24169

Red hot favourites Brazil received a favourable draw as the group stage of the 2006 world Cup was announced on 9 December. The 16/5 favourites were drawn into Group F with Croatia, Australia and Japan. Hosts germany also has a relatively easy group with opposition provided in the form of Costa Rica, Poland and Ecuador.

However, not everyone was so lucky. Groups C and E have "group of death" credentials with Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro and Holland facing each other in the former, while italy, Ghana, usa and the Czech Republic will battle it out in the latter.

GROUP A
germany 7/1
Costa Rica 500/1
Poland 125/1
Ecuador 200/1

germany should be able to qualify from Group A comfortably, kick-starting the tournament with a match against Costa Rica. Poland could prove to be tricky opponents and will be expected to finish as runners up in the group. However, Ecuador may be capable of providing an upset as they beat Croatia in the group stages of the 2002 world Cup.

GROUP B
england 13/2
Paraguay 200/1
Trinidad & Tobago 1500/1
Sweden 40/1

Second favourites england earned a favourable draw with two relatively weak opponents in Paraguay and first-time qualifiers Trinidad & Tobago. The final round of fixtures pits them against Sweden who they have not beaten in 11 matches. The two European sides will qualify from this group.

GROUP C
Argentina 8/1
Ivory Coast 100/1
Serbia & Montenegro 125/1
Holland 14/1

A tough group and one of two "Group of Deaths" in the opening stage of the tournament. Group favourites Argentina failed to qualify for the second round in 2002, finishing third behind Sweden and england but will be expected to progress along with Holland. Both Serbia & Montenegro and the Ivory Coast will provide stern opposition and it would not be a surprise to see one of them qualify ahead of a perceived favourite.

GROUP D
mexico 50/1
iran 500/1
Angola 500/1
Portugal 20/1

Top seed mexico can be backed at larger odds than non-seeded Portugal but apart from who will finish first or second, this group should be straight forward. iran have won just once in six world Cup finals matches while first-timers Angola may find the step up difficult, despite finishing top of a tough qualifying group containing Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

GROUP E
italy 11/1
Ghana 250/1
usa 100/1
Czech Republic 33/1

A very tough group to predict. Both italy and world number two Czech Republic will be expected to qualify, although the usa, themselves ranked eighth in the world, will also fancy their chances of progression. Ghana are one of the stronger african participants and are capable of causing an upset.

GROUP F
Brazil 16/5
Croatia 80/1
Australia 125/1
Japan 250/1

A favourable draw for Brazil who should qualify as comfortable winners of this group. Croatia failed to qualify for the second round in 2002 and may miss out again to Japan, who topped their group four years ago at the expense of fancied European sides Belgium and Russia. Australia have the players capable of springing a few surprises but lack of experience at this level may go against them.

GROUP G
france 12/1
Switzerland 100/1
south Korea 250/1
Togo 350/1

france were heavily tipped to win the 2002 world Cup but finished bottom of their qualifying group failing to score a single goal. There will be no excuses for not progressing from this group, arguably being draw against the weakest European opposition in Switzerland and the lowest ranked african nation in Togo. Despite a heroic showing in 2002 which saw them reach the semi-finals, south Korea may struggle to qualify from this group.

GROUP H
Spain 14/1
Ukraine 50/1
Tunisia 300/1
Saudi Arabia 500/1

under achieving Spain should qualify from this group, but may be pipped to top spot by the Ukraine, who stormed their qualifying group ahead of Turkey, Denmark and European Champions Greece. Despite a convincing qualifying campaign which saw them unbeaten and conceding only one goal in six games, Saudi Arabia will finish just short as will Tunisia, who have bowed out in the first round in each of their three appearances in 1978, 1998 and 2002.

Every year around 40 million visitors come to florida for the sun, sea and attractions. Most visit the world famous theme parks or enjoy the fabulous palm-fringed sandy beaches.

However, while Walt Disneys Mickey Mouse is known the world ever, florida is host to another mouse that is just as special and the key to exploring the real florida.

The tiny florida mouse - only found within the State - is one of the hundreds of species of animals, birds and other creatures that live in Floridas magnificent state parks.

The chain of 159 state parks is one of Floridas best kept secrets yet they offer a great day out for all the family and for a tiny fraction of the cost of spending a day at one of the theme parks. Just a few miles from Walt Disney world, Sea world and Universal Studios is Wekiwa Springs State park, an 8,000 acre natural oasis surrounded by urban build up.

If you stand on the deck outside the parks nature center and look out at the spring and the lush tropical vegetation beyond, you can enjoy a landscape that is much the same as when the first Spanish explorers ventured inland almost 500 years ago and even when the first Indians arrived almost 12,000 years ago.

