Friday, January 4, 2013
10 Best Snowboarding Spots in the United States
Start the Countdown
What factors should you consider when deciding on the perfect location to experience this fast-paced and popular sport? If you're a freerider, you'll be interest in "the freshies," the untouched white stuff most prevalent in the backcountry of the West. If you're a freestyler, you'll be interested in terrain parks where there's room to practice your rails, jibs, jumps and other snowboarding maneuvers. Carvers prefer fast, groomed, and well-marked land where you can sweep along the the mountain.
The following sweet spots for snowboarding will suit a variety of boarders with all experience levels.
10. Big Sky, Mont.
Big Sky, Mont., located about an hour away from Bozeman, the nearest town, is ideal for boarders who want to shred some slopes while still having plenty of opportunities to check out the local scene. Home to about 20 restaurants and bars, a snowboard store and several lodges, Big Sky offers boarders about 3,500 acres (14 square kilometers) of land and two mountains, Lone and Andesite.
Although Lone Peak is a challenging peak for even experienced boarders, Big Sky also features intermediate and beginner slopes. Ever since a tram was installed in 1995 to the peak of Lone Mountain, this site has become a favorite of advanced boarders.
Big Sky receives lots of snow from storms heading in from the West and Southwest, and both the Lone and Andesite peaks pick up lots of snow from those storms. In the winter months, temperatures range from 42.8 to 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit (6 to 29 degrees Celsius), so bundle up for boarding fun.
09. Kirkwood, Calif.
Kirkwood, covering 2,300 acres (9.3 square kilometers), is home to four terrain parks that are ideal for boarders of all experience levels. This resort in the Tahoe region of California is isolated in the southwest ranges of Tahoe over Carson Pass, so it requires a little extra effort to get there, but the fresh powder and dynamic boarding scene make it worth it.
At the Adventure Land Beginner Park, snowboarders can learn the ropes, and even kids can learn the sport. At the Rip Curl Playground, intermediate snowboarders check out jumps, boxes and a halfpipe. At the expert-level Rip Curl/ Stomping Grounds, advanced snowboarders can try out even more jumps and rails.
The season lasts from November to April, and the average annual snowfall is about 480 inches (12 meters). The Kirkwood Resort's highest peak towers at 9,800 feet (2,987 meters).
08. Alpine Meadows, Calif.
Located in the north section of Lake Tahoe, Alpine Meadows is an ideal snowboarding location for boarders looking to shred the slopes. In addition to boarding, guests may also check out the beautiful lake views. Because Alpine Meadows is located at a high base elevation of about 6,840 feet (2,084 meters), the powder is usually drier and allows for fewer soggy days on the slopes.
Alpine Meadows is home to The Shreadows, a newly updated terrain park. The Shreadows makes use of banks, rolls and other natural features of the mountain, allowing boarders to board, ride, jump and rail, all on the same run.
Ranked in 2007 by Transworld Snowboarding as a top value resort, Alpine Meadows features 2,400 acres (9.7 square kilometers) of terrain to board [source: Tahoe Best]. About one quarter of the runs are suitable for beginners, while 40 percent are intermediate level and 35 percent are for expert boarders.
07. Mount Hood Meadows, Ore.
With more than 2,150 acres (8.7 square kilometers) of terrain to snowboard, Mount Hood features six different freestyle terrain parks, including Park Place, Rose City Slopestyle, The Zoo, Shipyard, Superpipe and Forest Park, so you'll be sure to find an area that suits your ability level and boarding interests. The new Superpipe is 500-feet-long (152 meters) with an 18-foot-high (5.4-meter) pipe. It's lighted for night riding and is open early in the season because not much snow is required to ride it.
06. Schweitzer, Idaho
Schweitzer in Sandpoint, Idaho, covers a wide expanse of 2,500 acres (10.1 square kilometers). The largest resort in Idaho, it's long been a retreat favored by snow enthusiasts. Advanced and expert snowboarders can enjoy the Outback Bowl and Glade-iater, two of the resort's natural chutes and bowls. The Stomping Grounds Terrain Park covers a vast 50 acres (0.2 square kilometers), offering a variety of terrain for beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert riders and more tabletops, jumps and rails than you can imagine.
Located between the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains and overlooking Lake Pend Oreille, the view from Schweitzer is breathtaking. Although the mountain is not as elevated as the Rockies, it gets plenty of snow from the Selkirks. The snow here is not too dry and not too wet, giving it the nickname "Panhandle Premix."
05. Mount Bachelor Ski Resort, Ore.
Mount Bachelor, a sleeping volcano located in Bend, Ore., gets about 370 inches (914 centimeters) of snowfall each year. Of the 3,683 acres (14.9 square kilometers) of terrain, about 15 percent suits beginners, 25 percent suits intermediates and 60 percent suits advanced and expert boarders.
