Wild Guided Tours on Bicycle of Germany’s Black Forest

There are many ways to visit Germany and it’s an oft visited country when people travel to Europe.  But have you
considered the guided tours on bicycle of the famous and beautiful Black Forest of Germany’s Bavarian region.  Bicycling
only gets you so far in one day but it allows you to see a side of the old time Germany that few people get a glimpse of.

Perhaps the best news about taking one of the guided tours of Germany on a bicycle is that you don’t need to be a world
class cyclist to do this tour.  The tours generally start at a village at the top of one of the Black Forest’s mountains and
the ride is all downhill from there.  You needn’t take your bicycle or even a helmet. The tour guides have all of that for
you, although you are welcome to bring some of your own gear.  Bringing your bicycle, however, would be a challenge, as
you’ll soon see.

You won’t likely be flying directly into the Black Forest as it’s relatively isolated from that sort of travel.  Instead,
most guided tours of the Black Forest will have you fly into Frankfurt Airport, take the subway to the train station and
hop on the nearest train headed south.  As you can see, hauling your bike just this far is a little bit cumbersome, don’t
you think?  Other guided tours will fly you into Strasbourg, just across the border in France.

Your train ride either way will likely lead you to Offenburg, the nearest big town to where you’ll begin your ride.
Some guided tours of the Black Forest will pick you up there while others will have you take a taxi or smaller train to a
village like Lossburg.  Lossburg is truly a representative sample of small town Germany, with Bavarian style homes, some
of which are bed and breakfast homes that you’ll stay in.

Most guided tours really get started after a healthy, filling breakfast in your home-style dwelling.  Don’t count on your
hosts to speak English so a little German learned beforehand will come in handy.  Your tour guide will bring the bikes and
helmets and, while some will bike with you, others will just give you a map—all in German.  Either way, soon you’ll be
sailing along a paved or dirt-packed trail, deep within the magnificent forest.

Perhaps you’ll be on one of the guided tours of the Neckar Valley or one of several other valleys in the great, untouched
forest.  Every few hours or so, you’ll reach a little village that will make you feel you’ve gone back in time.  Your
luggage will be transported to your next overnight location so you can enjoy the monasteries, breweries and little shops
with souvenirs you can pack in your backpack.  There’s at least one small, hometown restaurant in every village where the
food is cheap and authentically Bavarian.

Back on your bikes, you can’t get lost because, if you’re not going downhill,you’re headed in the wrong direction.
Over a four to five day period of time, you’ll find yourself back in Offenburg where you’ll give up your bikes and perhaps
take a train ride over to Strasbourg for some French cuisine and more

The guided tours of the Black Forest often offer such a trip as a nice way to round out your tour.  In the end, you’ll have
seen a rare gem in the Black Forest of Germany and you’ll be more physically fit in the process. 

Alternatives To Gift Baskets

When searching for the perfect gift for one of your family members or even one of your friends there is usually a whole lot of pressure to buy the right thing simply because you don't want to disappoint anyone. There are times when you just don't know what to buy, and everyone has those experiences as well. Some people choose to take their time when buying gifts while others like to get it done as quickly as possible. One route that many people take when they find that buying gifts is too difficult is to purchase gift baskets for their friends and families. Gift baskets can be good gifts for multiple reasons; one of them being that the recipient will receive a whole plethora of smaller gifts instead of one.

However, some people may consider gift baskets to be some of the most impersonal gifts they could ever get (even less so than cash!) just because it shows that the person who's buying it doesn't really know him or her at all. Of course, this doesn't go for gift baskets that have a theme running through them, like sports memorabilia and the like. But simply because gift baskets can be seen as impersonal means that if you aren't sure what to get for your close friends or family then maybe it's time to finally ask them what they've always wanted. Until you know that piece of information, though, here are some ideas to check out that can be used as alternatives to gift baskets:

Board Games

Unless you know the person really well and know that he or she doesn't like the thought of board games, buying a board game usually always is something that plenty of people enjoy. Whether it's buying a relatively older game with a new twist, such as a new version of Monopoly, or buying one of the latest games on the market that is also fun, such as Mad Gab, there are plenty of choices in retail stores that you'll have to make. Nevertheless, though, hopefully you can see how board games can be used as alternative gifts to gift baskets!