Wekiwa is a Creek Indian word meaning spring of water and today, the crystal clear spring discharges a staggering 43 million gallons of water every day into a lagoon that has a year round temperature of about 72 degrees.

Wekiwa Springs State park is one of three parks in the area that make up the Wekiva River Basin State parks, an area covering over 40,000 acres. Wekiva is the Creek Indian word for running water so the spring is Wekiwa and the river is Wekiva just to confuse you!

admission to the park is just $5 for a car and all passengers so you can spend all day sunbathing, swimming in the lagoon, walking the trails, exploring the wildlife or renting a canoe and paddling up the quiet, winding river.

visit the nature center at the start of your visit which will give you some idea of the wealth of wildlife to be seen within the parks boundaries. You can also learn about the parks rich history.

When dinosaurs roamed the rest of North America, florida was still submerged several hundred feet below the sea. Instead of massive land animals, the warm waters above what was to become Florida were home to giant sharks more than 55 feet long. You can still find shark teeth and other fossils in the park although you shouldnt take them.

around 10,000 years ago mammoth, mastodon, saber tooth tiger, camel, rhinoceros, giant ground sloth and glyptodonts a 1,000lb ancestor of the armadillo roamed the Florida countryside, having been driven south by advancing Ice Age glaciers.

Timucuan Indians were the first to settle the area and they established settlements throughout Florida. The Spanish arrived in the 1500s introducing horses and oranges as well as European diseases that killed most of the Indians. In the 18th century settlers began colonizing Central Florida and at the end of the Civil War a hotel was built at the springs and the first tourists arrived.

Today, the tourists continue to come and many of them are visitors from outside the U.S. in search of the other Florida. There are picnic areas with grills for barbecuing, family and RV camp sites with hooks up for power and water and primitive camp sites if you want to trek into the backwoods. There are mountain bike trails, hiking trails and horse raiding trails as well as nature walks.

Maps are provided free and all trails are clearly signposted so you can move from one trail to another depending on how far you want to walk or how keen you are to get back to the spring and jump in the water.

If you are out on the trails, you may see black bear, white tailed deer, raccoon, bobcat, gopher, armadillo and fox squirrel, the largest member of the squirrel family. Many people mistake fox squirrels for monkeys because of their size and the way they sit in the trees. However, there are monkeys in the state park descendants of extras in a Tarzan movie that escaped during filming many years ago.

The parks most famous critter is the alligator which can grow up to 14 feet and there are hundreds in the Wekiva Basin. You can usually spot them while out canoeing.

Gators are fascinating creatures. Their teeth grew continuously throughout their lifetime and they exert 2-3,000 lbs of pressure per square inch when biting down compared to humans who exert only 5 lbs of pressure when biting down with all their force.

Gators can also outswim you in the water and outrun you on land, achieving speeds of 35mph over short distances. Large gators can also jump vertically four to five feet out of the water a good reason not to mess with them!

There are many other interesting any interesting and unusual animals, birds, reptiles and insects to see in the park.

So, the next time you are planning a visit to Central Florida, say hi to Mickey and then enjoy a great and affordable family day out with Floridas other mouse and experience the delights of the real Florida.

Wekiwa State Springs park is off Wekiwa Springs Road in Apopka, about 10 miles from all the main attractions. visit their website at www.floridastateparks.org/wekiwasprings

Don Philpott spent 20 years as a senior correspondent with Reuters/Press Association wire service traveling the world on assignments. He has had more than 5,000 articles and 56 books published on travel, security, wine, food, and diet and health.

He recently completed a five year project writing a series of 22 travel guidebooks on Florida and the caribbean. His latest book The Trailside Cookbook, was co-authoried with his wife Pam and was published by Firefly in March 05. He is host of http://www.wineinfo101.com, a wine and food appreciation website and senior editor of Florida Features which specializes in articles on Florida and the caribbean. He is a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and the North American Travel Journalists Association.

The difference between health store and pharmacy. health stores and pharmacies are very different. A person usually can not find products that are sold at a pharmacy at a health store and visa versa. health stores are a great option for someone looking for something that differs from the normal medication they would usually take.

health stores have products like protein powders that are used by weight lifters to build bulk. They also have alternative medicines like cranberry extract pills that are thought to help with urinary tract infections. These are just a couple of examples of the types of products a person would find at a health store.

A health store is a store that sells products that contribute to ones health. Most of the products are pills and herbal remedies. Many health stores also sell products for gaining and losing weight. A health store is not much like a pharmacy, though. There are some main differences between the two that a person should be aware of.

A pharmacy sells medication and vitamins that are usually clinically tested to be effective. The products in a pharmacy often require a prescription, as well. Over the counter medication found at a pharmacy is usually well known and trusted remedies.

