eastern Conference position from the 16-22 Chicago Bulls, the 15-23 Boston Celtics, and the 14-22 Orlando Magic.

Although the Western Conference has traditionally been exempt from this dilemma, this year is different. The current 8th seed, the Utah Jazz, is one game above .500 and there are at least three other teams--Minnesota, Golden State, and New Orleans/Oklahoma City-- with more losses than wins that are in contention for that spot.

Certainly a system that’s geared towards making the league competitive has its benefits to owners, players, and fans. While teams continue to stay in the mix, this system has the potential to keep hometown fans interested. However, the system leads to inferior teams making it into a post-season where they don’t have a chance to compete.

There are a few reasons why the NBA has this problem. However the major reason is, quite simply, money. The NFL has long had a salary cap; the NHL has just instituted one; and MLB has created a half-hearted attempt at one. The theory behind an effective salary cap, such as the type the NFL and NHL have instituted, is that when teams are allowed to only spend a certain amount of money they will be forced to spend it wisely--doing their best to build a competitive team. The other way a salary cap works is that it prohibits one or two teams from paying exorbitant amounts of money to hire all of the stars, thus leveling the playing field. (This is why the MLB salary cap doesn’t really work; it doesn’t do this and is not a true cap. It’s more of a salary visor.)

Now this may surprise you-- the NBA also has a salary cap. This year it’s set at $49.5 million per team. However the NBA has a "soft" cap, a headband really, which translates into numerous loopholes allowing clubs to still break the bank when it comes to salaries.

Because of how it can be manipulated, the soft cap does very little to control spending. This can have some disastrous results for teams and the league. Some teams capture that one star player with a huge multi-year deal but then, because of their own budget limits, can’t afford to support him with role-players. And if that primary guy suffers a season ending injury, the entire team’s season is over.

Others with the deepest pockets find their way around the cap and scoop up two or three hallmark names, while teams with small bankrolls don’t have the power to attract the best talent. Then there are the organizations that spend money on young talent and that talent just doesn’t pan out. If a player has a big contract and he’s not performing, he’s impossible to trade, and he still has to be paid.

The fact is a salary cap is intended to negate exactly what is happening in the NBA; a soft cap is designed to simply get around the basic provisions and safeguards a salary cap offers.

The final result is an imbalance of power, which means you may have 16 playoff positions but you really only have 12 playoff teams. The last three or four slots are filled by non-competitive teams just because the spaces are there.

This year if the Celtics or the Sixers or the Jazz or any of the other clubs hovering around .500 make the post-season will anyone consider them worthy of being potential NBA champions? There’s one of two possible solutions for the NBA--a real salary cap or going to a 12-team playoff scenario.

Identity theft - straightening out your credit in the aftermath

FBI statistics reveal that identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, with about 1 in 5 families in the U. S. being a victim of identity theft. Identity theft is obtaining another person's personal information (e. g., name, social security number, credit card number, passport) without that person's knowledge and using that information fraudulently. For someone who discovers they are a victim of identity theft, it is important to act fast. Here are some immediate steps to take in order to stop further misuse and to restore your good credit:

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the 3 credit reporting companies to place a fraud alert on your credit report. When a fraud alert is placed on your credit reports, creditors will contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert, and they are required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. Once you place the fraud alert in your file, you're entitled to order free copies of your credit reports. When you receive them, check them over carefully for any new accounts that may have been opened without your authorization. Also be aware of any new inquiries by banks, lenders and credit card companies that you were not familiar with.

2. Report the crime to your local police or sheriff's department and request a police report.

3. Contact your creditors, banks, phone companies, and utility companies and have them freeze your accounts. Banks, credit card companies and other creditors may require a copy of your police report. You may be liable for a small sum of the fraudulent charges; check with each of your card issuers for their policies. Most creditors promptly issue replacement cards with new account numbers.

4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

5. Monitor all bank and credit card statements and other bills carefully to ensure there are no fraudulent charges. If you find fraudulent checks or withdrawals on your bank account, notify the fraud department of your bank in writing immediately.

Stop payment on any missing checks and/or close your existing account. You can also notify the check verification companies not to accept further checks under the account number that was stolen. To find out if the identity thief has been passing bad checks in your name, contact SCAN @ 1800-262-7771.

If unauthorized credit card charges appear, notify your credit card company in writing without delay.

