racds2010.com

We’ve all been there – you’re heading out for a day of lawn work and your lawn mower won’t start. The big question before you now, should you try to fix the lawn mower yourself or should you call the experts? Here are a few scenarios to help you decide whether you should attempt the lawn mower repair at home or bring it to an authorized repair person.

My Lawn Mower Won’t Start

If your lawn mower will not start, check the gas tank first. Did you put the mower away for a long period of time without draining the gas tank? If so, you probably have a tank full of bad gas. Drain the tank and fill it with new gas. Check to make sure you have enough gas in the tank to get the mower running and that it is the correct kind of gas.

The Lawn Mower Starts Slowly, but Stops and becomes Difficult to Start

This is a pretty good sign that the engine is not getting enough air. Don’t worry, this is not going to require a costly lawn mower engine repair! Start by checking the air filter; a clogged or dirty filter can be cleaned with a little hot water and dish detergent. Simply scrub the filter and replace it.

You also may have a bad spark plug. The mower engine will not start up if the spark plug is bad or dirty. This fix may be as simple as pulling out the old spark plugs, cleaning them and replacing them.

My Lawn Mower Is Dead

Start by unplugging the spark plugs and turning the mower over. It is extremely important to make sure the mower is not able to start up while it is turned upside down. Check various mower parts, including the blades. You are looking for string, long grass, plastic or metal stuck between the blades, as any of these items will stop the blades from working and automatically incapacitate the mower.

Look in the gas tank, at the spark plugs and at the air filter. Make sure there is gas in the tank, the spark plugs are working and the air filter is clog free.

If the mower is still not working, take off the mower engine cover. Look at how the gas flows into the engine by removing the pump cover and pushing on the rubber pump. This will show you how gas is flowing into the engine and whether there are any problems with the hose. You may just need to take a clean rag and wipe down the hose or use a small pin to clean out the injector hole.

The last place to check is the automatic shut-off connected to the accelerator, as it may have lost a spring. Look for a metal line from the shut-off mechanism to the choke; you should see a small spring that attaches to the body of the lawn mower. If it fell off, you will see two small holes where the spring used to be. You can find a replacement spring at any hardware store.

These are all relatively easy repairs that you can make at home. The rule of thumb about calling an authorized repair person is you have reached a point in the project where you no longer feel comfortable doing it on your own. No matter when you reach this point, whether it comes after you checked the gas tank or after you take off the engine cover, it’s time to call a repair person.

Do not get in over your head in a repair project. When you are unsure of how to proceed but go ahead anyway, you can make the problem worse; and this only means a bigger repair bill!

About this Author

Sundar K is is the author of this article about lawn mower repair, lawn mower parts and lawn mower engine repair. THDRepair is one of the largest authorized repair specialists in the U.S., has held a number of positions within the company over the past 10 years, previously as Director of Operations and Director of Business Development.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sundar_K

Do it yourself auto repair goes beyond acquiring auto mechanic

tools, auto repair manuals,

auto parts etc. You need careful planning to avoid failure. Learn here what to avoid to succeed

in Do it yourself auto repair jobs.

I have seen a lot of frustrated faces of car owners who have tried their

hands on Do it yourself

auto repair jobs and did not succeed, just because they stumbled on it on the internet and

dabbled

into it without making adequate planning and preparation.

From my observations and from the answers I got when I tried to interview

them, I found out that

there failure is hooked to one or more of the following points, any vehicle owner who wants to succeed in

Do It Yourself auto repair should take note of them.

Do it yourself auto repair requires serious planning. You need to first identify

your goals, why do you want to be a Do It Yourselfer. The right answer to this will help

you to

determine your limit of operations and help you to focus on achieving your goals.

You also need to identify your level of knowledge of auto repair, and approach your goal from

the point of acquiring enough information that can help you succeed.