A health store, on the other hand, sells mainly products that are not 100% proven, but that are considered alternative type medications and products. These products are approved for safety but the effectiveness has not been proven enough to be certified as effective. The products found in a health store do not require a prescription.

http://www.preferedforms.com

Believing in good balanced diet, taking vitamins and minerals. Daily exercise, yoga, stretching, breathing exercises, drinking enough water, meditation, relaxation, positive thinking, and trying to be happy.

In order to find a quality yoga instructor, you need to know what to look for. Since there is no universal certification program for yoga teachers, not all of them are created equal as you can see by the following example.

I had been practicing yoga in my home for a while when I decided to take some classes at a local center. I had been using a variety of yoga videos and DVDs that were taught by senior instructors with impeccable form, so I expected the same quality of yoga instruction when I arrived at this class. Unfortunately, it wasnt the case.

The teacher who taught the class was sloppy in her style as she moved through the poses and it seemed more as if she were doing her own practice, rather than leading the class. She never came around and adjusted the alignment of any of the students, which really annoyed me because that was the main reason I decided to attend the class. Additionally, she was facing one way and the students were facing the opposite way, so it was very difficult to see what she was doing. Needless to say, I wasnt impressed.

I am optimistic by nature so the next morning, I took another class at the same center, but this time there was a different teacher leading the practice. Her style was more of what I was looking for. Her execution of the positions was excellent. She showed the students how to do the pose and then she got up and checked the alignment of the students and made necessary adjustments. She brought attention to those students who did a pose particularly well, and she encouraged others to go a little deeper. I was very happy with the teacher, and even though the class did not fit my schedule particularly well, I attended it on a regular basis.

Although my initial endeavor into the world of taking yoga classes was somewhat hit or miss, by asking certain questions and checking some details, you have a better chance of finding the right yoga instructor for you.

Here are some things to consider.

Decide what your goals are for your yoga practice.
Do you want to practice yoga to relieve stress, heal from an injury, or gain strength and flexibility? If a center offers yoga that is very fast paced and very physically challenging, it probably wont be the right match for you if you want to learn how to relax.

What style of yoga interests you? Make sure that the center offers that particular style.
Are you interested in a certain level of yoga instruction? If you are a beginner, you probably dont want to take a class that lumps all levels together. You also dont want a class that is too advanced where you have a greater chance of feeling discouraged because you cant keep up with the other students, or worse, you could get injured. You want a class where the instructor takes ample time to explain the postures and also helps students achieve the correct alignment.

Ask about the teachers level experience
Find out how many years the teacher has been practicing yoga and how long he has been teaching. With my experience with the two yoga teachers, I found out that the one that didnt impress me had just become a teacher, while the one I liked had been teaching for quite some time.

Ask about how many hours of training he has received. Although there is no universal yoga teacher certification, many quality studios require that their instructors complete a minimum number of training hours before they are allowed to teach. If the instructor has 200 or more hours of training, there is a good chance that he has solid skills to work with.

Does the instructor know the benefits and contraindications of each pose? Can he offer modifications for students who have physical limitations? You want a teacher who can provide information about how each pose relates to your unique physical condition.

Also, find out if the teacher has specific training in basic anatomy. I cannot emphasize this point strongly enough. When I was in my early twenties, I took a gymnastics class which was taught by an instructor who had no training in anatomy. Each week he stretched my body in a position that caused me a great deal of pain. If he knew about body mechanics and physiology he never would never used that stretch, because it is almost guaranteed to cause injury. The end result for me was years of pain and permanent injury. If the teacher is not trained in anatomy run, dont walk, out of the class.

What is the teachers personal style?
In order for you to get the most out of yoga, you have to feel comfortable with the teacher. Is the teacher friendly, encouraging, and supportive? Does she treat students and others with respect?

Yoga is intensely personal so it is critical that you like and trust the teacher. She will be touching your body to adjust your alignment, so you need to feel totally safe with her. A good instructor will make the class a secure and peaceful experience for students.

How clean is the studio?
As you look around, do you notice dust or dirt? Is there a musty or sweaty odor? A yoga class encourages you to practice barefoot and breathe deeply. It is very difficult to get the most from your yoga instruction if you are worried about contracting a disease from an unclean studio.

How does the teacher handle your personal beliefs?
A good yoga teacher does not impose her personal beliefs on students. Yoga is not a religion. You should be able to practice any religion, or none at all, and still feel comfortable in the class. You also should not be required to eat or act a certain way to be considered acceptable to the teacher.

Yoga promotes freedom, so you should not be held bondage to someone elses beliefs. You should be free to live whichever way is right for you.

Quality yoga instruction can be very important for you in your yoga journey. By keeping these ideas in mind when you search for a yoga teacher, you are very likely to find the one that is just right for you.

Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life.