The need to eradicate poverty through increased literacy

One of the central goals defined by the Government of Mozambique in its long-term development strategy is “poverty reduction through labour-intensive economic growth”. The highest priority is assigned to reduce poverty in rural areas, where 90 percent of poor Mozambicans live, and also in urban zones. The Government recognizes also that, for this development strategy on poverty eradication to succeed, expansion and improvement in the education system are critically important elements in both long-term and short-term perspectives.

In the long term, universal access to education of acceptable quality is essential for the development

of Mozambique´s human resources, and the economic growth will depend to a significant extend on the education and training of the labour force. It is very important to develop a critical mass of well trained and highly qualified workforce which in turn will improve the overall literacy, intellectual development, training capacity and technical skills in various areas of the country’s economic and industrial development.

In the short term, increased access and improved quality in basic education are powerful mechanisms for wealth redistribution and the promotion of social equity. This policy is consistent with the provisions of the new Constitution of Mozambique adopted on 16 November 2004, in its articles 113 and 114 which deal respectively with education and higher education. Around the year 1990, the Government of Mozambique decided to change its social, economic and political orientation system from the centrally-planned system inherited from the communist era and adopted a western-style of free market system. At the same time, it was also decided to adopt fundamental changes in the education programmes. Since drastic changes and wide ranging effects were resulting from the adoption of the new economic and political orientation, it was necessary to provide new guidelines and rules governing the management of institutions of higher education.

The struggle continues: “a luta continua” !

The economic and political changes were progressively introduced with success through legislative and regulatory reforms. However, it has not been very easy to evenly change rules of social and cultural behaviour. In particular, vulnerable younger generations are the most affected by the rapid changes in society, while the reference model and values they expect from elder people in the modern Mozambican society seem to be shifting very fast. And in some instances, there seem to be no model at all. The new wave of economic liberalism in Mozambique, better defined by the popular concept of “deixa andar”, literally meaning “laisser-faire”, was mistakenly adopted as the guiding principle in the areas of social, cultural and education development.

The “laisser-faire” principle is better understood by economists and entrepreneurs in a system of open market and free entrepreneurship, under which the Government’s intervention is reduced to exercising minimum regulatory agency. The recent considerable economic growth realized by the Government of Mozambique (10% of successive growth index over four years) is attributed mainly to this free market policy. This principle should be carefully differentiated from “laisser-aller” which, in French language, rather means lack of discipline in academic, economic, social and cultural environments.

Reforming higher education institutions represents a real challenge, both at the institutional and pedagogic levels, not only in Mozambique, but elsewhere and in particular in African countries faced with the problem of “acculturation”. The youth seeking knowledge opportunities in national universities, polytechnics and higher institutes, where students are somehow left on their own, having no longer any need to be under permanent supervision of their parents or teachers, are disoriented. Since reforms in higher education institutions take longer than in any other institutional environment, it is necessary indeed to adopt adequate transitional measures to respond to urgent need of the young generations.

This essay reviews current trends and the recent historical background of higher education institutions of Mozambique. It argues against the adoption of the classical model of higher education from European and other western systems. In its final analysis, it finds that there is need to include ethical and deontology (social, cultural and moral education) components as priority sectors within the curriculum in higher education institutions, with a view to instill in the students and lecturers positive African values in general, and in particular, national Mozambican models. It is rejecting the neo-liberal thinking, which proposes that students in higher education institutions should be allowed to enjoy unlimited academic, social and intellectual uncontrolled independence, in conformity with western classical education and cultural orientation. It advocates for critical thinking and brainstorming on key issues towards the development of positive cultural and ethical models in higher education institutions which could be used to promote knowledge development and poverty eradication in the country’s rural areas and urban zones affected by unemployment, pandemics and economic precariousness.

The colonial legacy and its cultural impact on higher education in Mozambique.

Many experts have described the Mozambican mother of higher education as an institution for colonialists and “assimilados” . The first institution of higher education in Mozambique was established by the Portuguese government in 1962, soon after the start of the African wars of independence. It was called the General University Studies of Mozambique (Estudos Gerais Universitários de Moçambique EGUM). In 1968, it was renamed Lourenço Marques University. The university catered for the sons and daughters of Portuguese colonialists. Although the Portuguese government preached non-racism and advocated the assimilation of its African subjects to the Portuguese way of life, the notorious deficiencies of the colonial education system established under the Portuguese rule ensured that very few Africans would ever succeed in reaching university level. However, many educated African were led to adopt the colonial lifestyle.

In spite of Portugal’s attempts to expand African educational opportunities in the late 1960s and early 1970s, only about 40 black Mozambican students – less than 2 per cent of the student body -had entered the University of Lourenço Marques by the time of independence in 1975. The state and the university continued to depend heavily on the Portuguese and their descendants. Even the academic curriculum was defined according to the needs and policies defined long ago by the colonial power.

Soon after Independence in June 1975, the Government of Mozambique, from the FRELIMO party, adopted a Marxist-Leninist orientation and a centrally planned economy. The educational system was nationalized, and the university was renamed after Dr. Eduardo Mondlane, the first president of FRELIMO.

Many cadres trained in Portugal and other European and American universities came also with their own educational and cultural background. Apart from the Eduardo Mondlane University, new public and private universities and institutes were established. These include the Pedagogic University, the ISRI, the Catholic University, ISPU, ISCTEM and ISUTC. Most of these institutions adopted a curriculum clearly modeled on the classical European model. There is still need to integrate African traditional values in the course profiles offered and research programmes developed by these institutions.

The traditional role of a university is to enlighten and serve as a reference within the society: “illuminatio et salus populi”. Today, Mozambique is one of the most culturally and racially diversified society of Africa. This diversity should be considered as a cultural treasure for the nation. It has become however apparent that it’s more a “Babel Tower case”, as no unified Mozambican values appear to develop from this wide variety. With the creation of new public and private universities and new faculties, it would become easier to increase a critical mass of university lecturers and academic professionals, who would in their turn, influence the society, creating and instilling national positive values and ethical principles of conduct in the younger generations. According to many lecturers and students contacted at UEM, Universidade Pedagogica UP and UDM, the impact of higher education on the development of positive academic, scientific, social and cultural values in Mozambique is yet to be felt.

It is however necessary to acknowledge the importance of newly introduced community-based education programmes in some institutions. For instance the emphasis on community and service has guided curriculum development at the Catholic University; its course in agronomy (Cuamba) concentrates on peasant and family farming systems and leans heavily on research and outreach within local farming communities. The CU course in medicine (developed in collaboration with the University of Maastricht) which concentrates on teaching medicine, was particularly deemed appropriate for the rural and urban poor populations of Mozambique, as it is more based on problem-solving and focuses much more on traditional issues.

New Reforms in higher education institutions with a more participative approach

Mozambique is one of few countries in Africa where a new generation of leadership has stepped forward to articulate a vision for their institutions, inspiring confidence among those involved in higher education development and the modernization of their universities. In a series of case studies sponsored and published by the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa , it was confirmed that African universities covered by the studies have widely varying contexts and traditions. They are engaged in broad reform, examining and revising their planning processes, introducing new techniques of financial management, adopting new technologies, reshaping course structures and pedagogy, and more important, reforming practices of governance based in particular on their own contexts and traditions.

Important institutional reforms concerning the strategic planning experiences of the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) were initiated and implemented so far. Two strategic planning cycles were developed, the first in 1990 and the second one in 1996 / 97. The second one was meant to adapting to the impacts of newly adopted multi-party democracy, market competition, and globalization. Whereas the first reform cycle was the result of high level officials at the University, the second one was generated using a participatory methodology deemed to be more effective in involving the university staff in the process.

It is important to listen to everyone, and to be seen as listening. We are also convinced that various components of the population in Mozambique should be involved in the next phases of the process with a view to define what kind of education orientation the population would wish to have for their children.

There is important progress but yet limited academic impact on the development of the society

Considerable progress has been so far made in post-independence Mozambique. After the initial problems caused by the long years of civil war and then the long efforts necessitated by the adjustment to a market-driven economy and a multi-party democratic political order, Mozambique is now considered to have a higher education system that offers a wide variety of course options and extensive research opportunities. However, a major weakness highlighted by many observers is that all the institutions remain basically concentrated in the capital city of Maputo and its neighboring provinces. It is argued that they serve only a limited fraction of the Mozambican population, and are destined to train the elite of prominent people in government and in the professions, industry and commerce. It is also alleged that the majority of the students who succeed in entering public and private institutions of higher education are from relatively rich families.

It is finally emphasized that nearly 80 per cent of university students in Mozambique use Portuguese as their principal means of communication, thus strengthening the perception of establishing, reproducing and consolidating a hereditary elite, with model values copied on western societies. In response to this challenge, it was suggested that the government should encourage the emergence of new and non-traditional HEIs closer to the local communities, able to respond more rapidly and flexibly to the demands and expectations of the public and private sectors for a high quality trained workforce, while addressing both regional and socioeconomic imbalances in the country.

In our final analysis, we find that the impact of higher education institutions on the development and dissemination of traditional African social and cultural values would be very limited for a long period. As long as the access and feed-back from all levels of the society and regions will be left out of the core interaction with the highly educated elite and higher education institutions mainly concentrated in Maputo, the role of universities in promoting African positive values, a culture of academic ethics and deontology in the entire national society will be very limited.

The process of “Nation building” needs to rely on a strong academic support. One of the Government’s main constitutional commitments is to promote the development of the national culture and identity (article 115 of the 2004 Constitution). It is clear that many institutions, for instance the television, are actively promoting cultural diversity through various means. Institutions of higher education should be seen doing more, in particular starting with the students themselves and the academic community members, who are expected to be the light of the society. Such actions would include the integration of courses on ethics and deontology, and develop a wide-ranging variety of education models that reprove negative behavior and promote positive values. Our recommendation is that the Government should for example instruct public universities and other higher education institutions, to appoint “Ethics and Deontology Committees” at the level of their University Councils and within all autonomous faculties.

Bibliography

-Fry, Peter and Utui, Rogéro (1999), The Strategic Planning Experience at Eduardo Mondlane University, ADEA Working Paper on Higher Education, ADEA, Association for the Development of Education in Africa, Paris.

-Mouzinho, Mário ; Fry, Peter ; Levey, Lisbeth and Chilundo, Arlindo (2001), Higher Education in Mozambique: A Case study, The Partnership for Higher Education in Africa, New York University, New York

The author, is a lecturer and an International Consultant on Trade and Investment, Director of InterConsult Mozambique and is the Representative of Emerging Market Focus (Pty) in Mozambique. Coments on this article are encouraged.

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High performance bowling balls are not the same as regular bowling balls. In fact, virtually every kind of bowling balls will differ at least slightly depending on their purpose. As I mentioned, There are many different kinds of bowling ball equipment and accessories that can help you maintain the condition of your high performance ball, and high quality is a must when you need high performance bowling balls.

Obviously you do not want to purchase a great, professional, bowling ball for a child who just likes to play and does not belong to a league or a team–but sometimes you need the very best.

If you are really interested in keeping your bowling balls perfect as the day you purchased them–high performance bowling balls will need equipment and accessories to keep them in top-of-the-line shape. High performance balls are the most important kinds of bowling balls to maintain. The condition of your high performance bowling balls can really affect your game.

There are incredibly highly technologically advanced bowling ball accessory items such as cleaners, and polishers, being developed by all of the top manufacturers. And the very best cleaners, polishes, gloves, etc will keep your high performance bowling balls the way you want.

When you purchase high performance bowling merchandise you have certain expectations. Purchasing excellent high performance bowling balls, and treating them with care will provide the very best performance possible. You will be ready to take on the competition with your high performance equipment–especially bowling balls because they do give any player an advantage over everyone else. The rest is up to your skills as a bowler.

Shiny, high performance bowling balls chosen carefully among a vast selection of the absolute high performance bowling balls are the high quality you want if you are a serious bowling enthusiast. And we know you will love keeping your high performance bowling balls pleasing to the eye. Look around online to find the very best performance bowling balls you can get.

The most important thing about bowling is that you have fun doing it, right. However, especially in competitive bowling scenarios, a high score sure helps you have more fun than a low one. When you use the right ball polishes you will have the perfect amount of slide for your bowling ball. Go ahead–go high quality–technique, ability, training, practice, great equipment and high performance bowling balls are the requirements that make a great bowler.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, recreation, education and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles about bowling and bowling balls, please visit High Performance Bowling Balls.

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If you work more than 6 hours a day and own a dog, you need a dog walker!

Urban life can be hard for dogs. Many of us keep pets in cramped city apartments and work long hours, resulting in a dogs life which is a far cry from that of a rural or suburban dog who usually has an outside yard to roam during the day — or if they’re really lucky, acres of open land in which to frolic.

Yet there is no reason why a city dog cannot enjoy a fantastic quality of life. Living in the city has its disadvantages but also brings with it levels of stimulation — sights, sounds and smells — which suburban or rural dogs never get to experience. City dogs are also also blessed with far more social opportunities, whether they be with other dogs on the street or with a pack of their buddies at the local dog park or dog run.

But many owners work long hours and enjoy active social lives, meaning long periods in which their pets are alone. For a dog, this means hours of inactivity — especially in a small apartment or studio which has little space to play or run.