Alternatives to Owning a Franchise

Owning a franchise can be an endeavor that is only taken on by a few because there are so many responsibilities that has to be considered. On the one hand the franchise owner is responsible for all aspects of the business franchise, which could be considered a good thing, but on the other hand he is also responsible for personally financing the whole franchise business in the first place. There is definitely no way around the personal and financial commitments that a franchise owner must make. To a lot of people all of this hard work just does not pay off in the end! For this reason there are plenty of folks who actually decide not to own a franchise in the end, but they rely on another technique to acquire the franchise that they want:

All About Wedding Event Planning

If you are in charge of being the event planning specialist for a wedding reception, wedding rehearsal, or something else that goes along with being involved with the wedding then chances are that you know it is a huge responsibility. Not only are the bride and the groom counting on you to make sure that every aspect of their wedding reception goes smoothly, but all of your event planning skills are being relied upon for the success of the whole event! Even though not many people will realize if a specific faux pax is made on your part throughout the reception or wedding event because it may be so small in nature, chances are that you realized that you have messed up. Here are some things about wedding event planning that you should know about in order to create the perfect wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, and coordinating the cleanup efforts afterwards as well!

The Bride and the Groom

Even though the person chargeed with event planning for the wedding reception or the rehearsal dinner may feel overwhelmed at the great responsibility that he or she has, an important thing for the event planner to realize is that the wedding and everything pertaining to the wedding is all about the bride and the groom. Even though a lot of what's going on will feel like it has to do with the event planner him or her self, chances are that it will only feel that way because there is added pressure on the individual to make sure that things go off without a hitch!

Coordinating the Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal is just one aspect about wedding event planning that definitely should not be taken lightly! Even though all of the wedding attendants are not required to go to the rehearsal dinner for the bride and the groom, it would be a good idea if the wedding event planner were to convince everyone to attend! In addition, another very important thing that must be thought about when it comes to the wedding rehearsal dinner is where it will be held, what food will be eaten, and how long it should last. Of course, a lot of these things will be chosen by the bride and the groom itself, but the wedding event planner will obviously have to help them make some of the more important decisions, such as where it will be held and also to make sure the reservations are in place!

A Successful Wedding Reception

Perhaps the best thing about event planning for a wedding is witnessing the marriage ceremony and wedding reception to make sure that it all happens succesfully with no real downfalls! The wedding reception is an important part of this; making sure that the bride and the groom have agreed upon the food that will be there, what type of cake they'll have, and where it will be held are very crucial issues to making sure everyone is satisfied! In the end, however, it all comes back to realizing that the whole wedding event is about the bride and the groom, and that is the secret to making sure that your wedding event planning efforts don't go to waste!

All About Espresso Cups

True espresso drinkers are the ones who will be more likely to make a big deal out of the cup or drinking glass that their espresso is in! However, if you're an average individual who simply prefers the taste of espresso over other coffee beverages then you may not care all that much about the specific cups that your espresso sits in. However, in other countries besides the US espresso cups are actually thought to be more of an art than anything else. For example, in Italy and parts of Europe espresso cups are hand made. If you are enthusiastic about drinking espresso then finding the right kind of espresso cups is probably pretty important to how you drink the beverage. In addition, however, buying a set of espresso glasses is also a great gift that can be given to avid coffee and espresso drinkers. Here are a few tips that go along with buying espresso cups, though, that pretty much everyone should be aware about:

The Quality of Espresso Cups

The first and foremost issue that you'll want to be concerned with is the quality of the espresso cups that you buy. There are definitely all different types of espresso cups that can be bought, including sturdy plastic, glass, among other materials, but the best quality material that is frequently chosen for espresso beverage cups is porcelain. Not only have porcelain cups been a tradition throughout many countries down through the ages, but making the cups has been an art in and of itself!

