When did man first talk out loud to a group? Adam and Eve may not count as more than one on one speaking unless you include the snake. The skill does date back to nearly the beginning of time though. Motivational public speaking was apparent as the early war leaders urged their troops to battle. While the barbarians didn’t spend a lot of time trying to improve their communication skills, they also didn’t suffer public speaking panic attacks, but that’s the only attack they didn’t suffer from.

The art of public speaking was certainly not lost on the Egyptians and Greeks. They loved to pontificate in front of thousands of listeners who had no choice but to laugh at all of their public speaking jokes. In America, Abraham Lincoln received his public speaking training while chopping down trees. Yet he never was worse the wear for it, and everyone loved his down home approach to effective public speaking. Although no tapes exist for us to critique his delivery. So I think we all agree that public speaking has been around for a long, long time. So when did we get so obsessed about it? That’s a much better question, and much harder to answer.

The first books on public speaking skills date back to the mid 1800’s. If self help books are any indication of popularity, then we could pick that date. However, there weren’t a lot of books back then, and they were very expensive, so that might not be the best answer. Prior to the mid 1800’s, other than politicians, who would be publicly speaking anyway? You didn’t need many presentation skills to work in a factory, or farm a field. So when did people really need and use communication skills, and have a real interest in public speaking? The answer is the period between the 1900’s and today. It was during this period that our nation began to promote the use of sales and presentations, and this was the key factor to improving communication skills. Nothing makes you more interested in improving your communication skills than cold, hard cash. With careers and jobs at stake for the first time, public speaking became an important skill after 1900.

If you read a lot of public speaking books, as I do, you will notice that there is a definite tie between the theme of these books and the rise of our nation. As we become more of a business power, we also become more of a public speaking power. Almost all of the public speaking self help books today originate in the U.S. Probably no nation in the world cares more about public speaking than our country.

So be proud that you are afraid of public speaking. The growth and power of the U.S. has caused your speaking anxiety, and we have only been working on how to cure this anxiety for about a century or so. If you lived in Spain, you would not have this problem. You could get better paella though.

For more articles on public speaking click here.

Frank Rolfe, author of One Day Master Speaker has spent over 25 years teaching public speaking classes at the college level.

He developed his method while teaching a five day immersion course on public speaking. Rolfe noticed that by focusing on the most important building blocks and eliminating minor items that few people use, he could get outstanding results from students extremely quickly.

Rolfe also developed unique “tricks” that students can use based on real-life shortcuts professionals use to improve the impact of their speaking. Some of these shortcuts are so simple and easy, but the impact is enormous.

Rolfe believes that anyone can speak confidently by following his system. And he should know. He has taught 1,000’s of executives and professionals these concepts.

Frank can be reached at: frank@fasterspeaker.com

Women’s clothing sells much faster and more frequently than men’s clothing, so it’s only natural that women’s clothing shops are more predominant than men’s clothing shops. But some women’s clothing shops are too expensive, despite the trendy and popular clothing they might display. Who can afford to pay designer prices just to look good?

Some of the trendiest fashions can be found in smaller shops that boast inexpensive fashions, though many of the labels may not bear recognizable names. These smaller shops are mostly found in strip malls. The women’s clothing shops found in large mall always have very high prices, and it isn’t worth the time and effort to go out to the mall to spend a lot more money. The smaller women’s clothing shops in strip malls carry all the great fashions that trendy women craze, at low prices the designer labels wouldn’t ever charge.

Plus Sized Women’s Clothing Shops

In a world that seems to be all about the slender and the small, full-sized women have trouble finding fashionable, affordable clothing that suits their sense of style. Just because you’re a big girl doesn’t mean you don’t want to look good, a fact that many of the hip stores seem to totally ignore.

However, many of the smaller, fashion-driven women’s clothing shops do have a plus-sized section. Some small stores even devote themselves entirely to plus-sized women’s clothing. Look for these stores not at the large malls, where prices are expensive, but near and around large department stores. These small, out-of-the-way shops often have beautiful fashions for big girls at prices that anyone can afford.

Used Women’s Clothing Shops

Gently used women’s clothing shops are springing up all over the country. More and more, used women’s clothing shops that specialize only in trendy, fashionable clothing are appearing in hip shopping areas. Look for these shops, which will usually be smaller than the average used clothing store, about the size of a boutique. Here you’ll find beautiful, affordable fashions that are in style. And no one will know that they’ve been gently used, so you’ll be able to afford more and fashionable clothing.

Tips for Shopping in Women’s Clothing Shops

If you really want to get more for your dollar, you’ll visit the clearance and sales racks in women’s clothing shops first. True, a lot of these are going to be last year’s fashions in a collection of sizes that are rarely bought, but it’s worth a look for that rare find. Sale and clearance items are wonderful, because you’re able to buy more with less money.

Buying more is the secret of using women’s clothing shops. Women’s clothing, especially fashionable clothing, can be very expensive. But everyone wants to look good despite the size of their wallet, so look for sales and you may just find something wonderful. All women just want to look pretty and fashionable, in comfortable clothes that they can get good use out of. Learn how to shop and what to look for in women’s clothing shops, and you can look great without spending a fortune.

There are so many women’s clothing shops to choose from, don’t settle on just one. Shops around for the best deals and best clothes, and that’s exactly what you’ll find. Women’s clothing shops don’t have to overwhelm you, if you know what you’re doing and you know what you want to spend.

Find cool, funny and vintage t-shirts at http://www.uneetee.com/.

Blogs can be a very marketable and very profitable tool if used correctly. Profiting from blogs is just a matter of grabbing the attention of an audience and not doing any actual salesmen selling. In this article you will learn the 13 most essential steps to successful blogging.

1) Where to start?

You should begin your blog with a free blog hosting service such as Journal Home or Blogger. Starting with a free blog hosting service allows you to begin blogging instantly without having any advance knowledge of scripts, hosting, or programming. It allows you to focus on your content and not the internal maintenance of the blog. The best benefit of starting with a free service is, in the case your blog doesn’t become successful you do not lose any money or are you left holding the bill. The great thing about a blog is that they are organized in chronological order, your latest entry is displayed first. When your blog traffic grows greatly and you are ready to upgrade to your own domain then you can simply make your last blog entry the announcement of your “move”. Simply add a last entry stating that your blog has “moved” and type the new blog URL address. Which directs visitors to your new blog site, keeping your following, without a major inconvenience to anyone. Upgrade as you need to…but only when you need to!

2) Niche

A niche is a targeted product, service, or topic. You should first decide on a product, service, or topic which interest you. Choose an area which you can enthusiastically write about on a daily basis. You can use keyword research services like Google Zeitgeist or Yahoo! Buzz Index to find popular searched topics. It does NOT matter if your topic is popular as long as there is a audience for your topic and the topic is precisely focused then your blog should be successful. Anything can be considered a niche as long as it has a target audience no matter how large or how small the audience is. A blog about your cat can be a niche or a blog about the species of the cat family can be a larger niche market, if there are people who are interested in hearing about your cat or the species of the cat family…you can even choose to build your audience for a market which an audience does not exist, but first you must build your blog.

3) Update Daily (nothing less)

This step is a must and not a suggestion. Updating your blog daily not only keeps your blog more interesting to readers, but it also gives your blog fresh content on a day to day making it more appealing to search engines. Not updating your blog on an occasional holiday or one day here and there is understandable to most, but missing days at a time or weeks is unacceptable and will most likely result in your blog being unsuccessful. To keep your blog traffic and retain your visitors interest it is a must to update your blog daily with multiple entries. You should try to update your blog everyday with at least 3 or more daily entries. The best way to accomplish this is to set aside 1-2 hours a day for tending to your blog and adding new entries. It may even be wise to schedule a set time which you dedicate to your blog each day. Give yourself work hours and treat your blog as a job, what happens if you don’t come to work for days or weeks…you lose money or worse you get fired! Same applies here…if you don’t update your blog for days or weeks you’ll lose visitors.

4) Traffic

It’s no secret. You must have traffic to profit from blogs. There are numerous ways to build traffic. Paid advertising, free advertising, viral marketing, search engine marketing, RSS/XML feeds, and word-of-mouth. You should always use your blog URL address in the signature of your email, forum discussions, message boards, or any other communication media. You should submit your blog URL address to search engines and blog directories. You should submit your RSS/XML URL feed to blog ping services like Technorati, Ping-O-Matic, and Blogdigger. You should confidently share your blog with family, friends, co-workers, associates, and business professionals when it relates. Many blogs can be considered as a collection of articles, for this purpose you should submit your blog entries (those that are valuable and lengthy articles) to content syndicators like GoArticles.com or ArticleCity.com. Once submitted your articles can be picked up and published by others. The trick is to make sure you include your Blog URL address in the “About the Author” passage. What this does is create link popularity and backlinks for your blog, when someone picks up your article from the syndication then publish the article on their website the “About the Author” passage is included with each publication and the link you included is followed, crawled, and indexed by search engines. Imagine if your article is popular enough or controversial enough to produce 10,000 publications across the web. The search engines is bound to find your site in no time with that many publications and credit you a authority on the topic, in return increasing your rank on search engines. The small effort of writing a well written article is rewarding. You should try to write at least 1 full length article every week for syndication and submit your article to at least 10 article syndicators.

5) Track Your Blog

How do you know if your blog has traffic? Just because no one is leaving comments doesn’t mean your blog isn’t growing. Many visitors do not leave comments but they are returning visitors. I know it sounds crazy but with blogs people are more interested in what “you” have to say! Many visitors do not comment their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time. Some do not comment at all, but are active daily visitors.

Tracking your blog does not have to be overly sophisticated usually a simple free page counter like StatCounter.com or Active Meter will do the trick. Install (copy/paste) the code into the html of your blog template and start tracking your visitors. Its better to use a service which gives you advanced traffic analysis, such as keyword tracking information, referral information, and search engine information. Visitors, returning visitors, and unique visitors should be standard for any page counter service you choose.

6) Listen to Your Audience

When using the proper page counter you should begin to see how others are finding your blog and if through search engines then which keywords are being used to find your blog. If constantly your blog is being found by 1 or more keywords then focus your blog around those keywords to make it even more powerful. When writing entry titles and entries use the keywords as often as possible while keeping the blog legible and interesting.

7) Multiple blogs

Use multiple blogging accounts to attract more people. This means you should have a blog with JournalHome.com, Blogger.com, LiveJournal.com, Blog-City.com, tBlogs.com, etc. The more blog accounts the better. You can copy/paste from 1 blog to all others. Having different blog accounts is like having a publication in different newspapers. This enables you to attract more visitors and this also increases the chance that 1 of your blogs will be in the search engine results for your focused keywords.

Short & Concise

Aside from the lengthy article a week for syndication and publication your blog entries should be short & concise (if you can help it). Sometimes there are exceptions to the rule and you have no choice but to blog lengthy entries, but try to avoid this as much as possible. You do not want your blog entries to become hours of reading. Visitors like to easily find information and skim through your entries. It is good to be detailed and provide useful information, but do not include useless information or run away sentences that veer away from your topic.