For this reason, most urban dog owners hire a dog walker. Having someone take your dog out for exercise and relief at least once a day makes all the difference. It breaks up those long solitary hours and gives your dog a chance to get out into the fresh air, stretch their legs and burn off some of the calories they have ingested for breakfast. For many dogs, their daytime dog walker is their daytime buddy.

But with the profession of dog walking becoming more and more popular, there are increasing numbers of dog walkers to choose from in cities. Dog walking and pet sitting services are springing up everywhere and in most cities dog owners are spoiled for choice. Yet all dog walking services are not the same — there are differences in quality and type of services provided. Here are some tips for choosing the right dog walker for you:

• Make sure you know exactly what you want before you start looking

  It’s important to be clear about the kind of service you want. A large, established dog walking service is likely to provide peace of mind and more security, but if they’re too big you may find their services a little too impersonal — some guarantee the same walker every day, but some don’t. If you want your walker and your dog to build a friendly, trusting relationship, it’s worth asking about this. A good dog walking service will assign a regular dog walker to your dog and inform you of any changes in staffing well ahead of time. The downside is that they may be slightly less flexible with scheduling.

  On the other hand, a local independent dog walker who works alone is almost guaranteed to build a close relationship with your dog and you are likely to build a friendly relationship with them yourself, which brings familiarity and peace of mind. The disadvantage is that lone walkers rarely have anyone to provide a back up should they become sick or take a vacation.

• Establish an ideal schedule, then be prepared to compromise

  Let’s face it, the vast majority of dog owners would prefer their dog to be walked around the middle of the day, which generally means between 11am and 3pm in the dog walking business. This means that midday time slots are in great demand and it’s unlikely that you’ll find someone who can promise your ideal schedule. Be prepared to compromise with a leeway of around an hour either side of your ideal. Additionally, even when you settle on a time you should be aware that dog walking is a profession the nature of which means it is almost impossible to stick to a schedule 100% accurately every day. Walkers often have to travel between dogs and can be held up by a million and one different situations. Don’t be too disappointed if your dog walker arrives a little early or late every day — most of the time it cannot be helped. Be suspicious of any dog walking service that promises punctuality to the minute — most of the time they’re not being honest with you!

• Dog walking in packs or individually?

  This is where opinion is split firmly down the middle! It’s a common sight in urban centers like New York City to see pack walkers with up to twelve dogs at a time — but is this really what you want for your dog? The advantage to this kind of service is primarily price — pack walk rates are sometimes half the price of individual or small group walks and sometimes last longer. On the negative side, your dog will not receive anywhere near the same level of attention it would in a smaller group or alone — and often much of the walk is spent sitting tied up in large groups on the sidewalk as the dog walker takes a dog upstairs to its apartment. There is no doubt that there is a strong social aspect to such walks which many dogs enjoy, but for the most part the majority of dog owners prefer their dogs to be walked in smaller packs or alone. Many people also worry about dogs fighting in large packs and while this is rare, it does sometimes happen.

  An individual, private walk brings with it the walkers undivided attention, but you should also consider that most dogs appreciate some kind of socialization — so consider choosing a service which walks pairs or small groups of no more than three. Many dog walkers will tell you that dogs who have behavioral “issues” on the street with their owners benefit greatly from being walked with another dog, whose presence often acts to “center” the other dog and induce a good level of focus and attention. However, there is no avoiding the fact that some dogs just will not abide the company of other dogs no matter what! At the end of the day you know your own dog better than anyone and the decision is entirely yours to make.

• Conduct interviews in person

  Choosing a dog walker is an important decision to make, not least because you’re entrusting the welfare of your precious pet to a stranger but also because the service entails allowing someone access to your apartment on a daily basis. For this reason, you should always look into a number of services and insist on meeting first the business owner, then should you decide to go ahead and use the service, the walker who will be assigned to your dog. A good service will allow you to meet the walker at no cost to yourself. Never feel pressured into agreeing to a schedule over the telephone — you’ll feel much better when you know who you’re dealing with personally. All good dog walking services appreciate that you’re looking around and shopping for a service and will be happy to submit their pitch to compete with others.

  Don’t be surprised or feel offended if the business owner will not give you full contact details of the walker however — they’re not trying to put one over on you. It’s standard practice in the business to insist that the client conduct all communication (schedule changes, updates etc) through the business owner themselves. This ensures that the owner is kept “in the loop” and is always aware of what’s going on. If you do have the walkers contact details however, it is always good practice to notify the owner of all communication between you to prevent misunderstandings or confusion later.

• Have questions prepared in advance

  Before you conduct an interview, make sure you have everything you’re going to ask written down and prepared beforehand. Ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable. Don’t be afraid to bombard the business owner or walker with requests for information regarding the nature of their service, their philosophy, their practices, their policy and their history. A good dog walking service will also ask you questions about exactly what you want, your likes and dislikes — and most of all, your dog. Make sure they ask you about your dogs nature and about health issues which may be relevant. If they take notes, that’s a good thing! A good dog walking service will keep information about your dog on file, including medical history, favorite treats, command words, things to watch out for, vets information etc. If they don’t seem interested in any of this information then it’s probably a good idea to choose another service.

  Be sure to get everything out in the open regarding prices and fees. Make certain you’re both on the same page regarding rates and frequency of payment, about any hidden or supplementary fees (many dog walking services have a surcharge for early morning, evening and weekend walks), about their range of availability (do they cover evenings or weekends?) and about their policy regarding cancellations (most services request that you give 24 hours notice to avoid being charged). The last thing you want is to spoil a good relationship with a reliable dog walking service due to a misunderstanding later which should have been cleared up at the beginning.

• Insist on seeing the walker on a trial walk

  It’s very important that your dog walker both meets the dog beforehand — and seeing them “in action” with your dog will give you great peace of mind. Not all dog walkers are the same! Some people have a natural affinity with animals and you will see this upon observing dog walker and dog together. Dogs usually have great judgment when it comes to humans and if the walker loves dogs, you’ll see it in the way your dog reacts to them. Seeing them walking together on the street is important and you should check to see that they have adequate control skills and that they hold the leash securely. If the walker grips the leash halfheartedly with three fingers and allows your dog to run around in circles, give them a miss! The safety and well being of your dog comes first and foremost. It’s also a good idea to see how they handle situations with other dogs in the street — a good walker will ask the other owner whether their dog is friendly, and allow your dog to approach cautiously should they wish to sniff each other. Additionally, make sure they pick up after your dog and don’t allow them to spray inappropriate things like cars, doors — and especially lampposts which may carry live current!

• Establish acceptable dog walking routes from the start

  It’s important that you let your walker know exactly where you do and don’t find acceptable for your dog to go. If there is a dog park or run nearby, let your walker know whether or not you’re happy with them taking your dog there during the day. Many owners prefer that their dogs are taken to a run where they can play with other dogs, but only you know whether or not your dog is suitable for this kind of socialization. Some walkers like to take a bunch of dogs to the run and spend the next hour sitting down watching them play — if you would prefer a more disciplined kind of street walk then make this clear from the start.

• Ask for references and make sure they’re insured and bonded

  Every good dog walking service can supply you with references — other owners who have used their services regularly and are happy. Get the references, and call them! You’ll feel so much better in the long run. It’s also a good idea to ask whether they’re insured and bonded and if so, to let you see their insurance certificates. Their insurance should cover both medical bills should anything happen to your dog in their care, but also liability costs should your dog ever injure someone on the street or cause an accident. Dog walkers rarely have to use their insurance but you’ll feel a lot better knowing it’s there. The fact that they have taken the trouble to get insured is also a good sign that they take the business seriously and are in it for the duration!

• If you’re worried about allowing someone access to your apartment, set up a web camera!

  This is a controversial issue with many dog walking services, but more and more home service providers are beginning to accept that home owners feel secure having a small web camera set up to make sure that nothing untoward happens while they’re at work. It’s also great to be able to see what your dog gets up to during the day! If you are going to set up a camera then it’s common decency to inform your walker first. Tell them that you have the camera so that you can watch the dog while you’re at work and try not to emphasize the part about checking up on them! Most dog walkers will be fine with this and if they are not — well, perhaps it’s time to seek out someone new.

• Relax!

  Nobody finds choosing a dog walker easy. It’s very common for first time owners to worry themselves half to death for the first few weeks wondering if their dog is OK and that everything is going well. However, if you have followed the steps above and taken the time to choose the walker you’re happiest with, you’ll find that your worry subsides after a couple of weeks and you can get down to the business of going about your day and taking for granted that your dog is in good hands. Do your best to build a friendly relationship with your dog walking service — you’ll feel so much better in the long run. Remember — if they’re dog lovers, they’re going to end up building an attachment to your dog which rivals yours. This is also worth thinking about should you ever wish to discontinue a long running relationship — make sure you give the walker a chance to say “goodbye” to your dog and don’t be surprised if they request photos and even shed a few tears on their last walk together!

So where to start looking? There are plenty of ways to find a dog walker:

• Check online via a search engine
• Check online via local classified listings like “Craigslist”
• Ask at pet stores and vets offices for the business cards of local services
• Check notice boards in pet stores
• Ask other dog owners, or stop walkers on the street
• Ask at your local dog run or dog park
• Ask in doorman apartment buildings for the names of reputable neighborhood walkers and services

All in all, finding a suitable dog walker for your beloved is not something to be taken lightly — although nor should it be something to overly stress about. At the end of the day, just remember that whatever your opinion of your walker, the most important opinion is that of your dog! A good dog walking service will leave your dog exercised, relieved and above all safe and happy — something which you’ll be able to judge for yourself as soon as you walk through the front door.

King Pup provides professional NYC Dog Walkers in Manhattan. Visit our website for more information about city dog walking.

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Let there be no doubt about it…you need to be very careful when selecting a professional resume-writer. These days, anyone can say, “I’m a resume-writer,” and technically never have even finished high school…much less have any idea how to write a professional resume that will get you interviews.

 

Also, with the popularity of the Internet, I have heard that some companies have actually tried to fool the public by ranking themselves as #1 in fake Top 10 Resume Writing Service lists! And let’s not forget those resume-writing services that actually send your personal information overseas and outsource the writing to someone who has no idea about the person you are.

 

Can you believe it?!?

 

When people are considering the purchase of professional resume-writing services, I advise them to “shop around.” So here are the five factors you should consider when choosing who to trust writing your professional resume and cover letter…

 

1. Are You Purchasing Services From A Resume-Writer Or A “Resume Factory?”

 

The easiest way to tell if the resume-writing service is a “resume factory” is their very low prices. No one can make any money in this industry charging less than $100 for a resume – unless, they have a production line setup. Or they create low-quality resumes or have poor service.

 

If you choose one of these “resume factories” that claim to have written thousands and thousands of resumes, you should know that although they say they never use “cookie-cutter” templates, they probably do.

 

And as a result, your resume will be just like everyone else’s and will sabotage your chances of getting calls for an interview.

 

2. What Kind Of “Process” Does The Resume-Writer Use?

A great resume can’t be written from a questionnaire alone, no matter how good the resume-writer is! Unfortunately, many of the resume-writing services make this very claim that they can create a winning resume with just a 20 question questionnaire filled out online.

 

Now seriously, how much could a complete stranger know about you in 20 measly questions without talking to you or meeting you?

 

You will find that the best professional resume-writers will be willing to meet with you in person (if possible), or do phone and/or email consultations with you as they write your resume and cover letter in addition to providing you with a questionnaire and compiling information from your previous resumes.

 

Additionally, when it comes to “turnaround time,” those resume-writers who promise to have your resume complete in 48 hours or less are either part of a “resume factory,” are using “cookie-cutter” templates and merely plugging in your work information, or they get a very low volume of business (something that should concern you).

 

So be sure to do your research about a resume-writer’s or company’s writing process before purchasing any of their services!

 

3. Does The Resume-Writer Have Any Proven Sales Or Marketing Experience?

 

Now this may sound like an odd factor to consider, but if you never learned this, you should know that your resume is a direct marketing sales-letter! Let’s face it – you have no doubt heard of best-selling authors. Have you ever heard of best-writing authors? Of course not! Those best-selling authors are able to sell and market the message of their books.

 

My point is this, just about anyone with spell check and grammar check on their computer can write a resume. But, it takes a very special person with a background in sales and/or marketing to bring that resume to life and “sell the reader” on why they should call you for an interview!

 

4. Does The Resume-Writer Offer A Guarantee For Their Services?

 

Any great resume-writer will stand by their work and offer to re-write your resume at no additional cost if it is not getting you any interviews within a certain number of days (usually 60-90). This is their professional pledge to you.

 

However, you as a job-seeker must also do your part in sending out more than just a few resumes, and most importantly – follow up with the employers you sent your resume and cover letter to. It’s amazing how few people actually do this!

 

Remember, your resume is a direct marketing sales-letter. Your “customers” are prospective employers. Any good salesman or saleswoman knows the rewards are in the follow-up!!!

 

5. How Much Does The Resume-Writer Charge For Their Professional Services?

 

I am sure that you have figured out (hopefully not the hard way) that in life, you definitely get what you pay for! Of course the price is important, but it is not nearly as important as having a winning resume that gets employers to call you for an interview today!

