The Kirby vacuum cleaner, along with the Rainbow vacuum and the Thermax vacuum were instrumental in changing the way people in American clean their carpets. In the old days before the vacuum cleaner was invented, people had several different ways to get their rugs clean. Remember the old rug beaters?

A rug beater was very simple to use. All you had to do was take your dirty old rug outside and hang it on some suitable length of rope or wire. Generally, you would find that everyone used the clothes line. If you are under 30 years old you may be scratching your head and saying to yourself, "what's a clothes line?".

A clothes line was simply a small rope strung out between two poles or posts. It was then used to hang wet clothes on, in an orderly fashion, in the hopes that the cloudly overcast would go away and let some of the bright sunshine in on your wet clothes. Hanging wet clothes out on a clothes line was also used to control the weather in some regions of the country. If your city had been experiencing a drought, all you had to do was let the laundry get almost dry and it was a sure fire way to make it rain.

Back to the dirty rug. After hanging your diry rug on the clothes line (remember, the Kirby vacuum cleaner hadn't been invented yet) you simply take your son's old baseball bat and beat the dickens out of the rug. Seemly endless clouds of dust will appear and cover you and every thing in your back yard with black powder. At this point you need to hang some wet clothes on the clothes line so that at least you will get a shower to settle the dust. Which, now that I think about it would solve your dirty rug problem too.

Yes, like I said, when was the last time we bought something creative, unique and totally special for our mothers to show them that we love and remember them? When was the last time we got them a special gift to tell them that their sacrifice for us is appreciated? Motherhood is an extremely special experience and its an experience that no man will ever be able to experience. Regardless of how we were raised and how our mothers nagged us when we were younger, the sacrifice cannot compare to any other types of sacrifices weve made in our lives rivaled only by OUR sacrifice for our children. Only when we become mothers ourselves will we be able to understand the true magnitude of motherhood.

A special gift says a lot
Forget about the conventional, off-the-shelves books, picture frames, calendars, organizers, flowers, vases and what-have-you-nots. Your mom wont say theyre not special and will take the gift with a smile and a big thank you (and a hug) but theyre not really the kind of special gift that they, your mothers, will thank you, remember and cherish for a long time to come.

The pure convenience of the purchase speaks for itself. Its nothing special.

So, whats a special and unique gift?
A truly special gift is something that your mother will look back 5 or maybe 10 years down the road and smile to herself, her heart with burst and her face will beam with pride. The sacrifice, the love and the commitment was worth it, shed think to herself. As she watches you mother around your own children, she will think it was all worth it because she did the right thing.

A special gift should be something that reminds her of you, of motherhood.

Some ideas of a special gift you can get for your mom
A motherhood-related product this could be something related to motherhood, with a simple but meaningful quote to remind her of her motherhood years.
Something youve designed or created
A custom-made special gift designed especially for her
Something you and your own children have come up with over the weekend or something youve worked on for a long time, like a scrapbook or a decorative doll
A poem youve written
A special home-made CD (maybe a special CD) of a vacation with you and your family in it

To find the right special gift for your mother, start with your mothers personality. What does she like? What kind of memories does she have of raising her children? What are her hobbies and interests?

And once youve put your finger on what interests her, finding the right kind of special gift for you should be easy enough.

In my opinion, "The Mother" of all Mothers Day Caddis hatches occurs on the Arkansas. It begins in the Canon City area around April 15, and gradually moves upstream and past Salida until runoff blows it away around 30 days later. The irony is, however, that by Mothers Day the fish have seen so many bugs that fooling them with an Elk Hair Caddis is next to impossible. The Caddis species is Brachycentrus, preceded and combined with Rachycophila. The Brachys hatch when water temperatures spike into the low 50s. When people call and want to know where the hatch is, I simply tell them to drive until they cant see out the windshield from dead bugs. Then stop, clean the glass and drive about three more miles upstream. The idea is to get above the blanket hatch so fishing a dry fly can be more productive. Having bugs on the water is good, but during this hatch there can just be too many. Just picking out your fly on the water can be impossible, let alone picking them out of your ears and nose.

Being able to think your way through this hatch is very important. As it begins, the larva and pupa patterns are very important. I like to start out the morning with Larry Kingreys Rubberleg Stone trailing a bead head Caddis Larva. I run this system deep until mid morning when I switch to a large dry fly (Stimulator or Wulff) with a deep running pupa as a dropper. This system should be fished on the swing (across and down), so that the pupa rises in the current like the natural. When fish move to the adult, I use a Black Foam Caddis, size 14, trailing Larrys unweighted pupa or a LaFontaine Sparkle Pupa. Generally mid afternoon is uneventful, so I come back to the water with an Egg Layer and a Spent Caddis from around 5PM, until just after dark. All of these flies are necessary to be successful throughout the entire hatch if you plan to fish all day. Dont forget that sometimes when the bugs are too thick to breathe, the fish actually are gorged and dont feed much. Use this time to take a break and reassess whats going on. There are days when just fishing an Elk Hair Caddis can bring 75 fish to hand. This is generally around the third week of April before the fish are literally "bugged" out.