9) Digital Art

Try to include non-advertising graphics, pictures, photos, and art in your blog entries. Not too much. Once a week is fine. Graphics can sometimes bring your blog to life. Of course, the content of the blog is the most important aspect and you do not want to overshadow your content with graphics, but displaying graphics can add a bit of spice to the blog. Be choosy about your graphics and make sure they fit your entry topic. You should add content with the graphic, at least a caption. Original graphics, photos, pictures, and art is recommended.

10) Keep it Personal

A blog is most successful when it is kept personal. Try to include personal experiences which relates to the topic of your blog entry. Stay away from the business style of writing. Write with a more personal style and use first-person narratives. Do not write any of your entries as sales letters, instead share product reviews and personal endeavors.

11) Interact With Your Visitors

You now have the traffic you deserve. You should begin interacting with your visitors. Create a regular theme such as: “Monday Money Tip” or “Picture of the Week” which entices your readers to look forward to each week.

Give your readers advance notice about a product, service, or topic which you are going to review and then talk about later. If the President was scheduled to give a speech then in your blog you should state that you “will discuss the speech and give your opinion after the speech airs. Comments will be appreciated”.

Try your best to find exclusive information that not many have. Do not disclose any confidential or secret information which is deemed illegal or can potentially get you into trouble, but try to get the scoop before everyone else does. Such as: If your blog was about Paris Hilton (the socialite) and you had a blog entry about “Paris Hilton Getting Married” then it would be interesting to your readers if you had a actual picture of Paris Hilton engagement ring. Give your best effort to dig and search the internet for exclusive information and you will possibly come up with something useful. Your readers will appreciate this and they show their appreciation through word-of-mouth referrals. Imagine how many readers will tell their friends, family, and others about information they only can find at your blog.

12) Make Money

Once your blog has gained some real momentum and your blog traffic is increasing then it is time to start thinking about turning your traffic into profit. You should use contextual advertising, like Google AdSense or Chitika. Contextual advertising is usually text links which use the content of your blog to publish targeted ads on your blog. The payout is usually based on a pay-per-click model, meaning for ever click an ad receives you are paid a small percentage of the profits. In addition to contextual advertising it is good to also use graphical advertising such as: BlogAds.com, Amazon.com, MammaMedia, or General Sponsored Advertising.

13) You’re a Professional

You’re a professional now! What are you still doing with that free blog hosting service? It is time to upgrade to a domain hosted solution. You need to get a web host and choose a domain name for your blog then check its availability. Select the blogging software you wish to use, such as: Squarespace.com, WordPress.org, MovableType.org, etc. When you have your new blog domain setup and ready for traffic then it is time for you to announce your move on all your previous blog accounts. Your last entry to the blog should be a “move” announcement. The title should be “Moved” and the blog entry should state something like “Old Blog has been moved to New Blog please follow and bookmark this link for future reference. This way all returning visitors and new readers should not have any problem finding your new blog domain.

At the level of a professional blogger you may want to team up with 1 or more other bloggers. This will create a more interesting and more powerful blog. The old saying “two heads is better than one”, more authors mean more advertising and exposure because each author will have a vested interest in the blog. The idea of a team blog is to make it profitable and rewarding for all authors, while continuing to target the blog topic and keeping the blog interesting for visitors.

Following these blogging techniques should make your blogging experience much more rewarding. There is no guarantee that your blog will become popular or a household name, but the effort should at least put you one step closer. Making money online is not an overnight experience like many may think, but making money online is definitely a foreseeable possibility. As well, growing popularity on the web is not an overnight experience, but through time, dedication, and persistence you will be rewarded with all the royalties of blogging.

About The Author

Ant Onaf is an expet SEO consultant. Ant Onaf has years of SEO related experience. His ingenuity, dedication, and passion for technology, internet marketing, & writing has made him an monumental icon on the World Wide Web. To learn more visit Ant Onaf blog here

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another mild debate of the last few years in the hiking/backpacking community has been that of hiking boots vs. hiking shoes. Some don’t consider this much of a debate, as many hikers & backpackers have made the switch solely to hiking shoes, more commonly known as trail runners. Contrary to what some believe, not everyone wears hiking shoes while hiking. Hiking boots are still alive, and by no means are they outdated or obsolete, as some would have you believe. This article isn’t meant to argue either point of view, just make some basic observations between the two types of footwear.

Following are some statements made by other hikers, backpackers or writers on the subject of hiking boots vs. hiking shoes. These have been gleaned from the several other articles on the subject, as well as posts on blogs & in forums.

Hiking boots are heavier than hiking shoes.

Hiking shoes, being lighter in weight, lessen the strain on feet & legs when hiking over several miles.

Boots are constricting.

Boots normally last longer.

Boots stay wet longer than shoes.

The better ankle support which boots give is a myth.

Water enters boots more easily than shoes.

Feet are cooler in shoes.

Boots cost more than shoes.

Boots require more break-in time.

Boots are better suited for snowy conditions.

Those are just 11 quick statements I’ve read here & there over the last several years. For many it seems, no matter what, shoes win hands down. Some people hike year round in hiking shoes, that’s fine. Again, I believe this is a case of what matches up better with the terrain you’re traversing. Hiking boots are better suited, I believe, for some conditions. Hiking shoes, I also believe, provide a great advantage over boots in other situations. Here are some following observations from my point of view.

Hiking boots are heavier than shoes. I agree. Though there are varying types of materials used in hiking boots, such as full-grain leather, split leather, nubuck & synthetic, boots are on average heavier than hiking shoes. There are different types of boots made for separate conditions, and this is what needs to be considered when deciding whether or not to go with boots or shoes.

Hiking shoes, because they’re lighter, take strain off the feet, legs & back. Again, I agree. A study done many years ago by the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine revealed that 1 lb on the foot used as much energy as carrying 6 lbs in the backpack. If this is true, then it’s obvious that hiking shoes, because of being lighter, would save wear & tear on the body.

Boots are constricting. This is something, I believe, that’s completely subject to each individual hiker. I use lightweight hiking boots on most of my hikes. They aren’t constricting on my feet.

Boots last longer. Part of me leans toward a yes, but reluctantly. Depending on the style boot, a pair of boots can last longer than a pair of shoes. Heavy leather boots built for mountaineering will outlast both lighter weight boots & shoes hands down. This type of boot can be resoled more than once, proving that the sole will wear out long before the boot itself will. I’ve seen people wear out shoes quicker than I’ve worn out boots in the same amount of time. How a person walks does much to determine the life of a boot or shoe.

Boots stay wet longer. Again, this depends on the type of boot. Heavy leather boots will take a long time to dry when severely wet. Lightweight boots which are made with fabric & nubuck leather can dry in the same given time as a pair of hiking shoes. The amount of materials in the boot or shoe & the materials themselves determine drying time.

Boots don’t give better ankle support. Depending on the type of boot, they do in fact give better ankle support. Higher-cut boots can aid in ankle support & give more leverage on uneven trails or cross-country routes.

Water enters boots more easily than shoes. This statement doesn’t make sense to me. If you’re wearing either mid-cut or high-cut boots, trekking through a few inches of water, the boot will protect your feet more than a low-cut shoe. To me, this is obvious. Coupled with a pair of gaiters, water will have a more difficult time entering your boot & getting your feet wet.

Feet are cooler in shoes. Another point I agree with. Because the amount & thickness of materials used in their construction, a hiking shoe is lighter and will be cooler to wear. If you’re hiking in an area that’s extremely dry & hot, shoes may be a better choice for you.

Boots cost more than shoes. This is generally true. Average cost of boots is anywhere from $120-170. Shoes average anywhere from $30-120. Yet compared with the lifespan of each type of footwear, it’s possible to spend less for a pair of boots than for 2-3 pair of shoes.

Boots take longer to break in. For heavy leather boots, the answer is definitely yes. Yet with the lightweight hiking boots on the market today, this characteristic is very comparable. However, I do give the edge to shoes on this.

Boots are better suited for snowy conditions. If there’s quite a bit of accumulation, yes, boots should be opted for in this situation. Yet I’ve seen & know hikers that still wear hiking shoes with a few inches of snow on the ground. If you’re just passing through an area such as this, then it’s probably not going to hinder you too much. But for winter hiking in known snow-country, I believe it’s foolish not to wear some type of hiking boots.

What it ultimately comes down to is your personal preference. There’s really no right or wrong answer to which is better to hike in, boots or shoes. It depends on you. No one can tell you which feels better on your feet, which is more comfortable, or even which will last longer. These are all subject to your hiking personality, the way you hike. Go into your local outfitter and try on several pairs of boots & shoes, then decide. Once you’ve decided, get out and put those things to work! Even if you buy something you’re not completely happy with, as long as they don’t cause you pain, just use them till it’s time for a new pair.

Steve H. is a lover of nature & being involved in outdoor activities. Whether it be hiking, biking, kayaking or some other form of adventure seeking, he enjoys the world around him, as well as seeking ways to help preserve the environment. He maintains the blog, http://www.crudeanalysiz.blogspot.com, chronicling his hikes & outdoor adventures, including both gear & book reviews.

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

Here’s your opportunity to discover how to cure fear of public speaking. Did you know that most individuals who fear public speaking are troubled about being perceived as a bad speaker or labeled in a negative way? Virtually all of your fears and anxiousness about public speaking is founded on ideations that have absolutely nothing to do with reality. If you ranked public speaking among fears, it is commonly ranked as the number one fear, exceeding even the fearfulness of dying. So what makes up the secret to overcoming fear of public speaking? This article will help you understand what causes that fear and provide 8 ways to overcome them.

Numerous things may stimulate the fear of public speaking. Gloss phobia or speech anxiety is the fearfulness of public speaking and perhaps related to, or occasionally to include a more intense anxiety disorder. The reasons of this anxiousness are unsuccessful ideas and anxiety-arousing situations. If you or anyone you know is hurting by this phobic disorder for public speaking it merely means that you are fearful about confronting sociable and professional situations in life. If allowed and the anxiety is serious enough, it may interfere with your power to present an adequate speech. Fortunately for some people, the benefits from being able to overcome fear of public speaking are substantial.

In that respect there are 8 proven ways/tips for superb public speaking that can help you no matter what your degree of anxiety or experience:

1. Pick out a subject that you are comfortable with, know intimately and have a passion for.

2. Always maintain a positive mental and physical attitude.

3. Make sure you set realistic goals and just keep in mind that there’s no such thing as a flawless speech so it is futile to try and present one.

4. Regard the audience as a source of support and your reason for giving the presentation in the first place, not as a judge and jury hoping you will fail

5. You must never read your speech word for word (reading in public is not public speaking)

6. You should never be apologetic for anything at the beginning of your speech

7. It’s important for you to know and remember that virtually all signs of nervousness are never detected by the audience but can and will appear amplified by you the speaker.

8. Use a mirror and practice in front of it or in the presence of a friend or family member. Practicing your speech in their presence will give you the opportunity to get constructive feedback from them.

The most beneficial cure for your individual responses to speech anxiety is one or a combination that works out best for you individually. The common difficulties of public speaking are removed because you will be concentrating on the fundamental principles listed above and not the actual act of speaking.