The size of the porcelain espresso cup also makes a big difference as well. Traditionally, however, porcelain cups that are used for espresso usually come in 2- to 3-ounce glasses. This is not to say that you'll be filling the entire espresso cup with the espresso beverage, but many people like to add toppings such as whipped cream and chocolate shavings as well! Pouring about 1-ounce of espresso mixture and leaving the rest of the room available for toppings is what most people do when they have their typical espresso shot!

Affiliate Program-Information For All Beginners

AdMarketplace, the auction-based market for buyers and sellers of graphical online advertising has announced the launch of a new Affiliate Program for Web publishers. There are so many things to be learned about this specific topic of interest so continue reading throughout this article, you just might be surprised as to just how much helpful information you can gather from this. The Affiliate Program which adMarketplace notes as the first of its kind that will allow publishers the chance to earn revenue on every site in the adMarketplace Network.

With working with publishers and encouraging them to bring as much content as they can, we have a better chance of using that niche content for our advertisers as well. There are most definitely lots of competitors out there and this differentiates us from the pack. We want to bring additional value to publishers and we really wanted to let advertisers expand their ability to target ads.

Through the program, publishers add a link on their site that leads prospective advertisers to a co-branded registration page introducing the network. Referring publishers then receive a portion of total revenue across adMarketplace's entire network for advertisers that sign up through this program. There is a great deal of money to be made but you just have to be determined enough to work very hard to achieve just that.

The adMarketplace Affiliate Program handles all the back-end work for publishers who aren't able to directly sell their ad space, and allows publishers to leverage the inventory across the Network as a whole," stated by many business professionals.

The Program is neither a one-time bounty nor limited to the publisher's own inventory - it's a chance for publishers to create a long-term annuity with advertisers they introduce to adMarketplace. The adMarketplace Network is fully transparent for advertisers, displaying competitive bids, ads, and linking URLs.

The cost-per-click ads are served on a rotational basis to unique users in sequence, from highest rank to lowest, giving top bidders the first shot at every user in their target audience across the Network. The Network easily integrates with all ad-serving platforms, with IAB-standard ad unit sizes requiring little or no configuration.

Learning about all types of affiliate programs can be challenging but once you get into this sort of thing you are going to be very pleased at the end of it all, once it is all said and done. You will begin generating an income like you never have before, which is always very thrilling for beginners in the affiliate program business.

Check out different affiliate program websites, magazines, books and other sources, these are where you will find a great deal of information that is crucial for learning about the affiliate program opportunities. Pay close attention during your studies because at the end you are going to be excited to see just how much you can get accomplished once you have an affiliate based program that you are working from.

Different Features That You Should Definitely Look For When Purchasing Elliptical Machines

Purchasing anything can be confusing for many people, which is why it is always best to read over some online reviews or other things, before spending any amount of money on something. With elliptical machines, there are many different features that you should definitely be looking for when considering making your purchase. Throughout this article that is what I am going to discuss with you, some helpful hints on different features that are available with certain elliptical machines, so that it will hopefully help you with your decision when you purchase an elliptical machine for yourself.

Some of the features that you want to be sure and look for whenever you are considering purchasing any type of elliptical machine would include things such as, different incline settings, adjustable speeds for more intense training and different types of reverse elliptical movements for different areas on your body that forward motions simply do not take care of. Elliptical machines, when used with some knowledge and your determination, can give you one of the best workouts that you have possibly ever had before now.

Making any adjustments necessary while you are training on elliptical machines can mean all of the difference in the world, when it comes to how successful you are at reaching your set goals and maintaining a high enough heart rate to actually get the job done and done right. Elliptical machines, without the variety of features, can actually hurt you more than help you because if your overall body is not being worked, you are not going to get the type of results that you really want for yourself and everybody wants results, there is no doubt about that, we do not want to just spin our wheels, wearing ourselves out, without noticing the difference in our overall appearance.