6. If you believe the theft involved your social security number, contact the Social Security Administration. They may re-issue a lost or stolen social security card or may, under some circumstances, give you a new social security number.

As you know, your credit rating is all important. Every precaution should be taken to protect your credit rating. Once you have your identity straightened out, you might consider registering with Equifax Credit Watch™. Equifax Credit Watch™ makes monitoring your report easy by automatically alerting you within 24 hours of key changes in your Equifax Credit Report™ - like when someone tries to get credit in your name or there are sudden changes in your credit card balances. - so you can act before serious damage is done.

Below are important phone numbers you will need for reporting your identity theft:

Credit Reporting Agencies:

Equifax 1800-525-6285

Experian 1888-397-3742

TransUnion 1800-680-7209

Federal Trade Commission Hotline:

FTC Hotline 1877-438-4338

Check Verification Companies:

Telecheck 1800-710-9898

Certegy 1800-437-5120

To find out if the identity thief has been passing bad checks in your name:

SCAN 1800-262-7771

Positive negative steroids effects

Steroids are synthetically created drugs derived from ‘testosterone,’ an androgen responsible for body growth, growth of sex organs, maturity, growth of body hair, and deepening of voice. Steroids effects are positive as well as negative. Actually, steroids effects are proportional to usage of steroids; the right usage has positive effects, and steroid abuse or over-dose has negative effects.

Steroids effects are positive when they are rightly used to treat disorders associated with the low secretion of testosterone in body. There are a number of positive steroids effects when they are medically used for purposes, such as bone growth stimulation, appetency, puberty, and muscle development. There are positive steroids effects when they are used in treating chronic wasting diseases, such as AIDS and cancer. Steroids also help in living healthy life in later years of life.

On the other hand, steroids effects are negative when they are abused or over used. Often, steroids are used as performance, stamina, and strength enhancing drugs by bodybuilders, weightlifters, athletes, and other sports persons. Steroids are used by young boys and girls for various cosmetic reasons.

Dr. Gary Wadler, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the NY University School of Medicine, who is currently working for the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA), says, “Although there are many types of steroids with varying degrees of anabolic and androgenic properties, it's the anabolic property of steroids that lures athletes. They take them to primarily increase muscle mass and strength. The reason for that is that the side effects associated for the oral form were discovered to be especially worrisome for the liver. But the injectable steroids aren’t free of side-effects either. There is no free ride and there is a price to be paid with either form."

Steroid abuse and overdose may have several negative steroids effects on both male & female sexes. Some of the common negative steroids effects include wooziness, early loss of hair, sleeping troubles, nausea, depression, mood changes, joint pain, hallucinations, paranoia, urination problems, yellow fever, stroke, increased risk of heart disease, trembling, high levels of blood pressure, increased chance of injuring muscles and tendons. Some other side effects of steroids may include aggressiveness, depression, anxiety and uncontrolled bouts of anger.

Steroid abuse or over dosage may also have negative steroids effects on reproductive systems. Some of the negative steroids effects on male reproductive systems may include testicular shrinkage, powerlessness, hair loss, sterility, development of breasts or nipples, urinary problems, increased size of prostate gland and reduced sperm count. Some of the negative steroids effects on female reproductive systems may include development of male features, increased facial hair growth, breast shrinkage and increased size of the clitoris.

Small changes in your diet can make a big difference

If you are one of the millions of people who ever tried to lose weight, then you know how hard it can seem to actually accomplish this goal. With countless numbers of diet plans out there promising fantastic weight loss results and all the hype about the thousands of “miracle” weight loss pills, powders and drinks, it’s no wonder weight loss can seem to be quite the challenge.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to be able to start to slim down without having to completely change everything about the way you eat and/or relying on diet fads and gimmicks? Well, read on and you will see that by just making some small changes, you can make some big strides in your effort to lose weight.

As a rule, we all know that too much fat in the diet is one of the major culprits in causing overweight problems in people. While that means fat intake should be cut down, it does not mean it can’t be replaced with some better choices that pack fewer calories. For example, take the mayo off the sandwich and replace it with mustard. You cut off 100 calories per serving, all from fat, and replace it with zero calories per serving with no fat at all. Use fat-free cheese instead of regular cheese. Again, you will be replacing 45 calories per slice at 40 calories from fat with 30 fat-free calories. The sandwich is still the same size, but you cut over 115 extra calories off of it.