 

It all goes back to “cost versus value.” What do you get in terms of benefits for the price you pay? What do you get in the package deals? What kind of guarantee do they offer? Have they had other satisfied customers share their stories in believable testimonials?

 

You might want to look at it this way…

 

If I offered you a piece of paper with some scribbles and drawings on it for $1,000 – would you buy it? Probably not. However, if that paper with scribbles and drawings was a map that led to a buried treasure worth $100,000 or more – would you buy it?

 

Let’s hope so! That would definitely be the investment of the century! A hundred-fold return on your investment. (If only Wall St. could create those kinds of returns…legally!) I like to look at investing in a resume-writer the same way. If a resume-writer charges $200 for a professional resume, and that resume leads to a job that pays a yearly salary of $40,000 – you just made a two hundred-fold return on your investment!!! Now that’s really smart investing…

 

Additionally, if a professional resume-writer is guaranteeing his or her work and is willing to re-write your documents for 60-90 days at no extra cost to you, then you don’t have anything to lose. The risk is all on the resume-writer! So when you are considering investing in a professional resume-writer, take all of these five factors into consideration and make a wise career decision!

Known for writing winning resumes and cover letters that have led to job interviews for over 90% of his clients, Kristopher Marek provides professional resume writing services for job seekers looking for a better paying and more personally-satisfying career. Don’t even think of sending out your resume until you have read an online copy of his FREE book – The Top Twenty Resume Mistakes And How To Avoid Them. Just go to http://www.winningresumewriter.com and get started today.

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The blogosphere, made up of countless blogs from all over the world, is one of the most popular faces of the Internet. It’s not just for teenagers anymore. Several years ago, most blogs were run by kids who just wanted to keep in touch with their friends, or people who just wanted to talk about their daily life.

These days, almost everyone online has a blog.

Chances are, you have one – and if you don’t, you should.

Stay at home moms like to blog about their daily lives and raising children. CEOs of major corporations own blogs about the latest happenings at their company. Many celebrities run blogs, and they blog about their upcoming events, movies, and roles (not to mention scandals).

And marketers have blogs about every niche imaginable!

I’m confident to say I myself am part of the blogging culture.

Blogging is a great way to reach out to the people on the Internet. They can touch millions of lives, and spread your message like no other medium. You can say almost anything you want, and there will be an audience for almost every niche!

You can run a blog just for fun. If you want to talk about parties you attend, restaurants you eat at, places you go shopping, or where you go on vacation, someone will probably want to read about it.

Even if the only audience you have is your close friends and relatives, you’ll have fun and be able to say whatever’s on your mind.

More and more people are turning to blogging as a way to make money. Some people just want to make a few extra dollars for spending money, but others are actually making a full-time income with their blogs.

A few prominent bloggers even boast of making hundreds of thousands of dollars with their blogs (a la Perez Hilton, who parlayed his blogging fun into thousands of dollars in ad money each month, which delivered him his own TV show, podcast, and clothing line)!

There are plenty of ways to make money blogging. Whether you’re a college student who just wants to make a little extra cash for pizza and clothes, or you’re a serious marketer who wants to make a small fortune, it’s totally possible with blogging.

Blogs are big, even if they’re small. Some blogs get millions of hits per month. Blog traffic has been growing steadily for several years as consumers gain confidence from peers rather than trusting hard hitting sales pitches they find on the web.

With more and more people jumping onto the blogosphere bandwagon, it probably won’t slow down within the foreseeable future. If you’re thinking about getting into blogging, it’s a good idea to get started now.

It generally takes a few months to begin building up a following. And you really need regular visitors if you want to make money with your blog. You should work to gain subscribers to your RSS feed, because those people will come back often to read your new posts.

And remember to lend your own unique voice to your posts. One of the most important nuances in regards to why blogging is such a major global phenomenon is the fact that people really enjoy reading unique voices on certain topics.

They crave the differences in personalities. It’s refreshing to read information that has personality and isn’t stale or stuffy, which means it’s been translated by a single editor so that every voice is uniform. This is why columnist pages in local newspapers are so popular.

Your unique voice is the most important part of getting regular visitors to your blog. If you want to see examples of this, visit some of the most popular blogs you can find. You’ll see that one thing these blogs have in common is the fact that the bloggers make engaging, funny, or original posts.

That’s your key to making it big in the blogosphere!

Before You Blog, Build a Blueprint

A lot of bloggers put together a blog without any real plan for how they’re going to promote it or monetize it. Putting a blog together without a plan is like trying to build a house without a blueprint.

It’s possible, yes. But the end result is probably going to be shoddy, and the whole thing could fall apart at any minute.

You should create a solid plan of action before you even buy the domain. You need to develop a strong blueprint before you ever get started. Waiting until after you’ve already set it up and are getting traffic could mean a lot of extra work going in to correct mistakes.

Changing themes and adding plugins after you’re already getting traffic could interrupt your traffic. Sometimes new plugins and themes can temporarily break your blog, which could mean a loss of traffic (and money) until you’re able to fix everything.

The first part of your plan should be choosing a niche, of course. Part of choosing a niche is finding products you can promote. If a niche has no products available, you could create your own.

But if there are no affiliate products available, it could be because there isn’t enough demand there for a product. In this case, you’d have to do some careful market research in order to determine whether or not a niche is truly viable.

What’s your purpose for blogging?

Do you have your own product you want to promote?

Do you want to promote affiliate products?

Do you want to just put AdSense or CPA offers on your site?

You need to ask yourself questions like these so that you’ll know how you intend to monetize the site. If you plan to promote affiliate products, you should test the products yourself before you promote them.

If you don’t, your visitors could end up being very upset if you promoted a product of really poor quality and they bought it because they trusted you. Even worse, what if you end up promoting something that turns out to be a scam?

You don’t necessarily have to purchase every product you wish to promote. If you can prove you have a decent amount of traffic (and sometimes if you just ask), you may be able to get free review copies of some of the products you’d like to promote.

It doesn’t hurt to ask. Even if you don’t have any existing traffic yet, you can write to the owner of a particular affiliate program, tell them what you’re planning to do, and ask if you could get a review copy.

Some people won’t give you a review copy. Plenty of marketers get requests for review copies from those who just want to get a copy of their product for free. So if you run into a skeptic, or someone who’s been burned before, you may get turned down.

In this case, it’s probably best to just go ahead and buy the product if you really want to promote it. If it’s a scam or a really crappy product, just ask for a refund.

You can also consider using a donation button on your blog. If you can’t find any good products to promote, and you don’t have the time, money, or ability to create your own product, you can still put up a donation button. If your blog is very good, you may get donations.

Or, you can always sell ad space on your blog. If you start getting a substantial amount of traffic or you get a very high PageRank in Google, you could charge a lot of money for a link on your blog. You can also get paid for making posts on your blog that review other sites.

Should a Blog Topic Be Broad or Narrow?

There are two schools of thought regarding blog topics. Some people believe your topic should be very focused, because you can bring in a flurry of laser-targeted visitors. Plus, you have less competition in smaller market segments.

Another group of people believe that anything worth doing is worth doing big. They believe that the only way blogging can truly be worth it is if you’re bringing in massive traffic, and the only way you can achieve that level of traffic is by being very broad – casting a wide net, so to speak.

For example, you might have a sports blog that has broad appeal. You could talk about baseball, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, and golf. This would give you a much more broad appeal, and the potential for larger traffic.

But since there would be so much competition, it might take a lot longer to get more traffic coming in. Plus, the way I see it is, if I’m interested in golf, I really won’t care about the other parts of the blog, so the value of it plummets in my eyes.

But let’s say you choose golf as your broad topic. Even this is broad, although you just segregated it from the other sports in existence. There are many things you could write about golf – vacations, apparel, clubs, courses, techniques, etc.

You could choose an even more targeted niche like women’s golf or senior golf. This is a smaller segment of a small niche. This means you could get traffic faster, because there would be less competition.

Less competition means you have the potential to rise faster in the search engine rankings. Of course, women’s golf would get far less traffic from the number one spot of Google than the combined traffic of all of the other sports niches, but the chances of that traffic converting into a sale will soar.

So basically, it boils down to how you feel about your abilities. If you believe you have the ability to get one large blog to the top of the search engines rather quickly, then you might be able to handle a broad topic blog.

If you don’t believe your abilities are up-to-snuff, then you might want to stick with a smaller niche at first. Remember, you can always start other blogs later. You could either build a network of small niche blogs, or you could start out with one broad blog and then start multiple sub-niche blogs later. You could then link to all of your smaller blogs from your large blog.

You could also start with the smaller blogs, get them to gain some popularity, and then start a large, broad blog later. Once you start the larger blog, you’ll have several smaller blogs already getting traffic and already having PR that can link to the larger blog to get it started.

If you already have a lot of SEO experience and you’re confident in your ability to pull off some great search engine rankings quickly, then starting with a more broad blog might be a better option.

You can still get some of the benefits of having a smaller blog by having categories for each of the smaller niches on your broad topic blog. One last thing to keep in mind is that your traffic will be less targeted if you run a broad blog.

If you have a site about skin care, you may get a lot of traffic that’s just looking for information about the best lotions or skin creams. But if you start a blog about something specific, like acne, you’re more likely to get people who are ready and willing to buy something.

Where Will You Host Your Blog?

A lot of people start out by hosting their blog for free at one of the common blog hosting companies. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it’s a much better idea to host your blog on your own domain if possible.

Let’s take a look at WordPress. WordPress is a very popular blogging platform. You can host your blog on their servers, or you can download the software and host your blog on your own domain.

There are a few reasons why you should host your own blog, rather than hosting your blog directly on WordPress.com. For one thing, WordPress doesn’t allow you to promote affiliate links on their domain.

So if you want to make any money with your blog, you can’t host it on their server, you’ll have to host it yourself. Another reason why you shouldn’t host your blog on WordPress is the fact that you can’t use the variety of plugins and themes that you could use on your own domain.

WordPress is very limited as far as the functionality, so don’t expect to have anything really cool on your blog if you host it there. You can find free WordPress tutorials to help you get started with your blog.

Now let’s look at Blogger. They do allow commercial blogs, so you can post affiliate links there if you want. But they’re also against what they deem as “spam blogs” or “splogs.” If they decide your blog is spam, or they decide it’s “too” commercial, or they just don’t like it, they can delete it for any reason.

There goes all that hard work you put into it!

You have to agree to those terms and conditions when you sign up. That means that even if you don’t actually break any rules, they could still delete your blog if they chose. That’s a pretty powerful motivator.

It certainly wouldn’t be a very pleasant thing to build a blog up to several thousand hits per day, only to have it deleted (and trust me, I’ve heard these horror stories). You’d lose all of that traffic, all of those backlinks, all of your reputation and your search engine rankings.

Imagine it all being wiped out overnight. That’s not a good thing.

It’s like having a fire rip through your brick and mortar store and you don’t have any insurance to rebuild.

Another very important reason to host your blog on your own domain is that it gives you credibility. If you host your blog on your own domain, you’ll appear more professional, and more like an authority figure in your niche.

People will automatically assume you’re more serious if you’re hosting your blog on your own domain, rather than putting it up somewhere for free. If you do decide to host your own domain, the first thing you’ll need to do is choose a domain that contains a few keywords related to your niche.

If your blog is about house cleaning tips, then try to get housecleaningtips.com. If that’s not available, go down your keyword list and find the next best thing. Then register the domain.

Next you need to find a host for your blog. You might want to choose a host that has Fantastico, which is a program that sits on the server and allows you to very easily install WordPress (and other scripts) without having to create and manage MySQL databases yourself.

Once you have hosting, you just need to go to your domain registrar and set up the name servers to point to your new host. Your hosting company’s support should be able to help you with this.

Blogging Is Big Business

More and more companies are starting blogs, and many people are even forming their entire companies around blogging. Customers really love blogs because they’re generally full of great (free) information, they offer a personal touch that generally isn’t found on a standard corporate website, and they’re not usually full of a lot of hype and hard sell tactics.

Another reason customers love blogs is that they offer a great medium for interaction. Visitors can leave comments and receive responses to their comments. This helps build loyalty to your blog and your company, and readers really enjoy this level of interaction with someone they consider an authority figure.

It helps them feel like they’re really being listened to, and like the company really cares about what they have to say – even if that “company” is an entrepreneur like you! Blogs are a fantastic way to build loyalty.

You can reach your audience in a very personal way, must more so than with a standard, stuffy stagnant website. Readers expect to see some personality coming out in a blog. If you really let your personality shine through, you can build a following that will subscribe to your RSS feed and come back often, eagerly waiting to hear more of what you have to say.

This is a great way to brand yourself and your business. Since you can get more personal with a blog, people start to get to know you a bit as a person. This makes you seem more real, and people begin to trust you and your messages more.

For some reason, people trust websites with identifiable people behind them.

Remember, when you’re blogging for business you should stay somewhat professional. It’s probably best not to post about your aunt’s cataract surgery or your grandma’s cat that died. You can get a bit personal – after all, that’s what really makes you stand out.

But most people who are reading your blog are there to find out information about the niche, seeking solutions to their needs. Keep your posts on topic, but get personal by providing your own voice within those entries.

