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Things have changed somewhat since the first Olympics in 776BC. There was only one event called the Stade a race that was run over 210 yards. The first winner of the race was a cook called Coroebus who was naked when he ran and won the race. The Olympics was then held every four years for about 1200 years. It was then cancelled by the Christian emperor Theodosios in 393CE as he believed the Olympics had Pagan undertones.

Luckily, 1500 years later a Frenchman by the name of Pierre De Coubertin had the presence of mind to revitalize and begin a new era for the Olympics.

The games have had their ups and downs since then, however they have been the main force in building pride for individual countries throughout the world. The 2012 Olympics are expected to be the best games of all time. There are a number of new sports plus a host of new technological promotions that will enable the games to be shown in every home across the world, this is going to be the most viewed event in history.

Being able to take part in cheering on the Olympians gives people throughout the world excitement and wonder watching the competitors give their all and push their talents and their bodies to the ultimate test. The originators of the Olympics back in 776 BC would be proud of where the games have gone. The basic premise is the same to push athletes to their max, but the games themselves have become an international harbinger of good will.

Sure, there are occasionally spats between countries where one country or another has withdrawn or is banned from attending, but overall it has been a good natured way for countries to compete against each other for fun and fascination. The games have been the stuff dreams are made of for those who are good enough to compete.

As you read this the 2012 Olympic games preparations are well under way for the most outstanding games ever. London the host country will enjoy the economic benefits and its people the sheer joy and excitement, this is history in the making.

The Olympic grounds of any country become permanent reminders of these amazing historical events steeped in challenge and victory. Londoners are already ramped up and excited about hosting the world and showing off their city to all the athletes and fans. Soon it will be here. Come on the 2012 Olympics, I cant wait!

There are many ways to select a mutual fund, each one has its own ups, downs, and risks. As you select your first mutual fund, consider these factors:

The fund manager: Often a fund is only as good as its management. If the fund manager has shown great performance in the past, future performance is likely to be above average. If the fund manager has been replaced, past performance becomes less meaningful and may even be worthless. A poor-performing fund that gets a new fund manager may turn around and become a top performer.

The objectives of the fund: Some funds focus on specialty or sector funds (gold funds or biotech funds) and often offer great returns. However, they arent good funds for the online investor who wants to own just one mutual fund. If you own just one specialty fund, you lose the advantage of diversification.

The size of the fund: Good fund candidates have at least $75 million under management and should be large enough to keep up with institutional investors. At the opposite end of the spectrum, funds with more than $40 billion tend to have problems with being too large.

The stability of the funds philosophy: If the fund seems unclear about its financial goals and is switching investment methods, it may be in trouble. The financial goals of the fund is highly important, unstable goals can be a bad sign but also in a poor performing fund that just replaced the fund manager can be a good sign.

Fees: A debate has raged during the last ten years about which is better: no-load or load mutual funds. All the studies indicate that paying a sales commission doesn’t ensure a greater return. However, investing in a fund with high fees and high returns is better than in a fund with low fees and poor performance. Fees are part of life, investing is no different; fees can also overwhelm you so make sure you understand the fees before you commit.