The interesting thing about the Arkansas is that most folks think the Caddis hatch is the best fishing of the year. It is the most famous, but the spring Baetis hatches can produce just as many fish and the Hopper/Dropper fishing all summer can be exceptional. The first hatch of spring is the Blue Winged Olive, Baetis Tricaudatus. It can be spectacular on cloudy, overcast March and early April days. Light snowfall can generate hoards of these beautiful little bugs, and basically kick starts a feeding frenzy that lasts through the Caddis hatch until runoff. If you fish the middle of April, you may fish BWOs in the mornings and a Caddis hatch in the afternoons as water warms. We commonly see them on the water at the same time.

After runoff, clear edges start to produce big numbers of fish on adult Golden Stones. This generally is available around the middle of June, and is the best time of year to float fish. Working shoreline from a boat produces big numbers and big fish. Just cast to the dirt and let the boat drag it away from the shoreline. Explosive rises occur just inches from the dirt. If you dont have a way to float, then walk the shorelines and pick apart the submerged rock gardens with a Stimulator trailing an attractor bead head. These systems are used all summer and fall. Favorite Hopper/Dropper Rigs are Yellow, Orange, or Green Stimulators or Parachute Madam Xs, trailing a Copper John, Silver or Gold Ice, Bead Head Flashback, or Prince nymph on 24 to 30 inches of fluorocarbon tippet. PMD hatches, Caddis, Red Quills, and fall Baetis mix it up with the wonderful terrestrial activity well into November. Streamer season follows with pre and post spawn behavior. Midging fish can make warmer December and January days very attractive, although this river in winter is not very consistent.

The Arkansas, in my opinion, is the best dry fly fishing in the Southern Rockies. Some dry fly will catch a fish twelve months a year. Access is great; the weather is generally very good (they dont call this the "Banana Belt" for nothing and the wild Browns are willing participants in your day off. What else could you ask for?

Every day thousands of people go online to make money but most of them fail miserably because they either truly believe one of the 6 Internet Marketing Myths or or all of them. You can read them below and discover the grain of salt in all of them.

Myth #1: Internet Marketing is EASY

This is probably the biggest myth of all, and let me tell you Internet marketing is hard, takes time, effort not mention money and anyone who suggests otherwise is trying to sell you a bunch of horse hockey. Granted that it's comparatively easier to brick and mortar in that there's no inventory to carry, no shipping of goods no sales staff and virtually no overhead, but a lot of work is still involved.

Myth #2: ANYONE Can Make Money Online

Folks, this is simply not true. Unless someone gets off their lazy boy recliner and download/read everything they can about internet marketing, and put an action plan in motion, they will never make a dime on the internet. DO NOTHING, MAKE NOTHING.

Myth #3: You Can "GET RICH QUICK" On the Net!

This is the trap that a lot of newbie internet marketers falls into including myself when I first started, why? because scammers make it sounds so easy and let me tell you, chasing "get rich quick scheme" is a WASTE OF TIME!, money and energy. It just won't happen overnight, instead do some research and find out what people really want and need then give it to them especially a sense of reality.

Myth #4: It's FREE to Do Business Online

This is one of my favorite myths because I believed it during my first year of internet marketing and it just wasn't true then, it isn't true today. Compared to opening your first coffee shop or gift shop in downtown Los Angeles, internet business start-up cost and maintenance cost is pretty low. Once you have your domain set up, you only pay for internet connection, advertising and ongoing educations, that's it. You can't expect to make money selling free stuff and ask others to do the same. Folks! it takes money to make money.

Myth #5: It's TOO LATE to Start an Internet Business

Most super affiliate marketers would love to hear people say "It's too late now, too many competitions, I should just pack my bags and go home, the internet is too complicated, etc...". You know why? the less people they have to compete with the better which in turn will make them more money.

The fact is, it's never ever too late to start anything and that includes internet business. I firmly believe that the internet is not going anywhere and you should too. Every year the stats will show you the number of people shoppingonline are increasing, their spending dollars are growing and the number of people going online is increasing also.

Myth #6: The BIG Money Talk is JUST HYPE

As I've told you before, "it takes money to make money?" Well it's true, although you will be hard pressed to find experienced internet marketers to tell how much they spend on promoting and advertising. Sometimes, you have to dig a little deeper to find the truth in every hype you read. It's a fact that the people that makes alot of money online also spends alot of money on advertising, tools, resources and know how to get the job done.

If you are willing to take the necessary action to make 'big money' happen for you - it will. It takes time. You can criticize, be skeptical and sure that 'big money' can't happen for you - and it won't. Sit down and write a financial and a sound business plan. Local Chamber of Commerce can give all the info you need to get started.