This is common to those who are trying their hands on Do It Yourself auto repairs for the first time and

they lack adequate know-how. If you have

planned very well, and you have a good well illustrated, simplified manual to

follow as a guide, then

you don’t have anything to fear.

Try your hands on a simple job like; changing of oil, spark plug etc, as

done in the manual, and from there move on to something bigger.

Some Vehicle Owners buy Do It Yourself auto repair manual but

they don’t study it enough, and they don’t pay attention to little details which matters.

Let your manual be your guide, read the portion you need at least twice, ahead of the job you want

to do to get a good knowledge of the job.

There are some Do it yourself auto repair sites that you can register with

at a very minimal fee, and then you can enjoy, guidance, one-on-one, on whatever

you want to do. I highly recommend this especially for starters.

These sites also have forum where you can interact with other car

owners and learn from their mistakes and success. The keyword here is

determination. Whatever you have chosen to do in your Do It Yourself

auto repairs, be determined and you will get it done at the end.

Remember the story of Henry Ford.

Tope Olawumi is a seasoned auto-infopreneur, his site at http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Do-It-Yourself-Auto-Repair.html shows you how to be a good Do It Yourself auto repair expert.

You can also get the latest in cheap car part blog from http://www.all-about-auto-part.com/Auto-part-blog.html

Are you familiar with HDTV basics? Are HDTV and DTV the same thing? What do I need to know before purchasing a new TV?

Are you thinking about buying a new TV right now, or at some time in the near future.

Is your Television Ready for the Transition from Analog to DTV on February 17th, 2009?

THIS DATE is much closer than you realize.

A better understanding of the transition to Digital TV, and knowing these HDTV basics, will help you to be ready when it’s time to consider a new television.

Buying a new television today can be overwhelming and involves more than just visiting your local television or electronics store. Shopping for a Digital TV or an HDTV can be confusing with all the abbreviations, terms, resolution, dpi, formats and the options that you can get on televisions today. And you thought that purchasing a new car was bad.

So What Do Consumer’s Need to Know

There are so many decisions confronting today’s unprepared consumer, just trying to navigate through this complex maze can be a daunting experience. However, many of these frustrations can be avoided by doing some homework before hand.

Things To Know Before You Go

What is Digital TV … and is Not. What is the Digital TV Transition… and how it will affects you. How is HDTV different from all other television formats … and How. Understand what you want and need, so you’re not Sold something YOU don’t want or need!

So Where Do You Start? Familiarize yourself with the different Terms and Classifications

TV Classifications:

NTSC Analog TV- (National Television Systems Committee), Traditional TV; now being phased out on February 17th.

ATSC Digital TV – (Advanced Television Systems Committee), DTV;

This is “SDTV” – Standard Definition TV – the new, (digital) TV Standard;

replaces NTSC Analog TV.

Integrated HDTV – or simply, HDTV; DTV with an Internal (built-in) High Definition TV Receiver.

This is able to Receive and Display all ATSC TV Signals – Including HDTV Signals.

Digital-HDTV – ‘Capable’ or ‘Ready’- Digital TV that is able to DISPLAY HDTV – BUT ONLY with the addition of an EXTERNAL HDTV Receiver.

EDTV – Enhanced Digital TV – a classification* describing Digital TV’s that are basically ‘high-end’ SDTV’s. While these often include some type of technical features, added by the Manufacturer to enhance the picture, nevertheless, the picture quality does NOT equal HDTV. Technically, there is virtually no visual difference between an SDTV and an EDTV – with the possible exception of the higher price.

* For many Consumers, this classification is of questionable value; by paying more for a TV tagged “EDTV” the consumer is only getting what can best be described as an ‘upgraded’ SDTV. The question is, how ‘up-graded’ is it, if the TV simply meets the standard for SDTV?