Finally, you must understand that there are additional concepts and techniques that you will need to utilize that will help make you a better public speaker. Overcoming fear of public speaking and learning how to cure fear of public speaking is just the first step. You can find plenty of valuable suggestions and tips in addition to strategies that you will be able to apply immediately so that you can feel confident about taking the second step to public speaking success.

Discover more about how to cure fear of public speaking and find out all about overcoming fear of public speaking

Take the second step to public speaking success at www.publicspeakinginc.com

We have now entered the world of blogs! Sounds kind of Harry Potterish, doesn’t it?

If you’re over 20 years old, you probably think this is some crazy sci-fi phenomenon, or I’ve simply lost my mind. Don’t fret, the vast majority of people don’t know what a blog is all about and more importantly, why it matters to them.

If you’re under 20 you can stop reading because you probably know all about blogs, and the value they have in sharing information. You’ve been trading game-breaking codes, South Park clips, and jokes through blogs for months now or maybe even years.

In a recent article, Johnson Ong quips “I have a blog. Doesn’t everyone? You mean you don’t? How uncool are you? According to Merriam-Webster, ‘blog’ was the word of the year last year. Not having your own blog is like not having your own Gmail account. What? You don’t have Gmail either? My God, what are you? A caveman!”

Over or under, cool or uncool, I want to address blogs from a business standpoint, and the tremendous value they can deliver to business. There are several reasons that developing a blog is a tremendous strategy for any business.

1) It will increase your web presence significantly the search engines love blogs!

2) It will allow your business to educate customers and prospects about certain subjects, and appear as experts

3) It will raise your business profile with your vendors and other strategic partners, if they are invited to contribute to your blog

4) Other blogs can, and will, take information from your blog, and you will increase your exposure to anyone that participates in the ‘taking’ blog

5) Blogs accept subscribers, and everyone that subscribes to your blog will be constantly updated (pinged) by you with current information

So What is It?

The full name for a blog is a weblog. It’s a repository for articles, newsletters, information, and discussion boards. It’s like a ‘what’s new’ page on the internet in whatever subject you choose. When people research any topics that you have on your blog, they may very well end up on your blog through their search. If you’ve done it right, your blog is of course, fully branded to your company, and linked to your main website.

If you keep current articles, and information on your blog, you will receive hits from people looking for information about those subjects. You will also receive hits from other blogs, and they will then distribute your information to their own audiences.

You will receive hits from contributors of articles or news items, as well as people looking for those particular contributors through a search engine.

Hopefully, you get the picture. Your web traffic should increase exponentially through the proper use of a blog.

Business Blogs

Business blogs have yet to sweep the business community, which presents a significant opportunity to adapt the technology to any business. It will allow you to share expertise and knowledge with a much larger audience, which should create a significant benefit.

There is specific blogging software, and you will have to learn how to create an effective and valuable blog. You will also have to learn how to acquire and produce current industry information to populate your blog with articles that will maintain interest and value. Yes, there is an element of work to it you didn’t think it was free, with no effort required, like the mumps did you?

As you add current information to your subject area, or to secondary subject areas that you may include in your blog, your chances of more hits are higher. If you continually contribute self-generated articles and news items to the appropriate subject areas, your chances also increase. In addition, there are sources that allow you to publish their materials, which can be used to increase the value of the blog, and therefore the likelihood of being found on the good old inter-web.

So How Does It Work?

If you still push the Pause/Break button in the upper right-hand corner of your keyboard to request permission from your boss for a visit to the bathroom, you can skip this part. Otherwise, it’s really not too hard to follow.

Without getting too technical, there are many web robots (bots), crawlers, and spiders, and similar technologies that have RSS Reader capability. That’s the stuff that is specific to blogs. They are basically looking for news, and blogs have that news.

If you do it right, these bots, crawlers, and spiders find your blog, and send information elsewhere, which is just what you want. Your blog is basically yelling at these web ‘beasts’ to “come on in and take this great stuff I’ve got.”

For example, these web ‘animals’ include yahooslurp, googlebot, feedstercrawler, pubsub, syndic8, msnbot, newsgator, CP30, & R2D2.

O.K., the last two were Luke Skywalker’s buddies, but the rest are real.

It will take 4 to 6 weeks for the search engines to adjust rankings but the ultimate result will be that you will progress up the ladder in the engines in the various topic areas that you feature. When people are searching for technologies or subjects that are being discussed in your blog, they will find you on the search engines.

That should be a hint that you should have content on your blog about the subjects that are most often searched.

When a subject is searched that is covered by one of your branded, self-generated articles, your fully branded information may be pulled to another blog, or to a specific person doing a search in that topic area. You can post that same article on your website, and it won’t go anywhere. However, on your blog it gets a shot of super juice, and may just get pushed through any number of doors.

Linking The Benefits Increase Your Brand

When website owners and bloggers (yeah, I’m now a blogger!) think of linking, they are usually referring to inbound links from external websites and blogs. For example, if you had a link to your website on the website of another business.

While adding more inbound links on external sites is important, there is also a sort of ‘reverse’ link strategy associated with blogs.

Your blog’s incoming links will provide another benefit when someone is referred to an article in your blog from another website. For example, through GooglePageRank, the receiving page (you) gets a boost up the search engine when that happens, which helps the blog overall by boosting the popularity of the blog, which in turn is what increases the search results, which in turn drives up the search engine rankings.

What!? I wrote it and I have to read it six times to really follow what I’m saying.

Basically, the more people that visit your blog when they come from other sources, the more likely it is for people to find you when searching for a whole myriad of topics. That type of benefit does not exist with normal website traffic, because those visits don’t effect web site rankings on the search engines. But blog traffic that is through a link from another site will drive you up the search engines. There that’s much more clear!? As clear as fog in a low-lying bog. Ouch!

Web designer Sue Studios says; “Blogs are highly strategic, here-to-stay desktop tools that can strengthen relationships, share knowledge, increase collaboration, and improve branding. Think of the potential for your e-newsletter strategies:

1) Articles within newsletters can be linked to a blog, extending life and creating a massive conversation

2) You can offer a bi-directional forum to customers to get true, personal opinion on your products and services

3) Company experts can start a blog and become industry experts, helping your company edge out competition and, through this interactive forum, draw customers into another exchange of information and thoughts.”

Well, it’s snowing out so I think I’ll go blogging! Wait, is that something you do in the snow, or is it something you do to stay out of the snow?!

Or is it a Celtic dance? Or should the Steelers have blogged that kick Sunday? I’m confused.

Dennis Schooley is the Founder of Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants, a Professional Services Franchise Company. He writes for publication, as well as for schooleymitchell.blogging,com and franchises.blogging.com, in the subject areas of Franchising, and Technology for the Layman. http://www.schooleymitchell.com, 888-311-6477, dschooley@schooleymitchell.com.

Dog boredom affects many pets when they are left home alone but in the crazy world we live in today with work, school and activities just don’t allow for your dog to join you every place you go. Unfortunately, this leaves many dogs home alone and bored. How do you know if your dog is bored? There are many tell-tell signs.

• Leaving or Coming Home – if your dog is shaking, trembling, excessively drooling or even hyperventilating then you have a serious boredom and anxiety problem with your dog.
• Path of Destruction – When you come home is their a path of destruction including chewed furniture, torn clothing or the trash can contents strung through the entire house.
• Accidents – Are they urinating or leaving feces in the house. Some dogs with high anxiety will also vomit in the house.
• Hate Mail – Do your neighbors leave horrible messages on your answering machine or tape notes to your door complaining about the barking or whining while you were gone.
• Outdoors – Is your dog digging giant holes to China while you are gone or perhaps they’ve become an amazing escape artist and slip out of the yard while you are at work. Have they chewed up every garden tool, sprinkler and lawn furniture you own, then you definitely have a bored outside dog.

If your dog is exhibiting any of these behaviors, then you definitely have a dog boredom problem. The next step is to understand their boredom and find solutions to occupy their time while you are gone. Many pet owners feel bad leaving their dog’s home alone but they just don’t know what to do about it.

Where to Begin

Begin by telling yourself that it is okay to leave your dog home alone but it is your responsibility to give them the tools to occupy their time in a productive manner. What many pet parents do not know is that the destructive and anxiety ridden behavior their dog exhibits, often happens within the first thirty minutes after they have left the home.

Many dogs have difficulty coping with boredom and the anxiety caused from separation and you must find multiple ways to calm and distract them to alleviate this behavior. It’s important to keep in mind that dog’s do not become destructive or potty on the floor to hurt you or provoke a reaction from you either. This behavior is brought on by boredom and anxiety.

Dog’s do not intentionally set out to be naughty or “get back” at you for leaving them alone. They simply require stimulation to keep them entertained and active to avoid this destructive behavior.

Find Activities for Your Dog

The next step is to find fun, exciting and entertaining activities that will give your dog the stimulation they need to start avoiding and even conquering the boredom and anxiety problems. Every dog is different and has different likes and dislikes, so use the suggestions below as a starting point and then build on them with your own experience and insight of your dog.

• Exercise – Now making sure your dog gets plenty of exercise is extremely important but the goal you are shooting for is to stimulate them in the area where they are going to be located during your absence. Whether it’s inside the home or in the backyard, focusing on their location is key. Make that space a puppy playground that they will be excited to use.
• Games – You can find dozens of fun games that you can play with your dog or teach them to play on their own. One great activity is a version of hide and seek. Take a few low calorie treats or even some of their dog food and hide it around the room or in the yard. The first couple of times you play, you will want to make your dog part of the hiding process so they will understand and see that you are hiding their food. This way they will know to look for it. Never hide in hard to reach places, just casually put them out all over the room. The point is for them to find them fairly easy and keep them active and entertained.
• Toys – There are some amazingly fun toy available today that can keep a dog’s attention for long periods of time. One of my dog’s favorites is the dog toys that you can stuff full of treats or food. Put a bit of peanut butter inside one of these toys and your dog will work for hours getting every last drop out. Our other favorite is the new Crazy Critters or stuffing free toys. My Maddie can destroy a new chew toy within a day or two if it’s not up to snuff but we’ve had our Crazy Critters toy for just over three months now and the two dogs are just now managing to tear it up. This is their favorite toy and they play with it everyday. Their favorite game is tug-o-war but they both play with it individually too. This toy is washable, strong and durable and doesn’t leave stuffing all over your floor! There are many, many other toy choices. Buy an assortment and see what your dog really likes.
• Balls – I suppose balls are technically a toy too but in my house balls rule. It doesn’t matter what kind of ball it is, Rodeo will play with it and officially claim it as his own! He will play ball for hours with us or on his own. My daughters dog loves to throw the ball way up in the air by himself and chase it down. Never underestimate the value of a simple ball to keep your dog active.
• Frozen Treats – Try freezing pet milk, soup or broth for your dog and leave the frozen block in a bowl when you leave. As they melt, they are an enticing treat that they will continue to work at until it completely unfreezes.
• Doggy Day Care – If you have tried and tried multiple activities and your dog just isn’t able to stay alone, doggy day care is an excellent alternative. They take walks, play games, get treats and a multitude of other activities to help entertain your dog for the day.
• Dog Walkers – Hiring a dog walker to stop by the house and take your dog for a walk everyday is a great way to break the day up for your dog. It gives them exercise and outside stimulation. If your dog is an outside dog, consider asking the dog walker to spend part of the time in the backyard itself playing games. This will give your dog a companion and enforce the fun of the space.
• Companion Dogs or an Elderly Companion – You could consider bringing another dog into the home for a companion but this doesn’t always work out and can even make the problem worse if your dog doesn’t want another dog around. Try asking a friend and their dog over first a few times to see how your dog reacts to another dog before making that decision. Another option that recently caught my eye was elderly companions. The idea is to find an elderly person that loves animals and would also benefit from the daily companionship. Try your neighbors or check with your friends for potential candidates. You can also check with some retirement facilities to see if they have an animal program for your dog to come visit on certain days of the week. Dogs are very sensitive and seem to know the difference between people when it comes to children and the elderly. My dog Rodeo is extremely active being a Border Collie but last Christmas I watched him play ball with my Grandmother, who is in her 90’s, and gently bring the ball back to her each time and put it right in her lap. She loved it and I realized then that not only had Rodeo been stimulated but so had my Grandma both physically throwing the ball and engaging in conversation with Rodeo. What a Great Moment!
• Dog Sitter DVD’s – This is something I only recently found but I think it is an outstanding idea. Many people utilize the radio or TV by leaving it on when they leave to help their dog with boredom and panic attacks. However, now you can take that one step further by using a dog sitter DVD. The dog sitter DVD’s I looked at offered a great way to not only stimulate your dog physically but mentally. The video contain sounds that only your dog can hear and often include multiple animals such as birds, racoons and squirrels to stimulate your dog. They offer your dog a virtual outdoors with lots of animal friends to help them from feeling alone. There were many to choose from and I plan to try this out for my own dogs.