If you believe that you will succeed you're right, if you believe that it won't work, you're right also.

To summarize, you have heard people's story how they're making a fortune on the internet and how easy it is but the reality is some stories are NOT out of this world or unrealistic but it just doesn't happen overnight. You just have to apply a bit of common sense into it, find what you love to do, have a game plan, stay focus and you my friend might find the right opportunity to make all your dreams come true.

There is little doubt that reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic are crucial elements in the education of any child. A child's ability to later cope in the adult world, to have a career, to take charge of his financial affairs and to live independently depends to a large extent on his mastery of these skills.

Unfortunately many children are deprived of the privilege of an abundant adult life. The $14 million National Literacy Survey of 1993 found that even though most adults in this survey had finished high school, 96% of them could not read, write and figure well enough to go to college. Even more to the point, 25% "were plainly unable to read," period.

Surely this is unacceptable. Imagine doing a survey on the building industry and finding that the walls of 96% of all homes are severely cracked, and that in 25% of the houses the walls are so weak that they collapse. Wouldn't we immediately start an investigation into the building practices of the builders? Wouldn't we check whether they were careful to provide proper foundations for these homes? We all know that before building a house, one needs to lay a foundation. Unless there is a strong and solid foundation, cracks will soon appear in the walls, and if there are no foundations, the walls will collapse.

In the same way one needs to lay a proper foundation before it becomes possible for a child to benefit from a course in reading, writing and arithmetic. If this foundation is shaky, learning "cracks" will soon appear. The right time to start laying this foundation is the day a child is born.

Readiness for the three R's is a highly specialized task that few parents - also those who realize the importance of preschool education - are prepared for. A tragic defect of our society is the fact that we are not allowed to take upon ourselves the responsibility of doing the work of a policeman, or of a teacher, or of an attorney, or of any other work without having undergone prior training. No training, however, is provided on how to raise children. We become parents without realizing that, for the sake of our children, we should make an in-depth study of the issues that concern their intellectual development.

CLIMBING THE LEARNING LADDER

It is important to note that learning is a stratified process, in which one skill has to be acquired FIRST, BEFORE it becomes possible to acquire subsequent skills. It is like climbing a ladder, if you miss one of the rungs you will fall off.

Di dunia kini kita, tiap orang harus dapat membaca.... Unless one has FIRST learned to speak Bahasa Indonesia, there is no way that one would be able to read the above Indonesian sentence.

This shows that language is at the very bottom of the learning ladder. Its role in the acquisition of the three R's can be compared to the role of running in the game of soccer or ice-skating in the game of ice hockey. One cannot play soccer if one cannot run, and one cannot play ice hockey if one cannot skate. One cannot read a book in a language - and least of all write - unless one knows the particular language.

If a child's knowledge of English is poor, then his reading will also be poor. Evidence that links reading problems and language problems has been extensively presented in the literature. Research has, for example, shown that about 60% of dyslexics were late talkers. In order to prevent later reading problems, parents must therefore ensure that a child is exposed to sufficient opportunities to learn language.

THE SECOND RUNG IS NON-VERBAL SKILLS

While verbal skills comprise the first rung of the learning ladder, non-verbal skills comprise the second. There is a whole conglomeration of non-verbal skills that are foundational to learning. Skills of importance include concentration, visual discrimination, accurate observation and memorizing, skills of association and auditory memory. These are functions that should be taught at preschool level to form the foundation of good reading, writing and arithmetic.

One visual discriminatory skill that plays a very important role in reading is the ability to distinguish between left and right. Like all the other non-verbal skills, this ability is not innate. It must be taught. In fact, knowledge of left and right must be drilled in to such an extent that it becomes automatic.

The human body consists of two halves, a left side and a right side. The human brain also has two halves, which are connected by the corpus callosum. A person will therefore interpret everything he encounters in terms of his own sidedness. A child, however, who has not adequately internalized his own sidedness, will be prone to incorrect interpretations in terms of sidedness. One such a situation, where sidedness plays a particularly important role, is when a person is expected to distinguish between a "b" and a "d." It is clear that the only difference between the two letters is the position of the straight line - it is either left or right.

It is important to note that a person who is confused about left and right cannot use mnemonics or memory aids while reading, as is often advised by experts. One recommendation is that children should remember that "left" is the side on which they wear their watch. Another is that one should put nail polish on the little finger of the student's left hand in order to teach him that reading and writing start on the left-hand side of the paper. These tricks never work to improve reading ability. This is just like going to China with a Chinese dictionary and then hoping to be able to speak Chinese. One has to LEARN to speak Chinese. In the same way one has to LEARN to correctly interpret sidedness.

Only when a child has climbed the first and second rung, will he be prepared for the third rung, i.e. the three R's. Remember that every journey starts with a first step. Unless you help your child to make the first step, he will not successfully complete the learning journey.

