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To have proper ski maintenance is one of the most importance things you should not forget if you love snow skiing. There is nothing better than skiing your way down every challenging slope on your newly-waxed skis.

Waxing has two purposes, first, it makes the ski glide better on the snow; second, it will help you to have stronger grip while you ski your way down on the snow.

While there are different weather conditions, types of snow and skiing style, these are the ones which determine the type of ski wax to use. Basically, there are three types of ski wax a skier has to know; the base, the grip and the glide ski waxes.

The Base Wax

Professional skiers would tell you to protect your new skis with base-conditioning wax. This type is usually used as a primer for the grip wax. It is also the most common ski wax used by amateur skier. Usually, base wax comes in a tin. When applied, it should be heated with an iron then rubbed into the base of the ski. An aerosol may also come with this wax which can be sprayed to your skis.

The Grip Wax

This is a sticky type of ski wax which is usually used in cross-country skiing. It is applied in the center of the ski so that when the skier presses down, it grips on the snow pretty well. There are two types of grip wax:

• Hard Kick – it also comes in a tin and is commonly used for newer snow. Mostly, it is rubbed directly into the skis until the wax becomes smooth film, but others use cork to rub it to the skis.

• Klisters – this one comes in a tube and is stickier than the kick and it is used on icy conditions.

The Glide Wax

Amateur skiers could easily understand the purpose of each type of ski wax that’s why most of them used just one type of wax. For those who are more advanced, they also use just one type of glide wax–the general-purpose glide wax. However, experienced skiers use the color coding for this type of wax to attain optimum performance on the snow.

• Red – it is commonly used during slushy conditions.

• Blue – this is for hard-crusted and dry snow.

• Violet – it works best on a mushy snow.

• Green – best used on a powdery, cold and dry snow which most of the skiers dream of.

Although it is advised to glide wax frequently, you don’t have to do it every time you ski.

Whatever type or style of skiing you want to perform on the snow, proper preparation of your skis is a very important requirement which includes waxing; this is not only done for better performance but also your own safety.

About this Author

I have been teaching skiing for a local ski area for 20 years. I was the assistant ski race coach for Fairfield University 1995 to 2001. Skiing tuning for Ski Wiz Precision Ski and Snowboard Tuning and Bicycle racing. I ski raced as a kid from 1975 to 1985. started when I was 11 years old. Started skiing at 4 years old.

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Looking to start a brand new website but not sure where to begin? Well, the first thing you have to decide is the programming language you are going to use.

The two most popular web languages today are PHP and ASP Dot Net. Each has its own pros and cons. So it really depends on which language you are comfortable with. Of the two, many programmers prefer to work with PHP for various reasons.

1) Easy to comprehend. PHP is a scripting language that is very easy to learn. A novice programmer can become an expert in no time with some practice.

2) Fast to execute. There are many pre-made libraries that are included in PHP, making code writing a breeze. Programs that require numerous lines of code now require just one or two lines. That translates to lots of time savings.

3) Lots of free learning resources. The PHP community is an active one and a quick search will reveal tons of free learning resources on the Internet. Some scripts are even free for download, making the job of a PHP programmer a whole lot easier.

4) Open source. Since PHP is an open source language, that means any developer can choose to work with this language without having to worry about hefty costs. PHP runs on Linux based operating systems, which are also free. It can connect to MySQL (free as well) databases, which is a highly reliable and scalable solution. For this reason, PHP is often the preferred choice for both personal and business applications.

5) No lack of developers. If you can’t do programming, you may wish to hire a PHP developer to maintain or upgrade your site on your behalf. You can visit any developer resource site and there will be many people waiting to be hired to develop PHP applications. And this talent pool continues to grow on a daily basis due to widespread adoption of the language.

6) Free open source applications. Many useful applications are freely available for download and they are mostly based on PHP. For instance, the WordPress application is an advanced application that can be used as a content management system.

7) Affordable hosting. Since PHP can be run on any Linux server, there is no lack of hosting. You can easily locate affordable Linux hosting that cost less than $10 a month (for shared hosting). If you require more resources, you may also choose to sign up for a VPS or dedicated server solution.

Many developer tools available. As PHP is a highly popular scripting language, many tools have been created to increase the speed of development. For instance, with a PHP code generator, you can easily create useful scripts without having to write lines and lines of code.

Looking for web development software? Check out this cool PHP code generator.

Celebrity clothing lines have become somewhat of a big hype these days. That’s because celebrities always look great in their clothes, and it would be nice to see what they’re endorsing next in the fashion industry. While celebrity clothing is a big hit, you’ll need to be more familiar with what goes around it and budget wisely!

There are now many famous stars who own celebrity clothing lines. Jessica Simpson herself had up to 3 ranges of clothing in 2005. Designs ranged from Juniors to wedges to cowboy boots. Milla Jovovich also had her celebrity line, which features vintage-inspired clothing. If you’re interested in swimwear, Elizabeth Hurley has a celebrity line selling beachwear. Jlo’s fashion company made millions from selling junior clothing, girls clothing, plus-size clothing, perfumes and accessories! One of the latest celebrity lines is one endorsed by Avril Lavigne. It is basically designed for the “junior lifestyle” and is said to reflect Lavigne’s personal style. Lavigne herself stated that she makes sure items have a good fit and great quality. Plus, the line is made to be affordable.

While stars look great, don’t always expect good quality because you are wearing their clothes. In fact, not all celebrities wear clothes from their own celebrity lines. Remember, celebrities will always look good because they have their own stylists and make-up artists. To get the best celebrity clothing for you, get to know the reason why they were created in the first place.

We are often psychologically drawn to celebrities because of their high status and reputation as being the beautiful people. Hence, we like the idea of buying from their celebrity fashion line so we could associate ourselves with their high status. The reality is some celebrities don’t even design their own clothes, and they are rather used for endorsement to make big bucks. The key things you should really be looking for in a celebrity fashion line are purpose and quality.

What was the purpose of that particular celebrity fashion line? Why was it created in the first place? There are actually some celebrities who genuinely want to design a line that could help people with specific concerns. Oftentimes these celebrities showcase clothing that are very much like the clothes they wear, for example Avril Lavigne. There are celebrity fashion lines that were designed mainly for a woman’s natural curves, for the classic look, or for a certain personality. So, don’t settle for just any piece of clothing because a celebrity designed it! Instead, look for creativity and quality, and avoid buying items that simply have the “stamp” of a celebrity’s name.

If you absolutely love the style of your favorite celebrity, why not get some celebrity-inspired clothing? You don’t always have to buy from celebrity clothing lines to emulate a celebrity’s style. Get a few items from a celebrity fashion line and simply throw in a number of celebrity-inspired clothing to enrich your new wardrobe. Buy a skeleton top from Lavigne’s fashion line and then buy some cheap, funky jewelry from Target or other department stores to complete the look all on your own. Completely copying your favorite celebrity will simply make you a copycat and boring in a fashion sense. Get inspired instead, and incorporate your own personal style to make the most out of your new celebrity wardrobe.

The author is launching a new clothing social site [http://clothshare.com] please come by and show off your style.

Blog, video, pictures, forum, classifieds and much more can be found at [http://clothshare.com]

In Part 1, we detailed the first five strategies on how to cut your car insurance costs. In Part 2, we show you the second five.

STEP 6 – Review, Change or Cancel No Fault & PIP (Personal Injury Protection)

No-Fault Coverage, and it’s Twin – PIP – started out as great idea’s. Your premiums were actually going to be lowered. Then, your State Politicians got involved (at the urging of Insurance Lobbyists, of course) and mucked it up.

You see, no-fault insurance coverage was originally intended to have each individual’s losses, covered by their own car insurance company – no matter who was at fault.

Today, in many States, car insurance companies are making a ton of money on no-fault because the insurance companies convinced State law-makers to make “modifications.”

Today, because of the these changes, car insurance companies have actually used the no-fault laws to reduce payments on a claim made by a customer, instead of reducing car insurance premiums as it was supposed to do.

So, premiums keep going up-and-up and insurance companies end up paying less for claims – Someone’s getting rich on that deal….and it’s not you.

And to make matters worse, some States (with really, really talented Insurance Lobbyist’s) also require an additional premium be paid on top of the no-fault premium. This beauty is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP).

PIP is a “wide-blanket” of coverage and can provide Collision Coverage, Hospitalization, Social Security Disability, Workers Comp, Personal Disability Insurance & Life Insurance.

The problem with PIP and what it covers is….

You already gave most, if not all, of these coverage’s anyway, don’t you? So, you’re paying twice!

So, you need to do a couple of things:

Google “minimum levels of required auto insurance” to see if No-Fault Insurance and/or PIP Is required in your State;

Then, check your policy. If it’s not required by your State to have No-Fault/PIP Coverage and it’s on your policy – cancel it. If No-Fault/PIP is required by your State….take the absolute minimum. Here’s how.

If you must have No-Fault/PIP, ask for and get a deductible from your car insurance company.

STEP 7 – Cancel Medical Coverage.

Medical Coverage, on most car insurance policies, is a promise to pay “reasonable” medical expenses for anyone who is riding in your car should you have an accident…as well as anyone in your car should it get hit by someone else.

Cancel it. You don’t need it.

Why is that you say? Well, medical coverage as part of your car insurance policy is a duplicate of your own:

- Medical Plan; – Any Life Insurance Coverage you might have, as well as; – The Liability Sections of almost every car insurance policy written in the U.S.

Think of it this way….Do you have a Health/Medical/Hospitalization Plan through work or an Association you belong to?

Then why are you paying premiums for Medical/Hospitalization Coverage on your Car Insurance Policy?

Here’s what’s going to happen when you tell the car insurance company or Agent that you “Don’t want the Hospitalization/Medical Coverage.” You’re going to hear very slick “scare tactics” to help change your mind.

The insurance company employee will say “Well, if you’re in an accident, and it’s your fault, who’s going to cover the medical bills for any injured passengers in your car?”

Here’s your answer. Your family is already covered by your Health/Hospitalization Plan. If anybody else is in the car and they’re injured – they’re covered by your Bodily Injury Liability coverage that you’re already paying for….and their own Health/Hospitalization Plan.

So go ahead – save some more money and get rid of this coverage.

STEP 8 – Cancel Death, Dismemberment & Loss of Sight.

Do you have any of these coverage’s on your existing car insurance policy? If so – cancel them.

And if you’re a first time car insurance buyer or, just looking at getting several car insurance quotes, don’t let anyone talk you into them!

Why?

Because, these coverage’s are an absolute waste of money. Most of these optional coverage’s are simply “glorified” life insurance policies with ridiculous provisions and horribly overpriced premiums. If you need life insurance, make it a separate Insurance Policy.

STEP 9 – Cancel The Extras

Do you have “Roadside Assistance” or “Rental Car Reimbursement” on your policy? If so, cancel them.

And again, if you’re a first time insurance buyer or getting a few car insurance quotes, don’t bother with these coverage’s.

Why? Because they’re severely overpriced, are rarely ever used, and limit what you can and cannot do.

For instance, some rental car reimbursement” coverage is almost $100 a year for each vehicle on your policy. So if you have two cars, you’ll spend almost $2,000 on rental car coverage in the next 10 years – and likely never even use it.

And roadside assistance? The piece-of-mind it offers gets trampled by the premiums the car insurance companies want for this coverage. Roadside assistance is a good idea. But use AAA for a cheaper solution.