Different TV Display Technologies:

CRT – (Cathode Ray Tube):Traditional TV Technology – The established standard for television displays; best overall value – picture quality and cost; major drawback is bulk and mass as size increases. Plasma Display – Ultra-thin design, High Contrast Ratings, ‘Fixed Pixel’ Display: Size up to 60+ inches; some display limitations – costly, high burn-in risk; picture quality affected by inability to display black-color; displays are extremely heavy and fragile; picture quality lost as pixels fade; many Plasma Displays do not display HDTV resolutions. Development continues.

LCD – Liquid Crystal Display: Thin design, size limitations; good computer monitor; sharp picture for static displays; problems displaying images in motion; many LCD Displays are not HDTV capable. Development continues.

LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) – Improved LCD Technology, may hold promise for future HDTV display; costly; manufacturing problems continue; development ongoing.

DLP (Digital Light Processor) – Uses Chip and Software Technology – exciting, alternative display technology; excellent HDTV display; eliminates most short comings of other technologies; moderate cost; some viewers question “softer” picture, and use of “color-wheel;” promising future – development continues.

TV Display Configuration:

Aspect Ratio

The width to height ratio of a TV Monitor or Program.

Aspect Ratio can apply to either the television monitor (hardware), or to the TV program format.

Traditional – (4:3) aspect ratio; the display has ‘square’ appearance. All Analog TV programs are in 4:3 aspect ratio.

New ‘Wide Screen’ (16:9) aspect ratio; the display is rectangular.

Digital TV (SDTV) programs can be in either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio.

HDTV is always in 16:9 aspect ratio.

As you can see, consumers have a number of decisions to make, long before making their final buying decision. Understanding the basics of HDTV requires us to become familiar with an array of strange-new ‘tech-speak’ terms.

Examples:

Aspect Ratio – width to height (4:3) or (16:9); refers to the TV Display and to TV Programs.

Picture Resolution – 720-p; 1080-i; 480-i/p; – and recently added, 1080-p.

Progressive Scan – display method (“p” in 720-p)

Interlaced Scan – display method (“i” in 1080-i)

D/A – A/D – digital to analog and analog to digital converter

STB – Set-top Box (aka: Receiver, Tuner, Decoder or Descrambler)

OTA – ‘over-the-air’ or ‘off-the-air’ – refers to Local TV Broadcasts

These are just a few of the new terms you will encounter.

The Digital TV Enigma

As consumers begin their quest for information about the Digital and HDTV, they soon notice what seems to be an “Information-Void.” Trying to get Useful, and Reliable information about what is needed to buy a digital television set can seem difficult.

Try asking questions regarding basic HDTV; for example: Does the Transition from Analog TV to Digital TV mean that everyone is forced to buy an HDTV? or, What is the difference between SDTV and HDTV; or What is needed to have High Definition TV reception in your home? Now compare the different answers you get or the lack of knowledge on the sales persons part.

Note: The seller must disclose or have posted information regarding the lack of digital capabilities of any television for sale to you the consumer. This is a government mandate.

In stark contrast, at the opposite extreme, is the continuous flow of ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation.’ This flood of unreliable information has inundated the general public. The path to useful and reliable information is littered with inaccuracies, fallacies and myths. And this is further aggravated by misleading advertising and marketing ploys.

As an example, here’s a question asked repeatedly by perplexed consumers concerning the transition from Analog TV to Digital TV:

“Can you tell me if it’s true, that “normal” TV is going to be stopped and everyone will be forced to buy an HDTV? I don’t believe they can do this … But if it’s true, when will it happen?”

Okay, that’s really two questions…

The answer to the first, is of course – NO, it’s not true. At least not in the way the question is posed. While it is true that “normal TV” (meaning traditional NTSC-Analog TV) will end, replaced by ATSC-Digital TV, you will NOT have to buy an HDTV!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The FCC’s mandatory transition from Analog TV to Digital TV does NOT refer to, nor mean ‘High Definition Television!’

Note: If you choose to keep your analog television you can purchase a converter box that will make viewing your television possible. There are coupons to help with this purchase on the website listed below and it is free to print.