In addition to the great boarding at Mount Bachelor, you should also check out the stunning natural features of the area such as the Cirque Bowl, a steep about five minutes from the summit. Be sure to have your camera handy; these stunning views are some of the best North American skiing photo-ops.
Adventurous boarders love Mount Bachelor's 400-feet-long (121-meter) superpipe with 17-feet-tall (5.2-meter) walls. Additionally, the Air Chamber Terrain Park extends for a mile, covers 20 acres (80,937 square meters) and includes quarterpipes, spines, hips, tabletops, jumps and rails. The Sunshine Park has beginner and kid features and even includes a mini-halfpipe.
04. Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
Mammoth Mountain definitely lives up to its name. With a peak elevation of 11,053 feet (3,368 meters) and more than 3,500 acres (14.2 square kilometers) of terrain, Mammoth is the tallest ski resort in California. Winter becomes a six-month season at Mammoth, which welcomes about 400 inches (1,016 centimeters) of snowfall annually, and the boarding season lasts from about November until June. Even though it's chilly, Mammoth gets about 300 days of sunshine every year, making it the perfect destination for snowboarders seeking an everlasting winter.
Mammoth Mountain features a 600-foot-long (182-meter) and 22-foot-tall (6.7-meter) Super Duper Pipe, one of only a few halfpipes of this size in the world. In addition to the Super Duper Pipe, Mammoth also has the Mini Pipe and the Super Pipe, making it the only resort in North America with three different sized halfpipes. Its terrain parks are also consistently ranked among the world's best [source: Mammoth Mountain].
03. Squaw Valley, Calif.
Located in Olympic Valley, Calif., about 45 minutes from Reno, Nev., Squaw Valley is a mountain village surrounded by six peaks and 4,000 acres (16 square kilometers) of terrain. The host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, Squaw Valley has evolved into a state-of-the-art snowboarding facility. With an annual snowfall of 450 inches (1,143 centimeters) and 300 days of sunshine, Squaw Valley offers great conditions for snowboarders of all skill levels.
Be sure to ride the KT-22, a mountain named for the number of kick turns it took a skier to reach the valley from the summit. Even if you're not up for the KT-22, you're sure to find the perfect place for your skill level. Seventy percent of Squaw Valley's terrain is geared for beginner and intermediate snowboarders.
At night, you can ride under the stars on the 3.2-mile (5.1-kilometer) Mountain Run, which is open until 9 p.m.
02. The Canyons Resort, Utah
The Canyons Resort in Utah was the first resort in the Park City area to allow snowboarding, although snowboarding is common throughout the area now. The Canyons still is a favorite among snowboarders who love to shred its 16-acre (64,749-square-kilometer) award-winning terrain park.
Utah's largest resort, The Canyons resort features more than eight peaks, 163 runs, two terrain parks and six natural halfpipes. The tallest vertical drop is 3,190 feet (972 meters). And you'll never run out of area to board at The Canyons with its 3,700 acres (14.9 square kilometers) of terrain to explore. In addition to the snowboarding, The Canyons resort features many shops, restaurants and places for music and entertainment. The state-of-the-art lodges provide the perfect spot for rest and relaxation after a long day of shredding the slopes.
01. Park City Mountain Resort, Utah
Although Park City Mountain Resort hosted the 2002 Olympic Games, you don't need to be an Olympian to check out this snowboarder's paradise. Located about 35 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport, Park City Mountain Resort is easily accessible for boarders of all skill levels.
With an average snowfall of 360 inches (914 centimeters) and four terrain parks, Park City Mountain resort offers 3,300 acres (13.3 square kilometers) of terrain. Park City is consistently ranked in the top 10 of family resorts in North America each year. Additionally, Park City's four terrain parks have been ranked by Transworld Snowboarding in the top 10 for five consecutive years [course: Utah.com]. Park City's Eagle Superpipe hosts the World Superpipe Championships each year. But don't worry; you don't have to be a world champion to navigate these slopes. Park City offers terrain for every level of boarder.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Top 10 Ways to Make Money on the Internet
10. Selling Stuff on eBay
Most people today are familiar with the concept: You have things you don't necessarily need but others are willing to buy, and you can auction off the items on eBay or other online auction sites. Simply gather your goods, create a seller's profile and start selling.
It sounds simple, but it takes some practice to sell successfully. Creating persuasive and legitimate product pages for the goods you're selling will help get buyers interested. It's also important to set reasonable minimum bids to ensure that people will buy. And remember to deliver the kind of customer service that will garner positive feedback ratings and to communicate with buyers to let them know you're reliable. The more positive feedback you receive, the more people will be willing to do business with you. And that, of course, means more money.
Selling stuff that you don't need but
others are willing to buy is a popular
way to make money over the Web.
