Every year the Astros say next year, will its next year, and the Astros and the fans are ready. This year the Astros look ready to fight for it all. What will really happen this year Injuries can be a key factor for them this year. Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio will have to step up to the challenge and have great years. Bagwell is still putting up the power numbers as he hit 39 homers and batted in 100 RBIs last season, but the BA has slipped down to .278. As for Biggio, hes a fighter. Biggio led the league last season with 27 HBPhit by pitch.
Look for Brad Ausmus to turn around last seasons horrible hitting.229 BA and have a good season at the plate, and behind the plate this season. Jason Lane, Orlando Palmeiro, and Jose Vizciano will the the best trio off the bench in the National League this season. Berkman, Hildago, Kent and Ensberg will have great all-around seasons. Adam Everett will struggle but find his way this season. The bats will be very exciting, runs will be plentiful.
The astros will have two 20 game winners this year and could end up with the best staff in the league. Oswalt, Pettite, Clemens, Miller and Tim Redding will be the rotation for the Stros this season. Oswalt, if he can stay injury free is one of the top pitchers in the game and Andy Pettite won 21 games last season. Clemens is a future hall-of-famer and could put up 15+ wins. The relief pitching could struggle at first but will get there act together in time to make a run for the playoffs. Octavio Dotel will take over the closing role with Billy Wagner in Philly now. Dotel was one of the premier set-up men last season and he has to turn into one of the premier closers this season.
In all, fans should get there tickets early and often. The 2004 Houston Astros will fight for a World Series birth. I think the Astros will end up with 95 wins. The Astros will be in the World Series against the New York Yankees, and game seven will be a game for the ages. This is the year that every fan can be proud to say "The Astros are my team".

About The Author
Garret Tupa Jr. wrote this article for http://www.sportznow.com

Q. What is the difference between a pizza and a jazz musician
A. A pizza can feed a family of four!
What is it about jazz that makes a jazz musician stick to a form of music that A&R managers have scientifically and suspiciously proven to be a musicians surest route to death by starvation
One good reason would be the fact that jazz allows me to be myself as opposed to pop that wants me to be Madonna. I would rather be me than strut onstage wearing conical jocks. I remember a male indipop album released by some genius A&R manager, titled mai bhi Madonna im Madonna too. Jazz as you will see, and if youve heard about mai bhi Madonna, helps me retain my individuality and whats left of my sanity in this big mad world of music marketing. Jazz, the most open, alive and evolving form of music, is the medium i choose to communicate and express myself musically. I know a lot of people in the audience may not understand my intense shoobee-doo-wop, shoobee-doobee-doo-wop and emotive twidlee-didlee, didlee-doo-dah along with some sensitive chaka-chaka, shaka-dish-boom-thaak. But theres always the few who can feel what they cant figure. Most of the time the message i communicate may read hey brother, how about a loan..im broke again but when i have someone in the audience enjoying my music, i become a millionaire.

About The Author

The author is a jazz bassplayer from India, review some of his bands at http://www.hullocheck.com
colinbassman@yahoo.com

After enduring that disgusting final weekend of the NFL regular season, I have come to the conclusion that a new tiebreaker is needed. How a team performs during the final weekend should be the first tiebreaker, with all the current tiebreakers falling in line after that. A team that won its final game would hold the first tiebreaker advantage against a team theyre tied with that lost its final game. If they both lost, both won, or both tied their final game, then the current tiebreakers would take effect in the order that they currently exist. That would accomplish at least three of positive things.
First, a team with a one game lead for a playoff spot, headed into the final weekend, would have more difficulty "backing in" to the playoffs the way Minnesota did this year. By all rights, New Orleans should have made the playoffs instead of the Vikings. They finished with identical records. However, the Saints won their final game, while the Vikings lost theirs. In fact, under the NFLs current crazy tiebreaker system, the Vikings loss, while ultimately not damaging their own playoff hopes, ironically was one of the major factors that kept the Saints out of the playoffs! Under my proposed rule, the Saints would have been in and the Vikings would have been out.
Second, it would keep more playoff berths/positions open going into the final weekend and maintain more excitement and suspense all the way to the end. Currently, a team with a one game lead for a playoff berth, bye, home field advantage, and/or seeding can have that position clinched before the final weekend if they own the tiebreaker over the teams they lead. Under my proposal, that would not be possible. That position would still be open through the final weekend of the season. For example, the Pittsburgh Steelers would not have clinched the home field advantage in the AFC until they beat Buffalo in the final weekend, instead of having it already clinched going into that game.
Third, it would also keep teams with one game leads from having de-facto "byes" during the final weekend. Take Indianapolis for example. The Colts game against Denver this weekend was meaningless to them, even though it meant everything to the Broncos. Although the Colts had only a one game lead over San Diego for the number three seed in the AFC, they owned the tiebreaker over the Chargers. I dont care what anyone says, the Colts, with their lack of effort, effectively rolled over and allowed the Broncos to win, which wasnt fair to Jacksonville and Baltimore, the teams competing with the Broncos for the final AFC playoff spot. Under my proposal, the Colts would have had to win to maintain their third seed in the playoffs.