STEP 10 – Terminate Comprehensive & Collision Coverage On Older Cars.

If you have an older car – by that I mean one that’s worth less than $2,000 wholesale (the amount a car dealer would give you if you were trading it in) cancel any Comprehensive and Collision Coverage you have or decline that option when getting a car insurance quote.

Here’s why. If an 8 year-old car and a brand new car have identical damage, the cost to repair both will be identical as well, even though the 8 year-old car is worth next-to-nothing.

You see the cost of a bumper and fender are the same – whether it’s for a brand new car, or one that is 8 years-old. That’s why your premiums don’t go down as the value of the car goes down. Your payments remain almost the same, year-after-year-after-year.

But, the bottom drops-out of what you’ll be able to collect on that older car. For instance, if your car is “totaled”, your insurance company will only pay you the wholesale value of your car.

So, let’s say your car is worth $1,000, but the total damage is more than $4,000, the insurance company is only going to give you a check for $1,000….minus your deductible, of course.

So you might end up getting $500 back. Sounds like a lousy deal….but that’s how it works.

So, the rule-of-thumb is this – cancel your comp & collision coverage when your vehicles value is less than $2,000….or you’ll be throwing your money away.

Okay – you’ve jotted down some notes and are ready to make some changes to your car insurance policy. So pick up the phone and start slashing your premiums!

Tom O’Leary is an Automotive Portfolio Analyst based in Cincinnati, Ohio and Publisher of http://www.mynewcarpurchase.com, a consumer focused web site that assists with buying a new or used car, cheap car insurance quotes and finding cheaper car & truck financing.

A career in the fashion industry sounds glamorous and lucrative. Have you consider getting into the fashion industry, but might think that you cannot manage it? There are so many different roles and positions that you can play in the fashion world. One does not necessarily be a fashion designer but still be able to have a very success career in the fashion industry.

Being able to make a living with things you like is always enjoyable. If you are a fashion fan and love to see beautiful clothing, accessories or sketches around you, you should consider starting a career in the fashion world. Below are some key roles in the fashion world where you can take part in – from design, production, marketing, to many more.

Designing

This is one of the most high profile jobs in the fashion industry. Designers are responsible for conceptualizing their ideas on trends and realizing them on their final products. Designers can be employed by companies which own a group of designers, or work for their own brand and production line, or, even as a freelancer providing designs for difference companies.

There are several types of fashion designers:

1. Apparel designers: Obviously these are clothing designers, ranging from lingerie, sports wear, casual wear to high fashion couture, for men, women and kids.

2. Footwear designers: They design footwear for men, women and kids from a style point of view, as well as from a foot-health’s perspective.

3. Accessory designers: Accessories has a broad definitely – from handbags, hat, eyewear to gloves, scarves and jewelry pieces.

Production

Production involves the sampling of garments and accessories until producing the final pieces that would deliver to shops and customers. This massive work involves a team of various professions:

1. Merchandiser: Merchandisers play a key role in the production process of a fashion product.They are responsible for buying raw materials for production, selecting fabric, textiles and trims. They have to make decisions based on pricing, quality and latest trend and innovation of raw materials.

2. Technical Designers: Technical designers are the one responsible for doing fittings during the whole sampling to production procedure. They might not be the one who designed the garment but are the experts in providing alternative to the garment to improve the fitting of garment.

3. Pattern Makers: Pattern is the basis for a garment to be sewed. Pattern makers produce and maintain patterns for garments that designers have sketched out. Pattern makers are key persons in realization of a garment.

4. Pattern Graders: The sizing of garment starts with the pattern grading. Pattern graders are experts in creating size specifications for different sizes. They are vital persons in for any fashion brands, as a consistent sizing across products can maintain customer loyalty and confidence.

5. Fitting Models: Ultimately garments and footwear are made for putting comfort and style together. Fitting is a crucial part in fashion industry and the most precise fitting is to use model as the body for fitting.

Many companies have their own dedicated models for fitting their lines, who has the exact sizing measurement the brand requires. Sometimes you would see ads looking for sampling models, from kids, men, women to plus size models.

6. Quality Control Specialists: Quality control is of top importance for any sort of products, and is no exception in fashion industry. Quality control specialists look at the quality of raw materials, like peeling, shrinking and color fading of textile and overall quality of a fashion item, for instance, the overall assembling of an accessory item.

7. Planners: Fashion planners coordinate closely with designers, merchandisers and buyers to decide the production plan for the coming seasons. They look at both production and marketing side while paying close attention to the latest fashion trend.

Marketing

Marketing is as important as making a perfect piece of fashion item. Whether it’s marketing in a wholesale or retail side, people in fashion marketing bears the mission of promoting the fashion item into this fast changing world.

1. Fashion Buyer/ Retail Merchandisers: Product merchandisers are the ones who buy ready-made products to be sold in a shop like department stores. These merchandisers conduct researches and analyze market trend, the relative customer wants and stocks. They bear huge responsibility in terms of profit making, since having the eye to buy the right product for sales can make a difference in revenue.

2. Showroom Sales Specialists: Some brands own their showrooms, displaying their collection for fashion buyers (wholesalers) to make their orders. Compared with retail sales, showroom sales specialists should know their seasonal returning customer better and be able provide detailed information on the selling collections.

3. Retail Store Manager/ Boutique Owners: Retail shop manager, sales and boutique owners are the first line personnel facing retail customers like you and me.

Other Fashion-related Professions

Besides in the field of designing, producing or marketing a fashion item, one might be attracted by other positions like as a writer of fashion magazine, online blogs and fashion event management etc. Below is a list highlighting the other possible jobs related to fashion industry:

1. Fashion Writers: Writers or freelance writers can write for magazines, online blogs or sites on reviews, trends and recommendations. Fashion writers can also develop into fashion magazine editors.

2. Personal Stylists:Some department stores provide personal styling services while some private customer would employ personal stylist giving them recommendations in personal styling.

3. Fashion event Management/ Public Relations: There are nameless fashion events which requires professional public relations and event management personnel to take care of. There are PR companies specialized in holding fashion related events.

Grasp the Opportunities!

Besides the above mentioned careers in the fashion industry, there are still many other opportunities like photographer, costume designer and catalog/ fashion show models, etc. One of the most reachable way to keep yourself updated with job opportunities and fashion trend is to be active in fashion forum and subscribe to fashion magazines.

Grasp the opportunities and enjoy a fashion career!

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Here are 10 Essential Reality Checks for YOU to consider when ‘others’ are considering the addition of a new pet to your family or household.

So you want a pet or at least your kids want a pet, well there is nothing unnatural about that, the whole idea will sound great…but wait a minute, stop and think…. there are some great positives about this idea….there are also some essential reality checks that need thinking about….a quick read through my checklists below will help you make a more realistic decision.

Remember the old saying “A pet is not just for Christmas”. Someone will have to clear the ‘pooh’ up at the end of it …. all.

Essential Reality Check No. 1 –

The Type of Pet

The type of pets for kids you can take into your household will depend on a whole host of things such as follows:

The ages of your kids – a two year old child will probably not be able to handle a pet gently and certainly won’t be able to care for the pet…..

How much will the pet costs be – not just to buy – but to care for on a daily basis?

What size of pet does your child want? – What space will be needed? A hamster does not take up much space but guinea pigs, ferrets and rats need much larger cages.

How much time do your kids and you as a family have to give to the pet?

Will your family be safe with the pet? Will the pet be safe with your family?

If you have a larger pet such as a dog, cat, or goat what effects will it have on your family, friends and neighbours?

How will your pet be cared for during your holidays.

Will your family be able to cope with the eventual death of a pet?

Some pets will sleep most of the day and be awake at night. Hamsters can be very noisy at night!

If your child wants a dog you will need to look into the breed, size and exercise needs of the dog.

Do you already have another pet, what effect will it have on that pet. For instance will your dog be ok with a cat or rabbit or bird?

Essential Reality Check No. 2 –

Ages of your Kids

You will need to decide on a pet that is suitable for the age of your kids.

For instance in most cases it would not be wise to buy a hamster for a two year old child who is still adapting to the world around them and may not know or be able to handle the hamster gently.

Do you want to give your kids some responsibility in caring for an animal. Some kids are very responsible and will be able to manage this. Other kids, well the sight of a baby animal is just too appealing, after all who can resist a cute puppy or kitten or baby hamster?

At first you may need to help your kids, as caring for a pet is a very responsible job. As a parent or carer you will always need to oversee a pet’s care.

As the parent or carer you will need to decide if your child is old enough to handle and care for a pet. How often have parents heard the cry “oh but we promise we’ll take it for walks everyday”

Or “we’ll clean it out mum, we promise”. How will you feel in a years time when you find yourself caring for the pets because the kids are busy with friends or away on a school trip or inundated with homework or just plain bored with the poor thing.

Essential Reality Check No. 3 –

True Costs of Pets for Kids

Some pets are very cheap to buy for instance hamsters, guinea pigs, goldfish. gerbils, fancy rats, fancy mice and rabbits and even ferrets.

You will still need to consider:

The cage set up (this can be very expensive when looking at the cage sizes that most pets need) in fact they need the largest cage you can manage

Food costs per week

Bedding

Vets bills if your pets become ill.

e.g. Ferrets need a yearly injection against canine distemper.

Holiday care – you will need to pay for this of course if you cannot rely on friends and family.

Bigger pets for kids such as goats, and dogs and pedigree cats are far more expensive to buy initially, some costing hundreds of pounds.

You will need to consider:

Bedding and a cage (if buying one for your dog or cat)

Leads and collars for dogs.

Food bills

Vets bills (dogs should have yearly check ups with a vets)

Toys

Holiday care (kennels can be very expensive)

Flea treatment

Ongoing veterinary costs if your pets becomes chronically ill.

Essential Reality Check No. 4 –

The Space Required

Even small pets for kids such as guinea pigs, fancy rats and ferrets need a lot of cage space for a happy life. They will need the biggest cages you can find space for. These pets also need space to exercise out of the cage.

Cats take up very little space, as do small breeds of dogs.

Dogs will need a decent sized garden as well as walks to keep them well exercised.

Essential Reality Check No. 5 –

Time for your Pets

Do you and the family have time for a pet.

For smaller pets you will need to have them out of the cage and being handled daily for at least 2 hours a day.

Do you have time to clean out your pet at least once or twice a week, or even daily?

Some pets will certainly need the toilet corner of their cage cleaned more often to avoid a foul smelling cage and pet.

Water bottles and food bowls will need cleaning and refilling every day.

Will you be able to walk your dog at least once a day? – dependent on the breed some need more!

Are you willing to look after your pets for kids for the many years some can live?

(From 18 months to 2 years for a mouse up to 15 years for a dog)

If you are out at work all day and the kids are at school all day your pets will need and will demand attention when you return home

Essential Reality Check No. 6 –

Your Pet and Family Safety

You will always need to ensure your kids safety when they are spending time with any pets.

Even little pets can bite and leave a wound.

Dogs should not be left unattended with your kids as they are unpredictable. Even a faithful dog will bite and even attack a child if they are in pain or afraid. It happens rarely – but it does happen.

You will also need to ensure your pets safety:Is your child able to handle a pet safely without hurting it.

Is your pet safe with any other pets in the home? – if you have young children and a dog …. you will need to make sure the dog cannot escape because a door is accidentally left open.