09. Blogging
If you have a particular passion for something, whether it's a hobby or an obsession, and you have something to say about it, blogging could be a profitable way to pour out your endless stream of thought. The key here, as with many other services on the Internet, is in selling advertising.
After starting up a personal blog, many writers sign up for ad services like Google AdSense, which post those familiar sponsored links you often see at the top and on the sides of Web sites. The more times your blog readers click on those ads, the more money you'll make through the ad service. This works fine if you're a casual blogger, and you may make some extra spending money. But if the blog is consistently interesting, well-written and really takes off, you may be approached by companies who want to reach your fan base with graphical advertising around your blog. Some of the more successful blogs, like I Can Has Cheezburger? andBoing Boing, have become pop-culture phenomena, and their creators have been able to quit their day jobs and blog full time because of the money they make from advertisers.
A you walk around most high school and college campuses, you're likely to come into contact with lots of words. But it won't be material from textbooks or term papers -- those are probably in backpacks or sitting unfinished at home. Instead, they're the simple phrases or logos -- most of which are ironic or amusing -- printed on the T-shirts on the backs of the students.
Usually, the more unique and offbeat the design is, the more desirable the T-shirt is. The growth of the Internet has made it possible for vendors to sell T-shirts all over the world. In fact, sites likeCafePress.com and SpreadShirt.com allow you to set up your own store, create your own designs and sell them yourself. If you can create your own shirt design with a clever catchphrase or come up with your own unique statement and people like it, you can start making money.
Freelancing is similar in some ways to blogging. For one thing, you get to work from your own home or office most of the time. But there are a few important distinctions. First, if you're thinking about freelance writing, chances are you need to have more experience than the average blogger. Many freelance writing positions cover specialized topics for online publications and many require expert knowledge on the subject. However, if you're passionate about things like travel or food and know how to write, a freelancing job can provide you with a good income.
Along a similar line, you might also consider self-publishing your original work rather than working on contract-driven tasks. Self-publishing offers many of the same benefits as freelance writing. This additional step is risky, though, because it requires marketing work to your target audience so they'll buy your work.
Writing's not the only way to make money freelancing, of course -- anyone with graphic design or programming experience can find contract jobs that pay well and provide challenging work, too.
06. Domain Name Flipping
Based on luck, strategy and business savvy, domain name flipping can be one of the more lucrative ways to earn a living online. The term comes from the real estate trick that involves buying old, undervalued houses, fixing them up to make them more attractive and modern-looking and selling them for a much higher prices.
In this case, the old and outdated place is not a house, but rather a domain name -- the main address for a Web page. With a little bit of searching, dedicated domain flippers locate unused, poorly maintained Web sites that have generic and recognizable identifiers and buy them. They usually pay a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars, but after extensive updates that make the site more business- and user-friendly, the domain name can fetch several times more than it was originally worth. The domain bird-cage.com, for instance, was bought for a mere $1,800 in 2005 -- after a redesign two years later, the site was sold for $173,000 to a bird cage vendor [source: Bhattarai].
05. Financial Services
Financial services include accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll processing. Today, you can accomplish most of these services using specialized software. For businesses, this means hiring fewer people to handle these tasks. For individuals, it means doing it on their own and hiring a consultant online when necessary.
These cost-saving opportunities for consumers mean money-making opportunities for you. You can create a Web site on your own or work with an existing Web-based services group. Then, you can correspond with clients through that Web site and via e-mail.
If you want to offer financial services over the Internet, first make sure you're either trained or experienced in the services you're planning to provide. For example, you're probably not an expert on preparing taxes for a small family farm unless you've done so before or had training in farm-related accounting. In addition, make sure you know whether you'll need government licenses to offer certain services, and refrain from misrepresenting yourself or working illegally to avoid getting sued for fraud.
04. Customer Service
Many businesses support their products through a customer service department. In many cases, this means people who answer phone calls from customers. A growing number of businesses also offer customer service electronically through their Web sites and by e-mail.
At a Web site, customer service might include live chat sales and support. To use this, a customer clicks a link requesting to chat with a live person, and a customer service representative answers the request and speaks with the customer through a chat window. For e-mail customer service, the customer fills out a form at the Web site or sends e-mail directly to a particular address.
Since the live chat and e-mail depends only on having a reliable Internet connection and Web browser, businesses have looked increasingly at hiring home-based workers for these services. As a result, customer service contracting firms like Talk2Rep cover e-mail and live chat support in addition to inbound and outbound phone calls. While the pay rate is often minimal or commission-based, the growing demand for online customer service makes it a reliable source of income if you have a knack for it.
03. SEO Reviewing
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a growing area for Internet-based employment. SEO is a means of improving the results from a search engine so that they represent the closest matches and most reliable resources for the user's desired results.
