Maui is a very popular tourist destination. To meet with every tourist’s accommodation needs, be it style or budget, the island has many options. You can lap up the luxury by renting an oceanfront suite or cottage, a quaint little bed-and-breakfast, or - if you are traveling with a large group or family or are staying for a long period - a house or condo.

Rental rates depend on the season. High season rates apply between mid-December and March and again between late June and early September. If you are visiting Maui during this time, make your bookings early to avoid disappointment. Make sure that you know well in advance when you are going and the date of your departure from Maui well in advance. Keep in mind that an 11.42% accommodation tax is charged all over Maui. This is standard procedure, so don’t be surprised.

If you choose a bed and breakfast to stay in keep in mind that it is local practice to take off your footwear before you enter the house. Most establishments will put a board outside but even if there isn’t a board, it might be a good idea to check before you enter with your shoes. Hotels in Maui can be very expensive and also charge a resort fee for every day that you stay. Condos are perhaps the best option for families. They are fully furnished to meet your every need; this includes a fully equipped kitchen. Condo blocks also organize activities for families and kids.

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Dear Poor Rix: A guy just invited me to a football game. I do not understand this event. Can you explain it? — Sport Watcher

This game begins with the entrance of referees, people with striped shirts who enforce the rules. Occasionally, someone with striped shirt and long stick may appear, and wander aimlessly. He is a “lost golfer,” and must be removed.

Next come the cheerleaders, who bounce onto the field, often displaying skimpy uniforms and bare midriffs. And those are just the guys.

The girls look even better, and may wave their massive pom-poms to excite the crowd. (We’ll discuss pom-poms another time.)

Then comes the team “mascot,” often a farm animal, or a human dressed like one. Mascot uniforms are sometimes very silly, and not appropriate wearing apparel for, say, a wedding.

Next come two teams that wear different colors, plus a helmet to hide their identities from the opponents they’ll tackle later. For the next three hours each squad tries to go from one end of the field to the other.

Pay attention to the quarterback, who controls the football. Sometimes he throws it to a teammate (a “pass”). Sometimes he hands it to somebody (a “handoff”).

And occasionally he may tiptoe to the sidelines, and give some cheerleader a big, wet kiss. This is called the “quarterback sneak.”

There’s more to tell, Sport Watcher, but I gotta go. On TV, they’re about to show a “quarterback sneak” instant replay.

Poor Rix offers bad answers to good questions. Contact him at rixquinn@charter.net.

Rix authored the recent writing book “Words That Stick.” It’s available from http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/

For details on his weekly column, call him directly at 817-920-7999.

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A lot of people have been wondering how they could score a free
credit card. They have been searching the World Wide Web for
resources that would point them to free credit cards of any
variety.

This interest in those things that many have labeled as plastic
money should not come as a surprise. Credit cards have become a
convenient alternative to carrying actual cash. And securing
free credit cards would just add to their already popular appeal.

But the thing is, the term “free credit card” would be
superfluous, and likewise a mixture of opposites. “Free” and
“credit,” after all, don’t go together. And credit cards are
hardly free.

What Is Meant By A Free Credit Card?

Perhaps what many interested parties mean by the term “free
credit card” is a credit card freely procured. In which case,
there should be no need for a search. All credit cards are free!

This is because you won’t have to pay for the processing of your
application for a credit card. You won’t have to pay any
burdensome application fees nor any documentary charges.

Simply submit all the information required, and once approved,
you could start purchasing items and services and charging them
to your plastic money. That’s right…a free credit card for
your needs!

Is There A Catch To Being Granted A Free Credit Card?

There are no catches whatsoever. However, you will have to
choose one which does not charge an annual service and
maintenance fee so that you could truly consider it as a free
credit card. Some credit card companies do impose these charges.
Others don’t.

Free credit cards should be better off without the annual
expenses. You are already encumbered with a 1% to 4% fee for
every transaction anyway, and interests accrue for every month
you’re in default of payment. Surely, an annual charge would be
a little too much, regardless of how minimal the amount is.

The usual requirements are also needed to be complied with.
Before a free credit card can be granted, a thorough check of
the applicant’s credit history is essential. For this purpose, a
good credit history is a must, something which the applicant
should have worked for throughout the years.

Another Aspect Of The Term “Free” In A Free Credit Card

Perhaps, some people are referring to an entirely different
matter whenever they refer to a “free credit card.” Perhaps,
they are talking about the interest-free repayment period, where
the free credit card holder can pay the amount that has accrued
without the accompanying interests for as long as it is paid in
full within the period so stated. This would indeed save the
free credit card holder a good amount of money, most especially
if he has purchased items that total to a substantial amount.

Regardless of what is meant by a free credit card, the fact
remains that anyone would be able to benefit from the
convenience and flexibility offered by these modes of payment.
For as long as the requirements are in order, and for as long as
they would be used responsibly, free credit cards would
introduce the user thereof to a whole new world of consumer
empowerment.

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Lladro figurines are made in the City of Porcelain, in the town of Almaserra, Spain. Three Lladro brothers started this business in 1953 in the courtyard of the family home. Today they employ more than 2000 people and Lladro figurines are sold all over the world. Earth, color and fire are the three main elements in the creation of each of the Lladro figurines as they are hand sculpted to perfection.

Lladro figurines are sold in specialty boutiques all over the world. However, you can browse an online catalog for figurines from Lladro from Spain and have the ones you want shipped to you. Use the Lladro website to locate all of the figurines they have and the retailers nearest you, if you prefer to make your purchase in person. If you have specific figurine that you want and are unable to find it in the catalog, you can email the Customer Service Department giving them the description of the figurine you want.

If you happen to break one of your figurines, there are Lladro repair locations where you can send the piece. The company does not have its own repair shop for Lladro figurines, but if you contact the Customer Service, a representative will be able to give you the name of the company that does its repairs in your country. When you purchase a Lladro figurine and you are not sure of its authenticity, you should check the bottom of the figurine. If it has the Lladro prototype printed on the bottom, then you are the owner of an authentic figurine of Lladro from Spain.

There are several different series of Lladro figurines - open series, limited series and numbered series. A Lladro figurine from the open series are produced in an unlimited number. In the limited series, there are only a set number of figurines created and when they are sold, they are not produced any more. This is what makes these figurines so valuable and why people who have them want to get the proper Lladro repair if something happens to them. The numbered series of figurines by Lladro from Spain are also produced in a limited number and carry a certificate of authenticity.

Along with buying Lladro figurines, you can also buy accessories to complement your Lladro from Spain pieces. These pieces are not made of porcelain like the figurines and include such things as parasols and flowers, which are stuck to the figurines in the firing process. When you purchase Lladro figurines, you can also purchase special insurance against breakage. Purchase of this insurance allows you to become one of the privileged members of the Lladro Company.

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