Provide valuable information within your blog posts. People aren’t going to keep coming back to your blog over and over just to read about the new products you’re releasing, unless you’re releasing some really revolutionary stuff.

They’re going to want to read industry news, tips and tricks, special strategies, and other important information for free. While it’s perfectly fine to blog about new product releases, it’s also important to keep providing helpful information to keep your readers coming back.

Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that your readers are real people. You know what you enjoy reading in a blog, right? You want solid information – something useful. You probably don’t mind the occasional sales pitch on a blog full of great information, but you’d be pretty annoyed to reading nothing but pitch after pitch.

If you’re running a business blog, it’s important to keep your readers in mind. Give them the kind of quality information they’re hungry for, and they’ll keep coming back for more. In fact, the more you give them for free, the more loyal they’ll become, and the more likely they’ll be to buy from you in the future.

Blogging is all about informing and educating. If you can do that, your visitors will form a bond with you and they’ll be sure to spread the word about your blog so that your URL goes viral and it attracts an even bigger following within your niche.

Blogging can be very lucrative, not to mention it enhances your overall branding and networking on the ‘net. Here are the steps you need to take to get started RIGHT NOW:

1.) Pick a niche topic (my advice is to go narrow).

2.) Find a domain and buy it.

3.) Set up your WordPress blog using your Fantastico host.

4.) Pick a theme online – Google free WordPress themes and you’ll find millions you can upload.

5.) Set up your blog for categories, ad space, and stick an opt-in box in it to begin building a list.

6.) Start posting to your blog using keyword relevant titles and entries.

7.) Start bookmarking your blog and sharing that link to get it moving in the viral direction.

8.) Test the conversion of various products you promote on your blog and switch out those that aren’t working well for you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog report. Feel free to pass it around and share it with others you feel it might help!

Bret Glick

http://www.Dragon-Adventures.com

Bret C Glick
Lindenhurst NY
11757
http://www.dragon-adventures.com

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College sports bring in big dollars every year on the major college level. These programs bring $30 and sometimes $40 million dollars per year to the universities and colleges and the players get nothing. These are the same players who are breaking their backs for the university day in and day out and can’t get a share of that money and, to me, that does not seem fair. I know what you may be thinking: that these student athletes are getting a free education or have gotten a scholarship to play ball at that university. To me, that’s the least they could be doing.

When I look at college football on Saturdays and see packed stadiums with cheering fans paying big money for a ticket I say, what business out there could run a company and not pay its workers? You would think I was talking about some Third World country! Pay the players now, please!

Think about this one: most of the college coaches get six figure salaries– big college programs and small ones. Some of these college coaches get shoe contracts, some get T.V. and radio contracts and many other perks along the way. Also, if they are a good coach and win games they will be offered another coaching job somewhere else with bigger money and larger perks! The student athletes get nothing and, to me, something should be done about that. Please pay the players now!

They will keep telling you that the athletes are getting the free education, free books, free room and board and the chance at a good college education that will last a lifetime. So what! Pay the players! I see this whole college thing as slave-labor! Coaches make big money on the backs of these players. You hear stories about college athletes taking money or getting paid under the table. You hear these stories of players getting cars and lots of cash, you hear stories of players getting all of this and more on the side. You hear about the player’s families getting cars and houses to attend that college program. This goes on all the time in secret!

Why do the players take this money and cars and houses for their families and much more? Well one reason is recruiting; some college programs feel that in order to get a major college recruit they have to offer these things. Some college programs (not all) have to give something to get these kids. Some of these players come from poor backgrounds, so for these kids to get some money is a big deal especially if the players and their families don’t have money anyway.

Being a college athlete is very hard. In the first placed the amount of hours that these players put in is a lot–every day of every week. They are in class all day then there’s practice after practice, they go eat dinner if they can and then go study. Now all of this may sound simple to you but the amount of time these student athletes are putting in is huge. Then the coaches want more. There could be film to study and there could be times when they are being seen by the athletic trainer. As a student athlete, you have to focus on your studies and your athletic performance or they will try to get rid of you.

College athletics is hard. Sometimes at the end of the day you are exhausted and don’t feel like studying or if they have some kind of study table for the players you may not be able to totally focus and, oftentimes, your attention is elsewhere. Just think about the millions of people who go to work every day. They work long hours and may have long commutes to and from home. I’m sure the last thing working people want to do is spend extra hours doing more work. Most working people want to relax, maybe have a beer and watch some T.V. then call it a day. The big difference is they are getting paid for the service and time and college ball players are not.

Most of the college student athletes do not get their college degrees and one reason is the workouts and the games that they play. There is so much pressure to do well that something will fall off and that something is their education. College coaches have been known to look the other way as it relates to student athletes and their academics as long as that player can help win games.

For most college athletes, when their eligibility is used up the college programs have no more need for their services. Why would they? For 4 years these college programs have worked these young men and women to death every day. The college programs have gotten all that they could get out of these players and then some. At the college level or at any level it’s only about winning games and bringing in big money.

Take a look at baseball; if a high school baseball player is really good, he can be offered a contract to sign with a major league baseball team. Sometimes the offer is $200,000 and, I’ve heard, as much as $2 million dollars. Now if that high school baseball player takes that money then they forfeit their college eligibility. Some high school baseball players pass on the money to attend college where they can get better, sharpen their baseball skills and be drafted again by a major league team. Many high school baseball players take the money and take the chance to try and make it in the major leagues. A great many players never make it to the majors. Some playing in the minor leagues for years until they realize that their dream of playing in the majors is not going to happen and they move on to something else.

Once you take that money you can’t go back and try to play college baseball. The same is true for all the other sports. You’ll have high school basketball players trying to make it to the NBA; you have young men try out for the NFL. Many of these athletes never gave education a chance and many who are in college never got their degree.

College athletes struggle with their academics. Many do not graduate and some just quit altogether. College athletics is not for everyone and many student athletes can’t cut it so pay the players! Pay them something for all their time and their efforts!

When these college programs are playing in bowl games and making millions on the backs of the players and the players get nothing still, that’s wrong. When its “March Madness” time for college basketball and millions are glued to the T.V. every day for hours and the players are giving their all–they still get nothing!

Why would it be a problem to pay players? The schools are making millions of dollars any way. This is not Mexico or China where the workers are getting paid $1.00 per hour to make billions for some corporation–you know slave labor!

Why do you think players take money from many outside sources? Why do players get suspended from the team for breaking team rules? Why are college programs put on probation? It’s all because of money. You have many players coming from disadvantaged backgrounds where there is no money in their families. If these disadvantaged young student athletes had to pay for college out of their own pockets, most would not be in a college at all.

Some student athletes come from backgrounds where the educational system is not that good. Their school districts are under-funded and mismanaged. For many student athletes, their way out is an education with the full athletic scholarships. Playing a sport is their future. Many student athletes only focus on athletics thinking that one day they will be good enough to play in the pros. So when money is dangled in front of the faces of some student athletes, the temptation has to be overwhelming!

For a great many years we have heard stories of players and coaches getting in trouble because of money. We’ve heard of situations of entire college programs being killed off by the NCAA because of money being given to players. Why do they do it? Why is money a problem? One reason is because it’s easy to get certain types of players from certain kinds of backgrounds. Big-time college programs can only survive with big-time major college players so they pay them. We all know that paying college athletes is wrong (set by the guidelines of the NCAA). But this rule needs to change now.

If college athletes are getting scholarships then they can be paid. If players are getting paid, then I believe you would have more college athletes graduate from college because there would be a stronger incentive to work hard in the classroom. Larger universities pay college coaches more based on their performance and the players should get paid as well.

If the players are getting paid then this corruption would stop. No more booster paying players, no more college players selling their shoes, no more college players taking jobs that pay them big money just to work a few hours. It’s hard out there for a student athlete! Did you know that a non-student athlete can get a job to earn extra money and can work around their schedules but a student athlete can’t have a job until the school year is over and there are restrictions as to the type of job they can have.

In the game of college athletics, the rules are not fair for the college student athletes! The playing field is not equal. Pay the players!

http://woodsrecruiting.com

Woods Recruiting: specializing in helping high school student athletes get recruited for college.

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There are many different sorts of rice; among them, the parboiled one that I do not recommend, regardless of the brand. Some people may like it but for me this is something other than rice. The taste is awful and it seems to never be cooked. To have good rice, use Indian, Thai or Asian rice; or any other rice that is not parboiled. Italian rice is very good as well. According to the rice you buy, you will need to use a specific cooking method; for example, Asian rice is not good for making risotto, Italian rice is not good for serving with Chinese cooking.

Boiled rice: The simplest way to cook rice.

Note: This is a very simple way to cook rice but not the best because the rice, boiled in a large quantity of water, is “washed” and most of the taste is lost in the water. Look below to see my recommended methods for cooking rice. The methods to cook the rice are different according to the sort of rice you are using.

1- Bring a big quantity of water to the boil. (8 to 10 times the volume of rice), together with 1 tbsp of salt for each 2 pints of water used.

2- Add the rice and bring back to the boil, on a high heat, stirring frequently.

3- Reduce the heat to a low to medium heat, to keep boiling until the rice is cooked. Stir occasionally to make sure the rice is not sticking to the pot.

4- When cooked, (about 15 minutes, maybe less according to the specific rice you are using), strain and serve immediately, plain or with butter or olive oil.

5- If you are not serving the rice immediately, cool the rice in cold water, strain and store until you are ready to serve it.

(The rice can be very easily reheated in a microwave oven. You can also use it to prepare fried rice)

Pilaff: An alternative way to cook rice (use Basmati rice for instance for this recipe)

This method is called riz Pilaff (or pilaw) in French cuisine.

1- Take an ovenproof dish, put on a medium heat with one tbsp of butter for 2 cups of rice.

2- Add some chopped onion and sweat* in butter.

3- Add the rice; stir it in to the butter with the onion, for one or two minutes, until the rice becomes translucent.

4- Add 11/2 the volume of water, together with some salt, pepper, and a whole garlic clove if you like, (this is optional).

5- Bring to the boil, cover with aluminium foil, put in the oven at 200°C (400° F), and cook for between 14 and 17 minutes, until done. It should be ready when all the water has been absorbed.

*When sweating the onions you can add a choice of whole spices (not ground). Sweat together with the onions, then add the rice and cook together. You will have to remove the spices when eating or before you serve the rice. This takes a little time, but the rice cooked in this way is really very delicious.

Risotto: To use Italian risotto rice it is better to cook it the risotto way.

Here is the basic way to do it.

1- Sweat chopped onions in some butter.

2- Add the rice, (“arborio”, “vialone”, “carnaroli”…; (about 3 ounces per person).

3- Stir until the rice becomes translucent.

4- Add dry white wine to the level of the rice. Cook until almost all the wine is evaporated.

5- According to the recipe you are preparing, (if your risotto will be made plain, with sea food, meat, vegetables etc.) add fish stock, vegetable or chicken broth; (for 12 oz of rice add about 1 pint of the stock, you will add more later).

6- Bring to the boil on a medium heat, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper.

7- Keep cooking the rice, adding more liquid when necessary. (The quantity of liquid necessary to use in risotto is difficult to say as different rice brands will absorb more or less liquid.)

8- Immediately after the rice has absorbed the previous amount of liquid, add more liquid, and repeatedly add a little each time, allowing the rice to absorb little by little the liquid.

9- Repeat the process until the rice is cooked, stirring frequently.

10- When done, the risotto should be cooked but a little “al dente”. It should be creamy as well.

11- To finish add grated parmesan and serve immediately.

12- To give more taste, add chopped garlic, cream during the cooking process.

Almost anything can be added in risotto, depending on personal choice; vegetables cut in cubes, sea food, chicken, meat cut in small pieces, cooked before or not, depending if it can be cooked in the risotto itself.

The basic Asian way of cooking rice:

To prepare the rice this way, you can use a rice cooker; this is a wonderful device. It will cook alone and keep the rice warm for hours.

If you do not have a rice cooker:

1- Put one volume of rice (Thai, Basmati etc.) in a pot.

2- Add 11/2 the volume of water, and stir.

3- Put on a medium to high heat.

4- Bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and boil on a low to medium heat until cooked.

5- Serve immediately.

(Make sure the water does not evaporate too much during the cooking. Do not stir the rice during the cooking).

Brown rice

Brown rice can be cooked in the same way as: “Boiled Rice: The simplest way to cook any rice”; except that the rice will need to be cooked for about 1 hour to be ready.

Drain and store like plain rice in the recipe above.

Jean-Louis Vosgien www.photos-and-recipes.com

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Collector Car Insurance and Classic Car Insurance

If you are fortunate enough to own a classic car – or any collectible automobile – then you want to ensure that your luck does not run out because of having inadequate insurance coverage. Call it covering your butt – or covering your “asset” – but by all means, call one of the major providers such as American Collectors, Haggerty, or Parish Heacock insurance companies and let them put you in the driver’s seat in terms of professional protection of your cherished automotive investment.

How to Kick the Tires on Classic Car Insurance

The whole idea of insurance is that it needs to do what you expect of it in an emergency, when the rubber really hits the road. And classic car insurance is as different from conventional auto insurance as, well, a classic car is from your run of the mill generic vehicle.