I love people, so lets get that right out of the way. Therefore, Im not anti-social: it's more like selectively non-social. Whats the difference? Well, let me describe my previous life. I was married to a social butterfly. My wife liked company all the time.

Not that I wasnt a good partner, its just that there was only one of me. She preferred multiple contacts in every situation possible. We began going to church shortly after my daughter was born. But we did more than simply attend: we got involved. That meant, becoming members of various groups. The Bible-study group, the newcomers group, the planning committee and so forth. Not only did we go to Sunday service, we had additional meetings every week. This continued for several years. During that time, she also got us into neighbor watch programs, Bunko groups and work-related events. Every weekend meant a new commitment at our house or someone elses.

I had to adapt to this new lifestyle where our social-base grew exponentially at an alarming rate. We barely had a free evening for time by ourselves. My wife reveled in her friends and enjoyed the chance to talk and mingle. I was content to follow her lead and joined in the fray. But it took its toll. Initially I didnt mind the whirlwind interactions and found many of our friends interesting and compatible.

But not everyone. I found I didnt mesh with some of the church people. Oh, I was accepted, but with whom I had nothing in common. This was true for a proportion of some of our neighbors. They were polite and accommodating, but not really interested in us as friends. Perhaps our social status or other issues muddied the waters. In any regard, we werent quite up to their standards.

At various parties, we or they would host, I noticed that I would ask them a slew of questions about their work or life without a single question about myself coming in return. This occurred with an increasing frequency. Conversations were always about their latest exploits or work. They talked about their travels. They talked about their children. They talked about their hopes, dreams, and successes. If I even attempted to interject something about myself, it was tolerated for mere moments until they lost interest. Then it was back to their world.

I know that this goes on for everyone reading this article. Its just that perhaps its a best-kept secret no one likes to admit or discuss. I realized how much I began to dread the endless social scene when we changed churches and got even more involved, if it were possible. We were founding members and threw ourselves into every aspect of that institution. We helped with fundraising, activities, the music, the administration, the search for a new building, and the promotion. We were part of many groups and our social endeavors widened even farther.

Now I practically had no individual life and was ruled by a calendar. If it was Friday, it was the Jones. Saturday, the Smiths. Sunday was church, followed by a church lunch. Then Bible study in the afternoon. Wednesday was Bunko night, Thursday a birthday party, friends retirement or anniversary. Add in just plain dinner parties every weekend and there you have it. I was not relishing the days that were flashing by filled with a sea of faces, small talk, hor douvres, and constant chatter. I was burned out.

Then tragedy struck out of nowhere. My wife died and everything changed in an instant.

Its now years later, and Im lucky enough to have found a new love and remarried. I miss some of the old friends but none of the hectic pace. My first wife loved the social gatherings and I thank her for the journey into that life. But now I have a few select friends I really care about and thats okay with me. The days of endless socializing are done and Ive moved on. I imagine there are other people that can relate to my account and I have some words of wisdom. I went along with my wifes way of living because I loved her and it made her happy. That was my mission as a good husband. But I could change anything, I would have made my position known years ago and perhaps spared myself of many uncomfortable situations. So talk to your significant other if you are trapped in a social quagmire and dont be afraid to be honest. I promise, theyll still be your friend.

Theme parties are always great fun for any child's birthday party.

Does your child have a favorite movie, book, TV show, favorite character, or maybe your child likes animals or has a favorite sport or past time. Well how about using one of your child's favorites as the theme for their birthday party.

Planning Your Party

If your child is old enough, sit down with them and ask what kind of theme they'd like for their party. Then, keeping your budget in mind, as well as space limitations and preparation time, choose a theme and start making plans.

Once you've decided on a theme for your child's birthday party, you'll find that everything begins to fall right in place.

Kid Birthday Party Invitations

You and your child will have lots of fun putting together a creative invitation for their party.

When wording your invitation, try getting into your theme and have some fun. Use words and phrases that fit your theme.

If you're having a Princess birthday party, you might make it a "Royal Invitation from the King and Queen."

For a Pirate birthday party, write your invitation on a piece of brown paper bag crumpled up to look like old parchment. Draw a map to your house and have "X" mark the spot. Then write something like this, "Aaarrrhh, we be celebratin the birthday of Captain (your child's first and last name) and ye be invited."

Interactive invitations are lots of fun and help to get your invited guests involved in your theme right away.

For a Dinosaur birthday party you can send along a small box with a small plastic dinosaur "buried" in glacial ice (wrapped in cotton). Then the recipient can "dig up" the dinosaur.

For a Princess birthday party you could have your invitation rolled up, tied with a purple ribbon and hand delivered by someone in appropriate costume.

Be creative and have fun with your invitation. Remember, it's the first impression your guests will have of your up-coming party. Get them excited so they can hardly wait!