Fighting dog boredom and anxiety seem overwhelming and even impossible when you are facing a destructive scene and an unhappy dog but with a few simple tools and a little time and effort on your part, you can give your dog plenty of exciting and stimulating things to do. Imagine the difference of coming home to a nice calm, clean house and a happy dog.

I left the business world to pursue my passion of working with animals while trying to improve my health. To do this, I am using my 20+ years experience as a dog breeder and pet owner. I also worked for a well known veterinarian and national vet supply company for several years. I have a B.S. In Agriculture with an emphasis in Animal Science and Ag Business and I worked in the Agriculture Business Industry for over twenty years. If you are interested in the details of how the right dog food, dog care and just good old fashioned love and affection can help your dog live a healthier and longer life, please join us at: http://www.love-your-dog-food.com

Would You Pay for Dog Food That Will Dramatically Shorten the Life of Your Pet? Of course not. Not on purpose. But when you buy the wrong dog food, that may be exactly what you’re doing.

Solve the Dog Food Puzzle is an e-book that will:
– Save you from paying thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary vet bills
– Make you a more informed dog food buyer
– Make your dog happier and healthier
– Teach you to make decisions that will extend the lifespan of your dog
– And help you avoid getting scammed by dog food company giants

Make the Right Decision for Your Dog’s Health Today: http://www.love-your-dog-food.com/solve-the-dog-food-puzzle.html

Taking the right Teen Career Quiz will point you in the direction of Jobs that may be a best fit for your Personality Style. When you are trying to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life, pay close attention to what things you like to do and do not like to do. This is something you can use to guide you on your Career Path to the right career choice. You do not want to get yourself hung up in a Career Mismatch.

When I joined the Military, I was tested for my working aptitudes and transferable skills. The test placed me into a Clerical and Administrative position, because it matched to my aptitudes and capabilities best. The Job was what I liked to do, and especially something I could do well – It fit.

When I was Discharged from the Armed Services, I went into Construction right away – Big Mistake. I never liked it, but stayed because of the money and benefits. It was not who I was. I hated it – I got myself trapped into one big Career Blunder. This is exactly what you need to do. Not get trapped or necessarily join the Military, but find out who you are. It is your job to find out what your true calling, or ideal career is.

I know that it can be confusing when it comes to making a career choice that is supposed to last the rest of your life. It is a big responsibility. There is not much room for error. Just know that no matter what career you choose, you may change your mind later. Even in College, it is normal to Change your Major at least once.

Statistics show that half of those with jobs end up not liking their careers at some point. And to top that, people usually change careers a few times during their lives. Young and Old change their minds about their Careers. Sometimes, this is the way people eventually find their Dream Jobs. They do it by testing the job waters. They work at this job a while, then at that job. They quit because there is some quality about the company, or the job they do not like, and then search for another job. Eventually, they gain enough experience and insight into themselves, and finally know what things they like and do not like in a job. Then, when that particular job comes along that blends in with the preferred skills they like using every day, they then know they have found their ideal career.

Questions to ask yourself -

• What Careers interest you?
• What things would you like and not like doing in a job?.
• What things fascinate you?
• What do you do as a Hobby?
• Do you have any Special Interests that could be turned into a Job?
• What do you like to think about?
• What do you find yourself daydreaming about?

The question is – How do you find out who you are, so that you can know what career is right for you? What we want to find out here, is who you are in relation to a compatible Career Choice. If you find a career cluster you fit into, then you can zero in on that particular job within the cluster you think you would enjoy being in.

For example, if the Career Cluster is Electronics, one needs to narrow it down even further. What kind of electronics do you prefer? Do you want to Repair Computers, or Design the Entire Computer as a Computer Engineer ready for Manufacture? Would you rather work for the FBI putting together electronic surveillance equipment, or assemble Motherboards in a Factory? It is all up to you what you want to do, depending upon your skills, education, training and abilities.

It is theorized, that if you have the same personality and interests as one in a certain job who likes his job, you will probably like that job too.

If you are inclined toward Art, Music and Writing, you should further explore and pursue these areas. When you take a Teen Quiz that inventories your job interests and career personality, your working style preferences will be matched to certain career jobs. These Occupations will be those known to attract and retain people with your particular personality.

You may be more of a hands-on type of person, and may still be interested in Art, but maybe your creations will require Welding your artistic model together for display. You may have the artistic inclination to make a masterpiece out of metal, but you will have to acquire the manual ability to Weld, through additional Training.

Are you into Scientific Research? You may have a Mind for Math and formulas. A Teen Quiz can help guide you to those careers that may be the best fit for your abilities and personality style.

The Teen Quiz may suggest Careers you never thought about. Consider these and explore – Visit people who have these jobs, and ask them what the job is like, and how they got into the career. You may start out with a job idea before you take the test, and end up with choices totally unrelated, that you would like doing just as well. Try to Keep an open mind, so you do not miss any potential opportunities – They can show up when you least expect them.

Know that You definitely fit inside some job, somewhere. The job exists that is perfect for your personality, interests and skills. Unless you have Transferrable skills, you may have to receive further training and education in order to be qualified to apply for that job. This is true for those with little or no experience in the new field they wish to break into, no matter what their age.

For example, I enjoy thinking about different things, rearranging my words, and typing my thoughts out. Those in my past would often mention how it seemed I would Dwell on things too much, or refer to me as Quote – The Thinker. I was not too amused. But, now I feel I have put my aptitude to positive, good use.

I never fit my Second Career together until recently. I now make pages for my Web site, write Career and Teen Quiz articles online, and am working on a book. Just like me, you have the Capability to fit all your abilities, skills, interests, aptitudes and values together, and Discover which career will match.

Remember, that no matter what age we are, that most of the time, we still can get the education and training required to get into that particular Career Choice of our dreams. It is almost never too early to begin planning for your Future Career, nor too late to change careers and search for a new one. The first step in planning for your first career, is taking a Teen Quiz.

Steve Humphreys

http://www.career-test-info-guide.com

Key to ideal career discovery, is self knowledge. Find, develop, and plan your career choice with our resources. Teens, career changers, or job searchers will find helpful advice and articles about career tests, resumes, interviews, and more. Let us help you find your dream career on your journey.

Free ebook – Ten Steps to your Dream Career. http://www.career-test-info-guide.com/ebooks-download.html

Perhaps dining out is something you and your family really enjoy doing. After all, it’s a great way to spend quality time together and engage in conversation, and you don’t have to be the one to cook the meal or clean up the mess. But can you really enjoy dining out together and still maintain a healthy lifestyle? The answer may surprise you.

When done in moderation, dining out can still fit in with a healthy family lifestyle. So long as you make wise food choices and keep nutritional value in mind, you can enjoy your dining experiences without the guilt. The following are five steps to guilt-free dining:

Step 1.) Skip the appetizers.

Most restaurant appetizers are high in fat and calories. Rich chip dips, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, and Buffalo wings are tempting, but they should be avoided if you wish to feel good about your food selections afterwards. Keep in mind that at many restaurants, the main course will automatically come with bread, salad, soup, or in the case of a Mexican restaurant, chips and salsa. If you simply must order an appetizer, limit it to one to share with everyone at the table.

Step 2.) Choose your entree carefully.

When it comes to your main dish, pay attention to the listed ingredients. Avoid items with cream sauces or high-fat meats. Pass on fried side items like French fries and onion rings as frying adds additional fat. Consider steamed vegetables or rice as a side dish, or ask for the side items to be left off completely.

Step 3.) Control your portions.

I cannot stress this enough. Whether dining out or eating at home, portion control is perhaps the most important factor to consider when trying to maintain healthy eating habits. When you can, order from the lunch menu since the portions are generally smaller. Also consider asking for a to-go box when placing your order so you can split your meal immediately and avoid the temptation of over indulging. This also gives you a second meal later. Another option would be to split an entrée with your spouse or child.

Step 4.) Avoid alcoholic beverages.

A mixed beverage or beer with your meal may be tempting, but try to limit alcoholic beverages to special occasions. Alcohol is very high in empty calories.

Step 5.) Say no to desserts.

Desserts may be hard to resist, but you’ll thank yourself for doing so. Not only are they very high in calories; they’re generally just as high in fat. If you’re really craving a dessert, make it a point to split one dessert with someone else. That way you’ll only take in half the fat and calories. Of course, on special occasions, it’s alright to cheat a little. Just don’t make it a habit.

Susan is a contributing editor for an online Baton Rouge, Louisiana guide providing information on Baton Rouge restaurants.

Lights! Camera! Action!

Now with our exclusive movie party theme, your birthday child can star in their own movie!

That’s right, with fun kid birthday parties one-of-a-kind movie making adventure, you can turn your child’s birthday party into a movie making party they’ll never forget.

Imagine how excited your birthday child will be when they get to tell all their party guests that everyone is going to be in a movie… Wow! This is going to be super fun.

“The Great Birthday Treasure Hunt” is an original 3 minute mini-movie script exclusively from Fun Kid Birthday Parties and it’s yours absolutely FREE.

And when you order your free movie script we’ll even send you our easy to follow tips on how to put together this super fun one-of-a-kind movie party theme that everyone will love… And you’ll have a great time too!

Movie Party Theme

Everyone has dreamed of starring in a movie… And now your birthday child can star in “The Great Birthday Treasure Hunt” a fun 3 minute movie production.

Movie Party Invitations

Make your invitations into a “Movie Star Contract.” You might write something like this:

Movie Star Contract

“You’re so talented and glamorous that (your family name) Productions would like for you to sign this fun contract to appear in our latest blockbuster movie production titled “The Great Birthday Treasure Hunt.”