If you are unsure whether or not the elliptical machines that you are looking at have all of these features that I am telling you about, please make sure that you ask someone working there, so that you can make sure you are purchasing the best elliptical machine for yourself, one that you will for sure get the most benefits from using. These things cost too much money for you to end up with one that only ends up disappointing you, so take your time when you are making your purchase.

Elliptical machines come in all shapes, sizes and prices ofcourse. Making the best purchase for yourself will be much easier if you first spend some time gathering different and important information regarding this type of equipment. The more that you can learn about the elliptical machines, the better off you will be and the more likely you are to find the one that gets you into that bikini that you have been wanting and anticipating wearing now, for way too long.

Think about the features you are wanting and make sure that the elliptical machines you look at when you are out shopping, have these available features and that everything works efficiently for you. Good luck!

Alot You Need To Know About A DVD

What I am about to tell you in this article is everything you need to know about a DVD. Why most people rather have DVDs than VHS. The first Digital Video Recording format was the Sony D1 format, which utilizes a standard definition component video signal and does not compress that signal. This format was integrated in 1983.

The very first dvd or digital video recording was very expensive though and was not commonly used among the public, but generally, use was confined to large television companies. In 1990 was the birth of QuickTime in its basic rough form, a product from Apple Computers that helped greatly in making the advantage of digital recording available to the larger consumer element of the public.

The span of 15 years has seen drastic positive advancements in the field of digital recording as the introduction of mpeg 1 and mpeg 2 data formats, which were apparently developed for use in television signal transmitting and also in DVD recording media, made the quality that the average computer system user could dabble with far greater. If you go to the store to get a dvd you will also know that there are regional dvds.

Each DVD-Video disc contains one or more region codes, denoting the area of the world in which distribution and playback are intended. The commercial DVD player specification dictates that a player must only play discs that contain its region code. In theory, this allows the motion picture studios to control the various aspects of a release, including content, date and price, region-by-region.

Ask Yourself-Is Digital Music Really As Amazing As Its Made Out To Be

Is digital music really worth all of its hype that it constantly receives? Perhaps it is, I do not know really, what do you all really think about it and do you feel that it is truly worthy of its obviously amazing recognition? Throughout this article I want to go over a few things with you regarding digital music and provide you with some different questions that you too might want to ask yourself before believing all of this hype about digital music and how its the greatest thing going today.

Digital music is quite unique and yes, it does make things easier and more convenient. However, with all of that said, is it really all that amazing really? What about the old record players that played those huge records? Me myself, I still think that those things were and are still truly unbelievably amazing and deserve all of the hype that they ever received or still are getting even today.

No matter how incredible digital music is, I am still an avid observer of what pertains to good music and what type of device really deserves all of that fabulous talk that has been going on with the whole digital music thing. Digital music does rock but what about when you listened to your all time favorite bands on 8 track players. How freaking awesome were 8 track players? Me personally, I still believe them to be quite an incredible and unique invention. I still remember listening to my moms 8 track player whenever I was just a little girl and I will never forget that either.

Anti Virus Is Very Important-Find Out More Now

What happens is that these emails are part of phishing schemes. Phishing generally means that someone sends you fake or bogus emails with bad links in them. These links invite you to click on their bogus sites (i.e. not government sites at all) and submit some of your personal (confidential) information: maybe your complete name, social security number, etc. Some emails even have spyware attachments on them.


Identity thieves, or thieves who focus on identity theft issues, send out thousands of fake emails almost on a regular basis any more, saying they’re representing government entities. So heads up if you receive emails saying they’re from the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service or other government agency or department. Spyware is computer software that is installed stealthily on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's knowledge or consent.

These emails may be trying to trick you.
One government department alone, the Treasury Department, reported* receiving over 23,000 complaints about IRS-related phishing schemes since November 2005. Most involve hoax emails telling recipients that they have a pending tax refund and are under investigation.
Do not click on links inside emails from government agencies.

Government agencies rarely communicate via email, and if they do, it’s in response to something you initiated most often. They communicate via postal mail.
Windows posts updates regularly, especially security patches. Make sure you download these or at least check monthly for updates. Mark your Outlook or other calendar and check regularly. So arm yourself: your computer and email for identity theft protection. Better
safe then sorry!