Kid Birthday Party Decorating Ideas

With your theme in mind, you can keep your decorations simple by using balloons and streamers and by putting pictures on your walls that you've cut from magazines.

Or you can be a little more creative by turning your living room into your theme location.

For a Dinosaur birthday party put blue and white helium filled balloons on your ceiling to form a sky with clouds. Then hang dark brown, light brown, green and orange streamers from the ceiling to the floor to make a jungle. Wrap some of the streamers together to make your jungle thicker.

For a Princess birthday party create a special throne using a chair and decorating it with bright red and purple balloons and streamers. And maybe even use a colorful pillow.

Again, be creative and have fun.

Kid Birthday Party Game Ideas

Most party games can be slightly modified to fit your theme. For a Blue's Clues birthday party Pin the Tail on the Donkey can become "pin the tail on Blue."

For a Princess party, Musical Chairs becomes "The Royal Musical Ball" and you can play appropriate music.

And speaking of music, music that is appropriate to your theme is perfect to use during your games. Simply start a game when your music starts. You can easily find CDs for most movies and TV shows.

Kid Birthday Cakes

There are a lot of great recipes available for theme birthday cakes, or you can easily pick up a frosted cake then add "edible cake toppers" for your theme.

Using edible cake toppers is a great way to create a colorful, professional looking theme cake for your child's birthday.

Kid Birthday Party Food Ideas

If you're serving food or snacks, keep your theme in mind and be creative.

For a Princess birthday party, serve finger sandwiches, candy sushi, royal colored jelly beans, grapes, sparkling apple or grape juice or a "royal punch."

For an Incredibles birthday party, label your food. Ketchup becomes "super sauce", carrot sticks become "energy sticks" and you can even have a mini "hero sandwich."

If you're using an underwater theme like Finding Nemo, serve "peanut butter & jellyfish" sandwiches, Gold Fish crackers and "tuna fish" sandwiches.

Be Creative

Even with a limited budget you can be creative and come up with lots of fun kid birthday party ideas... Put just a little effort into your plans and your child will fondly remember this birthday party for years to come.

And don't forget to take lots of pictures and shoot lots of video of everyone having fun.

The race for the vacant Portsmouth manager's market has provided fascinating reading over the past week or so and over 13 million has been traded on Betfair. Frenchman Alain Perrin was sacked on 24 November after steering the club into the Premiership relegation zone without a home win all season.

Perrin had only been manager since April 2005 but had won just four matches out of 21. He replaced an equally unimpressive boss in Velimir Zajec, who mustered five wins in 21 matches and was himself only in charge at Fratton Park for five months.

Neil Warnock was the first manager in the frame and eager punters backed him into 1.20 (1/5). The former Notts County, Huddersfield and Bury manager had been in charge at Sheffield United since December 1999 but had made no secret his desire to manage in the Premiership. Warnock was set to hold talks with Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric until he decided to remain at Brammall Lane on 1 December. His Premiership dream may yet come true as The Blades are sitting pretty in one of the automatic promotion positions in the Championship.

The best was yet to come. Harry Redknapp, who left Portsmouth for bitter rivals Southampton, revealed in a crunch meeting with Saints chairman Rupert Lowe that he had always felt more comfortable at Portsmouth after he was refused permission to speak to his former employers about a possible return. Redknapp's position became untenable and he walked away from the club he joined just 12 months ago.

Over 11 million was traded on Redknapp, with punters eager to "buy money" backed him at odds as low as 1.01 (1/100) although some shrewd players managed to get a few pounds on him at odds as large as 59/1 previously, creating a no-lose betting situation.

However, there was yet another twist in this tale. Mandaric refused to pay Southampton the 220,000 compensation they demanded the remainder of Redknapp's contract, since the former West Ham boss was still technically under contract, leaving him in limbo.

Mandaric has now expressed interest in other managers, with Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez, under-pressure Rangers manager Alex McLeish and former Hearts manager George Burley all in the frame.

Despite this and numerous claims in the press that Redknapp has no chance of a surprising return to Fratton Park, he is still trading as low as 1.30 (3/10).

Is this worth framing?

If you like it, if it gives you enjoyment, if it has sentimental value, then frame it and enjoy it. Dont judge it, and dont let others judge it either.

A few years ago I owned and operated three picture frame shops/art galleries. The number one question I used to get was, is this worth framing? My answer was always, Yes, of course it is.

I would get customers carrying in snap shots, childrens artwork, prints from the free calendar they got from their insurance company and just about any picture or print that you can imagine from a number of sources. Yet, the answer is always the same. What makes an item worth framing is what it is worth to you, and no one else. The vast majority of that value has nothing to do with dollars and cents. It has to do with its intrinsic value that no one else can appraise or appreciate.

I especially encouraged parents to frame childrens artwork. Now obviously this can get a bit expensive if the child is cranking out 3 or 4 a day in a school art class. However, framing selective pieces can go a long way towards encouraging a budding future great master or just building self-esteem in general.