We’re celebrating (first and last name of birthday child)’s birthday on (day and date of the party) at our (your family name) Productions movie studios from (start time and end time of your party).

(First and last name of birthday child) will be starring in our movie adventure and wants you to be one of the movie’s co-stars.

“The Great Birthday Treasure Hunt” will be filmed on location in and around our movie studio.

Our movie party theme will include time for autographs, movie games and activities, movie screenings and our studio commissary will be providing delicious movie production treats for our entire cast.

Please sign this Movie Star Contract and call your agent (name of agent to ask for) at (telephone number) to RSVP for your movie star roll in our original movie production.”

The (family name) Productions movie studio is located at (address).

Come dressed as your favorite movie character. (or you can have everyone show up in whatever costume you’d like, western, The Incredibles, Princess, fashion, or whatever theme you want).

Movie Party Theme Decorations

Your decorations can include a director’s chair, a megaphone, scene slate, light cut outs, camera cut outs, studio signs like “Hot Set”. “Birthday Movie Set”, “Hollywood Studio”. .

Movie Party Theme Games And Activities

You can make your movie production your entire party or you can set up some movie related activities and games.

Movie Party Theme, Screen Your Dailies

After you shoot the scenes for your movie, “The Great Birthday Treasure Hunt”, you can screen the raw unedited footage. Your guest will love seeing everything, including all the fun out-takes and bloopers.

Movie Party Theme, Snacks And Refreshments

Movie sets always have lots of snack food nearby for all the actors and crew… Favorites include M & M candies, Gummy Bears, nuts, fruit slices, veggie slices, chips and dips and any other finger snacks your birthday child might like.

Have fun and put a sign on your table that reads “Studio Commissary”.

Kid Movie Party World Premiere

One of the fun things about shooting a movie as a special birthday party is that you can have a second party as well. We’ve done this and everyone loved it!

Once your movie is edited, you’ll want to have your movies “World Premiere.”

Print out some movie ticket invitations, roll out a red carpet, invite the “paparazzi” (photographers) to snap pictures and video as your stars arrive.

Have some popcorn, screen your movie!

Follow your movie’s world premiere with an Academy Awards style party. Hand out awards (special best actor certificates) to all your actors! And let everyone make an acceptance speech. This is a lot of fun. This will be a movie premiere that everyone will remember!

To get you started on this unique, one-of-a-kind movie making adventure, Fun Kid Birthday Parties will send you a copy of our 3 minute movie script, “The Great Birthday Treasure Hunt” absolutely free. And we’ll include our easy to follow tips on how to put together this fun movie production for your birthday child.

To get your free kids movie party script visit us at Fun-Kid-Birthday-Parties.com and fill out the easy form at the bottom of the page.

Mike Dougherty is a movie and television writer, producer, director, video editor and regional Emmy award winning videographer. Most recently as a Hollywood screenwriter “the Long Ride Home” a western movie starring Randy Travis is based on Mike Dougherty’s short script. To get your free kids movie script, visit http://fun-kid-birthday-parties.com/kid-movie-party-theme.html right now

Dog boredom affects many pets when they are left home alone but in the crazy world we live in today with work, school and activities just don’t allow for your dog to join you every place you go. Unfortunately, this leaves many dogs home alone and bored. How do you know if your dog is bored? There are many tell-tell signs.

• Leaving or Coming Home – if your dog is shaking, trembling, excessively drooling or even hyperventilating then you have a serious boredom and anxiety problem with your dog.
• Path of Destruction – When you come home is their a path of destruction including chewed furniture, torn clothing or the trash can contents strung through the entire house.
• Accidents – Are they urinating or leaving feces in the house. Some dogs with high anxiety will also vomit in the house.
• Hate Mail – Do your neighbors leave horrible messages on your answering machine or tape notes to your door complaining about the barking or whining while you were gone.
• Outdoors – Is your dog digging giant holes to China while you are gone or perhaps they’ve become an amazing escape artist and slip out of the yard while you are at work. Have they chewed up every garden tool, sprinkler and lawn furniture you own, then you definitely have a bored outside dog.

If your dog is exhibiting any of these behaviors, then you definitely have a dog boredom problem. The next step is to understand their boredom and find solutions to occupy their time while you are gone. Many pet owners feel bad leaving their dog’s home alone but they just don’t know what to do about it.

Where to Begin

Begin by telling yourself that it is okay to leave your dog home alone but it is your responsibility to give them the tools to occupy their time in a productive manner. What many pet parents do not know is that the destructive and anxiety ridden behavior their dog exhibits, often happens within the first thirty minutes after they have left the home.

Many dogs have difficulty coping with boredom and the anxiety caused from separation and you must find multiple ways to calm and distract them to alleviate this behavior. It’s important to keep in mind that dog’s do not become destructive or potty on the floor to hurt you or provoke a reaction from you either. This behavior is brought on by boredom and anxiety.

Dog’s do not intentionally set out to be naughty or “get back” at you for leaving them alone. They simply require stimulation to keep them entertained and active to avoid this destructive behavior.

Find Activities for Your Dog

The next step is to find fun, exciting and entertaining activities that will give your dog the stimulation they need to start avoiding and even conquering the boredom and anxiety problems. Every dog is different and has different likes and dislikes, so use the suggestions below as a starting point and then build on them with your own experience and insight of your dog.

• Exercise – Now making sure your dog gets plenty of exercise is extremely important but the goal you are shooting for is to stimulate them in the area where they are going to be located during your absence. Whether it’s inside the home or in the backyard, focusing on their location is key. Make that space a puppy playground that they will be excited to use.
• Games – You can find dozens of fun games that you can play with your dog or teach them to play on their own. One great activity is a version of hide and seek. Take a few low calorie treats or even some of their dog food and hide it around the room or in the yard. The first couple of times you play, you will want to make your dog part of the hiding process so they will understand and see that you are hiding their food. This way they will know to look for it. Never hide in hard to reach places, just casually put them out all over the room. The point is for them to find them fairly easy and keep them active and entertained.
• Toys – There are some amazingly fun toy available today that can keep a dog’s attention for long periods of time. One of my dog’s favorites is the dog toys that you can stuff full of treats or food. Put a bit of peanut butter inside one of these toys and your dog will work for hours getting every last drop out. Our other favorite is the new Crazy Critters or stuffing free toys. My Maddie can destroy a new chew toy within a day or two if it’s not up to snuff but we’ve had our Crazy Critters toy for just over three months now and the two dogs are just now managing to tear it up. This is their favorite toy and they play with it everyday. Their favorite game is tug-o-war but they both play with it individually too. This toy is washable, strong and durable and doesn’t leave stuffing all over your floor! There are many, many other toy choices. Buy an assortment and see what your dog really likes.
• Balls – I suppose balls are technically a toy too but in my house balls rule. It doesn’t matter what kind of ball it is, Rodeo will play with it and officially claim it as his own! He will play ball for hours with us or on his own. My daughters dog loves to throw the ball way up in the air by himself and chase it down. Never underestimate the value of a simple ball to keep your dog active.
• Frozen Treats – Try freezing pet milk, soup or broth for your dog and leave the frozen block in a bowl when you leave. As they melt, they are an enticing treat that they will continue to work at until it completely unfreezes.
• Doggy Day Care – If you have tried and tried multiple activities and your dog just isn’t able to stay alone, doggy day care is an excellent alternative. They take walks, play games, get treats and a multitude of other activities to help entertain your dog for the day.
• Dog Walkers – Hiring a dog walker to stop by the house and take your dog for a walk everyday is a great way to break the day up for your dog. It gives them exercise and outside stimulation. If your dog is an outside dog, consider asking the dog walker to spend part of the time in the backyard itself playing games. This will give your dog a companion and enforce the fun of the space.
• Companion Dogs or an Elderly Companion – You could consider bringing another dog into the home for a companion but this doesn’t always work out and can even make the problem worse if your dog doesn’t want another dog around. Try asking a friend and their dog over first a few times to see how your dog reacts to another dog before making that decision. Another option that recently caught my eye was elderly companions. The idea is to find an elderly person that loves animals and would also benefit from the daily companionship. Try your neighbors or check with your friends for potential candidates. You can also check with some retirement facilities to see if they have an animal program for your dog to come visit on certain days of the week. Dogs are very sensitive and seem to know the difference between people when it comes to children and the elderly. My dog Rodeo is extremely active being a Border Collie but last Christmas I watched him play ball with my Grandmother, who is in her 90’s, and gently bring the ball back to her each time and put it right in her lap. She loved it and I realized then that not only had Rodeo been stimulated but so had my Grandma both physically throwing the ball and engaging in conversation with Rodeo. What a Great Moment!
• Dog Sitter DVD’s – This is something I only recently found but I think it is an outstanding idea. Many people utilize the radio or TV by leaving it on when they leave to help their dog with boredom and panic attacks. However, now you can take that one step further by using a dog sitter DVD. The dog sitter DVD’s I looked at offered a great way to not only stimulate your dog physically but mentally. The video contain sounds that only your dog can hear and often include multiple animals such as birds, racoons and squirrels to stimulate your dog. They offer your dog a virtual outdoors with lots of animal friends to help them from feeling alone. There were many to choose from and I plan to try this out for my own dogs.

Fighting dog boredom and anxiety seem overwhelming and even impossible when you are facing a destructive scene and an unhappy dog but with a few simple tools and a little time and effort on your part, you can give your dog plenty of exciting and stimulating things to do. Imagine the difference of coming home to a nice calm, clean house and a happy dog.

I left the business world to pursue my passion of working with animals while trying to improve my health. To do this, I am using my 20+ years experience as a dog breeder and pet owner. I also worked for a well known veterinarian and national vet supply company for several years. I have a B.S. In Agriculture with an emphasis in Animal Science and Ag Business and I worked in the Agriculture Business Industry for over twenty years. If you are interested in the details of how the right dog food, dog care and just good old fashioned love and affection can help your dog live a healthier and longer life, please join us at: http://www.love-your-dog-food.com

Would You Pay for Dog Food That Will Dramatically Shorten the Life of Your Pet? Of course not. Not on purpose. But when you buy the wrong dog food, that may be exactly what you’re doing.

Solve the Dog Food Puzzle is an e-book that will:
– Save you from paying thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary vet bills
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– And help you avoid getting scammed by dog food company giants

Make the Right Decision for Your Dog’s Health Today: http://www.love-your-dog-food.com/solve-the-dog-food-puzzle.html

Lawyers face the same challenges any business does. In order to get new business they must market their services, i.e., advertise. And lawyers deal with the same marketing and advertising challenge every business does – how to beat the competition. Plus lawyers have to assume that any Internet or non-Internet marketing or advertising they do may well produce little or no results for the amount of time and money they spend — regardless of what an outside marketing or advertising advisor may say to the contrary.