As a contract SEO reviewer, working through a company like Leapforce, you can aid in this optimization. You start each evaluation task by judging a user's intent based on the key word combinations provided and your own knowledge of popular culture in the user's locale. Then, you use a set of given guidelines to evaluate how particular search results match that user's intent.
SEO reviewing can offer a steady income from home, but there are some risks. First, an SEO reviewer has to run reliable antivirus software and have a good, strong defense against malware. That's because viewing certain Web sites during evaluation tasks could introduce malware to the computer. Second, an SEO reviewer must be willing to view potentially offensive material, such as pornography. As a reviewer, you may be asked to check whether a given site contains malware or pornography, so you're putting your computer at risk as part of the job description.
02. Tutoring
With each passing year, there seems to be increasing pressure for elementary, middle and high school students to make good grades and prepare for a path to higher education. For some kids, this means getting help from a tutor to bridge any gaps in understanding in certain subjects.
Since more families often have reliable high-speed Internet connections at home, too, Internet-based tutoring services are growing. When you apply for these jobs, you usually have to take tests in your selected subject areas and submit to background checks. Though you could start your own online tutoring service, sites like Tutor.com have already done the legwork for you in terms of marketing. These sites match thousands of kids with tutors each week.
While many Internet-based jobs offer flexible hours or multiple shifts, tutoring services might require you to be online during a specific block of time or reward you for doing so. This encourages tutors to be available during the heaviest demand. For example, when Tutor.com has more tutors than tutoring requests, it places tutors on a waitlist and gives preference to tutors who work at least five of hours per week in the 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST time slot Sunday through Thursday [source: Tutor.com].
01. Selling Handmade Goods
Earlier, we considered using sites like eBay to sell stuff that you don't need. You can also use Web sites to sell your original creations. Certain Web sites like Etsy.com andArtFire.com are dedicated to matching the artists who create things by hand with the customers who appreciate and want to purchase their handmade goods.
If you're like most people, the word handmade probably brings to mind some traditional crafts like knitting, crochet, needlework, quilting, painting and sculpting. Handmade items don't stop there, though. You can also market woodworking, glasswork, metalwork and anything else you're capable of building at home. Be sure to focus on projects that you're already good at or that you have a passion for so you don't burn out producing each new item.
Existing Web sites like we mentioned before usually let you set up your own shop for free or for a very small fee for each item you list there. If you have a small home-based operation, this could be a better deal than setting up your own site. For many people, hosting and managing an entire Web site might be a full-time job by itself.
The biggest challenge for selling homemade goods is making back the cost of what you put into it. Not only do you want to be reimbursed for materials, but you also want to be paid proportional to the time you put into it. Keep track of your sales and purchases carefully in the first few months, and make adjustments as necessary to maximize your profit.
Now that you have our 10 ideas, Thank you :)
Monday, December 31, 2012
Cricket News
updated 31st Dec 2012
ICC rankings for Tests, ODIs and Twenty20
ICC Test Championship
| Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 29 | 3566 | 123 |
| England | 41 | 4825 | 118 |
| Australia | 38 | 4332 | 114 |
| Pakistan | 29 | 3148 | 109 |
| India | 37 | 3879 | 105 |
| Sri Lanka | 32 | 3062 | 96 |
| West Indies | 31 | 2809 | 91 |
| New Zealand | 27 | 2126 | 79 |
| Bangladesh | 15 | 0 | 0 |
Zimbabwe is currently unranked, as it has played insufficient matches. It has 167 points and a rating of 42.
ICC ODI Championship
| Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 25 | 3016 | 121 |
| South Africa | 18 | 2170 | 121 |
| India | 31 | 3652 | 118 |
| Australia | 28 | 3164 | 113 |
| Sri Lanka | 35 | 3839 | 110 |
| Pakistan | 29 | 3077 | 106 |
| West Indies | 25 | 2206 | 88 |
| Bangladesh | 21 | 1636 | 78 |
| New Zealand | 20 | 1434 | 72 |
| Zimbabwe | 14 | 700 | 50 |
| Ireland | 6 | 207 | 35 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 63 | 16 |
| Kenya | 4 | 45 | 11 |
ICC Twenty20 Championship
| Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 15 | 1524 | 127 |
| West Indies | 17 | 1585 | 122 |
| India | 18 | 1789 | 119 |
| England | 22 | 1891 | 118 |
| South Africa | 21 | 1868 | 117 |
| Pakistan | 28 | 2324 | 116 |
| Australia | 20 | 1615 | 108 |
| New Zealand | 21 | 1563 | 98 |
| Bangladesh | 11 | 668 | 84 |
| Ireland | 12 | 659 | 82 |
| Zimbabwe | 10 | 306 | 44 |
The following teams are not ranked as fewer than eight T20I matches played since August 2010. Afghanistan; Netherlands; Scotland; Canada & Kenya.
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