When you buy a classic car insurance policy, you are essentially purchasing protection for those times when – God forbid and knock on wood it doesn’t happen – disaster strikes in the form of a fire, a collision, or an act of theft or vandalism. Just as we now have modern airbags to save us in the event of a crash, we also have collector’s car insurance, to protect us with adequate moneybags when calamity throws a wrench in the works.

The time you invest in choosing the right classic car insurance coverage is well worth the value and peace of mind that a quality collector’s insurance policy delivers for owners of classic motor cars.

The Nuts and Bolts of Classic Car Insurance Coverage

Collector car insurance is not the same as the insurance you buy for normal coverage of your daily transportation. Collector car insurance, or classic car insurance, is made especially for the needs of the car collector. And while ordinary insurance does offer some protection, no matter what you drive, it can leave you high and dry in the event of a loss that it not effectively covered by the terms of the insurance contract.

For example, you may have a garage-kept Cadillac Sedan DeVille with swooping fins your grandparents bought for $7,000 brand new back in the 1960s. But dealers have offered you three times that much, and you saw another one sell at an auto show for $35,000. If you don’t have special collector car insurance or classic car insurance, and the car is totaled, you will be lucky to get $7,000 for it. With depreciation calculated in, the insurance statisticians may decide that it is worth only half that much, or less, and you could wind up with two or three grand in exchange for your dream machine.

Stipulations or requirements normally encountered while shopping for collector car insurance or classic car insurance:

• A decent driving record.
• At least 10 years driving experience
• No teen drivers on the policy or drivers with poor driving records
• Secure and out of the weather garage
• Proof that you have another car for daily transportation
• Collector vehicle insurance is sometimes limited by the age of your car, and if your car is too young it may not qualify for a particular policy.
• Limited mileage. You probably don’t want to drive your creampuff car all the time, and your insurance company doesn’t want you to either. Mileage limits have increased recently, though, so if you can live with 250 miles a month you’re probably okay.

Coverage with collector car insurance or classic car insurance: Three kinds of value are important to understand when buying your policy. 1) Actual cash value: This is what you usually get with ordinary insurance, and is based on replacement cost minus depreciation.

2) Stated value:

The insurance company pays up to the stated value of the car, but may not guarantee the full stated value. And deductibles of up to $1,000 usually apply.

3) Agreed value:

In most jurisdictions, those who provide collector car insurance or classic car insurance are allowed to insure for a value that you and your insurer agree upon. And for most autos, there is no deductible. If your $100,000 vintage Rolls get trashed, you get a check for 100 grand, plain and simple – which is exactly why collectors use special classic car insurance coverage.

Do a periodic review of your coverage limits, because classic car prices are rising. What you insured your cherry classic for ten years ago may be a fraction of what it’s worth today. And if you are restoring a vehicle, ask your agent to give you appropriate insurance. There is no need to pay extra based on mileage statistics, if your car is up on blocks with no engine inside it. And as the car’s value increases thanks to your hard work of restoring it, you should raise the coverage to keep up with the added value of the restoration.

Keep all your receipts and paperwork – for everything from parts and labor to expenses incurred to take it to a classic car show – so that you can document the total investment your collector’s car represents. And take photos and keep them updated, for the same reason. And Last But Not Least: Special Savings Opportunities

As long as you meet the criteria in terms of how you use and take care of the car, you can usually buy a policy.

Traditional insurers will either refuse coverage, offer only a replacement value based on the nuts and bolts (minus heavy depreciation) of the car, or will charge you a prohibitive amount for the premium. But many collectors find that special collector’s coverage saves them money – as much as half – while insuring them for higher limits, sometime three or four times what a traditional company gave them.

Yes, it’s possible to get collector’s insurance coverage for full market value for your car, and save up to 50 percent off of the premium you’d pay with ordinary insurance. That makes classic car insurance a must-have for any serious car buff.

Below is information about three of the most reputable and dependable collectors and classic car insurance companies in the USA (All information listed below subject to change, please contact the insurance companies listed to be sure.):

Hagerty Insurance P.O. Box 1303 Traverse City, MI 49685-1303

Email: auto@hagerty.com Toll Free: 800-922-4050

Qualifications:

• Similar to the others listed below, but please contact Haggerty for details.

American Collectors InsuranceP.O. Box 8343 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002Email:info@americancollectors.comToll Free:(800) 360-2277 Qualifications (subject to change or regional laws so check with the company for specific up-to-date information).

• At least 15 years old
• Garage-kept
• Driven on a limited, pleasure-only basis (up to 5,000 annual miles – available in most states)

You may also qualify by:

• Having at least 10 years driving experience
• Having a good driving record
• Having at least one “regular” vehicle for every licensed driver in the household You may request a policy application either directly from American Collectors Insurance or through your local insurance agent (rates are the same either way).

Parish Heacock Classic Car InsuranceP.O. Box 24807 Lakeland, FL 33802-4807 Email:info@parishheacock.comToll free: (800) 678-5173 Qualifications (subject to change or regional laws so check with the company for specific up-to-date information).

• Each household member of driving age must have at least 10 years driving experience or be excluded.
• Each household member must have a regular use vehicle less than 15 years old that is insured with liability limits equal to or higher than the limits being applied for on the collectible vehicle.
• All licensed members of household and any other drivers of the vehicle must be listed on the application.
• Maximum of two accidents or violations in the household, maximum of one per licensed household member in past 3 years. No major violations permitted in past 5 years.
• A Driver Health Questionnaire must be completed for all drivers over 70 years old.
• Auto must be stored in a locked permanent garage facility when not driven.
• Auto may not be used for commuting to or from work or school, used for business purposes or as a substitute for another auto.
• Autos not covered while on a racetrack or when being used for: racing, speed, driver’s education, or timed events.
• Must display pride of ownership: well maintained, in restored or well-preserved condition.
• Vehicles under restoration must be stored at residence or a restoration shop, with a target date for completion. Agreed value coverage is not available on cars under restoration. Eligibility subject to company review.
• Replica Vehicles and Pro Street vehicles are subject to company review.
• Trucks and Jeeps must be over 25 years old, and not be used for towing, hauling, off-road or utility use.
• Generally do not require appraisals, but may ask for one if vehicle value is difficult to determine.

Michael Modica is an avid musclecar fan. He is the webmaster of the world’s leading Second Generation Camaro resouce, http://www.nastyz28.com

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1. Before purchasing new clothing items, ask yourself if you really need it!

2. If you charge clothing, pay your bills before “due date”.

3. Consider shopping at discount stores.

4. Can you get along without it until a sale comes along at season’s end?

5. Is it a new “fad” that may be out of style in a short time?

6. Shop for clothing at rummage sales, garage sales, flea markets, etc.

7. Shop for used clothing at “like new” shops – see your Yellow Pages.

8. Watch newspaper ads for store sales, clearances, close-outs, etc.

9. Consider buying or renting a sewing machine and making it yourself.

10. Save by shining your own shoes.

11. Keep care costs in mind. Buy washables and save on dry cleaning bills.

12. Shop for clothing at thrift shops.

13. Always keep your clothes clean and in good repair. They’ll last longer.

14. Raise cash by selling discarded clothing at garage sales, flea markets, etc.

15. Alter adult’s clothing for your children.

16. Make minor clothing repairs yourself.

17. Get old shoes repaired for longer wear: resoled, new heels added, etc.

18. Buy only clothing items that are well made and will wear well.

19. Stick to basic styles, colors, fabrics.

20. Trade clothing items with friends & neighbors (especially children’s).

21. Carry a plastic raincoat to protect clothing from unexpected showers.

22. Look for clothing bargains in newspaper classified ads.

23. Buy versatile clothes that can be used for different occasions.

24. Buy coordinated clothing so you can mix and match and have more outfits.

25. Donate used clothing to charities for tax deductions.

26. Save older children’s clothing for hand-me-downs for the younger ones.

27. Hand clothes properly for longer life.

28. Change into old (washable) clothes for dirty at-home tasks.

29. Before storing, shoes should be cleaned, polished & shoe trees inserted.

30. Take extra special care of leather clothing items for lifetime wear.

31. Avoid dry cleaning bills. Many spots can be removed with cleaning fluids.

32. Buy dual-purpose clothing, such as reversible, topcoat/raincoats, etc.

33. If bored with a pair of shoes, consider dying them a different color.

34. Use worn-out clothing for cleaning, household wipes, and “nose blowers”.

35. Consider saving by ordering clothing items from mail order houses.

36. Buy children’s clothing items a size or two larger for longer wear.

37. During sales, stock up on basics: sleep wear, underwear, socks, etc.

38. Teach children to care for their clothing.

39. Don’t “kill time” in clothing stores or you may buy things you don’t need.

40. Get to know where to go for the best buys for certain items.

41. Practice sales resistance if you can’t find exactly what you want.

42. Remember that high price does not necessarily mean good quality.

43. When shopping, have a definite plan and stick to it.

44. If you cannot find what you want, go home without it.

45. Never buy anything just because “everyone else is wearing it”!

46. Buy men’s suits & coats in February, April, and November & before Christmas.

47. Stock up on children’s clothes after back-to-school sales in October.

48. Buy men’s shirts, socks and underwear before Father’s Day in June.

49. Buy women’s winter coats & suits in November.

50. Buy summer clothing, swimsuits, shoes & sandals during sales in July.

51. Buy cocktail dresses, winter boots and furs during January sales.

52. Shop “After Easter” sales for children’s clothes, dresses, spring coats and fabrics.

53. Look for spring sportswear sales during May.

54. Buy ski clothing during August; other sports clothing during July sales.

55. Shop on the internet at http://www.worldcrownmall.com to save $$$$$.

I am an avid shopper. I have saved 1000’s of dollars by creating a shopping mall website. I would like to share my saving with you visit [http://www.worldcrownmall.com] and start saving $$$ today

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Collector Car Insurance and Classic Car Insurance

If you are fortunate enough to own a classic car – or any collectible automobile – then you want to ensure that your luck does not run out because of having inadequate insurance coverage. Call it covering your butt – or covering your “asset” – but by all means, call one of the major providers such as American Collectors, Haggerty, or Parish Heacock insurance companies and let them put you in the driver’s seat in terms of professional protection of your cherished automotive investment.

How to Kick the Tires on Classic Car Insurance

The whole idea of insurance is that it needs to do what you expect of it in an emergency, when the rubber really hits the road. And classic car insurance is as different from conventional auto insurance as, well, a classic car is from your run of the mill generic vehicle.

When you buy a classic car insurance policy, you are essentially purchasing protection for those times when – God forbid and knock on wood it doesn’t happen – disaster strikes in the form of a fire, a collision, or an act of theft or vandalism. Just as we now have modern airbags to save us in the event of a crash, we also have collector’s car insurance, to protect us with adequate moneybags when calamity throws a wrench in the works.

The time you invest in choosing the right classic car insurance coverage is well worth the value and peace of mind that a quality collector’s insurance policy delivers for owners of classic motor cars.

The Nuts and Bolts of Classic Car Insurance Coverage

Collector car insurance is not the same as the insurance you buy for normal coverage of your daily transportation. Collector car insurance, or classic car insurance, is made especially for the needs of the car collector. And while ordinary insurance does offer some protection, no matter what you drive, it can leave you high and dry in the event of a loss that it not effectively covered by the terms of the insurance contract.

For example, you may have a garage-kept Cadillac Sedan DeVille with swooping fins your grandparents bought for $7,000 brand new back in the 1960s. But dealers have offered you three times that much, and you saw another one sell at an auto show for $35,000. If you don’t have special collector car insurance or classic car insurance, and the car is totaled, you will be lucky to get $7,000 for it. With depreciation calculated in, the insurance statisticians may decide that it is worth only half that much, or less, and you could wind up with two or three grand in exchange for your dream machine.

Stipulations or requirements normally encountered while shopping for collector car insurance or classic car insurance:

• A decent driving record.
• At least 10 years driving experience
• No teen drivers on the policy or drivers with poor driving records
• Secure and out of the weather garage
• Proof that you have another car for daily transportation
• Collector vehicle insurance is sometimes limited by the age of your car, and if your car is too young it may not qualify for a particular policy.
• Limited mileage. You probably don’t want to drive your creampuff car all the time, and your insurance company doesn’t want you to either. Mileage limits have increased recently, though, so if you can live with 250 miles a month you’re probably okay.

Coverage with collector car insurance or classic car insurance: Three kinds of value are important to understand when buying your policy. 1) Actual cash value: This is what you usually get with ordinary insurance, and is based on replacement cost minus depreciation.

2) Stated value:

The insurance company pays up to the stated value of the car, but may not guarantee the full stated value. And deductibles of up to $1,000 usually apply.

3) Agreed value:

In most jurisdictions, those who provide collector car insurance or classic car insurance are allowed to insure for a value that you and your insurer agree upon. And for most autos, there is no deductible. If your $100,000 vintage Rolls get trashed, you get a check for 100 grand, plain and simple – which is exactly why collectors use special classic car insurance coverage.

Do a periodic review of your coverage limits, because classic car prices are rising. What you insured your cherry classic for ten years ago may be a fraction of what it’s worth today. And if you are restoring a vehicle, ask your agent to give you appropriate insurance. There is no need to pay extra based on mileage statistics, if your car is up on blocks with no engine inside it. And as the car’s value increases thanks to your hard work of restoring it, you should raise the coverage to keep up with the added value of the restoration.