Vacation snap shots are also worth framing. The more time that passes the more you will be glad you made the investment. With all the new computer technology, it is easy to touch them up. You may be surprised to find you have a little more Ansel Adams talent in you than you thought.

I have a good friend that lives in a beautiful home surrounded by a golf course community that boasts of residents that include NFL Football stars and professional golfers. She is retired now, but at one time was a rather large art dealer specializing in paper art. Her home is beautifully decorated, as one would imagine an art dealers home to be. I cant begin to tell you the huge amount of artwork she has had the opportunity to chose from, many of them very valuable.

Yet, walking through her entryway into her home, the very first piece of artwork you see is a small but gorgeous, professionally framed and matted print entitled Ted. I sell it in my eBay Store for $15.00, http://stores.ebay.com/FrameHouseGallery/.

When I asked her of all the beautiful prints and originals (not that this one isnt beautiful) that she had to chose from why was Ted picked to be the first piece one sees when they enter the home, her answer was simply, Because I like it!

So if you like it, it doesnt really matter what anyone else thinks. Frame it, hang it and enjoy it!

No permission is need to reprint or distribute an unedited copy of this article as long as the about the author information including links are included.

In the last 12 months the National Hockey League has undergone as massive of an overhaul as any sports league in the last half century. With revamped rules, a restructured salary system and a new television partner, professional hockey is the shell of the sport that locked its doors a year ago. The changes reflect the NHL's new mantra - more scoring, increased parity and cost certainty. So forget everything you know or think you know about the NHL, which begins preseason play on Sept. 16, as even the most faithful and ardent fan has to admit that they have no clue as to how the game will look in 2005-06.

First, hockey viewers will have to get used to watching their game on a new station. ESPN took a gamble and refused to pick up the network's option on the NHL's broadcasting rights. The idea was that ESPN would be able to opt out of their deal, and then repurchase the rights at a substantially reduced rate. Instead, the Outdoor Living Network, a subsidiary of Comcast Cable, swooped in with a very lucrative offer and purchased the rights to broadcast the NHL regular season and playoffs for $65 million this season, $70 million in 2006-2007, and $72.5 million in 2007-2008. Not to worry though - Barry Melrose and his man mullet have signed on with OLN.

However, OLN only reaches an estimated 65 million homes throughout the United States and Canada. That's a substantial reduction from the 90 million subscribers that ESPN boasts, and the 89 million viewers that ESPN2 can reach. Also, since ESPN doesn't own the rights, the league shouldn't expect too much coverage from those Bristol bastards. The new deal - while a relative windfall for a sport with flailing TV ratings - definitely relegates the NHL to Niche Sport status. Well, that and a 309-day lockout will turn off any fan base. Right now hockey's popularity lies somewhere around the WNBA and extreme dodgeball.

Next, besides the ideological alterations that the league has experienced, there have been considerable changes to the practical aspects of the game. A competition committee revisited several issues that were pinpointed as problem areas during the pre-lockout days. The highlights of their adopted rule changes are:

1)No more ties. Instead of records that read like Lotto picks, the league has gone back to good ol' fashioned wins and losses. At the end of overtime a six-player shootout will ensue, followed by a sudden death shootout if necessary.
2)Goalies will no longer be allowed to be built like Optimus Prime. Their allotted padding has been reduced 11 percent. The rule is backed by $25,000 fines and suspensions.
3)Goaltenders can no longer "freeze" the puck, and a trapezoidal area has been set up behind the goal line. The goalies are only allowed to handle the puck within that area when behind the goal line.
4)The offensive zone will be larger. The bluelines were each moved two feet closer to one another, shrinking the neutral zone. Also, the goal-lines have been moved two feet further from the boards, leaving more room behind the net.
5)The red line is gone, and two-line passes are now legal.
6)Other minor changes have occurred. There's no flopping, a point of emphasis on clutching and grabbing, anyone who instigates a fight in the last five minutes gets suspended, no flipping the puck into the stands in your defensive zone, and no public complaints about the league.

The idea is that all of these rule modifications will open up scoring and increase the speed of the game. They're hoping that the new NHL will be similar to the hockey played in the Olympics, which features more scoring and skill rather than neutral zone traps and the grind-it-out garbage that had permeated the NHL over the last decade.

Finally, a whirlwind of player movement has completely reconfigured the balance of talent throughout the league. Trying to figure out who is going where has proven more tiresome than trying to keep up with which pitcher Alyssa Milano is banging now. In fact, when opening night comes (the Rangers open against the Flyers on Oct. 5) most fans will feel like Guy Pierce's short-term-memory depraved character in Memento. They'll vaguely recognize where they are but have no idea how they got there.