About The Author

Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, and trivia buff from Virginia, USA. He operates a website - http://www.commenterry.com - on which he posts commentaries on various subjects such as politics, technology, religion, health and well-being, personal finance, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media.
terrymitchell@verizon.net

It seems like the most adventurous thing in the world. That dark opening in the hillside beckons, tantalizes, excites. What wondrous treasures await discovery inside What artifacts might remain in this time capsule, mute testimony to an era when grizzled men moved tons of rock in pursuit of their dreams Such is the poetic, romance-novel appeal that might induce you to take leave of your senses and crawl into an old mine. Thousands of such small openings are scattered throughout the country. Although most common in the historically "hard rock" Western mining states, they can also be found in the old lead and copper districts of the Midwest. In reality, multiple dangers lurk beyond the pale ring of light that filters through the adit mouth.
While scoping out a field area for a thesis project, I spent six weeks camping and hiking in the West Elk Mountains, in the Colorado Rockies. My days were spent tramping around the flanks of a majestic 13,000-foot peak, chosen due to tantalizing reports of silver mining activity around 1900. During my ramblings, I came across several old mine workings. Some were simply short adits driven into the hillside, designed to test for the presence of silver, copper, and lead minerals that might be distributed within the contact zone of the porphyry intrusive that defined the mountain peak. Other workings, though small, were relatively more sophisticated and had rail tracks extending from the passageways out onto the progressively extended pile of fine waste rock. I explored each of these, sometimes crawling over piles of rock that had fallen from the roof or ribs, or widening a hole and sliding down the pile of washed-in dirt to reach the adit floor.
This really was the height of folly, as I was alone in the wilderness and had no idea of the potential dangers. I currently work in the field of ground control engineering, and have firsthand knowledge of numerous fatalities that occurred in active mines when rock fell out of the roof without warning. I have also become more familiar with the extensive engineering design work, and variety of support systems, required to develop and maintain a mine opening. The "old timers" were often lucky by developing small openings in hard rock, but modern mining engineering indicates that time does not favor stability.
A more insidious danger is represented by a lack of breathable air. In sealed underground openings, the air may have become "stale" by not being circulated through the outside. In modern mines, a staff is devoted to designing and maintaining ventilation systems that cycle fresh air through the mine. Some gases displace oxygen, but are colorless and odorless and give no warning of danger until the person suddenly realizes that they feel as though they have been holding their breath for several minutes. This is a condition known to miners as "black damp" that can cause loss of consciousness or death. While working in Bolivia, I entered over a dozen small mines in a district that had been developed initially by the Spanish, or perhaps even the Inca, and later by a Polish mining engineer in the early 1900