Prior to the Internet the main non-Internet marketing option or advertising choice for any lawyer was to advertise in the yellow pages. To this day the print yellow pages contain plenty of colorful, one page display ads that feature lawyers offering their services, and lawyers pay a lot for these ads. How effective these ads are is anyone’s guess — it’s hard for your colored, one page display ad to stand out when you have 20 other lawyers doing the exact same thing! The yellow pages companies, however, continue to promote their marketing and advertising philosophy that “bigger is always better” and “everything we sell is an opportunity,” so they often present a lawyer with a non-Internet marketing and advertising solution that costs plenty but often produces little.

This line of thinking, along with the use of print yellow pages in general, has gone the way of the dinosaur at a very accelerated pace. The yellow pages in print form had their heyday for many decades, but the population now goes to the Internet for the information they seek, so most print directories are collecting dust. A lawyer who advertises in the print yellow pages may well get calls, but they’ll most likely be from vendors using the yellow pages as a cheap source of leads.

The major paid search providers (pay per click search engines) tend to offer lawyers Internet marketing and advertising solutions in a manner similar to the way the yellow pages do with their print directories. “Bigger is always better,” so rather than realistically discuss with a lawyer a pay per click Internet marketing and advertising campaign that makes financial sense and produces a decent ROI, the pay per click providers will tell the lawyer to go for as many top listing keywords (the most expensive) as their budget will permit and bid as high as they can. The lawyer may go broke in the process, but at least they’ll get exposure! Many lawyers get into pay per click as a quick way to get leads but quickly exit a month later after spending lots of money for Internet marketing and advertising results that produce nothing but expense.

While pay per click Internet marketing and advertising is the running favorite of Internet marketing advertisers worldwide, pay per click advertising for a lawyer is usually an extremely expensive proposition for what they get. How much a lawyer is willing to “pay for a lead” takes on a whole new meaning with pay per click. The cost per click for many lawyer related keywords, e.g., “personal injury lawyer,” “criminal defense lawyer,” can range from $5.00 to $70.00 per click depending on the market, and when the typical lawyer’s conversion rate (the number of clicks it takes to generate a lead) of one to two percent is factored in, the lawyer can find themselves paying upwards of $500.00 to $7,000.00 per lead, and a lead is not a client.

Part of the problem lawyers face when they work with pay per click (and this translates directly into poor conversion rates) is that (1) they spend little time creating their pay per click ads and (2) the ads direct traffic to the lawyer’s website. Any Internet marketing professional who knows something about pay per click knows you never send pay per click traffic to a website. Instead you create special pages, i.e., “landing pages” for pay per click traffic to be directed to. The landing pages perform the job of convincing traffic to do what the lawyer requires, which is normally to contact the lawyer via e-mail or by phone.

Legal Internet directories and portals offer the lawyer a potential Internet marketing and advertising option because of their popularity and enhanced Internet visibility. How effective a listing in a legal Internet directory or portal can be for a lawyer in terms of marketing, advertising and Internet exposure will depend upon the particular attributes of the legal Internet directory or portal in question. All things being equal, legal Internet directories or portals that charge a fee to be listed in them make more sense as an Internet marketing and advertising choice than similar sites that offer listings for free. The lawyer has to be particularly careful, however, when they consider advertising in legal Internet directories and portals that “look” like they offer a lot — and a price to go with it — but for whatever reasons simply do not produce enough leads for the amount of Internet marketing and advertising money the lawyer must spend.

Many legal Internet directories and portals exist that have a very strong Internet presence, and they are excellent resource centers for lawyers, but this does not automatically make them good places to advertise. With Internet legal portals especially it’s not how many lawyers the portal attracts but how many people the Internet legal portal attracts who are searching for legal services. People have paid thousands of dollars for advertising in Internet legal portals that have produced nothing in the way of Internet marketing and advertising results. A very wise idea for any lawyer who considers advertising in an Internet legal portal is to get some very accurate user demographics on what kind of specific traffic the Internet legal portal is actually attracting.

What is a lawyer supposed to do? Everywhere the lawyer looks, whether the marketing and advertising media is Internet or non-Internet, considerable financial risk is involved, and a guarantee that the lawyer will get good, solid results for the amount of money they spend is often hard to achieve.

Ultimately the best way for a lawyer to go with Internet marketing and advertising – the way that will ultimately get them the best long term results for the money they spend — is to focus on getting their website to rank high in organic search results. When all things are considered, people on the Internet who search for goods and services mainly search for websites to find their answers. They may look to legal Internet directories and portals, and if they don’t find what they want they may turn to pay per click listings as a last resort (only about 30% to 40% of users bother with pay per click) but ultimately people who search the Internet are looking for websites that provide them with the answers they seek.

If a lawyer is looking for an Internet marketing and advertising solution that doesn’t require being part of the pay per click crowd, the lawyer may want to look into pay per phone call programs. Pay per phone call is like pay per click, but the lawyer does not pay for a call unless they receive one. And the costs for pay per phone call are normally substantially less that what the lawyer will pay for a click in many cases. A smart lawyer may even want to consider getting involved with several pay per phone call providers with the idea that between the providers the lawyer will receive enough leads in the aggregate to make involvement with these programs worth it.

Many of the Internet marketing and advertising solutions that a lawyer chooses to look into must be tried on a case by case basis. Absolutely nothing can be assumed. A pay per click advertising campaign that works extremely well for the lawyer with one search provider might fail miserably with another.

One last thing that a lawyer should be aware of when it comes to the Internet and a website presence is that appearances really do count. Many people have been on the Internet for 10 years and have correspondingly seen websites of all types and styles. People are used to seeing professionally designed websites. The lawyer’s website should be too.

Michael Merten is an Internet marketing professional who consults with lawyers and legal finance companies. He specializes in getting legal websites to appear in first page search results on major search engines in record time. Mr. Merten can be reached at Minnesota Internet Marketing [http://www.minnesotainternetmarketing.com].

What is your career? Forget about how you define this to others for now, and just think for a bit about how you define your career to yourself. What does it mean to you to have a career? Is it just your job? Is it something you do to make a living? Is it what you do for money? Is it your work?

Most people would define a career as more than a job. Above and beyond a job, a career is a long-term pattern of work, usually across multiple jobs. A career implies professional development to build skill over a period of time, where one moves from novice to expert within a particular field. And lastly, I would argue that a career must be consciously chosen; even if others exert influence over you, you must still ultimately choose to become a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant. If you didn’t make a conscious choice at some point, I would then say you have a job but not a career.

One of the difficulties I see a lot of people experiencing lately is that they spend the bulk of their days working at a job that isn’t part of a consciously chosen career. Once you graduate from school and enter the work force, you don’t suddenly gain the knowledge of what kind of career to build. Most likely you just focus on getting a job as your first step after school. And you probably have to make this choice in your early 20s. After a decade or two, you’ve established a pattern of work and built up some expertise. But at what point did you stop and say, what is my career going to be?

Sometimes when you ask people what their career is (instead of asking what their job is), the question makes them uncomfortable. Why? Because they think of a career as something intentionally chosen, purposeful, and meaningful, and they don’t see those qualities in their job. Another possibility is that they feel deep down that their real career lies elsewhere.

Just because you’ve been working in a field for many years doesn’t mean you have to turn that pattern of work into your career. The past is the past. You can continue to run the same pattern and follow that same path into the future, but at any time you’re also free to make a total break with the past and turn yourself onto an entirely new career path in the future. Ask yourself if you were starting over from scratch today, fresh out of school, would you still choose the same line of work? If the answer is no, then you only have a job right now, not a career. Your career lies elsewhere.

I went through this process myself last year when I asked myself, “What is my career?” I’ve been developing and publishing computer games since 1994. And that was exactly what I wanted to do when I was 22 years old. Game development was the career I had consciously chosen; I didn’t just fall into it. It took a lot of work to start my own company and build it into a successful business. But at age 33, I had to stop and say that I no longer wanted game development to be my career. I still enjoy it, and I may continue doing a little on the side as a hobby for many years, but I no longer think of it as my career.

And yet, when I looked around for what else I might define as my new career, I was in a quandary. I saw all the assets I’d built in my game development career… and a long list of goals yet to be accomplished. Of course, the real problem was that I was looking to the past and projecting it onto the future. So all I could see on the road ahead was a continuation of the road behind. My solution was to use zero-based thinking… imagining I was starting from scratch again, forgetting the past for a moment, seeing the present moment as something fresh and new that didn’t already have a directional vector assigned to it — it could point in any new direction I gave it.

At the same time I started thinking like this, I also decided to broaden my definition of career. While running my games business, I had been operating with a very 3rd-dimensional view of a career. It was about success, achievement, accomplishment, making a good living, sales, serving customers, etc. At different times my career was that I was a game programmer, a game developer, or a game publisher. Those were the labels I used.

But whereas these kinds of objectives were very motivating to me when I was in my 20s, years later I found them to be far less motivating. Achieving more and succeeding more just wasn’t enough of a motivator by itself. And I’ve seen others fall into the same situation too — the things that motivated them greatly at one point no longer seem all that motivating years later. The motivational strategies that work in your 20s don’t necessarily keep working in your 30s.

The solution I found was to look behind the labels and discover the core of my career. When I looked behind the labels of game programmer, game developer, and game publisher, I saw that the core of my career was entertaining people. That was the real purpose behind what I was doing. And that’s when it made sense to me that this was a very motivating purpose for me in my 20s, but that in my 30s it lost its edge because I had grown to the point in my own life where I felt that entertaining people was no longer the BEST way for me to contribute.

Think about this for a moment. What is the core of your career? What do you contribute? What is the big picture of what you do? If you work for a large company, then how do your actions contribute to some larger purpose? Be honest with yourself. And don’t ignore the role your company plays in your career; your career depends heavily on what you’re contributing down the line. If you truly assign a noble purpose to what you do, that’s great. For example, if you work at a grocery store, you might be inspired by the fact that you help feed people. But don’t force it if you don’t actually believe it. If you feel your contribution is weak or even negative, then admit that to yourself, even if you don’t immediately plan to do anything about it.

Go behind the labels. Don’t stop at definining your career as computer programmer or lawyer or doctor. What are you contributing as a computer programmer? How does your career make a difference in other people’s lives? Is it nothing more than a way for you to make money? As a lawyer do you resolve disputes and spread peace, or do you milk conflict for money? As a doctor do you heal people, or are you just a legal drug pusher? What is the essence of your career right now?

Now when you have your answer, you next have to ask yourself, is this you? Is this truly a career that reflects the best of who you are as a person?

For example, if you see the real purpose behind your current line of work as making a handful of investors wealthier… nothing more noble than that… then is that an accurate reflection of your best contribution? Is that you?

If you already have a career that accurately reflects the best of who you are, that’s wonderful. But if you don’t, then realize that you’re free to change it. If your career as a regional distributor for a major soda manufacturer basically boils down to pushing sugar water to make people fatter, you don’t have to keep it that way.

I think if you realize that your current work doesn’t fit who you are, then you have to make a choice. You have to decide if you deserve having a career that truly suits you. If you don’t feel you deserve it, then you will settle for defining your career in such narrow terms as job, money, paycheck, promotion, boss, coworkers, etc. No one is forcing you to accept that as your definition of career.

On the other hand, you can choose to embrace another definition of career that uses terms like purpose, calling, contribution, meaning, abundance, happiness, fulfillment, etc. This requires a top-down approach. You first think hard about what your purpose here is… what kind of contribution do you want to make with your life? Once you figure that out, then you work down to the level of how to manifest that in terms of the work you do.