If you have a dog you need to ensure visitors safety as you can be sued if your dog bites someone on your property (or even off your property)

Make sure that when pets for kids are having free time out of cages that:

Other pets cannot hurt them

They cannot chew electrical leads

They cannot fall into toilets or baths of water.

They cannot escape through gaps in walls or floors

They cannot get outside without supervision

Essential Reality Check No. 7 –

Effects on Family and Neighbours

The whole family needs to be in agreement if you are getting pets. Pets can be noisy and messy having an effect on family living.

What effect will a pet such as a dog have on Granny who suffers with an allergy – will that mean she cannot come to visit anymore?

If you get a dog will it bark and howl when you leave them for any length of time and will this annoy your neighbours.

Will the dog bark when your neighbours are in their own garden.

How will your neighbours take to having your pet cat mess in their garden?

You will need to keep your yard free of dog mess to ensure it does not smell -particularly in summer months.

Essential Reality Check No. 8 –

Holidays and Care for Pets for kids

If you have pets for kids what will happen to them during your holiday times.

Do you have family or friends who can care for your pets while you are away.

If not you will have to pay for your pets care.

This will be expensive for dogs, cats and larger animals.

Even for little pets, holiday care can be expensive.

Essential Reality Check No. 9 -

Loss of a Pet and Grief

Some children are really sensitive and will be distraught when their beloved pet eventually passes away, or is lost in some way.

This is especially distressing if the pet has died as a result of an accident or illness.

How will you manage this?

The kids will need to grieve, grieving is a healthy part of a loss reaction. We can suffer losses every day in a small way such as not getting something we want, this causes a loss reaction and part of the healing for this is grief. If your child or other family member struggles with the grieving then look at the following and see if it applies. The grieving process has seven stepping stones through which people move. Your family member may not go through them in order or spend long on any one.

The stepping stones are:

Shock, Denial, Guilt, Anger, Depression Bargaining, Acceptance

Your child may want another pet this is called bargaining and is one of the stepping stones through the grief process.

If your child cannot have another pet, break down the hidden losses that the death of their pet has caused.

Could there be a loss of your child’s self worth or self esteem.

Have they lost their only companion.

Has your child lost the only one who listened to them.

By chatting try to find out how your child is feeling and help them to work out their losses and then work through to acceptance by doing some healthy bargaining.

Would your child be able to regain their sense of worth or self esteem another way? Perhaps helping out with a friends pet for instance.

For some children it may be helpful to have a burial service, so they can say goodbye properly.

(My son kept some hair from his beloved dog)

Our kids have managed the deaths of their pets really well and have gone on to have other pets, for other kids though it has more of an effect so you will need to decide when or if to replace your child’s pet.

Essential Reality Check No. 10 –

Pets for Kids are GREAT!

For the most part pets for kids are good fun. They are often good company for your kids especially if the kids are lonely.

Our autistic daughter has changed a lot since we got her guinea pigs to look after. She has gained some imaginative play, we think this is because she talks to her guinea pigs.

We do have to oversee her with them though.

Kids can learn a lot from caring for pets for kids and by having pets even when they are lost naturally.

Dogs can encourage the family out to get exercise as they walk the dog.

All our kids love their pets.

Lesley Munnings is mum of four with numerous pets. She and her husband are authors of parenting-our-kids.com For more information about pets visit best pets for kids

Finding gourmet cooking supplies is not as difficult as it used to be. In many ways, it has become easier for you to find all of the supplies that you want and need readily available. This is due in part to more and more people looking for the opportunity to prepare gourmet quality meals at home. Those hard to find but fun tools to use are readily available today. One of the best places to find them is on the web. Yet, finding gourmet cooking supplies is only the start. You also need to consider what else it takes to prepare these meals for you and your family, or perhaps even your clients.

Getting Your Gourmet Cooking Started

The first goal is to find the gourmet cooking supplies that you need. You can find most of them available in a variety of brands that you know and love. Many of the appliances, utensils and other products you need are readily available by brands that used to cater to just the public. Or, you can purchase professional quality products and use them in your home. The goal is to choose supplies that you need and that you can easily use. Look for the highest quality which means that the supplies should be high end, long lasting, easy to use and definitely worth the investment.

If you are new to gourmet cooking, it has become increasingly easy for you to find the education that you need here, too. In most areas there are gourmet cooking schools available that can help you. These are available through culinary schools even to the general public and students not looking to become chefs, but just those wanting to learn how to prepare better quality meals for their family. You don’t have to get a degree to learn the important aspects of gourmet cooking.

Besides having the right gourmet cooking supplies and education, you will need the freshest quality foods. There are several key ways to get this. You should make relationships with your butcher, your fish monger and with your local market vendors. Here you can get the best quality foods for your gourmet meals. You can also find many of those hard to find products available to you at the local supermarket or on the web. This allows anyone to have exactly what they need.

When it comes to gourmet cooking supplies, what you need and what you want can be had by you through the best companies out there. You can be someone that prepared luxury meals and you can find all that you need to make this happen easily today.

Ronald Piper is an online researcher who publishes new information on specialized topics. He provides daily, relevant information and updated content on your favorite interests. To view more articles related to this particular subject, please visit his website at: ronaldpiper.com

Abstract

This article introduces the educational solutions module of the world’s most recent personal and professional problem solving site, describing competitive offerings, the customer profile, problem-oriented solutions, target markets, product offerings, and usability features. It concludes that the module is a major contribution to the information superhighway.

Introduction

The aim of this article is to introduce to the world the educational solutions module of the world’s most recent personal and professional problem solving site. The article is addressed to those readers who may have an educational problem bogging them and who may therefore be looking for a way out of their predicament. The reader may be a parent, child, or student.

It is a common fact of life that we all have problems and that we are often frustrated or we tend to lash out because of our inability to find accessible and reliable information about our problems. This specialist site fills this need – as our pragmatic friend for solving our educational problems.

To be of the greatest use to people a problem solving site must combine pragmatic discussions of their personal or professional problem with merchant products that provide more detailed information. Typically, the web site will provide free information in the form of news, articles, and advice, which direct the visitor on what to do to solve her problems. Complementing this, the web site will also provide merchant products which discuss in detail how the visitor can go about resolving her problem. This means that the most effective, visitor-oriented problem-solving site will be an information-packed commercial site – and so is the world’s most recent personal and professional problem solving site and its specialist sites.

The approach that we have adopted below is to describe competitive offerings, the customer profile, problem-oriented solutions, target markets, product offerings, and usability features.

Competitive Offerings

The following are the top educational sites on the Internet, along with their offerings.

US Department of Education. It defines the US education policy and provides information on financial aid, educational research and statistics, grants and contracts, and teaching and learning resources.

Educational Testing Service. It provides a range of test resources.

FunBrain.com. It provides educational games for K-8 kids.

PrimaryGames.com. It provides fun learning tools and games for kids.

GEM. It provides educational resources such as lesson plans and other teaching and learning resources.

Education World. It provides advice on lesson plans, professional development, and technology integration.

NASA Education Enterprise. It provides educational materials and information relating to space exploration.

Spartacus Educational. It is a British online encyclopedia that focuses on historical topics.

Department for Education and Skills. It is a UK government department site that offers information and advice on various educational and skills topics.

Times Educational Supplement. It offers teaching news, teaching & educational resources, and active forums to help UK teachers.

All these sites are useful in the domains that they cover. Their main limitations are as follows:

1. They tend to cover only a very narrow segment of the educational market.

2. They do not take as their starting point the daily educational needs of the typical family.

3. They lack a problem focus; i.e., they do not formulate the typical learning and educational problems that pupils, students, and parents face on a daily basis.

4. As a result of the preceding point, the solutions offered are not as incisive (i.e. as problem-centred) as they could be.

5. They do not offer merchant products that deepen the visitor’s understanding of her problem and of the consequent solutions.

The educational solutions module of the world’s most recent personal and professional problem solving site addresses these problems by targeting a multiplicity of market segments, adopting a customer profile that fits the typical education-pursuing family, considering the specific needs or problems that this family may face, offering incisive (problem-centred) solutions to the various problems, and offering a range of merchant products that deepen the visitor’s appreciation of her problems and of the solutions that are applicable to them.

Customer Profile

The customer profile or target visitor characteristics of the educational solutions module is the same as for all specialist sites of the world’s most recent personal and professional problem solving site. The site has been designed to meet the needs of visitors who have an educational problem bogging them. It is designed for both males and females, even though it is often convenient to refer to just one sex when writing.

This visitor uses search engines to research information about her personal or professional problem, with the intention of finding solutions to it. The visitor is serious about solving her problem and is therefore willing to buy products that help her to achieve her mission, provided that she can find reliable and honest information about relevant products so that she can make an informed decision about which ones to acquire. This information will help her to apply her finances economically, and hence avoid wasting money.

The visitor will want a money-back guarantee so that if a product does not live up to expectations or if she were misled into buying a product she can get a refund. Such a guarantee absolves her of purchase risks.

The visitor is intelligent (without necessarily being a genius), educated (without necessarily being a PhD), computer literate (without necessarily being a computer guru), and money-minded (without necessarily being a freebie hunter or an unemployed person). This of course does not mean that freebie hunters or unemployed persons cannot gain a thing from the site. To the contrary, there is a great deal of free information on the site. Just that it is hard to see how anyone can gain the full benefits of the site without buying products.

The visitor wants high quality information products (usually in digital form) and wants to pay the cheapest price for these (without paying so much emphasis on price that she compromises quality). The visitor also wants free bonus offers that are attached to the purchased goods.

The visitor is self-reliant and can cope on her own by reading, digesting, and applying advice about her problem until she solves it or discovers that she needs help from a professional, at which point her acquired knowledge will help her to reduce her consulting fees. As a result of the knowledge gained, the visitor will be able to assess consultants in order to avoid incompetent or fraudulent ones.

Problem-Centred Solutions

Our free solutions are organised in the form of pragmatic articles that are written by top experts. Each article addresses a specific daily problem, but does not go into detail. It explains the problem and tells the visitor what she must do to solve her problem. However, it does not tell the visitor how she must solve it – this is too much for an article. To find out about the how, the visitor must buy a product (usually an e-book or e-book set) that goes into greater depth.

The set of educational articles that we have chosen, to provide initial solution to a visitor’s problem are as follows:

Signs of a Gifted Child – Informs parents on how to identify whether or not their children are gifted.

Essential Parenting Lessons for Enriching Your Child’s Education – Teaches parents how to enhance their child’s education.

Using Positive Affirmations to Be a Better Student – Teaches students how to use positive affirmations to improve their performance.

They Are Just Afraid of Writing – Teaches writing skills to students

How Can Parents Encourage Their Children to Read? – Shows parents how they can improve their children’s reading skills.

Test Preparation Tutoring – Discusses the topic of tutoring students to prepare for tests or exams.

Test Taking Strategies – Discusses various strategies for taking and passing tests or exams

Playing and Winning the Scholarship Game – Describes how to win scholarships.

How to Get a Scholarship to a UK University – Describes how to win scholarships to a UK university.

Saving Money for College – Instructs students on how they can save money in preparation for college.

Student Loans: When Your Educational Dreams Can’t Compete with the Cost – Explains to students the benefits of a student loan.

Education Loans Can Fund a Higher Degree to Boost Your Career – Also explains to students the benefits of a student loan.

The Secret to US Department of Education Loans – Teaches students how to get a US DoE loan to finance their higher education.