I saw a post on another sports site that I felt best sums up the player movement that's taken place since the league went back in business: "Don't you feel like the new NHL is the equivalent of someone stealing your NHL '95 game for Sega, randomizing the rosters, and then giving it back to you?"

Laying a bet on NHL futures trying to predict who will hoist the Cup next summer could be a great opportunity to fleece some unsuspecting oddsmakers. But, as always, wager at your own risk. Here's a quick overview on some teams that will be worth watching and could be worth the gamble:

Detroit Red Wings (17/2) - The favorites for the upcoming season reside in Hockeytown. It's a terrible bet, and don't bite. Yes the Red Wings were the best team in the 2003-04 regular season with 109 overall points, but perhaps no team was hurt more by the year off. Steve Yzerman is now 40, Chris Chelios is 43 and Brendan Shanahan is turning 37. The window may have closed for the Wings and their AARP roster. Also, Detroit has only about $7 million to resign Pavel Datsyuk (who's said he's not even close to a deal) and/or Henrik Zetterberg. This team has holes, and now they can't plug it with money.

Philadelphia Flyers (9/1) - The Flyers waived goodbye to its nucleus of Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair and Mark Recchi. Their absence will open up the ice for young speedsters Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. Also, they managed to pilfer Peter Forsberg and Derian Hatcher, adding two of the top free agent talents to an already strong team. The Flyers should have a slight edge over New Jersey in their quest to defend their Atlantic Division championship.

Ottawa Senators (11/1) - The Sens were the top scoring team in the Eastern Conference in 2003-04 (262 goals), and they added the dynamic Dany Heatley in a blockbuster deal that included Marian Hossa. As long as no one asks Heatley to be the designated driver, he should add some more pop to Ottawa's offense. Daniel Alfredsson led the team with 48 assists in 03-04, and will be setting the table for Heatley. This squad is deep and strong, and will be relying on Ray Emery and Dominick Hasek in the net.

Calgary Flames (13/1) - The runners-up to the 2004 champion Tampa Bay Lightning (man, that still sounds strange) will be even better this season. The key move they made was retaining superstar Jerome Iginla. Iginla was tied for the NHL lead with 41 goals in 03-04. The Flames upgraded the offense by bringing in Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty. Also, Roman Hamrlik was acquired to shore up an already stout defense.

New Jersey Devils (14/1) - This is a very interesting team going into the preseason. As Detroit and Colorado will be most affected by the salary cap, New Jersey will be most affected by the rule changes. Many blame the Devils for pioneering the neutral zone trap and the clutch-and-grab style that took over the league in the last decade. Offensively, they still have Scott Gomez (team leader in assists) and Patrick Elias (leader in goals and points) and I expect big numbers from both. They've won at least 41 games in each of the past three seasons, and with Martin Brodeur in goal they always have a shot.

Colorado Avalance (14/1) - The Avs still have Joe Sakic and Pierre Turgeon in the center, Brad May and Alex Tanguay on the left and Milan Hejduk on the right. So in other words, they still have a chance. Colorado has put up an average of 42 wins per year the last three seasons, and its core remains intact. Rob Blake is back to anchor the defense and David Aebischer is the man in the cage. I expect them to figure prominently in the Western Conference, but I don't think they have enough depth to hoist the Cup.

Boston Bruins (15/1) - The Bruins were one of the teams that benefited the most from the outlandish free agency. They were able to lock up captain Joe Thornton for three years, and keep Glen Murray on the club. Also, they were able to add seasoned vets Shawn McEachern and Brian Leetch, as well as Alexi Zhamnov and Dave Scatchard. That talent infusion improves a team that was already pretty tough (defending Northeast Division champions). The pressure will be on Andrew Raycroft, the only goalie on the roster.

Pittsburgh Penguins (15/1) - The March of the Penguins back to hockey's elite may start this season. Besides being a fiscal farce off the ice, they've been one of the worst teams on it for the past several years, managing just 78 wins in the last three seasons. They put up only 2.3 goals a game while winning 23 games in 03-04. But the Steel City won the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes, and the "next Gretzky" gives them instant credibility. They resigned leading scorer Dick Tarnstrom and acquired Lyle Odelein, and that young talent may be ready to take the next step.

Tampa Bay Lightning (15/1) - Winning the Stanley Cup a few weeks before the lockout must've been kind of like winning the lottery and then finding out we're going back to the barter system. Tampa Bay caught lightning in a bottle in the summer of 2004, and the defending Stanley Cup champions have brought back the principals involved in that run. Dave Andreychuk, Martin St. Louis, and Vincent Lecavalier are all back and ready to go. They roster reeks of old age, but they're still the champs and should be shown the proper respect.

Anaheim Mighty Ducks (30/1) - Team Teemu returns as the head of the Flying V. Sergie Federov is looking to salvage a burnt out career, and Scott Niedermeyer should flourish in Anaheim's wide-open attack. Also, the Ducks have a huge advantage with J-S Giguere minding the net. That's one guy who won't need the extra padding to dominate. A drawback is that they traded captain Steve Rucchin to the Rangers.