Most agencies are list on the web nowadays with contact information readily available.  If you receive communications that you are unsure of, call the agency first to see if the emails are legitimate.
Do not click on or save attachments that come with government emails. Delete these files. Unfortunately, sometimes even the best security isn’t good enough. Computers are expensive, and it makes sense to protect your investment from anything that could harm it.

Or maybe your computer just decided to crash one day. Back on Track was created with situations like these in mind, to help repair the damage that has been done to your PC.
I really can’t rave enough about Back on Track. You don’t even need a Boot Disk for it to work, so there’s nothing to forget to make or to lose. If you have a computer that has information on it you’d rather not lose, I highly recommend Back on Track. From doctoral dissertations to Snood high scores, Back on Track has you covered.

They will reach your system by exploiting security holes or are packaged with user-installed software, such as Limewire. Spyware is often hidden alongside other programs, and you may unknowingly install spyware when you download a program from the Internet or install software from disks.


The scariest part of being attacked is the privacy impliciatoi virus spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.

Creating A Budget For Yourself Can Dramatically Improve Your Severe Debt Issues

Figuring out a budget is something that too many people have difficulty with and there is definitely no doubt about that. Unfortunately people, including myself, are just not educated enough about finding debt relief by having the ability to properly manage a well balanced budget. Following a strict budget each month or week, however you would want to do it, is no doubt the best way for everyone to improve their debt condition.

This is something that you should all really have already started thinking about because knowing how to manage your money properly and being consistent with it, will drastically pay off down the road. You will finally be able to enjoy your life completely, without all of the worries that come along for anyone who is just totally overloaded with debt over debt over debt.

Your budget will make it possible for you to recognize that you can survive every single month, not just survive though, much better than that, you could potentially have a little bit of extra money each and every month! How fabulous would that be people? You know you want it, you know you are exhausted thinking about your debt, so get up off that couch and stop pitying yourself, try fixing your debt problems instead of forgetting about them!

The Dangers of Adult Dating Services

Have you visited a website offering adult dating services? More often than not, these sites have really enticing advertisements. They boast of millions of members and post success stories and testimonials. But while adult dating can be fun and exciting, there are dangers that these internet sites do not include. Before you decide to engage their services, here are some things to note.

When we speak of this kind of internet or online dating service, we do not mean the ordinary dating service. The word "adult" indicates that you want to pursue a more mature, even sexual, relationship with somebody. This makes it different from the ordinary dating service that we know. That is why when you decide to meet someone from this site, do not expect a friendly casual date. More often than not, the person from the other end expects something more.

That is why it is important to be careful in giving out personal details about you, your work or residence. Only when you have developed trust between each other can you exchange details. Never give details to someone you barely know. Also, do not give out information if you see that the other person seems to avoid answering personal questions.

Best Applications for College Students

As a college student, you need to have several things in order to keep your sanity.  For one, you have to have a good study schedule, next you need to be able to communicate with your friends and family, which is why so many students have the iPhone.  However, one of the most important aspects about having an iPhone and being a college student, is the fact that you can apply certain applications that will help you both in your academic life, as well as in your social life.  With the iPhone consistently coming out with new applications, you are able to find some that are entertainment and helpful.

Perhaps one of the coolest applications for a college student who always wants to have a good time is the Ajax Bartender iPhone application.  This amazing application allows you to find and make over 40,000 various alcoholic drinks.  However, what really makes this application so unique is the fact that it allows you to choose your drinks based on what you want to put in them.  Have you ever been with friends, and someone says they want to drink Tequila, but they don't know how to make very many different types of drinks with it.

Well, with the Ajax Bartender application, you can choose Tequila, and then you are able to choose what you want to mix it with and an entire list of various drinks featuring the two ingredients you want pop up on your screen.  This is perfect for holiday party ideas, spur-of-the-moment get together with friends, or just a great companion when you go bar hopping.  You will never have to wonder what you're going to drink that night.