Student Loan Consolidation – Save Money, Pay Less, Spend More – Explains to graduates how to make use of loan consolidation to reduce their student loan repayments.

Higher Education: Finding the Right College for You – Explains to students how to find the right college or university for their higher education studies.

Mobile Learning – An Alternative Worth Considering – Explains the concept of mobile learning and its place in education.

Online Degrees – Is Online Education Right for You? – Analyses the merits of online learning as compared to traditional learning.

An Online College Education Overview – Reviews the whole concept of online learning.

Finding the Right Quotation for Your Paper or Speech Online – Shows writers and speakers how to find the right quotation to use in their writings or speeches.

Collaboration: An Important Leadership Development Skill – Explores the useful concept of collaboration and its role in leadership development.

At the end of each article is a list of merchant products that supplement the article’s content. A link is also included for accessing the educational product catalogue.

Target Markets and Product Offerings

Now let us turn to the target markets and their associated product offerings. We have positioned the segments to address the various needs of a visitor over a period of time, and at any given time a customer may belong to one or more of the market segments. There are three general classes of products offered: ClickBank products, Google products, and eBay products. Google and eBay products are presented on each page of the site. ClickBank products are grouped into product categories that match the target markets. These categories and their markets are as follows.

Children and Parenting. This consists of visitors who want parenting solutions for improving their children’s upbringing. Their needs are met through the Children and Parenting section of the educational product catalogue.

Difficult Admissions. This consists of visitors who want to learn how to get admission into top universities. Their needs are met through the Difficult Admissions section of the educational product catalogue.

Esoteric Needs. This consists of visitors with unusual needs. Their needs are met through the Esoteric Needs section of the educational product catalogue.

Financial Aid. This consists of visitors looking for scholarships, grants, or loans. Their needs are met through the Financial Aid section of the educational product catalogue.

Leadership Skills. This consists of visitors looking to develop their leadership skills. Their needs are met through the Leadership Skills section of the educational product catalogue.

Learning. This consists of visitors who want to improve their learning ability. Their needs are met through the Learning section of the educational product catalogue.

Mental Speed. This consists of visitors who want to explode their mental speed. Their needs are met through the Mental Speed section of the educational product catalogue.

Positive Affirmations. This consists of visitors who want to transform their negative dispositions into a positive mindset in order to improve their performance. Their needs are met through the Positive Affirmations section of the educational product catalogue.

Speaking. This consists of visitors looking to improve their speaking skills. Their needs are met through the Speaking section of the educational product catalogue.

Tests and Exams. This consists of visitors looking to master exam technique. Their needs are met through the Tests and Exams section of the educational product catalogue.

Writing. This consists of visitors looking to improve their writing skills. Their needs are met through the Writing section of the educational product catalogue.

Usability Considerations

Usability has been enhanced to make it easy for the visitor to find solutions to her problem, by following these steps:

1. The first thing the visitor sees are a set of articles whose titles represent the specific problem area they address. The articles are accessed from the Educational Problem Solving menu of the navigation bar to the left of the screen or from the Educational Problem Solving main page. By scanning these articles the visitor can identify whether or not her problem is covered. If not the visitor can check the educational product catalogue through the Product Catalogues menu of the same navigation bar, to see whether a product exists that answers her query. If she finds nothing she knows that her problem is not addressed. She can proceed to the Related Sites pages, which are accessible from the left navigation bar.

2. If the visitor finds an article that addresses her problem then she can begin to explore that; at the end of the article she will find products that discuss her problem more deeply. She can also access the educational product catalogue through an article page.

Conclusion

This article has introduced the educational solutions module of the world’s most recent personal and professional problem solving site. The article has examined competitive offerings, the target customer profile, problem-oriented solutions, target markets, product offerings, and usability considerations. It concludes that the module is a major contribution to the information superhighway.

A A Agbormbai is the editor and webmaster of Personal and Professional Problem Solving – a web site that fills a vacuum on the Web. He has a PhD from Imperial College London and enjoys an interdisciplinary upbringing having worked or studied in aerospace engineering, information systems development, and management. The educational solutions module is one of many specialist sites of Personal and Professional Problem Solving.

Educational solutions module – [http://www.triplacc.com/educational/education.html]

Educational product catalogue – [http://www.triplacc.com/products/educational-pc.html]

World’s most recent personal and professional problem solving site – [http://www.triplacc.com/]

If you are a business owner or even if you are about to become one, there is a good chance that you have heard of innovative internet marketing ideas before. Although you may have heard of these ideas before, do you know what they are? Do you know what they can do for you and your business? Are you using the same old marketing techniques used by everyone else in the industry and struggling for traffic and business? Lets examine the advantages and disadvantages of using innovative internet marketing ideas to promote your business.

Before you start to examine the advantages and disadvantages of innovative Internet marketing, it may be a good idea to examine exactly what it is. As a business owner or a soon to be business owner, you likely already know what Internet marketing is. Marketing is getting your business out into the general public; it is done by targeting your intended audience, your customers. That targeting is done by way of the internet; thus the title, internet marketing. It is also important to understand how to be innovative and how that ties into internet marketing. Innovation is another word that is often used to describe something new; therefore, innovative Internet marketing ideas are relatively new ideas, particularly ideas that have just recently been developed.

When it comes to innovative internet marketing ideas and your business, you will find that there are a number of benefits. One of those benefits is the ease of use. Even if you do not have a large amount of computer experience, you will often find the internet easy to use. Whether you are interested in making your business an online website, starting a business newsletter, or conducting a demographic analysis online, you should easily be able to do so. Even if you do not know how to start up your own newsletter, do an online poll, or make your own website, you should be able to learn, often in no time at all. The internet offers information on starting all kinds of businesses.

Once you have chosen your niche, or specific area or product that you would like to promote or sell, try searching the internet for similar products or services. In this way, you can determine any potential competition. If competition exists, you can decide if you want to compete, or find a complimentary product or service to promote. If competition doesn’t exist, and there is a market looking for answers to a question, this would be a perfect niche market to begin a business in.

In addition to using the Internet to put your innovative marketing ideas to into motion, you can also use the Internet to find those ideas. Using the Internet to find innovative Internet marketing ideas is a relatively quick and easy process. By staying up-to-date on the latest business and marketing news or by performing a standard Internet search, you can easily be kept in the loop, when it comes to Internet marketing ideas, particularly new ones. If you have a niche that you are interested in, often signing up for related newsletters or chat rooms can lead to the discovery of a new business idea or marketing technique. If you put those ideas into motion, as soon as you hear about them, your business may be given an edge above the rest of its competition. In fact, a new innovative Internet marketing idea may be just what you need to get your business up and running.

What is also nice about innovative Internet marketing is that, although it is relatively easy to develop your own marketing ideas and execute them, you don’t necessarily have to. For example, there are a large number of individuals who specialize in Internet marketing. Those individuals, who are often referred to as internet marketing specialists, can be found online. An internet marketing specialist is a trained professional who can not only come up with new ways to market your internet business online, but they can also execute those ideas for you, for a reasonable fee. Whether you don’t have the time to develop an effective marketing plan or if you want to avoid the hassle of doing so, an internet marketing specialist may be able to offer you assistance.

Although there are a large number of advantages to using innovative marketing ideas to promote your business, there are also a few disadvantages to doing so as well. One of those disadvantages is the fact that innovative marketing ideas are new. With new marketing ideas, they have sometimes yet to be tested or proven; therefore, you are really given no guarantees that a new, innovative Internet marketing idea really will work. Of course, it is important to remember that with business, there are always risks. Trying a new innovative internet marketing idea may not work out to your advantage, but it may also be the best thing that has ever happened to your business.

Barb Asselin is an author and owner of Asselin Group, an online publishing company. For more articles relating to internet marketing, visit http://marketing-strategies.asselingroup.com or for other aspects of internet businesses, visit http://www.asselingroup.com/ebooks-internet.htm to read our articles or ebooks. Visit http://www.asselingroup.com to see all that Asselin Group has to offer, including municipal directories, real estate articles and sign language ebooks.

There are many reasons why you could be in the market

for a new job right now. Perhaps…

==> You just graduated from high school–or even better,

college–and you’re ready to strike out on a quest for

your first “real” job.

==> Your worst fears finally manifested and you’ve been

downsized.

==> You’re bored with the career path you’ve been on for

the past few years, and you’re ready to strike out in a

new direction.

==> You want to change jobs (within your field) for better

salary, benefits, or chance at promotion.

Whatever your motivation, a powerful resume is

essential. In truth, a resume alone won’t get you that

dream job you’re craving. Not even if you implement

every resume writing tip you can get your hands on!

But a great resume will get you in the door for an

interview. It will make you stand out as a superior

candidate for the job you’ve applied for. And that

achievement is huge, given the fierce competitive

nature of today’s job market. Not only that, but a

well-crafted resume will put the decision-maker you

meet with in a hiring frame of mind. As long as you

don’t blow the interview, you’ll have a great shot at

that job!

Digest and apply each resume writing tip below as you

craft a powerful resume that will make all the

difference in your adventure to land a job!

POWERFUL RESUME WRITING TIPS: 10 Steps to Success

Resume Writing Tip #1: Gather your background

materials. To complete your resume, you’ll need to know

your dates of employment at each of your previous jobs

and when you went to school. You’ll also need to be

able to describe your skills and accomplishments on the

job, so put some thought into those areas.

Resume Writing Tip #2: Decide on a format. Before you

can start writing a resume, you’ll need to decide if

the functional or chronological format will work best

for you. Remember, you want to put yourself and your

abilities in the best light.

Resume Writing Tip #3: Put together a general outline.

A resume outline will help you get organized and will

prevent you from overlooking any essential pieces of

information that should be included.

Resume Writing Tip #4: If your resume is targeted at a

specific employer or career path, learn all you can

about what they need. Spending time on this research

will help you with your resume, with the cover letter

that goes with your resume, and with the upcoming

interview. Make sure you know what qualities will most

benefit the employer and think about how your abilities

match those qualities. (Read another resume writing tip

on how to target.)

Resume Writing Tip #5: Plan, plan, plan. Before you

actually start writing, spend time just thinking about

how you’ll present yourself in the resume. What is your

objective in seeking a job? This objective should serve

as a sort of bull’s-eye to structure your resume

around. What have been your most significant

accomplishments? You’ll want to highlight them. What

unique qualities do you bring to an employer? Think in

terms of benefits. Also think about the resume design

you’ll use, the fonts within, and the resume wording .

Resume Writing Tip #6: Start writing, following your

outline. Take your time. Use a lot of action words . Be

concise. Don’t use “responsibilities included” or

“responsible for.” It’s a waste of space. Use bullets,

rather than long paragraphs.

Resume Writing Tip #7: Cut and paste your content into

your resume template. If you’re at this site, you’re

probably not an experienced, professional resume

writer. So, take a resume writing tip from a pro. Use a

resume template . There is no reason why your resume

must look amateurish.

Resume Writing Tip #8: Review, edit, and proofread like

a maniac. One of the biggest resume mistakes is typos

or grammatical errors. These errors may seem trivial,

but they can cost you the interview, and ultimately the

job. After all, if you can’t be bothered to make sure

that your resume is 100% accurate, what guarantee is

there that your job performance will be high caliber?

Resume Writing Tip #9: Get someone else you trust to

look at it. It can be really helpful to get someone who

knows you to look at your resume. Not only are they

more likely to catch simple errors, but they may point

out strengths you’ve missed or underemphasized. Tell

them you want their honest opinion and you’re open to

questions. Use their input to clarify your resume. Even

if you write your own resume, you may want to think

about getting a professional to do a resume critique .