And for many people, the seeming impossibility of that manifesting part is paralyzing. This is especially true for men, who usually take their responsibility as breadwinners very seriously. You see yourself logically having two choices: I could stay in my current job, which pays the bills and earns me a good living, or I could go jump into something that fits me better, but I just can’t see how to make money at it. I have a mortgage to pay and a family who depends on me; I can’t do that to them.

The problem though is thinking that these are the only alternatives… thinking that you have to make a choice between money and happiness. That assumption is what causes the paralysis against action. You can also envision the third alternative of having money and happiness together. In fact, that’s actually the most likely outcome. If you don’t currently have a career that is deeply fulfilling to you in the sense that you know you’re contributing in a way that matters, then deep down, you will sabotage yourself from going too far with it. You will always know that you’re on the wrong path for you, and this is going to slap a demotivating slump over everything you try to do in that line of work. You’ll do your job, but you’ll never feel that you’re really living up to your potential. You’ll always have problems with procrastination and weak motivation, and they’ll never be resolved no matter how many time management strategies you attempt. Your job will never feel like a truly satisfying career — it just can’t grow into that because you’ve planted your career tree in bad soil. You’ll always be stuck with a bonsai.

But when you get your career aligned from top to bottom, such that what you’re ultimately contributing is an expression of the best of yourself, the money will come too. You’ll be enjoying what you do so much, and you’ll find your work so fulfilling, that turning it into an income stream won’t be that hard. You’ll find a way to do it. Making money is not at odds with your greater purpose; they can lie on the same path. The more money you make, the greater your ability to contribute.

But most importantly you’ll feel you really deserve all the money you earn. When your career is aligned with the best of who you are, you won’t secretly feel that your continued career success means going farther down the wrong path. You won’t hold back anymore. You’ll want to take your career as far as you can because it’s an expression of who you are. And this will make you far more receptive to all the opportunities that are all around you, financial or otherwise.

But how do you make this transition? Is a leap of faith required? Not really. I don’t think of it as a leap of faith. It’s more of a leap of courage, and it’s a logical kind of courage, not an emotional one. It comes down to making a decision about how important your own happiness and fulfillment are to you. Really, how important is it for you to have meaningful, fulfilling work? Is it OK for you to continue working at a job that doesn’t allow you to contribute the very best of who you are? If you find yourself in such a situation, then your answer is yes — you’ve made it OK for you to tolerate this situation.

But you see… self-actualizing people who successfully make this leap will at some point conclude that it’s definitely not OK. In fact, it’s intolerable. They wake up and say, “Wait a minute here. This is absolutely, totally unacceptable for me to be spending the bulk of my time at a job that isn’t a deeply fulfilling career. I can’t keep doing this. This ends now.”

These people “wake up” by realizing that what’s most important about a career is the high-level view that includes happiness, fulfillment, and living on purpose. Things like money, success, and achievement are a very distant second. But when you work from within the first category, the second category takes care of itself.

Before you’ve had this awakening, you most likely don’t see how that last sentence is possible. And that’s because you don’t understand that it is nothing more than a choice. You have probably chosen to put money above fulfillment in your current line of work. That choice means that you won’t have fulfillment. But it’s not that you can’t have fulfillment — you can choose to change your priorities and act on them at any time. The real choice you made was not to be fulfilled in your current line of work. You bought into the illusion that money is at odds with fulfillment, and that money is the more important of the two, so that is all you see. No matter what job you take, you find this assumption proves true for you.

But once you go through the “waking up” experience and firmly decide to put fulfillment first, you suddenly realize that being fulfilled AND having plenty of money is also a choice that’s available to you. There are countless ways for you to do both; you simply have to permit yourself to see them. You realize that you were the one who chose EITHER-OR instead of AND, while all the time you were totally free to choose AND whenever you wanted.

You set the standards for your career choices. Most likely your current standard ranks fulfillment and meaningful contribution very low in comparison to working on interesting tasks and making sufficient money. But those standards are yours to set. At any point you’re free to say, “Having a deeply meaningful and fulfilling career is an absolute MUST for me. Working for money alone is simply not an option.” And once you make this conscious choice, you WILL begin seeing the opportunities that fit this new standard. But you’ll never even recognize those opportunities as long as it remains OK for you to spend all your work time being unfulfilled.

I want to drive home this point. Having a fulfilling career that earns you plenty of money doesn’t require a leap of faith. It only requires a choice. You just have to wake up one day and tell yourself that you deserve both, and that you won’t settle for anything less. It’s not about finding the right job. A career isn’t something you find; it doesn’t require someone to give you something. You aren’t at the mercy of circumstances. A career is something you create, something you build. It means that the work you do each day is aligned with what you feel to be your purpose. Once you start doing this kind of work, even if for no pay initially, your self-esteem will grow to the point where you’ll become so resourceful and open to new opportunities that you’ll have no trouble making plenty of money from it. However, when you do so, the money won’t be that important. It will just be a resource for you to do more of what you love.

Your life is too precious to waste working only for money or for a purpose that doesn’t inspire you. No one can hold you back from making this decision but you. Especially don’t hide behind your family’s needs. If your family truly loves you, then they need you to be fulfilled and living on purpose far more than anything else. And if you love them, then isn’t your greatest role to serve as a model to them of how to be happy? What would you want for your own children for their careers? And do you want the same for yourself?

Copyright © Steve Pavlina

Steve Pavlina
Personal Development for Smart People
http://www.stevepavlina.com
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog (blog)
http://www.stevepavlina.com/articles (articles)

Steve is intensely growth-oriented. He trained in martial arts, ran the L.A. Marathon, and graduated from college in three semesters with two degrees. He can juggle, count cards at blackjack, and make damn good guacamole. Steve is also a polyphasic sleeper, sleeping just 2-3 hours per day and only 20 minutes at a time. So chances are good that he’s awake right now.

How can one find the best auto insurance for a classic car? Is it even possible to find cheap antique car insurance? Classics cars can be well worth the sometimes pricey cost of upkeep and storage – there is no need to have to pay more for insurance coverage than necessary. Read on to learn some of the things that you should know before you purchase a classic car auto insurance policy.

Who hasn’t turned their head while driving down the road to get a better look at a classic or collectible car? We’re enamored with the lines of the car as well as its pristine condition. But the detailed attention in maintaining a classic car’s flawless appearance and operation is not only to draw admiring looks, it is also necessary in order to keep up the market value of the car. For this reason, along with others, specialized classic auto insurance policies were developed to meet the needs of classic and collectible car owners.

Another reason (a very important reason), for insuring your vehicle as a classic or collectible is the greatly reduced cost of classic car insurance relative to standard auto insurance. Standard auto insurance can cost as much as 200%-300% more than classic auto insurance. So, what is the biggest factor that causes such a great disparity in price between classic auto insurance and standard car insurance? Generally, collector vehicles are driven on a limited basis (the garage is where they are usually found). As a result, the risk of accident and loss to collector vehicles is considerably lower than the risk involved in vehicles that are regularly driven.

DOES YOUR VEHICLE QUALIFY?

The following is a list of classifications for collectible cars.

Antique cars – 25 years or older

Custom cars – 1949 to present

Classic cars – 20-24 years old

Collectible cars – 15-19 years old

Exotic cars – less than 15

Street rods – Pre-1949

This is the standard listing for those cars that are considered eligible for classic car auto insurance, but certain cars may be accepted at the discretion of the insurer. Sometimes, classic car insurers will customize an insurance policy for a particular vehicle.

WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COLLECTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE?

To keep collector auto insurance rates low, certain usage limitations are placed on the insured vehicle.

Cannot be used for everyday use. This rules out using it to drive to work, run errands, or go out for that bite to eat. Under a classic car insurance policy, car usage should be limited to driving to and from car shows and the occasional parade.

Cannot be driven more than 2,500 miles per year. 2,500 is a fairly standard number among insurance companies that offer classic coverage, but there are some insurance companies that have mileage plans that allow up to 5,000 or 6,000 miles per year. This increased mileage limit was put in place to accommodate those drivers who like to take their cars to distant car shows. Of course the premiums are greater.

Must be kept in a locked garage. A locked enclosed trailer will also do, but a carport will not meet the grade even if you live in a gated community with a security guard. (The weather is also an enemy of the classic car). Some policies might stipulate that a car cannot be left unattended in a parking lot. This means leaving your car in a motel or hotel parking lot might present a problem.

WHAT CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND WHEN CHOOSING CLASSIC AUTO INSURANCE?

Does the company offer Agreed Value Coverage or Stated Value Coverage?

Agreed value lets the classic car owner and the insurance agent set a value for the auto that does not necessarily reflect the market value for that car. Usually, the insurance agent will have to do a thorough inspection of the car both inside and out and will require photos of the vehicle.

What are the usage and mileage restrictions?

Find the policy that best suits your plans for using the car. Why pay for a plan that covers mileage for 5,000 when you know that you won’t even come close to using the 2,000 miles available in a cheaper policy.

Can you choose your own repair shop?

The Mom and Pop shop down the road might do a good job on your regular car and offer the lowest repair bid in town, but do you really want them working on your classic “baby”?

What company underwrites the policy and what is the rating for that company?

You want to be sure that the underwriter has a good track record and is going to be able to fulfill all of their obligations even if for some reason there is a larger than normal influx of insurance claims.

Are there any discount programs available?

A good insurance company should always inform you of any discounts that are available to you, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Does your insurance offer insurance for classic or modified cars that are under construction?

Some companies will monitor the progress that is being made on your vehicle while it is in the garage for repairs and modifications and allow you to adjust the value of the car as the project continues. Also, this type of insurance covers damages to your auto in case of a catastrophic occurrence such as a fire, or the hydraulic lift fails, or the tool cart falls on your car (with a little imagination the possibilities are endless.)

WHY CAN’T I JUST ADD MY COLLECTOR CAR TO THE FAMILY AUTO INSURANCE POLICY?

You can, but it could be a costly mistake. If repairs are needed you may be forced to accept the lowest repair bid, or if the car is badly damaged, the insurance company could opt to have it totaled. And although a discount is usually given for cars combined under one policy, that discount still may not provide the savings available if the car was insured under a classic auto insurance policy.

Finally, make sure your insurance company has a good understanding of classic cars. In the event that your car is totaled, you want to be able to work with a knowledgeable representative and receive the full value for your car.

COMPARE CHEAP CLASSIC CAR AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES ONLINE

Be sure that you shop around and compare car insurance rates from multiple companies before you decide to purchase. The more you shop the more you may save.

Get started comparing car insurance rate quotes today!

Finding the best tractor that suits your needs can be easier than you might think. Here are a few simple steps to follow as you look at tractors

You first need to determine your needs and figure out what you need your tractor to do. Do you have an acre or two that needs mowed once or twice a week, or do you need a tractor for mowing, towing, snow plowing, carrying items, gardening or harvesting fields? Be sure to get enough tractor so that it will be able handle the attachments you are going to use

Diesel or Gas?