Keep all your receipts and paperwork – for everything from parts and labor to expenses incurred to take it to a classic car show – so that you can document the total investment your collector’s car represents. And take photos and keep them updated, for the same reason. And Last But Not Least: Special Savings Opportunities

As long as you meet the criteria in terms of how you use and take care of the car, you can usually buy a policy.

Traditional insurers will either refuse coverage, offer only a replacement value based on the nuts and bolts (minus heavy depreciation) of the car, or will charge you a prohibitive amount for the premium. But many collectors find that special collector’s coverage saves them money – as much as half – while insuring them for higher limits, sometime three or four times what a traditional company gave them.

Yes, it’s possible to get collector’s insurance coverage for full market value for your car, and save up to 50 percent off of the premium you’d pay with ordinary insurance. That makes classic car insurance a must-have for any serious car buff.

Below is information about three of the most reputable and dependable collectors and classic car insurance companies in the USA (All information listed below subject to change, please contact the insurance companies listed to be sure.):

Hagerty Insurance P.O. Box 1303 Traverse City, MI 49685-1303

Email: auto@hagerty.com Toll Free: 800-922-4050

Qualifications:

• Similar to the others listed below, but please contact Haggerty for details.

American Collectors InsuranceP.O. Box 8343 Cherry Hill, NJ 08002Email:info@americancollectors.comToll Free:(800) 360-2277 Qualifications (subject to change or regional laws so check with the company for specific up-to-date information).

• At least 15 years old
• Garage-kept
• Driven on a limited, pleasure-only basis (up to 5,000 annual miles – available in most states)

You may also qualify by:

• Having at least 10 years driving experience
• Having a good driving record
• Having at least one “regular” vehicle for every licensed driver in the household You may request a policy application either directly from American Collectors Insurance or through your local insurance agent (rates are the same either way).

Parish Heacock Classic Car InsuranceP.O. Box 24807 Lakeland, FL 33802-4807 Email:info@parishheacock.comToll free: (800) 678-5173 Qualifications (subject to change or regional laws so check with the company for specific up-to-date information).

• Each household member of driving age must have at least 10 years driving experience or be excluded.
• Each household member must have a regular use vehicle less than 15 years old that is insured with liability limits equal to or higher than the limits being applied for on the collectible vehicle.
• All licensed members of household and any other drivers of the vehicle must be listed on the application.
• Maximum of two accidents or violations in the household, maximum of one per licensed household member in past 3 years. No major violations permitted in past 5 years.
• A Driver Health Questionnaire must be completed for all drivers over 70 years old.
• Auto must be stored in a locked permanent garage facility when not driven.
• Auto may not be used for commuting to or from work or school, used for business purposes or as a substitute for another auto.
• Autos not covered while on a racetrack or when being used for: racing, speed, driver’s education, or timed events.
• Must display pride of ownership: well maintained, in restored or well-preserved condition.
• Vehicles under restoration must be stored at residence or a restoration shop, with a target date for completion. Agreed value coverage is not available on cars under restoration. Eligibility subject to company review.
• Replica Vehicles and Pro Street vehicles are subject to company review.
• Trucks and Jeeps must be over 25 years old, and not be used for towing, hauling, off-road or utility use.
• Generally do not require appraisals, but may ask for one if vehicle value is difficult to determine.

Michael Modica is an avid musclecar fan. He is the webmaster of the world’s leading Second Generation Camaro resouce, http://www.nastyz28.com

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A tropical fish tank is a very popular way to introduce a new pet into your home while creating a beautiful scene in whatever room your fish tank is located. Tropical fish are known for their breathtaking colors and the languorous way they flit back and forth in whatever tank they call home. In fact, so many people enjoy the scenes created by a tropical fish tank that the scene has become a popular screen saver for computers and even television sets! Instead of watching tropical fish on a screen, however, you’ll thoroughly enjoy setting up a tropical fish tank in your own home.

The first consideration you’ll have when setting up your tropical fish tank is the size tank you would like to own. If you are a beginner to the world of fish tanks, the best advice to take would be to start small. Small may become a relative term to you, however, in that you’ll also need to consider the size and number of fish you purchase to go into your tropical fish tank. Obviously, a tiny round bowl will not cut it if the fish you select takes up the entire space. When choosing your tropical fish tank, you’ll also need to consider where it will be placed in your home in order to determine a specific size. If you have a tiny apartment, buying the largest tank will probably not be a smart choice. In a huge home, a tiny tank may never be noticed.

After choosing the perfect tank, you’ll need to consider whether you would like to create a freshwater or saltwater environment for your future fish. You’ll need to read about particular types of fish and which environment they thrive in to help you make this choice. At this point in your decision making process, you should also start choosing the fish for your tropical fish tank. There are more aspects to this to consider than simply beauty. Certain types of fish cannot thrive together in the same tank. Some fish can survive in either saltwater or freshwater, but many varieties are specific to only one type of water. Some fish do well on their own while others need to be a part of a group of fish. Make these decisions carefully, as some tropical fish can be highly expensive to obtain.

Once you have selected your tropical fish tank, you’ll need to begin setting it up in your home and introducing your selected tropical fish to their new environment. Unfortunately, this most important step – the introduction – is often glossed over and not handled properly. This can lead to tropical fish dying before they’ve even had a chance to try to survive in their new tank. Tropical fish must be introduced to their new tanks slowly and only one at a time to ensure that they can properly fit in and acclimate. Pet stores may tell you to simply put the bag that the fish is in within the tank for a few moments, but in reality, they may need hours or even a few days to really fit into their new world.

Getahugetank.com offers fish tanks, fish aquarium supplies, and tropical fish tanks.

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Early LCD television had drawbacks relative to traditional visual display technologies. These problems have largely been overcome in recent years, and LCD televisions, along with plasma displays, have taken over the dominant market position worldwide from cathode ray displays. Some manufacturers are also experimenting with extending colour reproduction of LCD televisions.

LCD

LCD televisions are usually brighter than plasma TVs, and many can double as a computer monitor or media-center display. LCD Television technology has advanced greatly, particularly with respect to the reproduction of black levels. LCD televisions are now coming out bigger and at prices that are really starting to compete with those of similar-size plasma TVs.

The technologies found in these big televisions eventually trickles down to smaller, higher-volume sets. LCD televisions are also beginning to challenge plasmas in sales in the 40-inch and above categories, where plasma has been dominant, Fujiomoto added. Global demand for LCD televisions will rise from 42 million units in 2006 to 69. By 2010, LCD television shipments are expected to rise to 128 million units.

Television

The output at Kameyama, along with allowing Sharp to make more televisions, is also allowing the company to come out with a wide variety of them. The company now has four separate lines of LCD televisions, ranging in technical sophistication. Some of the televisions coming out this year will feature a refresh rate of 120 hertz; double the current 60-herz standard. In the second quarter, Sharp is expected to come out with a line of LCD televisions for gamers that will cut down any latency between the game console and action on the television.

The system will be capable of sending two separate high-definition video streams between PCs and televisions through a home’s electrical system. With Blu-ray and HD-DVD delivering true high definition content, Philips has come to the party with a true high definition LCD television in the Cineos 37PF9731/69. As a 1080p panel, it can screen high definition television, Blu-ray and HD-DVD in all their glory rather than down scaling them to fit on a 720p display. The television sports two HDMI inputs for connecting to HD sources, plus component, composite, s-video, SCART and VGA. Disappointingly it doesn’t have an onboard digital television tuner.

Ambilight shines coloured light on to the wall behind the television to match whatever is on the screen, creating a halo of colour around the television that changes with the image. You can’t see the actual Ambilight tubes when you’re sitting in front of the television; they’re hidden behind the bezel and pointing back at the wall. This isn’t a problem if the television is wall-mounted in a location where you’ll never have to see the lights, such as at the end of a long, narrow room. But if the television is against one of the long side walls, with the Ambilights visible off to the sides, it will give everyone else in the room the irrits very quickly even if it’s just in their peripheral vision.

Clint Thomas is a successful Webmaster and publisher of www.TvThroughTime.com [http://www.TvThroughTime.com]. He provides more information about televisions and television issues [http://www.TvThroughTime.com] that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

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The way people shop for electronics is changing. Many buyers buy televisions and other electronics online. The World Wide Web is fast becoming the preferred marketplace as customers are able to buy products of their choice at the best prices. If you are careful you could buy a television online and not get duped. You just need to buy the television from a reputed online store and not from little known or unknown websites.

According to experts buying a television online will get you the best deal. Most online prices are lower than retail even after considering shipping and say insurance costs.

The advantages of buying a television online are:

1. You can choose from a wide range of brands. While retail stores stock only running brands online stores offer a huge selection of televisions.

2. You can compare product features online by using online tools and take a decision after weighing the pros and cons.

3. Most online television retailers will have user friendly systems that offer at least three quotes for each customer. This means you can compare prices and costs before choosing a television.

4. Most websites have attractive seasonal promotions and often you can get a great bargain on a high-end television.

5. Online television stores that follow “fair” business practices display return policies, guarantees, and shipping costs clearly. So when you buy a television all terms and conditions are clearly defined.

6. Take advantage of specials like online saving codes, deals for credit card owners, free shipping offers, and daily specials.

7. Look for huge discount seasons. Often you can get as much as 50-75% off during the discount sales.

8. You can use a credit card to make the payment and the television will be delivered at your door step. Just be sure to check that the payment gateways are of the highest security.

Buying on the internet means you can be an informed shopper. There are websites that guide you on how to choose a television, and how to get a great bargain. Then there are unbiased reviews on televisions and websites that continuously update which television brands are on the top ten listing. You can study the market and get answers to any questions you may have before making a final choice.

Protect yourself by buying from an authorized dealer and ask about after sales service and warranties. Always check about how they will ship the television to you and how they will ensure that there is no damage whatsoever. Ask whether they will replace a defective unit and what the return policy is, most online stores have a thirty day return policy.

Always buy a brand that has a wide network of service centers in operation. Find out what service and parts cost would be over time. Even if you buy a television manufactured abroad, find out every detail like performance, clarity, longevity and so on. Read online television buying tips written by experts before you actually make a purchase.

Timothy Rudon is a writer for http://www.1855television.com, the premier website to find television, plasma television, lifetime tv, television listing, television without pity, lcd televisions, history of television, television reviews and many more.

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Camping tips can save your life. It can make a difference between a good camping trip and one that you would not miss. But camping tips are just that; tips. Camping tips are not rules you should live by. Though some camping tips are meant to be followed to the word, not all of them may apply to your situation.

Camping tips are useful but bear in mind that there are always a better and easier way of doing things. Especially in the wild where it can get pretty unpredictable some camping tips may seem like a good thing to follow but if things don’t turn out well you should consider other options.

Never dismiss a possible way of doing things just because of some camping tips. Remember that it’s the wilderness and a chance to get creative. In no way am I suggesting that you disregard all camping tips. In fact I am encouraging you to seek them out before you go for a camping trip. I’m just saying you should be open to new possibilities, new ways of doing things with better and more sophisticated camping equipment (or without).

Some camping tips may be timeless though and may prevent you from making mistakes that could put you in danger or make your life miserable. An example of a camping tip that is timeless is having a camping checklist when you prepare your camping gear, camping equipment and supplies before the camping trip. Camping lists are critical to your success in camping and they evolve as you become more experienced and are different for different situations.

To have what you need or what you’re likely to need with you can quite possibly mean life or death especially if you’re hiking in the wilderness where hiking and camping equipment are more critical unless you’re a star in “Man vs Wild.” But you should know that even experienced hikers/campers who have been doing it for decades still refer to camping checklists for their hiking and camping equipment, gear and supplies preparation.

One of those camping tips that “experts” like to talk about first and for good reason is the one on hiking boots. If you are just camping on a campsite and not much walking is involve so can pretty much use any footwear you like.

If you are hiking it’s important that you use a good pair of hiking boots that are comfortable, protects your feet, supports your feet under heavy load, has good ventilation but still repels water and flexible enough that it encourages your foot’s natural movement.

With that said, everyone’s natural foot movement may be different from each others’ so if someone is giving you camping tips on which hiking boots to use then just take it as a guideline because what works for him may not work for you.

Like some things in hiking and camping it has to be with trial and error that you choose the perfect hiking boots. Some may give you recommendation based on trials that were made on short hikes.

Less than an hour’s hiking can be considered a short hike. But what happens on short hikes is that you can’t usually tell if the hiking boots are causing you blisters or not. Blisters can be such a horrible thing to have on a hiking trip and you would want to by any means avoid them like providing some padding on the areas of your feet that are prone to blisters.

Even without padding there are likely some good hiking boots out there for you that won’t give you any blisters even after several weeks of hiking. Having a perfect fit and breaking in the hiking boots are good camping tips that help to reduce the chances of blisters when you’re hiking.

Camping tips on backpacks and packing helps you carry your load better, protect your load and keep your camping equipment dry. You may be told to use a particular type of backpack that is supposedly perfect but the perfect backpack can only be determined by yourself as the fitting is also unique to you based on your torso length. Try out a backpack which is at least lightly loaded.