Resume Writing Tip #10: Send it out into the world. The

more resumes you submit, the more likely you are to get

an interview. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by

applying for only one job. And, don’t be afraid to take

some risks and apply for a job you’re interested in,

even if you don’t quite match all the qualifications.

Most employers ask for many more qualifications than

they absolutely require.

Hopefully, at least one resume writing tip on this page

has given you some food for thought. But don’t stop

your training here!

Kathi MacNaughton, a freelance writer and editor, has years of management and recruitment experience. For tips & advice on writing powerful resumes, see http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com. Copyright 2004 Kathi MacNaughton. All rights reserved.

For most cat owners, training their cat to use the litter is a relatively painless process. It is among a cat’s natural instincts to eliminate in an area that they can cover their feces in. This behavior may be a way of your cat accepting what they perceive to be as the natural order of dominance. In the wild feral cats will bury their feces if they are not at the top of their social hierarchy, if a feral cat does not bury his or her feces it is likely that the cat exhibiting that behavior is the dominant feline. So when your housecat buries his or her waste he or she may be recognizing your role as the dominant animal in their social community. It is also possible, however, that your cat may be displaying his or her inherited instinct to bury his or her feces in order to hide their trail from would be predators.

Generally kittens will learn the behavior of burying their feces and using the litter

through their mother once they are weaned assuming the mother is litter trained.

So if you bring home a young kitten of about 12 weeks, you may only need to

place kitty in the litter box and gently scratch the clean litter with your fingers

shortly after she eats to indicate to her what she is to do.

KITTY DIDN’T TAKE TO THE LITTER RIGHT AWAY

If your new cat doesn’t take to litter training after your first few attempts you may

want to consider teaching her using another common method. Confine your new

addition to a small but comfortable room, preferably one with a hard floor if you

have one. Place both the litter box and the food dish in the room but don’t place

them close to one another. Your cat will naturally not want to defecate near its food

source so she will look for another area. Eliminate any pillows, blankets,

newspapers, towels or other soft items where your cat may decide to eliminate from

the room before you close her in. If you have confined your cat to a room with hard

floors she is likely to avoid eliminating on the floor since urinating is likely to splash

back and get on her fur. The only remaining choice to the cat at this point is

(hopefully) the litter box.

MY CAT STOPPED USING THE LITTER

If your cat was housebroken and all the sudden she seems to have

forgotten that instinct there are a few possibilities you might want to consider

before giving up.

1. Does Kitty Have A Dirty Litter Box? The most common cause of a

housetrained cat to stop using the litter is your cat

disagreeing with the level of cleanliness regarding her litter box. Your cat is more

likely to

stop using the litter if she feels that it is too dirty. It is best to clean your cat’s litter

every day or at the very least every second or third day. The dirtier a litter box gets

the less likely it is that your cat is going to continue to use it. Your cat wants to

eliminate in a clean environment and if she notices that every time she eliminates on

the carpet you immediately run and clean it up she perceives that as a more

desirable place to eliminate because it is so quickly cleaned. Keeping your cat’s

litter as clean as possible is the best way to avoid this problem, and remember, what

you consider clean, your cat may not.

In addition to emptying the litter, you obviously need to change it from time to time

as well in order to ensure good cat health and cleanliness. Weekly changing is best,

this ensures that odors and wetness won’t have too much time to build up to

unacceptable levels and it also reduces the likelihood of sickness due to high levels

of bacteria.

2. Stress. A cat eliminating outside of the litter box may also be a sign for

stress.

The introduction of a new person or animal into the household may be putting a lot

of stress on your cat. Cats generally like to feel like they know what is going on and

what they can expect. If you upset that balance by introducing a new creature (even

a two legged one) into the household they may get stressed which can cause them

to eliminate outside the box.

If you leave your cat alone for long periods of time (for example while you take

vacations or go on business trips) and you come back you may

notice that your cat will sometimes seem aloof and standoffish. This is another

instance in which your cat may react with eliminating outside the litter box as a sort

of protest to what she perceives as being abandoned.

A new piece of furniture, or conversely, a newly missing piece of furniture may also

put stress on your cat. Order and comfort are important if you are a cat. If you

decide to get rid of that old fabric sofa because of it’s ugly pea green color and

because it’s falling apart at the seams and then you replace it with a brand new,

slick, top of the line, leather sofa with a refrigerator built into the side, and a

massage and heating function, your cat is unlikely to see this as a stylish upgrade

the way you would. What your cat will probably see is that one of her favorite nap

spots has disappeared only to be replaced by something she is unfamiliar with and

intimidated by.

3. Changing Litter Brands. Cats are creatures of habit and can also be

quite finicky (remember Morris, the 9 Lives cat?). If you’ve recently switched the

brand of litter you usually buy this may be cause for your cat to find another place

to go. Some litters are perfumed (for humans rather than cats) and your cat may

not react well to these smells, or perhaps your cat was used to a less dusty type

of litter, a particular litter’s texture, or who knows what. Changing brands or types

of litter may upset what your cat is comfortable with and the result may be a messy

carpet. If you suspect this to be the cause, you can either switch back, or

gradually introduce the new litter. Try mixing in a little bit of the new litter with the

older brand at first and gradually step up the percentage of the new litter each time

you change the box, eventually you will be able to replace the older brand

altogether. This will help your cat ease into the new litter brand rather than upset

her sense of the order of things.

4. Multiple Cats. As mentioned above a second animal may cause a cat to

begin to

eliminate outside of the litter box, but this may not necessarily be the result of

stress. A second cat in your household should probably have his own litter box

unless your cats have proven they don’t mind sharing. Again, remember cats are

clean creatures and they can be territorial as well. Some cats may not mind using

the same box, but others may refuse, which means again, the carpet becomes litter

box number two.

5. Litter Box Size Or Placement. If the litter box does not provide enough

room for

your cat she may not use it at all. Your cat will likely want to scratch around and be

able to feel comfortable in the litter box. Make sure it is roomy enough, easy

for your cat to get in and out of (the sides of the box should be lower for kittens

than for adult cats), and not in a high traffic area as cats seem to like some

degree of privacy when eliminating. Lastly, make sure your cat has access to the

litter at all times. Putting your litter box in a room that is closed on occasion is a

recipe for disaster. If your cat has to go and she can’t get to the room that you’ve

put the litter in then she really will have no other alternative than to find another

suitable area to eliminate.

6. Medical Issues. Your cat may be experiencing kitty incontinence. Like

humans,

incontinence can strike animals and this may be an indication of other medical

issues with your cat. As a cat ages, she becomes more likely to lose control of her

bodily functions just like a human does. If you suspect age or medical reasons may

be the cause for your kitty’s litter box problems then you should take her to the vet

for an examination, advice and possible treatment to resolve the problem.

WHEN YOUR CAT MAKES A MESS

If your cat does make a mess outside of the litter box it is generally not good

practice to scold her or punish her. Putting her nose in the mess and then tossing

her in the litter is not going to solve your problem. Being upset with your cat is

natural after such an incident, but to display this behavior and then to put her in the

litter box is only making your cat associate the litter box with a bad experience.

Your cat may also begin to learn to be afraid of you, which is obviously not what you

want. Your best solution is to clean up the mess quickly. Put your cat in the litter

box and be friendly and speak in a calming voice with the cat. Scrape the clean

litter with your fingers and make sure your cat sees this behavior, hopefully it will

sink in. To avoid having your cat defecate in the same place outside the litter box a

second (or third) time, cover the area with a plastic sheet or something hard that

will result in your cat splashing herself with her own urine if she should chose that

place to defecate again. Clean the smell as best you can (white vinegar may help,

but make sure your furniture or carpet can handle it). You can also move her food

dish on top of or near the area that she used to defecate, a cat will not want to

defecate near her food source. If your cat uses the litter again, even just once,

reward her, play with her, pet her, give her a treat, make her associate the litter box

with a good experience rather than a bad one.

A cat that eliminates outside of the box is not a lost cat. Don’t give up on her until

you’ve explored the possible reasons for the problem. Once you find it, you can

most likely correct it and kitty and human can live a happy co-existence once again.

Andy Markison is an illustrator, graphic designer, animal lover and pet owner living in Germany. His website, ZapGraphix.com, sells fun and humorous pet related grapchics and gift merchandise.

Research suggests that as many as 8 out of 10 employed adults are in the wrong job or career! They are in poor career-shape or have little or no career-stamina.

If you are one of the 8 or your goal is to shape up, it is important to have a good understanding of some basic career management principles for a healthy career workout and to help you make the best decisions about your career on a day-by-day basis.

Career Fitness Tips

Here are 10 proven tips to maximize your career-workout:

1. Set Goals You Know You Can Reach. Keep your goals realistic. Unrealistic goals leave many people feeling like a failure even after a career success. Rather than feeling good about what has been accomplished, many feel dissatisfied because they have not yet attained their dream career. To manage your expectations, set reasonable goals that can be worked on and achieved.
2. Divide your career goals into manageable pieces. Bite off only what you can chew at any given moment. Resist the urge to multi-task when working on your career goals. If you overdo it and push yourself by trying to accomplish everything at once, you will become discouraged and lose your motivation.
3. Work On Your Goals One At A Time. Prioritize your career goals and then work to achieve the first one. Continue to tackle each subsequent goal by completing it before starting the next one. Before you know it you will have accomplished all of your career objectives.
4. Make Modest Changes To Your Work Habits. There are a number of “baby steps” you can take to advance your career. Instead of fantasizing about the perfect career, apply creative thinking and implement a few “quick wins” to boost your career.
5. Develop A Career Roadmap. A career roadmap helps you find the best route or direction to take to achieve your career objectives. List the actions you will take to ensure an interesting, challenging and rewarding career that uses your best strengths and natural talents.
6. Increase Your Focus. To stay challenged and to progress towards your ultimate career goal, gradually increase the intensity and focus your efforts as you follow your Career Roadmap.
7. Make It A “Whole-Person” Experience. Your career is more than just one or a series of jobs. A well-rounded career includes a balance of healthy personal relationships, work, and recreation (fun). To avoid boredom, make sure you include others who have a stake in your career and activities you truly enjoy.
8. Celebrate. Whenever you achieve a goal, do something nice for yourself. Make sure it’s more than just a pat on the back or verbal acknowledgement; make it worthwhile.
9. Consult A Career Management Specialist. If you’re serious about advancing your career, hire a professional to help you get the most from your career activities and to motivate you to stick with your plans.
10. Get A Career Fitness Partner. Find a mentor or colleague who is willing to be your career fitness partner. Choose someone who will motivate and challenge you when you want to quit. Or, form a support group with co-workers who share similar career interests.

As you begin to use these tips, they may at first feel burdensome. However, with a little effort and continued use, they will become second nature.

Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover™ and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/

Advertising Your Blog In Your Email Signature

If you have a blog that you are particularly proud of,and that you want to share with other people, there are a lot of free ways that you can get your blog noticed.

One of those ways is something that you do everyday,and that you may not even consider as a way to share your blog. Put the link to your blog in your email signature.

Chances are that you send out emails more times that you can count during the day, Each time you send out an email, you can advertise your blog by putting the address of your blog in your email’s signature.

It’s always a good idea to write something catchy like, See what I am up to now, or Read my latest chapter of my fanfic here, depending on what type of blog you have.