Atlanta Thrashers (33/1) - I like this pick for the value. The Hossa-Heatley trade was pretty much a push, but getting a solid veteran defenseman like Greg deVries in the deal may shift the advantage in the Thrashers favor. They already posses a young core led by the very talented Ilya Kovalchuk (team leader in goals and assists) and Hossa's playmaking style (36 goals and 82 points) will fit right in. They signed Mike Dunham to mentor talented youngster Kari Lehtonen, and brought in Bobby Holik to add even more firepower. They might be a year away, but it may be worth it to take a $10 or $20 flier on them.

For the first time since 2001, a full compliment of six players was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I'm 45 and was able to see and remember each during his career. In my opinion, four selections are solid (Reggie White, Warren Moon, John Madden, Rayfield Wright), one leaves me ambivalent (Harry Carson), and then there's Troy Aikman.

Reggie White was the most dominant defensive lineman of his era and retired with most sacks (198) in NFL history at the time. The "Minister of Defense" started in the USFL but in his 15 year NFL career went to 13 Pro Bowls. No Brainer.

Madden and Wright were senior-committee selections and both have merit. Madden has the highest winning percentage (.759) of ANY coach with 100 wins and won a Super Bowl, probably long overdue. Rayfield Wright was considered the "linchpin" of the offensive line for the great Cowboy teams of the 70's - no problem there.

Warren Moon's NFL numbers are staggering. His CFL/NFL numbers are mindboggling! In 23 years of organized football, Warren Moon threw for 72,184 yards and 457 touchdowns, 51.061 and 313 in the NFL. By comparison, Dan Marino finished with 61,361 and 420. The hall didn't hold Moon's vagabond final years and lack of Super Bowl ring against him.

Harry Carson in my eyes was one of the parts of the sum in that great "Wrecking Crew" defense of the Giants Parcell's Giant era. Lawrence Taylor deservedly got all the pub but lets not forget that Brian Kelly and Brad van Pelt were both excellent linebackers and Jim Burt and Leonard Marshall vastly underrated defensive linemen. Nitschke, Butkus, Lambert, Carson ???

Troy Aikman's career stats: 61.5%, 32,942 yards, 165 TDs, 145 Ints, QB rating of 81.6

There have been six other quarterbacks inducted into the Hall of Fame since 2000 (Montana, Kelly, Elway. Marino, Young, and Moon), and everyone's number other than Steve Young's dwarf Troy Aikman's. So lets start with Steve Young.

Steve Young is another I would consider good but not great yet compared to Aikman, Young is first ballot. Despite spending half his career in the USFL, Tampa bay, hurt, or sitting behind Montana, Young still threw for slight more yardage and 67 more touchdowns than Aikman. Young could also hurt you with his legs rushing for 4238 yards at 5.9 yards per carry with an additional 33 touchdowns.

Of the seven, Aikman's completion percentage is lower than all but Kelly (60.1%) and Moon (NFL number 58.4%). Aikman's 165 touchdowns pales in comparison to everyone else's 237+. The others all threw for 40,000 plus yards and only Moon (80.1) and Elway (79.9) had lower quarterback ratings.

Call me old school but I think the Hall of Fame should be reserved for the truly greats of the game. I realize that HOF criteria is not strictly numbers based and involves many intangibles including leadership and winning but Troy Aikman was clearly not great. This is an argument generally reserved for baseball but applicable here.

Let's look at some players that are coming up soon, just retired or will retire soon. Most I consider good but not great. Perhaps the closest analogy to Aikman is Scotty Pippin, decent numbers, 6 championships, Does he deserve to get in ??? In my eyes - No/Maybe. Regardless of situation, ANWHERE, Scotty Pippin was good 17/9 player that played excellent defense. He's a slam dunk to go but if on fringe, the defense would send him through.

Jerome Bettis. The Bus. He's top 10 rushing all-time but if Steeler's hadn't won, where's Jerome. Does he deserve to go? A marginal yes, Will he get in? Maybe down the line during a thin year. Could anybody in good conscience mention his name in the same breath as Earl Campbell. I don't think so.

Baseball is the most fun. In an age of Roids and Juiced balls, how about these guys, Juan Gonzalez (420+ HR's), Jeff Bagwell (430+ HR's), Tom Glavine (260 wins), Frank Thomas (420+ HR's). Cobb, Ruth, DiMaggio, Aaron, Bagwell. Rolls right off your tongue doesn't it

A lot of great players get dogged about their careers for not winning a championship, Ted Williams, Dan Marino, Maravich, Barkley, and Karl Malone. Some get dogged for not winning enough, Wilt Chamberlain. There are lots of good players considered great because they won and in this instance, Troy Aikman can step to the head of the class.