Another great application is a far cry from the above one; however, it serves an equally important role in the life of a college student.  Whether you are majoring in physical science or criminal justice, you will have to take math courses.  And if you are like most people, than you have to have a calculator when you enter these dreaded classes.  However, instead of having to carry your iPhone and a huge calculator, you are able to carry just your iPhone when it has the Belfry SciCalc installed.  This scientific and programming calculator will give you access to many different types of equations.  Whether you need this calculator for Algebra, Trigonometric functions or even with standard math problems, this application can handle anything mathematical you throw at it.

Which is what makes this application perfect for a wide variety of college students, because it doesn't matter if you are working on a hexadecimal problem, or you can't remember what the square root of 164 is, you are able to use this calculator with ease and precision.  Also, the main reason why so many people love this application is because it eliminates the need for a bulky scientific calculator, in most cases, and it allows you to carry only your iPhone.  When you're in college, you have enough to worry about, so why not let your iPhone Belfry SciCalc take care of the math for you?

Should You Offer Continuing Education to Your Employees?

Maybe an employee dropped it off anonymously in the company suggestion box a few weeks ago. Maybe one of the new bright-eyed
employees stopped you one morning while you were on your way to get coffee. Or maybe Janeen from Accounting asked about it.
For whatever reason, you have continuing education for your employees on the brain. And you cannot stop thinking about it.

On one hand, you think it is a great idea. It can boost the company’s internal intelligence level while increasing company
morale and encouraging employees to stick around. On the other hand, you think it is expensive and will cut in to productivity during the workday.

Baloney! Offering continuing education to your employees is the best choice you could make for you, your company, you
employees and your customers. Just think about it: you could offer a customer service training to all of your staff who
have direct contact with customers. The staff learns important lessons and techniques for amazing customer service and in
turn, your clients are happy. That means they will be more likely to do repeat business with you and your company makes more
money.

Then, you look better in the eyes of YOUR boss. And who does not want that?

Or, all of your IT staff goes through a continuing education course on the importance of the new software the company is
using. The IT staff learns the ropes of the software and even learns a few little tricks to keep the software running
effectively and smoothly. In turn, your products go out on time and customers are happy. Again, that means they will be
more likely to do repeat business with you and your company makes more money.

And again, you look better in the eyes of YOUR boss. So tell me again why you think continuing education is a bad thing?

Also, it boosts company morale because it shows your employees that you care about their minds and want to help make them
in to better employees. So actually, the return goes both ways. You have a more educated staff and they have the greater
self-confidence and intelligence needed to create a dynamic work environment.

You could also look in to creating a program where employees can choose to take a class of their own choosing each year.
That way they will be more loyal to your company because they feel like you have a vested interested in them and their
well-being. And they are happier.

So, get your coffee, go back to your desk and create a winning plan for continuing education at your company. You will look
good, your employees will feel good, your customers will be happy and your boss will be impressed. You company will
flourish and sales will continue to increase by the thousands (or maybe even millions!) Everyone is happy and you get the
new corner office. You are now officially the company idealist, sales savior, favorite employee and the boss of the year!

Find Artifacts in Your Home Town!

If you are anything like me, you probably think your home town is the most boring place on the planet Earth, especially if it is a small town. But it is still probably boring if you live in a big city because there is a limit on what you can do as a child growing up.

However, there is a way for kids to find something fun to do with their friends that does not involve getting into trouble with the law or drugs. This game is sort of like a scavenger hunt and will appeal to all of the aspiring Indiana Jones wannabes of the world. This game does not really have a name, but entails finding artifacts all over your home town or neighborhood. Now, these do not really have to be artifacts, but can be anything you consider old and worthy of mention as a unique item.

To play, approach it like a scavenger hunt. Have you child get a group of friends together and decide on the rules. For instance, each child must find an interesting old rock, a piece of petrified wood and some really old pop bottles or cans. The options are limitless because it depends on what you, your child and his group of friends deems to be worthy of the term artifacts. Also, your child might consider something to be an artifact that is really only a couple of years old. But to him, it is ancient.