The thing to remember about putting an adveritsement in your signature for your blog is to make it short, but eye catching.

You want people to be interested enough to want to click on it, but you also don’t want to scare them off.

Just like it is with any adveritsement, you want to give them just enough to be interested and take a closer look at what it is that you are advertising.

Think about what it is that your blog is about. What is really going to interest people about it and want to visit That is what you should include in your signature, and that is what is going to get people to go to your blog.

Blogger Forums – A Great Place To Advertise Your Blog

No matter what type of blog that you have, one of the best places that you can advertise your blog is to join a blogger forum. After all, everyone who posts there has a blog and thats the main subject.

It’s a great place to meet other bloggers and to advertise your blog.

There are quite a few blogger forums that you can signup for on the Internet. One is known as Bloggeries,where you can show off your blog, get your blog reviewed or review other blogs, and find lots of tools that you can use for your own blog.

Another good place to go is to Blog Forum.

Blog Forum, like Bloggeries, has spots for you to market and show off your blog,

Blogger forums are a great place to advertise because everyone in them are of the same mind and want to make certain that their blogs get noticed and read.

If you use your blog to advertise something that you are selling, or you want to get a lot of traffic to your blog in order to make money, you want to go someplace where it can get exposure.

When you advertise on a blog forum, you know that you are placing your advertisement in a place where blogging is something that people enjoy.

Just remember when you are posting to a forum to read the rules and abide by them. That way you’ll get your blog noticed and you will know that you are doing the

Blogging Directories – Great Advertising Venues

If you want to have more people visit your blog, there are plenty of blog directories on the Internet that you can submit your blog to so that people will come and visit it. Most blog directories are listed by the topics that the blogs that are submitted cover.

Blog Catalog is a free blog directory that offers categories such as career and jobs, writing, Iraq, and many others. It has features such as featured blogs and other things to offer those who submit their blogs there.

Another great place to add your blog is blog-drectory.org. Not only do they have an an extensive list of categories with sub categories, you can get your blog reviewed. For the most popular blogs, it shows the amount of hits that blogs have and if they have any reviews. As well as listing by category, the blogs are also listed by location.

There are other blog directories on the Internet -these are only a couple of them. But blog directories are a great place to advertise your blog and to make new friends. You never know what you will find when you browsing through the directory, and you may just find out information that you never knew. Some of the blog directories offer chat features as well, so that you can meet other people easily.

As you can see, blog directories are a great place to get your blog noticed and bring people to read your blog and look at your pictures.

Blogging Traffic – Give And Take

Blogging traffic is a give and take relationship.Sometimes one of the best ways to get traffic to your blog is by visiting someone else ‘s blog.

Go to their blog and read one of their entries, or read a few of them. Chances are that you are going to find something that you have in common.

When you find something that you find truly interesting on a blog, leave a comment so that they know that you were there.

One of the best known blogs available is Live Journal. A great feature of Live Journal is that you can search for interests on their site and it will come up with results of those who have that interest.

Are you interested in horseback riding You can see what other bloggers are interested in horseback riding as well.

When you are commenting on someone’s post, you want to make sure that you don’t leave generic comment. If you like the post, say something about what you read in the post.

After you have commented on the person’s post, then you can say something like, ‘I really like horsebackriding too. I had a similar experience to yours.’ and then use it to link back to your journal.

But be sure that you sound sincere when you are commenting, and don’t make them feel like you’re just fishing for traffic.

If someone thinks that you are using their blog to get more traffic to yours, they won’t visit your site and your efforts will be wasted.

Join A Community To Advertise Your Blog

Something that you will find, especially if you join something like Live Journal or Greatest Journal, is that users just like you have created communities for people with common interests.

There are communities for just about any subject, and if you find that there isn’t a community for the subject you can create one. This is a great place to advertise your blog.

The nice thing about communities is that there isn’t any limit as to how many communities that you can join.

For example, say that you love blogging about books,horseback riding, and skiing in Tahoe. All you have to do is look through the communities for ones that have those interests and join them.

As long as you post something related to the topic to the chosen community, people will see you and perhaps they will check out your personal blog.

Something to remember is that you don’t want to write a post that is one sentence long in order to get people to go to your blog. They will want to know that what you write is interesting and is something worth reading.

Joining communities can be a great way to advertise your blog and drive traffic to it. If you are referring to something that you posted about on your blog, you can use a link back to your entry in your post.

As with posting comments on someone else’s blog, you don’t want people to think that you joined a community simply to get traffic to your blog. Otherwise, people won’t visit your blog and you may get banned from the community as well.

Email Groups – Hidden Treasure Troves For Advertising A Blog

Something that has become increasingly popular since the Internet has grown are the email groups that are available through Yahoo, MSN, and other venues.

They are a great way to meet other people who have a common interest, and are very similar to the communities that are available through blogging sites.

There is plenty of diverse subjects and there are communities for just about any subject.

These groups can be a great place for people who have a blog about the subject and want to share it with other people.

Most of the time when you join a group, you are encouraged to take a moment and to introduce yourself.This is a great opportunity to tell people about your blog, but make certain that you don’t overdo it.

Just like with any of the other places you will advertise your blog, you want to make people want to go to your blog. If you are too overbearing, you will turn people off.

If your blog covers different subjects, you can advertise it on the other groups that cover those subjects as well.

Make certain that your post to the groups is interesting and that you let people know what it is that your blog is about. There’s nothing worse than getting taken to a blog under false pretences.

When people visit your blog, make certain that you thank them for visiting and respond to comments that they leave.

If they know that you appreciate the time that they took, they are more likely to come back again.

The power of being seen is the up most importance and blogging is one the best ways you can make sure others know of you, don’t let it pass you by.

[http://www.theonlinenbiznetwork.com]

Douglas Smith has been involved with selling online since 2001 and creator of numerous websites along with being an ebay powerseller.

Since stations became required to broadcast high-definition TV signals, televisions that can pick up these signals have been in popularity. High definition televisions offer viewers clearer images, better and sharper surround sound technology and most importantly, pictures that have superior resolutions. This article discusses why high definition televisions are the way to go.

Why High Definition Televisions?

1. Superior Picture Resolution

Televisions that are able to pick up and transmit HD signals offer a much higher picture resolution than most of the televisions that use digital technology and not high def. This results in a sharper picture quality if you have a high definition television.

2. Increased Aspect Ratio

Digital televisions currently available feature an aspect ratio of 4:3, whereas the aspect ratio for high definition televisions is much higher at about 16:9. An aspect ratio is the height and width of the screen.

This means that a 4:3 ratio features a screen that is four feet in width and 3 feet in height and the same for an aspect ratio of 16:9 found on high def television. This higher aspect ration on high def televisions mean that these TVs have a much crisper and clearer image quality than digital televisions.

3. Surround Sound – Dolby A3 Digital

The Dolby A3 digital surround sound is featured on these televisions and is the standard on most high definition televisions. This means that high def televisions offer independent channels (5.1) of stereo surround sound that is of a compact disc quality which is frequently referred to as AC-3.

4. Decrease in the Motion Artifacts

Motion artifacts, a few of which are dot crawls and ghosting present on less technologically advanced televisions are reduced on HD televisions which makes high def televisions a viewing pleasure for most if not all of those with these televisions.

Additional Considerations High Definition Television Purchase

1. Input and output jacks on high def televisions should be paid attention to by potential buyers which must be compatible with other equipment to be attached to the television such as DVD players, consoles for video games, cables connections, etc.

2. High def tuner compatibility to the high HD television is crucial. Check the compatibility to the satellite or cable service used before purchase.

3. Will the buyer need an external antenna for any off air broadcasting. First check to ensure that the HD television can receive off air broadcasts. If the HD television cannot easily receive these broadcasts that are off air, the buyer may need to use his/her own antenna that is external.

HD televisions are the way to go and you should be able to find one that meets your desires and your budget easily. High definitions televisions [http://th103pf10uk.info/] means that you will have superior viewing capacity. Visit my website for discussion of some of the best HD televisions for every budget. Visit [http://th103pf10uk.info/] for more information.

Wear stylish maternity clothes and make your pregnancy period more fun. Not all of us can look our glowing best during pregnancy; we can at least try our best to look fabulous wearing trendy maternity clothes.

Expectant women have a lot of choices with maternity clothes being available in all price ranges from stylish maternity clothes designed by some of the top names in fashion to off-the-rack affordable maternity clothes.

There are some top end boutiques that deal in exclusive, ultra stylish maternity clothes that can take your breath away literally on account of the unique fashion as well as the unbelievable prices! Well, you can pay a ton to look gorgeous or pay almost nothing at all and still look gorgeous. There are many women who look stunning wearing discount maternity clothes purchased online. You can even purchase expensive maternity winter coats with discount on these stores.

Factors To Consider While Selecting Your Maternity clothes

No matter where you buy your maternity clothes, be it designer wear or otherwise, you have to consider certain factors before you decide to buy your clothes.

Stylish maternity clothes add a distinct glamour to pregnant women. Maternity clothes have underwent a sea change and now you have a wide range of trendy maternity clothes and funny maternity clothes to choose from. Visit Maternity Clothes for more tips and free articles related to pregnancy and how to get discount maternity clothes or affordable maternity clothes.

You’ve decided to take your pet along on vacation. It will be more fun, and you won’t have to worry about leaving a member of your family behind in an unfamiliar kennel. With some extra planning and forethought, you can have a safe and enjoyable trip with your pet.

Taking a Road Trip

If you’re driving with your pet, you’ll need to find a comfortable and safe way for your pet to travel. You can place your pet in a carrier and secure it in the car. Alternatively, you can purchase a seatbelt-like harness for your pet that will allow him to be out of the carrier but still safely restrained. It isn’t safe to allow your pet to roam freely in the car. He can be seriously hurt in the event of even a minor accident, and he is much more likely to escape and become lost when you make stops.

Don’t leave your pet alone in the car, especially in hot weather. The heat can quickly become life-threatening. If your pet becomes carsick easily, you may want to ask your veterinarian for motion-sickness medicine before the trip.

Carry some of your pet’s food along with you, and feed your pet only small amounts of food at a time. If your trip is short, you may want to have your pet wait and eat when you arrive to avoid carsickness. You should also carry some of your pet’s water along, or purchase bottled water. Local tap water may contain different minerals or sulphur, which might upset your pet’s stomach.

Flying with your pet

Many pet owners do not like to fly with their pets because it can be traumatic for them, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Unless your pet is very small, he will fly as cargo and not in the cabin with you. Check with your airline to determine what type of carrier is acceptable and what rules apply to flying with a pet. Also ask what safety precautions are in place, what conditions the pet will fly in, etc. Ask your veterinarian if your pet is well enough to fly or if there are any special precautions you should take.

International Travel

Taking your pet out of the country requires careful planning. Check the regulations for the country you are traveling to and verify that your pet has the required vaccinations. In some cases, you’ll need to have the vaccines administred weeks before your departure date.

Most countries will require a Rabies Vaccination Certificate and a Health Certificate. Your veterinarian can help you obtain both of these. The country you are traveling to may require that you complete paperwork gaining permission to bring your pet into the country. Also, some countries have quarantine regulations that may require your pet to remain in a kennel for up to several months.

Pet Friendly Hotels

A quick search on the Internet can help you find hotels that are receptive to pets. Many travel sites also allow you to specify only pet-frienly accommodations. Check with the hotel to find their specific rules regarding staying with a pet.