Do you need a gasoline or diesel powered tractor? For most residential, mowing applications gasoline powered tractors are the way to go. If you have more than five acres and plan on doing some plowing, hauling, heavier mowing and adding any attachments then diesel is probably the tractor of choice.

Lawn Tractors

Lets look first at your average lawn mower. Something that will be pretty much be used for mowing and nothing else. Your average “lawn tractor” can range anywhere from $1500 – $4500 and range from 15HP- 25HP with gasoline engines. Good reliable used lawn mowers can be purchase from a few hundred dollars up to $3000 depending on age and condition. Some of the higher HP model lawn tractors can also be used for occasional snow plowing and other heavier tasks but are best suited for mowing with or without a grass catcher and pulling a cart. Most all lawn tractors are belt driven with limited parts availability and are designed to last a short period of time.

Garden Tractors & Compact Tractors

Next lets look at property owners that have 3 – 15 acres and the need for plowing, gardening, mowing, cutting and loading. In my opinion we have two classes of tractor we can look at here. You can consider a “garden tractor” or a “compact tractor”. A garden tractor is a tractor that is really a lawn tractor with a heavier built to it and with the capability of some attachments like a tiller, a blade, snowblower and larger mower decks (usually 54in – 60in decks). Most garden tractors are also shaft driven and can last for many years if properly maintained and not pushed beyond their limits. They can be gasoline or diesel. They usually sell new for $6000 – $10000 with a mowing deck,and can be purchased used for $2500 – $6000 depending on condition.

My personal recommendation for this scenario would be a “compact tractor”. A compact tractor is basically a miniature tractor with full size tractor capabilities such as mowing, cutting, loading, digging, tilling, plowing and hauling. They have diesel engines ranging in size from 15HP – 30HP. Most of them have full hydraulics, 4WD, mid and rear PTO’s, high and low range, roll over protection and are built to work. They have a life expectancy of up to 30 plus years if properly maintained. Parts are readily available. These compact tractors can handle many implements like large belly mowers up to 72in., rear mowers, tillers, blades, loaders, plows, backhoes, sweepers and more. The reliability of these tractors makes for a great used tractor. A new compact tractor with a mower can range from $10000 – $20000, depending on the size and model. Great used compact tractors can be found for as low as $5000.

Farm Tractors

If farming is in your future and you have many acres to tend to, you are best advised to consult with a dealer or fellow farmer before making a purchase. There are many, many choices when it comes to large tractors and farming equipment and it is best to make sure you get the right equipment the first time as these tractors can be a very large investment. Once you have the specifics you need, then search for a new or used tractor that will meet your exact needs for HP, and capabilities.

Pricing

Before you get sticker shock, realize that tractor purchases are long term commitments and that with proper maintenance and use they can last for 30 years or more. When you consider the life span and work they do, the prices will seem reasonable.

Attachments can also seem expensive as well. A loader for example will cost $3000 – $5000. A simple blade can run $300 – $500.

Once you have a tractor and some attachments, you’ll wonder how you ever did without them. I remember when I purchased my compact Kubota several years ago. I took my wife with me and I bought a 60in mower and a loader with it. When my wife saw the price she about died! Since we’ve owned it, she has on many occasion told me that it has been such a great thing to have. We only have 5 acres but get so much use from the loader. I don’t know what we ever did without it!

Gray Market Tractors

Because good used tractors are so reliable, there is a high demand and a relatively low supply of them and good used tractors sell very quickly. A tempting way of saving money is buying an “off-brand” tractor or a gray market tractor. These are usually imported machines designed for use in other markets, being sold semi-legally here. While they can be much cheaper than standard tractors, there are a couple of significant drawbacks.

One is that the PTO systems are not always compatible with US standards. Many of them do not have a mid PTO which is needed if you want a belly mower. A second issue is parts availability. It can be difficult or impossible to find replacement parts here if it’s a model designed for use in other markets.

What ever you do, make sure you buy a tractor that will do what you need it to. The worst thing you can do is to push the equipment beyond it capabilities. It not only significantly shortens the life span but can be dangerous as well.

Before making your purchase, do your research. Check with other owners, dealers, web forums and manufactures sites for information. When your ready to make the purchase be sure to check here with Tractor Shopper for deals on your next new or used tractor!

If you’re in the market for a used tractor, tractor parts or attachments then stop by http://www.TractorShopper.com for great prices and selection.

Taking good care of your fish tanks is the most important part of caring for your fish. Fish are good pets; they’re quiet, they’re clean and they are beautiful and watching them provides relaxation and stress relief. Fish can be purchased in any color you’d like to have and you’ll find that your fish can help you unwind at the end of the day.

You may choose from either freshwater or saltwater fish tanks. Either allows you to keep certain types of fish (either freshwater or saltwater species of fish, of course). The pets you can keep in these fish tanks will provide you with relaxation and of course, their natural beauty. While fish tanks don’t require a lot of maintenance, you will need to put some work into caring for your tanks to keep them a clean environment which will keep your fish healthy and happy.

Fish tank maintenance begins with prevention. The most important thing is not to keep too many fish in one tank. Having too many fish in the same tank causes overcrowding and can make for an unhealthy environment for your fish. You’ll also need to clean the tank very frequently in order to keep your fish healthy if you have too many fish in your aquarium. No matter how many fish you are keeping, you will need to set a regular cleaning schedule for your fish tanks.

Cleaning your fish tank on a regular basis will help to prolong the lifespan of your fish as well as providing a clean and healthy habitat for them. One way to aid in the cleaning of your tank is to avoid any over feeding. Over feeding causes for excess waste to accumulate on the bottom of the tank and requires removal. You also want to remove any dead leaves that resulted from live plants inside your fish tank. These dead leaves lead to algae build up on the glass of the tank. This algae can be removed with a scraper or algae magnet.

Cleaning the glass or acrylic surfaces of the tank is important, but this is not all there is to keeping your fish tanks clean. A filtration system is an important part of tank maintenance, since this keeps the water clean. You’ll need to clean out the filter monthly, if not more often. You’ll also need to clean your gravel or any other substrate you’re using in your aquarium a minimum of once per month.

When cleaning the filter, remove the medium of the filter and clean it under running water. In the case of the filter medium being worn out, then it should be replaced. There are good bacteria which is located in the filter system. This bacteria aids in the breaking down of ammonia and helps to balance the nitrates that are in the tank. For this reason the filter should be cleaned quickly and then replaced in order to do its job efficiently and effectively. Also, about once a month, you should check the ph balance of the water in your fish tank. If you are not sure what the ph balance should be, then you need to ask someone at a local fish store.

When it comes to cleaning the sides of your tank, don’t use soap or detergent ” this leaves behind residues which can sicken or even kill your fish. Instead, use a solution of 90% water, 10% chlorine bleach (use only plain bleach without fragrances added). You can wash the sides of the tank with this solution and soak all accessories in it for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly before refilling and placing your fish back into the tank.

When you take good care of your fish tank, cleaning it at least once per month your fish will be healthier and live longer. You’ll also be able to enjoy a better view of your fish through a well-cleaned tank ” and what’s the point of keeping fish if you can’t enjoy them?

Paul has been keeping pet fish for years now and wants to share his experiences. Want to learn more about keeping your own betta/tropical/marine Fish Tanks? Get your complete betta/tropical/marine set up kit with everything you need from Paul’s Fish Tanks shop.

Florida health insurance that meets your health care needs is very essential. Over the past few years, the cost of Florida health insurance is on the rise. Because of the high cost, the number of uninsured in Florida continues to rise. The state government and certain non-profit organizations in Florida have taken efforts to reduce the cost of health insurance so as to provide medical care to those people who need it most.

Florida health insurance is for individuals as well as groups. It not only protects you, but also provides access to quality heath care services. Health insurance in Florida provides medical coverage to children up to age of 19, pregnant women, self employed individuals, and families. In Florida, the rate for health insurance varies significantly from one insurance company to another. You can save time as well as money by comparing the different health insurance plans in Florida.

In Florida, a wide range of health insurance plans are available to choose from. Most of them provide benefits such as the cost of medicine, prescriptions, doctor visits and hospital stays. The types of health insurance plans available in Florida include individual health insurance, small group health insurance including health savings accounts (HSA) and health reimbursement accounts (HRA); large group health insurance, and temporary health insurance.

To qualify for individual health insurance in Florida, you have to undergo a medical exam. If you qualify for a health insurance plan, then you have to pay the premium, based on your age and medical history. Individual health insurance plan in Florida is cheaper than group health insurance.

Finding an affordable Florida health insurance is time consuming. To find one seek the help of an insurance agent or an insurance broker. There are several websites that help to find the best health insurance plan in Florida. Florida-health-insurance.com and eHealthinsurance.com are some websites. Vista, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., United Healthcare, and Humana Health Insurance Company are some of the leading companies that offer health insurance in Florida.

Health Insurance provides detailed information on Health Insurance, Health Insurance Quotes, Affordable Health Insurance, Health Insurance Plans and more. Health Insurance is affiliated with Health Insurance Company Ratings.

If you have a farm or property then it’s important to consider of having a tractor for sale. Before selecting a tractor, it’s important to know all about the needs and purposes like soil plowing, snow plowing, transportation or harvesting. The important concept in a tractor is its fuel; tractors come in both gasoline and in diesel. Gasoline powered tractors are best fit for the residential purposes for mowing a limited area and the diesel powered tractors are fit for plowing a large area or for long distance traveling equipped with the attachments.

Choose tractors by looking at the year of manufacturing and its workability. Tractors are made for different purposes and their work varies accordingly to the horse power. These tractors are beneficial for plowing and gardening, choosing these types of used tractors is not a difficult task. Tractors equipped with hydraulics can perform tougher jobs my personal advice is to go behind a compact tractor. It’s always better to choose a compact tractor, because it is capable of performing all jobs like cutting, loading, hauling, mowing etc.

Such tractors are capable of performing all operations and tasks, because these are built with 30hp engines and most of the machines of these types are equipped with hydraulic and runs in diesel. Normally, a person with the basic ideas can easily choose a used tractor by looking at its tires, engine hours, hp, year of manufacturing and its cabin. Allis-chalmers, the producer of allis chalmers tractors, started out as a small burr millstone maker in 1847. Allis chalmers tractors were built by a team led by harry ihrig, being a 15 kw fuel cell tractor for allis-chalmers which was demonstrated across the us at state fairs.

Henry Ford who started the tractor section of the Ford company produced the ford tractors. In the 1930s Henry Ford commissioned the production of his tractors, which were set to replace the Fordson tractors. The first tractor that the ford tractor company produced was the ford 9n which was also known as the Ford Ferguson 9n as the Ford and the Ferguson company has decided to work together in order to produce some very good tractors.

In 1914 the tractor world was given a substantial boost by the outbreak of world war 1 because their was a massive demand for food to feed the armies that were fighting and a lot of the usual farm labourers were called to war so the tractors were needed in order to get the work done and produce food fast enough to feed the armies instead of tractors for sale. Both the ford 9n model and the ford 2n model took America by storm but it did not really have any impact on the tractor world in England where the Fordson tractors were still the popular one to have.

Patrick Malloney is an established net entrepreneur who has launched YouTractor.com which offers 1,000 of Farm Machinery and antique farm machinery videos.