When it comes to investing in your own pair of scuba fins, you have a plethora of choices from a number of manufacturers who continue to advance the engineering they use to produce the most durable, efficient fins possible. While the original, traditional full foot scuba fins are still popular among some people, there are many more styles available now. Most of the new styles of scuba fins are designed by using technical and involved mathematical angles and engineering so that the fin works to the divers advantage as far as efficiency and ease of use.
Some people find themselves being turned off by the complex and technical features of these efficiently advanced scuba fins, leaving them to be content with basic, traditional fins, which is not a bad thing. The main point to remember when purchasing your own scuba fins is comfort. If you are uncomfortable or awkward in a pair of fins, they arent going to work for you as intended. The specialized angles or split fins used to create greater kicking efficiency are only effective if you are comfortable wearing the fin and using it in the water. Comfort is important because only when you are fully satisfied with you fins will you be able to use them properly.
To help you choose which type of scuba fins will work best for your intended use you should research each style. First are the traditional paddle fins. Paddle scuba fins can be either full foot or have an adjustable heel strap. For scuba diving purposes, people most often use the adjustable heel strap fins of any style. Full foot fins are commonly used as snorkeling fins. Traditional paddle fins work to move water up and down as you kick and they are complimented by divers as being useful when free diving or in currents.
Several major scuba equipment companies have released a new, specially engineered paddle fin that provides much more move for you kick. Dacor and Tusa both have scuba fins with the optimized pivoting blade which is a design that angles the fin so every time you are kicking upward or downward the fins are at the most efficient angle for getting a more forceful kick. The specialized angles of these scuba fins alter the angle traditional paddle fins have, which makes you loose full force during part of the kick.
The next type of scuba fins are all altered in some way with splits, cutouts or vents that the manufacturers say enhance the kicking force and efficiency. The most prevalent of these are the split fins, also known as "Bio-fins" by some companies. These scuba fins divide the paddle of the fin into two parts with a sliver taken out of the middle vertically. Many people have come to appreciate the efficiency and forceful strokes split fins have been proven to allow you. The modification to these fins is supposed to minimize the number of kicks needed to get a set distance. Some divers still believe the most capable scuba fins are the basic ones. Again, the fins you choose should be primarily based on comfort and how easily you function in them.
Other types of split fins have horizontal splits or cutouts and vents at strategic places on the paddle. The Apollo Bio-fins are split scuba fins engineered to push water back, as opposed to up and down, like most fins. The Bio-fin acts like a propeller instead of a paddle, allowing you a much easier kicking task.
Force fins are an additional style you have to choose from. This type of scuba fins is considerably smaller than others, but if you are comfortable using them, they can provide equal kicking force. Force fins mimic a small scale whale tail, which is part of the reason they are claimed to have successful kicking efficiency.
Choosing between these broad types of scuba fins is only the beginning. Within each type there are several other designs to pick from and choosing which brand can be difficult too. Most people limit their selection by having a budget or price range not to exceed. Limiting yourself to a budget will not spoil a large selection though, because there is a variety of scuba fins in every price range. Obviously, the basic and simple scuba fin designs will be the least expensive and as the fins advance in efficiency technology and specialized features, the price will rise.
If you are an avid diver, owning pair of durable and efficient scuba fins is a must, so it would be wise to spend a little extra money on fins with some of the advanced features. At asudoit.com there equipment sold for many adventure sports, including several brands and styles of scuba fins. Here you can look through the features of all the broad types of scuba fins such as force, split, full-foot, heel strap and traditional paddle fins. DiversDiscount.com also has a large selection of scuba fins of all types. At this site you pay less than half the original price for the Tusa Platina fins, which have dual blade fins for greater propulsion force. These Tusa scuba fins are high-performance and available at a cheap price at the discount site.
As for shopping by specific brands, you may want to start with the most commonly know names in scuba equipment such as Apollo, Dacor, Oceanic, Sherwood and Tusa. Some scuba equipment companies are conglomerates, which means some of the less known and less expensive brand names you see may actually be made by one of the larger companies. This is a plus for you because often the branch off brand equipment will be cheaper price wise, but with quality and durability nearly equal to that of the more expensive, better known brands. Each of these manufacturers will have scuba fins for all types. Brand name preference is a personal choice, but each of the above brands are well known, reliable names in scuba fins.
Choosing scuba fins is a matter that is based on personal preference and each individuals selection will be different, but none of them are wrong. Because of this, it is helpful to have the wide selection available so that everyones preferences are accommodated. Whatever your choice, know that you are comfortable in the fins before you purchase them and look in to the quality and durability of the fins, as it will determine the fins life span and help you decide if they are worth the money.

About The Author

Laura Cain is a freelance author that writes regularly on items pertaining to scuba diving and snorkeling. You can find many of her articles at http://www.1-scuba-diving-gear.com/ .
The site also features tips on budgeting for scuba equipment http://www.1-scuba-diving-gear.com/scuba_equipment.htm as well as a scuba gear checklist http://www.1-scuba-diving-gear.com/scuba_gear_checklist.htm .

This article was inspired by all those things customers do that really irritate bike shop owners and employees. I decided to create this list of commandments for you to follow.

American Council of Exercise teamed with Consumer Reports to find the most effective exercise equipment. While they had plenty to say about weight equipment and cardio machines, abdominal, butt and inner thigh devices barely received a nod. In fact, the words used were