If your pet requires walks, ask for a room that opens on the outside. This will be more convenient for those late night trips outdoors.

Many alternative lodging sites, such as resorts, cabins and bed and breakfasts are also open to receiving pets. Check ahead of time for availability where you’re traveling. Since many of these vacation spots offer outdoor activities, they can be great options for pet owners.

What Will your Pet do All day?

You know how you’ll travel, and you’ve found a hotel that will welcome your pet, so now what? What will your pet do all day when you’re out having fun?

An outdoor vacation is an ideal choice if you’re traveling with pets. Consider renting an RV and taking a camping vacation. Many RV rental agencies allow pets with an extra deposit. A trip to the beach is another good choice for pet owners. However, keep in mind that sand can be irritating to some pets, especially dogs with deep skin folds. Some animals are bothered by long sun exposure as well.

If you’re spending a lot of time outdoors, keep plenty of cold water on hand and watch your pet for signs of heat exhaustion.

Some restaurants now provide outdoor seating that is also pet friendly. Check ahead of time if any are available near where you are staying. If you’d like to spend mealtime with your pet and no pet-friendly restaurants are close by, you might consider takeout or even picnicing outdoors.

What if you’re taking a more traditional vacation? Many tourist attractions will not welcome your pet, and it isn’t a good idea to leave your pet alone in a strange hotel room all day. You may be able to place your pet in his carrier for shorter excursions, but for all day trips, consider researching pet daycare centers or kennels available in the area. You can leave your pet for a few hours in a safe environment but still enjoy his company on your trip.

What to Take Along

Bring your pet’s food along or plan to buy it as needed. This is not a good time to change your pet’s diet, and you should certainly avoid giving your pet any table scraps. Traveling can be stressful regardless of how careful you are, and you don’t need the added complication of stomach upset for your pet.

Don’t give your dog the local water, especially if you’re traveling internationally. It’s safer to give your pet only bottled water to avoid possible stomach upset.

Bring along any medicines your pet takes, including vitamins, flea medicines, heart worm prescriptions, etc. You should also bring some basic first-aid supplies in case of injury. Ask your veterinarian what should be included in your pet’s first aid kit. These might include medicines for stomach upset and a mild tranquilizer in case your pet becomes extremely agitated. You can purchase pre-stocked pet first aid kits at many pet supply stores.

To make your pet more comfortable, bring along a few items from home. Bring some of your pet’s bedding and a few of his favorite toys. Bring only treats your pet has eaten in the past with no stomach upset. Again, this isn’t the time to try any new foods. The carrier you bring should be large enough for your pet to remain comfortably inside for a few hours. He should be able to stand, lie down and turn around easily within it. Also, be sure your pet has fresh water available within the carrier.

A Pre-Trip Checklist

Make an appointment with your veterinarian. Have your pet examined and any vaccinations done that are needed. Ask if your pet is healthy enough to travel, and ask for advice concerning any of your pet’s health conditions. Remember that if you are traveling outside the country, you may need to plan weeks in advance.

Make sure your pet has current identification attached to his collar, and that it fits well and isn’t likely to slip off. You might want to consider having an identification chip implanted before your trip, but you’ll need to discuss with your veterinarian how soon your pet can travel after the procedure.

Gather phone numbers for veterinarians, pet emergency care facilities, kennels, etc. before you leave for each place where you’ll be staying. If an accident or illness does occur, you’ll be grateful that you don’t have to take the time to find someone to care for your pet.

Make a packing list for your pet based on his needs and what your veterinarian recommends. Double-check it as you pack his things. Take your veterinarian’s phone number along with you in case you need to call and ask a last minute question or have your pet’s records sent to another clinic.

Take time to get your pet used to his carrier, especially if it’s new. If you’re driving, take your pet in the car for practice trips before the big day so it won’t be so traumatic. Another benefit to this approach is that you’ll learn if your pet become motion sick easily.

If you’re traveling with your cat, bring a litterbox and litter along with you. It’s easier to purchase cheap plastic litterboxes and throw them away rather than try to clean and transport them. If traveling with a dog, be sure to bring baggies to clean up after your pet’s walks.

Embarrassing and Alarming Moments

Pets get stressed when traveling, so accidents can and will happen. Bring some disposable wipes and plastic baggies to clean up after your pet. Another good idea is bringing a small bottle of enzyme based cleaner. If your pet selects the hotel carpet as the perfect spot for his accident, this can remove the odor and stain before it has a change to set.

Never open your pet’s carrier unless you’re in an enclosed room. Pets can move much more quickly than you can, and nothing will ruin your vacation faster than losing your traveling companion.

Traveling with your pet can be challenging, but with some planning ahead, it can also be a fun and rewarding experience. Trying a short weekend trip before a longer vacation can also help your pet acclimate to travel, and you will learn how well your pet travels.

Author Ian White is founder of pet-sitters.biz Pet Sitting Directory

Find a Pet Sitter, Find Pet Sitting Clients.

Pet-Sitters.biz can help both ways! Pet sitters list their business and can be found easily when pet owners search for your services.

Pet owners list pet-sitting requirements and find those who meet their specific needs. Fast, easy membership Dog walkers, pet day cares also welcome!

Camps and clinics are a critical component of the overall development of your advancement and officiating career. There are many camps from which to chose over the United States. These training opportunities allow you to received instruction from some of the world’s greatest football officials. They also allow you to network and build relationships with those same officials. Some are expensive, some take several days to complete. Some are better, some are worse. So how do you find the right camp?

First you need to do some research in order to make a good decision about what camp fits your goals and developmental needs. Determine how much time and money you have available to devote to the camp environment. What are your immediate officiating goals? There are basically two kinds of camps: teaching camps and exposure camps. Both are valuable and have their place, but you need to understand the difference so your experience is both rewarding and beneficial.

The off-season is devoted to development of your officiating skills. Early on in your career, your first consideration will be instruction in fundamentals. Finding a camp that teaches the essentials is paramount. In exposure or “try-out” camps, there are opportunities to meet conference supervisors and other key decision-makers but less focus on the basics. The expectation is that you have a solid foundation of the essentials and are ready to take your skills to the next level. There will certainly be teaching but it tends to be more focused on the details of this craft.

There are often multiple talent scouts at the exposure camps and they serve as a great vehicle to showcase your officiating skills in your attempts to climb the ladder. They are definitely a valuable component of every aspiring official’s career but your number one priority is to address the developmental needs you had at the end of the previous season. Get your game ready for that next level and there will be a proper time and place for the exposure camp in your future.

I won’t attempt to recommend one camp over another. Rather, I’ll give you a checklist on how to choose a camp. If you will follow this simple method, you can use it to choose a camp or clinic for years to come.

In addition to the two previously discussed camp types, I want to point out two additional classifications: Classroom and Field Instruction. Due to the limited availability of spring football, some camps are conducted in a classroom-only mode. Others guarantee live snaps on the field at colleges and universities when teams are conducting spring scrimmages. Both can be valuable learning experiences and I wanted to point out this difference as we discuss our checklist.

* Who are the instructors?

The quality of the camp is directly proportional to the staff. You want to be taught by successful officials and from officials that have achieved those levels to which you aspire.

* Instructor to Student Ratio?

Just like in a normal class room, this ratio can have an impact on your ability to receive feedback and individualized attention. Ask about the number of clinicians and the expected number of trainees. Live play camps will typically limit the number of students in order to maximize the number of snaps and tailor the personal instruction to the student.

There is no right number, but realize your experience in a class of 50 students with one Big Ten umpire talking about chop blocks will be much different than having an NFL line judge standing behind you on the line of scrimmage discussing pre-snap duties.

* College or high school mechanics?

There are camps that focus strictly on each and with that comes a different level of instruction regarding each levels rules and mechanics. Understand where you are in your officiating career and what your immediate goals are so that you chose the camp format that is appropriate for your needs.

There are fewer opportunities for live play at the high school level due to the restrictions placed on high school student-athletes. College camps often coincide with spring training and offer the ability to officiate college level play. Fundamentals are taught at both levels and it should be easy for you to choose a camp that fits your needs.

* Is there video review?

There are many good camps with veteran instructors. But you may never see yourself on video. Ask about the availability of video review. Coordinating video during a camp experience is a monumental task and many camps do not offer this tool. But I believe it’s a necessary part of the optimal camp experience. Not only from your development watching your own video, but working with those NCAA and NFL officials on how to break down your film will accelerate your advancement and learning for years to come.

* Is there classroom instruction?

Some camp formats only offer classroom instruction and this type of camp is perfect for the less experienced official. Often the Field Training camps complement the training with the classroom to review play situations, film and other teaching points. Classroom only camps typically are one day in length and start off with a key-note speaker followed by breakout sessions by position and/or emphasis on a skill such as goal line plays.

* Will you receive written evaluations of field work?

Written critiques should be very helpful to identify some of your strong and weak points. Most often, camp instructors will see some small intangible need for you to improve upon that you may not have known. They will also provide excellent insight and advice on what to expect at the higher levels giving you a clear path on what you need to address as you seek advancement.

* Are there returning students?

Is there a waiting list? Does the website have testimonials from former students? Are there success stories where past students have been successfully advanced into higher levels? This is a true test of a camp’s quality and should not go unnoticed during your evaluation. Ask those questions of the camp leadership personnel.

* Cost?

Camps can range from $25 for a single day of classroom instruction to well over $1000 for 3 day clinic with live play and film review. Each can prove beneficial to every official and learning can occur in many ways.

Finding the right camp can reap rewards in your officiating career. Money and time can be wasted if your officiating goals and needs are not properly aligned with the mission of the camp itself. My intention here is to educate you to make an informed decision. The off-season camp should become an integral component in your development as an official and accelerate your progression and improvement as you pursue your officiating goals and dreams.

Camps can be a valuable resource for your improving your officiating skill set as well as providing opportunities for you to network with key decision-makers and gain much-needed exposure. As you progress in your officiating career, not only will your goals and needs change; so will your expectations of each camp environment. If you reach a point where you feel the camps you are attending are not providing value or honing your skills, you may need to seek other camps that can satisfy your expectations.

Finally, the camp environment is a great chance to associate with like-minded football officials. You will find that your mild obsession with football officiating may not be fully understood with your friends and family. Most won’t truly appreciate your desire to officiate football at the highest levels. People will continually question your desires and dreams. Some may even attempt to discourage you from pursuing those dreams. Camps provide you a unique opportunity to surround yourself with similar motivated people passionate about officiating football. This environment is conducive to learning and improvement. The people you will meet and associations you make will reach beyond the short camp schedule and provide you meaningful relationships in and out of the officiating community.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your FREE 7 Lesson Email course on What NCAA Conference Supervisors Seek in Prospective Football Officials when you visit http://www.profootballreferee.com. Click here to get two chapters of my book, “Forward Progress – Confessions from a Rookie College Football Official” – just plug in your info! There are some great resources for improving your football officiating taken directly from NCAA Division I conference supervisors, NFL and NCAA officials.

From Todd Skaggs – Author, Blogger and NCAA Football Official

Cheap car insurance protects the car and takes care of all the relevant expenses in the event of a car accident. Car owners must choose a suitable car insurance that offers them desirable coverage. There are various kinds of car insurance available to car owners, and it may be a daunting experience to select the right insurance. There are policies such as comprehensive car insurance policies and liability car insurance policies that differ in the extent of coverage offered. Insurance provides financial security to car owners in the event of a fatal accident. The rules and regulations regarding auto insurance may vary from state to state. In most states, it is mandatory for all car owners to have car insurance. In Los Angeles, the premium for the insurance of a car may vary greatly depending on the insurer. It is advisable to look out for quotes from different insurance companies to obtain cheap car insurance.