You may get some camping tips on which camping food you should pack. But the best way to choose the right camping food for you is based on trial and error. You can also choose camping food based on scientific nutritional methods which is based on calculations of nutritional content of various food and how much calories you need.

Almost all prepared food today provides a list of contents and nutritional value and according to scientific data you burn a different number of calories for different activities. The amount of calories you need for different activities provided by scientific data are merely rough estimations and the efficiency on which you do these activities may vary drastically from hour to hour.

The biggest variable still is the individual. It is about how you function personally. That’s why by trial and error is the best way to choose your camping food particularly for hiking. Obviously, if you are just hiking on a campground any food can be based largely on taste.

Camping tips are great but you need to keep in mind that they are not rules and many camping tips are made with disregard to the individual which is the deciding factor. Whether you are looking for the best hiking boots, backpack or camping food, what’s right for you is tailored to you. The best way is try them out or to find out by trial and error.

Your initial choice may be based on reviews or ratings or camping tips but as you become more mature in hiking and camping only you can say what is best for you.

For award winning camping gear, check out Hiking-Camping-World.com.

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Are children your passion? Do you find every child to be cute and find pleasure in playing with them, caring for them and just being there for them? Then you probably have what it takes to be in the Childcare profession.

There’s plenty of opportunity out there for good childcare professionals and with the cost of childcare through the roof many are getting licenses to have their own childcare business offering their services at a fraction of the price asked by most daycare centers today.

If you have an inclination towards working with children you can start your career by signing up for a childcare course in an established college in your area. Today you can take an online program and learn all the skills needed to care for children in a home based childcare facility, play group or preschool. Most programs will teach you about educational games, child growth and behaviour, as well as organizing age appropriate activities, scheduling, nutrition, etc.

Several popular Childcare Career Skills programs are offered in Canada but few are accredited so this is something that you have to confirm first whole you research. Existing programs give students excellent preparation for work in child care centres, public and private schools and others. You can study from home at your own pace and pay in instalments at a very affordable price, basically everyone can afford it.

Working with children is very rewarding as you become a very important part of their lives. You are not only helping their parents with their care, you are also preparing them for society. Socialization is one of the disciplines that you learn in a childcare career program. Children should learn how to properly interact with others from a very early age, and childcare professionals and educators are an invaluable support for families in providing their children with the necessary tools to behave and have strong values in today’s world.

To learn about this popular Childcare Career program you can check PCDI’s website for a list of their online programs and request a free information kit.

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Do you need help making sense of auto repair quotes? If you’re like about 95% of Americans, you don’t know much about your car and you really don’t want to. You want to wake up, turn the key, and have the car do what it’s always done: drive to and from work. But on those gut wrenching mornings when the car won’t start, or there’s an evil little light on the dash, we know it’s time to telemarket the pros and hope we get a fair deal and not a sharp stick in the eye.

Now you’re in the shop They’re looking at your car, charging you for it, and when they walk into the waiting room, wiping the grease off their hands, how do you know the car repair estimates they rattle off aren’t complete works of fiction?

Let’s pause for a moment of clarity. Just what is an auto repair scam? We’d like to offer some auto repair help using this simple analogy… Going out to dinner.

Imagine walking into a restaurant any given night of the week. You’re craving (let’s say for sake of argument) a burger, fries and coke. You sit down, the waiter walks over, and before taking your order tells you about the specials. He tells you about their tender sirloin tips, sautéed in a cabernet butter sauce served with garlic mashed potatoes and delectable grilled asparagus spears drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Your mouth begins to water, and you picture a glass of Shiraz to wash it all down.

Fast forward about an hour. You’re leaving full and happy having spent about $55 more than the original $12 you had planned on. Congratulations! You were just unsold.

Let’s repeat this experience and this time explore a scam… You order the burger, fries and coke. The waiter brings you the carrot plate with an orange juice, charges you for the steak, and then the valet refuses to give you your keys until you pay for the entire dinner including tip and a saganaki you never even knew they served.

Now THAT is a scam.

The truly insidious problem with car repair is how hard it can be to tell the difference. Unlike dinner, the inner workings of your transmission can be subject to interpretation.

The most powerful tool you have against auto repair scams is this: Stop using repair facilities who refuse to provide quality information over the phone or internet. We have a simple, hard and fast rule If a mechanic is not knowledgeable enough to provide at least basic, quality information when I contact them initially; he is not knowledgeable enough to be working on a vehicle. Period.

Service writers and technicians need to understand that the rest of the world lives in the information age. With the ability now for consumers to use free public resources (like IanAuto!) and get information to compare notes, mechanics must stop chanting the old mantra “Can’t tell you, won’t tell you! Bring it in and we’ll take a look”.

Auto Repair Quotes – You Need To Be Aware. You Are Not Helpless. You Do Have Choices The major reason for prescreening is that failure to do so opens you up to a host of potential scams and creepy, high pressure sales tactics.

How hard do you think it’ll be to reverse a mistake when your car is 6 feet in the air with the tires off and they’re pointing out fictitious emergencies?

And if the person on the phone is doing nothing but evading your direct questions, just picture the customer service if you have a problem later on.

Remember, there are some amazing auto service pros out there who will blow your mind with knowledge, honesty and willingness to share. People like this should be given a medal for saving customers on a daily basis. The best thing is they’re either a phone call our mouse click away!

Auto Repair Quotes – Understanding A Very Important Fact: While you should never use a mechanic who will not provide honest, direct answers to your questions, you must also know they will have to take a look at your car to give a realistic, accurate estimate. The truth is that almost 100% of car repair related situations do require a physical inspection by a trained service professional. Cars are highly complex machines and a problem with one system can frequently effect the performance of another.

For example: Check Engine Lights. These little buggers pop on when there’s an issue with a sensor buried in some deep, obscure system. We can all blame the manufacturers for not making this easy to diagnose. In situations like this, there is no way to get around a systems test. You will have to bring in your vehicle, the technician will have to plug in a diagnostic tool, and within about an hour (in most cases) you’ll have a solid idea of what’s wrong. But why can’t the technician tell you that?

We have called hundreds of shops across the country and have been hearing the same thing from close to 96% of them: “Nope, we can’t tell you anything until we see it.” Or “We don’t give any information over the phone, you’ll have to bring it in.” We’ve heard these exact two sentences so many times at this point, we’re starting to think there’s a mechanic’s phone call evasion phrase book!

Here’s a response directly from our database: This is a shop who knows how to answer your questions, even when there is no direct answer…

The “check engine” light is an indication something is wrong somewhere in your vehicle. What it’s saying is one or several sensors/components is failing or providing readings within specifications. Diagnosis and troubleshooting is required to determine the cause of the problem, and this will allow us to provide an accurate estimate regarding exactly what needs to be fixed. The cost for an initial diagnosis runs $X. You can expect the whole diagnosis process to take around an hour. Our technicians are trained to handle these problems and are available ASAP. Please call to set up an appointment.

Now isn’t that better than, “Nope. Can’t say until you bring it in”?

Auto Repair Quotes – The Most Astounding Fact Ever: Your answers are found in your mechanic’s questions. Even though having knowledge of your vehicle is the #1 way to avoid a scam, you can offset being less than informed by digging out good questions from the mechanic. There’s a simple reason for this; it shows they know what they’re talking about.

Because cars have become amazingly complex systems, you should not expect to get a diagnosis over the phone or online. But you should expect information. When you call a shop, the person who picks up the phone should be able to tell you something about something. They should also be able to ask you enough questions to draw out info and further highlight their knowledge and professionalism. They should also disclose if they have an inspection fee, disclose if that fee will be waived if you approve the work, and then be courteous enough to ask for an appointment.

Brakes, engine trouble, weird smells, and noises… in almost every auto repair related situation you must find a person who may not give you an exact answer, but will be able to tell you exactly why.

Auto Repair Quotes – Bottom Line: An up sell is offering premium parts instead of the basic stock; a scam is creating problems or lying about repairs needed. Scams can be avoided by finding a service pro who will directly address your questions and/or concerns. And while maybe not diagnosing your problem, at least offering quality information as to why.

Drew Turnbaugh is a spokesperson for Auto Repair Report. Auto Repair Report teaches drivers how to save thousands of dollars on Auto Repair costs… Without needing to become a mechanic! Check it out today!

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Here are the consensus bowl picks from the SportGamble.us staff.

Tue., Dec. 14

New Orleans Bowl

North Texas vs Southern Mississippi

SG’s Pick: North Texas

If the So. Miss defense can stop Jamario Thomas from adding to his gaudy stats they should be able to keep this one close.

7:30 pm

Tue., Dec. 21

Champs Sports Bowl

Georgia Tech vs Syracuse

SG’s Pick: Georgia Tech

7:45 pm

Wed., Dec. 22

GMAC Bowl

Memphis vs Bowling Green

SG’s Pick: Bowling Green

I want to pick Memphis to win this battle, but the Falcon’s scoring offense, 4th in the nation, will simply outscore Memphis regardless of how well they play.

8:00 pm

Thur., Dec. 23

PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl

Cincinnati vs Marshall

SG’s Pick: Marshall

Marshall has shown up to play in big games this year. I consider a bowl game a “big” game, wouldn’t you?

6:30 pm

Las Vegas Bowl

Wyoming vs UCLA

SG’s Pick: UCLA

UCLA should burn Wyoming with it’s passing and running game. Although, Wyoming is playing in it’s first bowl game in 11 years…that’s certainly motivating.

9:45 pm

Fri., Dec. 24

Hawaii Bowl

UAB vs Hawaii

SG’s Pick: Hawaii

NCAA’s all time passing leader should have a hay-day against this no show UAB defense

7:00 pm

Mon., Dec. 27

MPC Computers Bowl

Fresno State vs 18 Virginia

SG’s Pick: Virginia

Fresno State failed to play with the big dogs this season and Virginia is on the horizon to become one.

2:00 pm

Motor City Bowl

Toledo vs Connecticut

SG’s Pick: Toledo

Connecticut has a football team? Well, that’s what we would have said last season but they have a QB that can rip the secondary. You probably haven’t heard of him but the NFL scouts know him very well. Connecticut has a chance if they grasp the mindset they had when meeting Pittsburgh earlier in the year.

5:30 pm

Tue., Dec. 28

Independence Bowl

Iowa State vs Miami (Ohio)

SG’s Pick: Iowa State

Iowa State’s explosive offense will give Miami all they want…plus some.

6:30 pm

Insight Bowl

Oregon State vs Notre Dame

SG’s Pick: Notre Dame

Notre Dame is going to fight its heart out in defense of Tyrone Willingham. Oh, did we mention they’re a pretty good football team anyway?

9:45 pm

Wed., Dec. 29

Houston Bowl

Texas-El Paso vs Colorado

SG’s Pick: Texas-El Paso

Jordan Carson (name sound familiar?) will finally have his chance to showcase his talent on national television. Colorado is still wondering what happened in the Big 12 championship…

4:30 pm

Alamo Bowl

24 Ohio State vs Oklahoma State

SG’s Pick: Ohio State

Oklahoma State is no stranger to big games. Unfortunately, they haven’t learned how to win them.

8:00 pm

Thur., Dec. 30

Continental Tire Bowl

25 Boston College vs North Carolina

SG’s Pick: Boston College

North Carolina has a lack of “big game” experience while Boston College has the “secret to success” for winning bowl games, they’ve won 4 straight.

1:00 pm

Emerald Bowl

New Mexico vs Navy

SG’s Pick: Navy

Did we say Navy? That’s right! These guys finally learned how to play football.

4:30 pm

Holiday Bowl

4 California vs 23 Texas Tech

SG’s Pick: California

Cal will punish Texas Tech for being pushed out of the BCS picture.

8:00 pm

Silicon Valley Bowl

Troy vs Northern Illinois

SG’s Pick: Northern Illinois

Troy has never been to a bowl game and they’re not ready to win one either. N. Illinois has a ground attack that will out-muscle this Troy defense.

11:00 pm

Fri., Dec. 31

Music City Bowl

Alabama vs Minnesota

SG’s Pick: Alabama

This isn’t because we like the SEC. Minnesota isn’t playing at home…

12:00 pm

Sun Bowl

Purdue vs 21 Arizona State

SG’s Pick: Purdue

Arizona State is coming with their 2nd string QB that Purdue’s young, yet darn good, defense should contain. Expect Purdue to light up the score board in this one!

2:00 pm

Liberty Bowl

10 Boise State vs 7 Louisville

SG’s Pick: Louisville

This may be bowl game of the year. If you like fast attack offenses and aggressive scoring, this game is for you! Vegas will be exploding with “total points” bets on this one.

3:30 pm

14 Miami (FLA.) vs 20 Florida

Peach Bowl

SG’s Pick: Florida

If Chris Leak (Gators) isn’t the best QB in the land he will be. When the Gators are operating on all cylinders I would pick them to beat anyone in the country. Keep an eye on this one because it should be a money maker!

7:30 pm

Sat., Jan. 1

Cotton Bowl

15 Tennessee vs 22 Texas A&M

SG’s Pick: Tennessee

The Vols simply ran out of time in the SEC championship. I suspect they will pick up where they left off. Neither team “should” be here so it will definitely be one of the better games to watch.