EAT MORE BREAD

If you eat more bread, you are increasing your carbohydrates and eating less fat as well. In one study, a small increase of bread in the diet led to a 4% decrease of fat consumed. Depending on your overall calorie needs daily, this could mean you’ll be eating more carbohydrates per day, but it is the reduction of fat and the overall reduction of calories that make you start to lose weight. The right balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the proper calorie range determine energy levels and whether you’ll lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight.

EAT MORE VEGETABLES

These foods are great sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are also low in calories and high in fiber. These foods are filling, nutritious and great for people trying to lose weight. When your parents used to say “make sure you eat all of your vegetables” they were right.

EAT MORE FRUIT

Just like vegetables, fruit is high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Also, fruit is naturally sweet and can satisfy the need for bad sweets, like candy. Try to replace desserts and snacks such as cake and ice cream with fruit at least half of the time and it will make a huge difference.

EAT MORE FISH AND CHICKEN

Eating fish and chicken more often than red meat will reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Too much saturated fat in the diet has been shown to cause atherosclerosis (artery blockage) which leads to heart problems and eventual failure. Skinless chicken breast and most fish are very lean and only contain small amounts of fat, not enough to worry about. When you eat fish, besides lowering your fat intake, you also increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids which has been shown to promote a healthy heart. Fish is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids and you don’t have to eat fish every day to get a good benefit from it.

USE CANOLA AND OLIVE OILS

These oils are good sources of monounsaturated fat which is the best kind of fat because this kind of fat increases the good cholesterol (HDL) in your body and lowers the bad cholesterol (LDL).

Sometimes it may seem to be a long road to weight loss but the length of the road is not nearly as important as how smooth the road is. By making small, gradual changes to your eating habits, you will find your road can be smooth as well.

Are you choosing the right type of bait to lure your fish

When most people think of Bass Fishing Bait, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to choosing the right Bass Fishing Bait than just the basics.

Most of this information comes straight from the Bass Fishing pros who know what type of the bait is best to lure your fish. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

How can you catch a big fish? How can you attract those fish when daytime? How can you have the best catch of your life? May be you need to seduce those fish to come into your fishing rod. But what you really need is the best fishing lure.

Fishing lures is very important to bass fishing because it will help you catch more fish or even win that very important fishing tournament. There are various types of lures that are used specifically for bass fishing. There are fishing lures each for use in luring small fish, for fish living in shallow waters, for fast swimming fish, for big and large fish as well as for a big-mouthed fish.

In Bass fishing you need to pull the fish’s attention towards you. Fishing lures help you to excite the fish awareness. Some of the lures contain a rotating and shaking action and it produces an overall thrill for the starving trout, pinfish or bass into a feeding emotion.

Some of the Bass fishing lures create a charm for the fish and works in wonders in catching your favorite fish. They come up with a multi-color design so that the fish can see the lures clearly and get attracted. A fish-like imitation also makes a fish swims fast towards it. This is one of the oldest form of fishing lures.

Other Bass Fishing lures are also designed to be thick in the middle and have a curve at the both edges to create an angle when it is soaked on the water. The design and its actions of the fish lures will also let you manipulate the fish and you will catch them in the easiest way.

To look more fashionable some of the fishermen have a different color for their fishing lures, like the silver, gold plated, red/white, firetiger, lightning flash, rainbow color, shades of red gold and the yellow slash.

Bass fishing lures comes in a different size; some of them are slender and thin, others are big with tiny edges, depending upon the size of the fish you want to catch. If you want to catch a small fish and the fishing lures you are using are very big the fish might think that it is a predator and he will not go to your hook. Fishing lures should also depend upon the size of the fishing hook.

Several of the Bass Fishing lures also vary in the weight, some fishing lures are ultra light and they are angled so that it will cause a spin. As an effect of the angel the fishing lure will be consistent on its action, it can also have the territorial defense against the instinct of the predator fish.

Added features to the lures like a life-like fish shape can also be a very effective way to catch the attention of the fish. These fishes have three-dimensional images that will make the lure look irresistible. Several types of life-like fish lures have sparkling eyes so that it would be easy for the fish to identify the lure and the fish will get tempted.

If you want to have deep fishing lures, those with tight design will exile, break and do better than any other crankbaits. Because of the features a wobbling effect in swallow water. Some of professional anglers add some blood on their crank baits so that hungry fish will immediately recognize it and swim towards the lure. Afterwards if the fish already take up the scent of blood, the fish will surely bite the hook.