The minimum coverage requirements may vary from state to state. The minimum limit of insurance for California is 15/30/5. This means California requires a minimum coverage up to $30,000 for all persons injured in an accident, subject to a limit of $15,000 for one individual, and $5,000 coverage for property damage.

Generally, the insurer examines the driving record of a car owner. If the car owner has a good driving record, he is eligible for some discounts in the premiums. Many car insurance companies offer loyalty discounts to car owners renew their insurance policies with the company repeatedly.

Many insurance companies offer free quotes over the Internet. Car owners can utilize the services of discount car insurance brokers, to find cheap and reliable car insurance. There are several insurance companies that offer extremely cheap car insurances. The car owners must however verify the credibility of such companies. Car owners must compare and contrast all the quotes before choosing an insurance company.

In Los Angeles, the cost of car insurance depends on the make and model of the car. Generally, car insurance for a sports car is costlier than other cars.

Los Angeles Car Insurance provides detailed information on Los Angeles Car Insurances, Los Angeles New Car Insurances, Los Angeles Car Insurance Quotes, Los Angeles Used Car Insurance and more. Los Angeles Car Insurance is affiliated with Philadelphia Car Insurance Quotes.

There is an Act in New Jersey, called the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act, which allows New Jersey drivers the ability to buy basic car insurance policies in New Jersey, for cheaper than all of the other available car insurance policies in the state. In all honesty, there isn’t much that will beat the most inexpensive car insurance policy plan available, however there are some things that you should know about the insurance plan which is being offered before you eliminate all of your other options.

The Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act is useful in that it allows all drivers to obtain inexpensive car insurance in New Jersey, because the policy that is offered is significantly cheaper than what you will pay for a standard automobile insurance policy. This basic car insurance policy includes $15,000 per person, for personal injury protection, and $250,000 for significant or permanent injuries. This plan also includes $5,000 of property damage per accident. Unfortunately, liability insurance for bodily injury is not included in this basic insurance policy, however, it is an option that can be added, to the tune of $10,000 per accident for the policyholder.

This basic car insurance policy also does not include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, nor does it include collision or comprehensive coverage. Collision and Comprehensive coverage are options which can be added on, but it depends on which form of the basic car insurance policy was issued to the policyholder.

Although this basic car insurance plan is the cheapest available, it offers very minimum coverage. This coverage is enough to get you by if you simply need a cheap insurance plan, but there are much better plans with better and more comprehensive features and even though these plans are more expensive, they are well worth taking a look at when you are considering all of your options. The basic car insurance is a quick and inexpensive fix for people who are currently driving without insurance, or who cannot get regular automobile insurance coverage because of their credit rating, or their driving record. However, this basic car insurance policy is not for everyone, because the coverage offered is not exactly desirable.

When it comes to choosing the right automobile insurance plan for your situation, it is absolutely imperative that you really shop around. Affordable car insurance in New Jersey can be easy to find, as long as you understand where to look, and how to properly compare quotes in order to ensure that you are receiving the best available policy. There are many different approaches that you can take when it comes to obtaining car insurance quotes, but the method which is generally quickest and the most effortless is simply to do a search online for car insurance companies with offices located in New Jersey. Most websites dedicated to car insurance will offer you the ability to obtain a free quote simply by inputting some information about yourself, your vehicle and your driving record.

Once this information is sent in, the insurance company will respond with a free automobile insurance quote. There is no limit to how many free car insurance quotes you can collect, so you should make a point to spend a great deal of time researching before you come to any conclusions. You should collect car insurance quotes from every local insurance provider that you can find, then sit down and really weigh your options before coming to any conclusions. Just because an insurance company offers you an extremely low quote, this does not mean it is the best available insurance for your situation. The basic car insurance policy offered by the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act is proof of this, because even though the insurance quote seems great, the coverage is not really worth the price that you pay for it.

In addition to price, there are some other factors that you should consider when you begin to shop around for insurance providers. There are a large number of different insurance companies and agents available on the internet, each competing to give you the best possible quote for your automobile insurance. Many of these insurance companies have offices in various states, but they may not have a local office in New Jersey. What this means, is that if you ever have questions or concerns pertaining to your insurance policy, you will not have a local insurance provider to turn to in order to address these problems. This is one of the largest problems associated with doing your automobile insurance shopping on the internet. Before you choose an insurance provider, make sure that there is either a local office that you can visit when you have questions, or that there is a toll free 1-800 that you can call, with a friendly voice on the other end who will walk you through your concerns. Large insurance companies do not always have your best interest in mind, so make sure that you are opting for insurance coverage through a company that will continue to be helpful and easy to work with after you buy your insurance plan.

Something else that you need to keep in mind while shopping for insurance is that there are providers who will offer special discounts and rates if you ask for them. While you are weighing all of your options and considering all of your choices, ask the local agencies that you are considering if they offer any special rates or discounts. In an attempt to be competitive, and to make sure that you choose them as your insurance provider, most insurance companies will discount your rate, or offer you a special deal. You should also make sure that you are obtaining the right kind of insurance for your situation. For example, there are special insurance plans designated for young or new drivers in order to offer them discounted rates. Additionally, vehicles that are older than fifteen years may qualify for antique car insurance, which entails a discounted rate for cars which are appreciating in value rather than depreciating as a normal vehicle would.

For more information about Affordable Car Insurance in New Jersey visit http://www.InsuranceSalesman.com where we have comprehensive guides to How to Find Antique Car Insurance Companys in New Jersey and How to Instantly Get Great Rates on Car Insurance Quotes!

The role of the automotive advertising agency has changed to follow the new rules of the road on the Internet Super Highway. Newly empowered consumers are no longer limited to shopping for a vehicle using information provided by self serving auto dealers pushing information to them using conventional media like radio, T.V. or newspaper. Social media has allowed car shoppers to gather information from like minded customers before, during and after their shopping and/or buying experience. These online friends are playing an increasing role in the car shopping process and automotive advertising agencies are using them to influence buyers.

The new pull / push nature of the market powered by the Internet requires automotive advertising agencies to focus on people vs. product or price. Car shoppers are following their own agendas when pulling information from the world wide web that no longer requires them to rely on an auto dealer as the source. Today’s online shoppers prioritize people when selecting a dealership they are willing to do business with. That is not to suggest that product and price aren’t important. It simply suggests that all systems start and end with people and that people are the true asset of any auto dealer, automotive advertising agency or vendor!

The most obvious evidence of the priority that people play in the auto shopping/buying/service experience is the explosive growth that social media has enjoyed as a marketing media vs. conventional radio, T.V. and print that used to dominate the automotive advertising landscape. Automotive advertising agencies recognize that people have always preferred to do business with people that they like and social networking has expanded the spheres of influence of car shoppers/buyers to include their online friends.

The market is a conversation amongst friends before, during and after the car shopping/buying/ service cycle. Auto dealers that have friends in the social networking communities are more likely to be invited to participate in the dialogue. More specifically, automotive advertising agencies realize that it is difficult to befriend a building or a website! It is the people that work at the dealership to support their families that have the story to tell to their friends and who will earn the sale — not the Chevrolet, Toyota, Mercedes, etc. — or the extended service hours and weekly specials. Saturday service hours have no appeal if the customers don’t like or trust the people that they are handing their keys to. Having a friend in the car business is a relief that trumps the best process, product or price for the average car buyer.

Automotive advertising agencies also recognize that people play a role in both the real and virtual world showroom experience which will be reflected in the number of units sold and their job performance at the end of the month. First impressions are irretrievable and they are not limited to a large inventory, clean showroom or a dealer centric selling system that processes customers in sales and/or service. The atmosphere in a well run dealership reflects the morale of the staff in sales and service which directly impacts the customers that an automotive advertising agency drives to the dealership.

A smiling sales person, service writer, operator and cashier can’t be forced as a part of policy — much like customer satisfaction can’t be bought or taken for granted by simply offering the best price; it must be earned. It is earned when a dealer or manager appreciates the individual and team contributions of his staff — and tells them so on a regular basis! It is maintained by HR departments and hiring practices that select personality over prior auto sales experience with compensation plans that reflect individual contributions along with job descriptions and defined areas of responsibility that are managed and monitored by a caring management team.

Employee retention is directly linked to customer satisfaction and customer retention and neither can be taken for granted. Automotive advertising agencies are counseling their auto dealer clients to invest in their people before, during and after they are hired to compliment their investments in automotive advertising. It is their people that will represent their dealership and it is their people who will sell their cars and service to a growing list of friends and customers.

Automotive advertising agencies have extended their areas of responsibility to include their involvement in all aspects of day to day operations at an auto dealership. Most selling systems and related processes include a meeting and greeting, an initial manager T.O. to qualify the customer’s needs, an inventory and facility walk, a test drive, a feature benefit presentation, a desking procedure, a manager T.O., negotiations, an F&I introduction, a delivery procedure and service introduction. All of these steps are then supported by a state of the art CRM/ILM, DMS and follow up system. Unfortunately, all of these well thought out procedures are only as good as the sales person who entered the customer into the system and/or who is expected to follow up if not sold or who is relied on to solicit future service and referrals.

All of these actions reflect on the job performance of the automotive advertising agency and they must be addressed as part of their areas of responsibility. Automotive advertising agencies recognize that sales training is all too often limited to a few weeks immediately after the hire and/or some outsourced trainer hired to pump up the staff. Given the complexity of a well planned selling system — as described above — how can a new hire be expected to retain everything that they need to know? Add product information and an understanding of how human nature impacts the negotiation process and — once again — the investment in the people becomes self evident.

There is a paradigm shift taking place in the way that sales and service training should be applied at a dealership and it is up to the automotive advertising agency to insure that it is understood and applied. Forward thinking automotive advertising agencies have discovered that sales and service training can’t be limited to the new hires and or as needed to motivate the staff. It must start in the hiring process by selecting trainable personalities and then integrated into the selling system in such a way that the processes teach the sales person as much as the customer. Buyers and sellers must form a habit to listen and learn from each other before they can presume to sell or buy anything. A sales person does not need to know everything — they simply need to know where to find the answers that are relevant to the customer to move them through their buying decision.

Automotive advertising agencies often rely on new technologies to provide efficiencies applied to proven old world wisdom. New mobile sales applications are being developed that promise to provide a salesperson with the right information at the right place and the right time which will integrate training into the sales process. The key is to focus on the people part of the presentation supported by the processes, products and the price rather than the other way around.

Philip Zelinger is a former auto dealer principal with an earned reputation as a nationally recognized automotive advertising expert specializing in the technology sector. His philosophy that a rising tide floats all boats motivates him to listen and learn so he can presume to teach. To that end, Philip shares best practices on the respected automotive advertising resource networking portal — http://AdAgencyOnline.Net — as well as the blog talk radio station featured on the site — WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time — http://blogtalkradio.com/adagencyonline.

For a complimentary consultation on your automotive advertising needs, or to share your wisdom and insights with the online automotive advertising community hosted by Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. visit the portal and contact Philip Zelinger directly. To quote Philip, “Help is only a click away because — after all, what are friends for!”