11:00 am

Outback Bowl

16 Wisconsin va 8 Georgia

SG’s Pick: Georgia

Wisconsin can play offense buy GA’s fast defense will stop the run and force Wisconsin to throw resulting in too many mistakes to overcome. Georgia wins.

11:00 am

Gator Bowl

17 Florida State va West Virginia

SG’s Pick: Florida State

Florida State has put the lost to Florida behind them. Bowden’s ability to dominate bowl games has a “W” written all over it.

12:30 pm

Capital One Bowl

11 Iowa vs 12 LSU

SG’s Pick: LSU (restrictions apply…)

LSU is young but managed to fight their way to a good bowl game this year. If LSU’s defense can keep the score close they can pull this one off.

1:00 pm

Rose Bowl

13 Michigan vs 6 Texas

SG’s Pick: Texas

If Mack can persuade his players they’re as good as he did the nations coaches Texas will overcome a solid Michigan team.

4:30 pm

Fiesta Bowl

5 Utah vs 19 Pittsburgh

SG’s Pick: Utah

Pittsburgh slipped through the back door to win the Big East but I’m afraid Utah will show Pitt what it’s like to play with the Big Boys.

8:30 pm

Mon., Jan. 3

Sugar Bowl

3 Auburn vs 9 Virginia Tech

SG’s Pick: Auburn

Auburn should be playing for the national title. Look for Auburn to win big for the slight possibility of sharing the title.

8:00 pm

Tue., Jan. 4

Orange Bowl

1 Southern California vs 2 Oklahoma

SG’s Pick: Oklahoma

This one should come down to the last quarter. Oklahoma should prevail with stamina.

8:00 pm

SportGamble.us [http://SportGamble.us] is a community-oriented sports and sports gambling portal featuring news articles, high quality resources, spreads, message boards, blogs, and more.

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Cat toilet training in easy steps:

Toilet training your cat is an easier task than you might think. Several techniques can be used for training your cat to use the toilet, and you can even buy products that will assist you in toilet training a cat.

The advantages of cat toilet training:

Teaching your cat to use the toilet can hold several advantages for any cat owner. The biggest advantage of having your cat use a toilet is that eliminates most of the disadvantages that using cat litter holds. Cat litter is expensive. After toilet training your cat, you won’t ever need to buy cat litter again. Cat litter boxes needs to be cleaned regularly or they will become smelly. With cat toilet training, the water in the toilet masks most of the offending smell and all you need to do is flush regularly – much simpler and easier than cleaning a litter box. Going away for weekends or holidays also becomes easier for your neighbor – instead of asking someone to clean out the litter box, all they need to do is flush your toilet once in a while (when they come around to water your plants and feed your cat).

How to toilet train a cat (do it yourself):

Toilet training your cat depends entirely on the cat’s personality. Toilet training sociable cats that love being praised make the training task much easier. You might want to adapt the toilet training technique described below to fit your cat’s personality. Training your cat to use the toilet can take anything between 2 weeks up to 3 months, depending on the individual cat’s personality.

Cat toilet training basically consists of a simple procedure: gradually moving your cat’s litter box closer and closer to the toilet, finally placing a bowl with cat litter inside the toilet, and removing it altogether when your cat is comfortable and used to it. Toilet training a cat is a gradual, step-by-step process, consisting of making small changes to the location of the litter box and only continuing to the next step when your cat is entirely comfortable with its current situation. You might have to wait anything between 2 days or 3 weeks before moving on a next step in cat toilet training. You might even have to go back a step once or twice when it turns out that your cat wasn’t ready to move on to the next toilet training step. Beware – cat toilet training takes a lot of patience!

Cat toilet training steps:

1. Start gradually moving your cat’s litter box nearer to the toilet until finally it should be next to the toilet. Ensure that your cat is always comfortable and sure of its litter box’s location.

2. Now start elevating the cat’s litter box. Put something non-slippery like newspapers or cardboard underneath the litter box. A normal rate to increase the height of the litter box would be about 5cm a day, but be very attentive to signs that your cat is not comfortable with the current height, and adjust the pace of raising the litter box accordingly. The cat litter box should be raised until it is at a level height with the toilet bowl. Throughout this process it is very important to keep the toilet lid open and the seat down, because your cat will get used to it and might even start climbing on the toilet seat in order to reach its litter box.

3. Move the litter box to rest on the open toilet seat. Keep it there until your cat seems comfortable with this arrangement.

4. Buy a metal bowl or tray that will fit snugly inside the toilet bowl. It would be advisable for the metal bowl to have small draining holes. Fill the bowl with cat litter (preferably the flushable type). Now remove your cat’s litter box entirely. If you have reached this step successfully you are very close to having a toilet trained cat!

5. While your cat is using the metal bowl inside the toilet, be attentive to where its paws are. The goal is teaching him to squat with all four paws on the toilet seat rim. You can move the cat while it is using the toilet and praise it (or reward it) when it is sitting in the correct position. Normally the cat will first sit entirely inside the metal bowl, then with front paws on the toilet seat, and finally it should sit with all four paws on the toilet.

6. Start using less and less cat litter. This can get smelly, so be sure to clean the bowl after every time your cat uses it. Cats scratch in sand or cat litter to cover up the smell (this is out of instinct), so if the bowl becomes too smelly your cat won’t be comfortable using it (and you probably wouldn’t be comfortable with using your toilet either). Using flushable cat litter makes cleaning the bowl very easy – just throw out the contents in the toilet and flush down, rinse out the bowl, refill with correct amount of cat litter and replace. A handy tip is to place newspaper on the floor around the toilet to help keep the room clean should your cat scratch in the cat litter. Decrease the amount of cat litter in a pace that your cat feels comfortable with.

7. When you basically don’t use any cat litter inside the bowl anymore, start gradually filling the bowl with water. The water will also help mask the smell so your cat will be more comfortable using the toilet. Be attentive to your cat’s behavior through this whole process – if your cat stops using the bowl inside the toilet, you may be moving on too fast and might need to go back a couple of steps.

8. When the water level in the bowl has reached about 4cm and your cat has no problem using it, it is time to remove the bowl entirely. Your cat should now be toilet trained. Remember to always leave the toilet seat up and flush regularly!

Products to assist you in toilet training your cat:

There are several cat toilet training kits available on the market. They basically consist of a tray that fits inside the toilet, and with a hole in the middle that you can gradually make bigger. When choosing a cat toilet training kit, ensure that you buy quality. The cat training kit should not be flimsy and should be able to support your cat’s weight even when the hole becomes large. Be aware of cheap, flimsy products you buy at toy stores or pet stores, because if your cat falls in, it might loose interest in toilet training completely.

The disadvantages in toilet training your cat:

Not everyone agrees that cat toilet training is such a great idea. They argue that it is unnatural for a cat to use a toilet, as it goes against their natural instincts to cover up their smell. Toilet seats can also be slippery and there might be the risk of your cat injuring itself. Even if your cat doesn’t fall in at all, he may become anxious whenever he uses the toilet and going to the toilet can become an unpleasant task.

A litter box also has the health benefit in that you can easier monitor your cat’s urine for signs of infections or sickness.

Moving locations will also be harder for the cat, because a litter box can be moved easily but the cat will first need to get used to using the new toilet. With some cats this is no problem and they can become comfortable with the new toilet very fast, while other cats might be less adaptable.

Things to remember when toilet training a cat:

The most important thing to remember is that the toilet training should be done gradually. Be very patient and never rush to the next step until you are sure that you cat is completely comfortable with the current setup.

Make using the toilet as easy as you can for the cat. Always remember to keep the toilet seat up and the bathroom door open. When you have guests, ensure that they also know about considering your cat. Flush the toilet regularly as cats do not like using smelly toilets.

Claudine du Plessis is a cat-lover and webmaster of http://www.cat-urine.net

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The sheer excitement of having a baby prompts everyone to spend lavishly on baby clothes for the new arrival but the fun is short lived as even the costliest of clothes become small for the fast-growing baby in a few months’ time. The baby might have worn these expensive clothes only a few times before it outgrows them and then it’s time for shopping for baby clothes again. Most people cannot afford to spend repeatedly every few months for buying baby clothes. It’s important that you plan out this aspect of buying baby clothes so that you do not waste money and your baby gets the best of clothes. A few useful tips are given below:

Avoid Buying Tight-Fitting Clothes

Since you know that babies grow very fast, you should not buy perfect fitting baby clothes as these will become unsuitable for the baby in a very short time. The best thing to do is to buy larger sized baby clothes as you will be able to use them for a longer period of time.

Buy Easy To Wear Baby Clothes

You can make your life easier if you buy baby clothes that are easy to wear. You won’t have to struggle when you try to put the clothes on your baby and there will be less wear and tear also. Moreover, you should avoid shopping for baby clothes that are in several pieces and need to be buttoned from behind or pulled over the head. You should opt for baby clothes that are made in a single piece and are open from the front and have snap buttons or zippers. This will make life much easier for mothers who might just have recovered from pregnancy complications.

Look Out For Clearance Racks And Genuine Sales

A great way of saving money when you are buying baby clothes is to look out for clearance racks where you can get some great deals with cheap maternity clothes. Sometimes, you can get a huge discount on the prices of baby clothes merely because of a very minor manufacturing problem that just doesn’t matter at all. Moreover, you should wait for the mega sales that are a regular feature at most stores and this is where you can pick up some fantastic deals.

Disposing Off Old Clothes For Cash

Sometimes it is possible to exchange the old clothes of your baby for cash but the amount of money that you will receive will be miniscule. However, something is always better than nothing.

Accepting Old Clothes from Others

There is no harm in accepting old clothes from friends and relatives. Mostly these clothes are in good shape, having been used very scarcely since the child might not have gotten the opportunity to wear them. There is no shame involved in accepting well-meant presents from others and you can save a lot of money in the bargain. As it is, even your baby might outgrow these clothes very soon.

There is no doubt that everyone wants that his/her baby to appear smart in the latest baby clothes and it is essential that you should also work towards that objective. However, it must be remembered that baby clothes need not be expensive in order to look smart and attractive. It’s the way you maintain your baby and her clothes that really matters.

Baby clothes are an important part of your pregnancy checklist. Shopping for baby clothes would fill you with fun and joy. When you are buying baby clothes, you will forget about the problems related to pregnancy and discomforts of pregnancy complications. However, you should not be swayed and spend too much on baby clothes. Search for bargains and try to get cheap baby clothes from discount stores. If you are throwing a baby shower, you will get many baby clothes as baby gifts.

Pregnancy Website provides more information about baby clothes, baby gifts and other issues related to pregnancy and childbirth.

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Snow skiing is one of the most popular winter sports in the world. Millions of people hit the slopes every year for fresh air and fun, and a large percentage of them are beginners. This is a fun sport, but it is equipment-oriented. Without the proper ski gear it can be frustrating, discouraging, and even dangerous.

This article will help guide you in selecting the best equipment for your level and style of skiing. Skis are the single most important piece of ski equipment. Choosing the right pair of skis will help you get the most enjoyment out of your skiing time.

Your Skill Level

The most important factor in choosing a pair of skis is your skiing ability. Beginners and intermediate level skiers need skis that can be easily maneuvered, while experts require more specialized skis. When choosing a pair of skis, the variables include materials, type, length, shape, and stiffness.

Materials Used In Skis

Skis were originally made of wood, but very little wood is used in modern skis. The most common materials used today are aluminum and fiberglass. Other more exotic materials like Kevlar, carbon, titanium, and boron fibers are also used.

Skis are frequently made from a variety of materials to provide various degrees of flexibility and strength in the different sections of the ski. The core of the ski can be made of foam, wood or some other material. The tops and sides are usually made of aluminum and fiberglass. The base of the ski is a synthetic polyethylene, with edges of steel.

Type Of Skiing

There are several different types of skiing and, therefore, different ski designs. For example, cross country skis are longer and thinner than downhill skis, because they are made for gliding along straight paths, rather than making quick turns down a hill. Furthermore, downhill skis come in a variety of shapes and styles, depending on whether they will be used for freestyle, powder, racing or packed trails.

Length Of Skis

Most beginners start off with a pair of short skis because they are easier to turn; also some freestyle skiers use short skis. Longer skis are faster, so racers and expert skiers who like the challenge of a fast run use them. They are also suitable for a greater variety of snow conditions. Skiing ability, style, and the weight of the skier determines the proper ski length.

Various Shapes Of Skis

Skis come in various shapes to match the different types of skiing. For instance, skis that are narrow in the boot area are capable of making sharp, fast turns. Skis that are wider in the boot area offer more stability and will make broader turns. The overall length of the ski, when taken into consideration with the various shapes, results in skis with a wide range of characteristics.

Appropriate Stiffness

The stiffness of a ski is determined by the materials and shape. Shorter skis offer a greater maneuverability at the expense of high-speed stability, while longer skis are more stable at high speeds. Your skiing level and style will enable you to choose skis of the appropriate stiffness.

In Part 2 of this article we will examine tips for renting and buying the right skis for a successful and fun day on the slopes.

Visit Ski snow to learn more. Ron King is a researcher, writer, and web developer, visit Articles for authors.

Copyright 2006 Ron King.

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