What to wear when practicing cold water diving.
When practicing cold water diving, one of the main and most important things to have into account is which clothes to wear in order to keep warm. Keeping warm while diving in cold water is not as easy as it might sound since you must wear the proper clothes in order to be able not only to maintain your body temperature but at the same time keep your agility and be able to move as you need.
First of all, you should always remember that the dry suit you wear has the purpose of keeping you dry, not warm. Therefore, whenever you are going to practice cold water diving, you need to wear clothes with the purpose of maintaining your body temperature under your dry suit; they must complement each other.
There are some fabrics and materials which can work very well for the thermal insulation purpose. Among these materials we can find some special microfibres such as the one known as thinsulate which can be a great choice for a diver. There are many modern materials which might allow you to keep your body temperature through their thermal insulation capabilities at the same time than allow you to have a great agility.
There are some clothes meant to keep each specific body part warm. For the neck, you should wear a woolen or similar scarf; ideally made of cashmere due to its comfortableness and malleability. For your feet, you can wear woolen socks or clothes made of the same material you have chosen as an under suit.
It is also important to remember that we always loose a lot of our body heat through our head. Therefore, it might be important that you wear something to insulate your head from the cold which surrounds you. As you can see, there are specific clothes for each body part which you should consider before you start your cold water diving. It is very important that you wear them since, among other reasons, loosing your body temperature might even make you loose some of your thinking capabilities and become a serious risk.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.divepilot.com. Please visit his website to discover the world of diving!

Point 1: Rudy T steps down
Let me get this straight. Rudy T, whose Lakers right now are still maintaining 7th place in the conference...WITHOUT their star player....says he is stepping down on Tuesday for both health reasons and dissatisfaction with the Lakers performance This two-time NBA championship team head coach, in the first year of a five year 30 million dollar deal, who has earned the respect and love of his players needs to retire only halfway through the first season because of a tummy ache Read between the lines people. While Kobe is out with an injury, he is not actually out of the picture. Here is a man that is really running the Lakers and everyone knows it. He most likely was doing that on the court during game time and off the court in terms of being a general manager. Rudy, as long as he kept his smile on, was probably allowed to run the practices and develop a Kobe playbook. With Kobe on the sidelines, Rudy most likely had enough of Kobe intruding himself on what little areas he still actually had control. Folks, tummy pains are in indication of stress in the workplace. Kobe Bryant is an indication of a stress induced. Sure, we were going to give Kobe another chance, but Rudy Tomjanovich smells way to fishy. In fact, it just plain stinks.
Point 2: Sam Mitchell on Point with Alston
The Raptors are looking for the heir apparent to Vince Carters legacy. Looks like the may have found him...at least the dark version...in Rafer Alston. We love the fact that Mitchell is intent on running the Raptors his way. From taken out Jalen Rose from the starting line up, to benching Alston for his conduct on the court and in practice, Mitchell is showing he is all about business. A lot of coaches in the professional level have a lot of difficulty trying to manage a group of players that all make substantially more money than them. It is a known fact in the corporate world that you always pay employees more than what their direct reports are paid. A certain amount of respect is gained when your job has a higher paid. It is one of the reasons why some men would hate their wives making more money than them. Sam is not letting himself be intimidated by the players, regardless of status. From established superstars Vince Carter, to role player veterans Jalen Rose, to emerging stars Alston and Bosh, Sam Mitchell is making the Raptors his own. Hopefully he will continue to be supported by the GM and above, as the Raptors will struggle through mediocrity for the next few years.
3-Pointer: Melo aint no snitch!
But he sure can turn tricks! Thats right, your boy Carmelo Anthony, has decided to help police in a new anti-drug campaign after he was seen in an Anti-Snitch DVD. The DVD has been in active circulation since November of 2004. No date as to when it was created, although it appears to have been done recently, and while Anthony was a Denver Nugget. While Carmelo does not actually have a speaking role in the video, he is seen right next to a man that warns viewers that they will "get a hole in" their heads if they are found snitching to police for any illegal activities that may be happening in the area. Carmelo Anthony is from the Baltimore area, where the tape has been circulation, and where recent threats have been made against people that have been known as having snitched to police in the past. You should remember that Carmelo recently had "one of his boys" take the fall for dope found in his backpack after a party.

About The Author

Gary Whittaker is the editor of T.E.N Magazine, a social and sports commentary webzine with balls! Check out more articles at http://www.tenwebzine.com.
editor@tenwebzine.com

Just when you thought it was safe to buy a nice new all-singing all dancing DVD player/recorder, along comes a new format war to add to an already confusing marketplace.
Once the original DVD standard settled down, DVD players quickly became one of the most successful consumer items of all time. The new format revitalised the home entertainment market, and hardware manufacturers benefited both directly and indirectly, as enthusiasts clamoured to buy bigger and better televisions and sound equipment to get the best from their new DVD players.
Then came recordable DVD, but the problem, as is so often the case, was that there were a number of different recording standards, all of them incompatible. It was just like Betamax versus VHS all over again. Now low-cost multi-format recorders supporting all the standards are hitting the streets, the recording problem is becoming less of an issue, and so one could be forgiven for thinking that