You must choose the best way to attract the fish. It is not about fooling the fish, it is about thinking of the wisest idea in order for you to attract them.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action. Go fishing!

The basics of a commercial mortgage

A commercial mortgage is a mortgage for a building that will be used for business. Commercial mortgages are like a residential mortgage, but can differ in a few ways. Commercial mortgages are a little riskier than a residential mortgage. They are not for someones home, but rather for business use, usually a start up business which in and of itself produces a risk to the lender.

Commercial mortgages require the same steps as a residential mortgage. However, with a commercial mortgage if the business has an established line of credit separate form the individual business owner, then the businesses credit is used to secure the loan.

Commercial mortgages can have a fixed or variable interest rate. A fixed rate will stay at the same percentage for the life of the loan. A variable rate will change as interest rates change. With a fixed rate the benefit is that a person will always know the cost of their mortgage payment, however, a variable loan allows a person to take advantage when rates drop, immediately.

Fixed rate mortgages though can be refinanced when rates drop and therefore the rate will be fixed at that lower rate. The choice can be difficult and should be discussed with the lender to ensure the best one is chosen for the circumstances of the business.

When applying for a commercial loan a business owner should make sure they have all of their financial information prepared and documentation ready for when they meet with the lender. If it is a start up business then they will need their personal financial records. They will also need a comprehensive business plan including business finances.

If the business is already established and has its own line of credit then the business owner will only need to provide the businesses financial information. It is best to be prepared with income taxes from the last two years for both the business and business owner.

Commercial mortgages are pretty much a lot like residential mortgages. The basics of the mortgage terms are the same. The main difference is the documentation used. When applying for a commercial mortgage a business owner needs to ensure they are well prepared to offer the documentation to prove their business is going to do well or has been doing well.

The lender is mainly interested in seeing that the business is not likely to go under any time soon. If they have any doubts it could cause problems with getting the loan. Additionally, the business owner should be willing to put up some type of collateral to secure the loan, as this will make lenders more likely to consider approving the loan. Anything a business owner can do to ensure the loan will be repaid is worth doing.

Business loans of any type are often considered risky for a lender so they are extra careful in approving them. This is important for a business owner to keep in mind when searching for their commercial mortgage loan.

Shopping for the shoes for your kids

This is another vital issue that should be considered seriously. While shopping for the shoes for your kids, it is of utmost importance to keep in mind that the skin of your kid is highly sensitive and you should be very picky when it comes to shopping for the shoes for your kid. Moreover there is another pivotal point to be kept in the fore front of the mind while shopping for the shoes for your child and that is you must look if the shoes fit perfectly. Although this seems to too a trifling thing apparently, yet as a matter of fact this particular point may turn out to be a nightmare for you and your child. This is how the shopping for the shoes for your kids proves to be too confusing.

Some of the most significant tips that would prevent you from getting trapped into the dilemma and events of nightmare lie here.

• The children are usually tend to be too naughty and run hither and thither the day long, which makes the feet swell over the course of the day. It is hence better to shop for the shoes for your kid during the late afternoon and evening.

• It will never be wise to shop for your kid’s shoes online. Although you will find a wide assortment of designs, price range, brands and quality, yet online shopping for the shoes for kids may turn out to be too detrimental. The local genuine shoe stores are obviously better. The salespersons of the real shoes stores personally measure the size of your kid’s feet and bring forth the perfect size of shoes for the little feet. Hence it is advisable to take your child while shopping for shoes for him or her.

• It would never be wise to set out for shopping for your kid’s shoes with tight budget. Budget is however essentially necessary, but with a budget too tight the story may end up with substandard quality of shoes for your kid. This may also eventually become a nightmare.

• For the kids growing too fast, the parents usually have the general tendency to buy shoes that are bigger in size. This is a general mistake that most of the parents tend to commit. The best option is to buy the perfect size – neither bigger, nor smaller. Remember that with the larger sized shoes your child may develop certain foot problem and stepping faults.

• As far as the shoes for the kids are concerned, the concept of “breaking in” of the shoes must not exist at all. The shoes must be comfortable for your child at the first wear.

• The parents must look for the shoes crafted out of the high quality leathers and canvas. This allows every step to breath fresh air, which is essential for your kid’s tender feet.