This highlights one of the primary sources of so much of the public’s confusion concerning Digital TV and HDTV. These are two discrete terms, yet they are frequently used incorrectly – as if they were interchangeable words with the same meaning. They are NOT the same; they designate two distinctly different classifications of television.|

High Definition Television is ‘digital’; however, HDTV is just one (1) of eighteen(18) ‘Digital TV Formats’ designated in the ATSC Standard.

It is important for consumers to understand that ‘Digital TV’ does NOT mean HDTV.

Digital television’s “Standard Definition TV” – SDTV – is NOT equal to HDTV – High Definition Television.

So, it’s up to each consumer to inform her/him-self on the basics of Digital-HDTV.

But – Be careful!

Don’t take anything for granted; don’t accept statements at face value.

Verify everything you hear or read about Digital-HDTV, comparing it with different sources.

The Digital Difference

Digital TV signals are made up of coded instructions – (the same ‘bits’ of ‘ones and zeros’ that make your computer work, and give life to ‘CD’s’ and ‘DVD’s') – which are transmitted to your Digital Receiver, (aka: Tuner, Decoder or Set-Top-Box “STB”) which in turn deciphers the code.

A Digital TV receiver isn’t concerned with signal strength, or what conditions exist between your set and the transmitter. As long as the signal gets to the receiver, and the code can be read, the Digital TV is able to reproduce a near-perfect picture – virtually identical to the original, back in the TV Studio.

A distinct advantage of digital broadcasting is that bad reception is a thing of the past. One reason Cable TV caught on is because it delivers clear TV pictures without regard to the viewer’s location. Viewers don’t have to be constantly adjusting the antenna in an attempt to “tune-in” a weak signal from a distant transmitter to get a clear picture. Digital TV (DTV) eliminates the “snow” and “ghosting” caused by the weak signals from distant or blocked transmitting towers. If the analog television set does not receive a strong, undistorted signal from the tower, you will not get a perfectly clear picture.

Both digital and analog television signals weaken, the farther they travel away from the transmitting tower. On an analog TV, the picture slowly deteriorates from bad to worse as the distance between tower and receiver increases. However, the picture on a digital set will stay perfect until the signal becomes too weak for the receiver to distinguish between a (1) and a (0), at which point the image disappears completely.

This has been referred to as “the cliff effect” – the picture remains stable until it abruptly “drops off” the screen. This might be compared to sending Morse Code. As long as the person at the other end can make out the dots and dashes being transmitted they will be able to read the message. Once they lose the distinction between a dot and a dash they lose the message. Digital TV acts the same way; instead of sending dots and dashes, it sends millions of (1′s) and (0′s) every second.

As long as the TV Receiver can read the (1′s and 0′s) it displays a virtually perfect picture. The bottom line … you either receive a 100% quality image, or nothing at all. What this means to the digital television viewer, is not having to worry about getting a “bad” picture. Either you have a picture or you don’t. However, if you are receiving over-the-air, “OTA” (Over the Air) broadcasts, it is crucial for the antenna to be accurately directed towards the signal source – the transmitting tower of the station you are watching.

Adding an “H” to ‘DTV’ = W O W! While our objective is to become familiar with HDTV basics, so far we have focused mainly on Digital TV – DTV. What then is HDTV – High Definition Television? And what is the difference between DTV and HDTV?

DTV differs from NTSC-analog TV in the technology used to transmit the signal. And we looked at some of the reasons why Digital is better than analog. But when comparing Digital TV or “SDTV” (Standard Definition TV) to HDTV, the difference is as night and day! High Definition Television is digital television – BUT … It’s IMPORTANT to understand that Digital TV does NOT mean HDTV! HDTV is just ONE of (18) ATSC designated formats that comprise Digital TV. In High Definition Television, the picture displayed on your television screen begins as an HDTV signal captured by HDTV Cameras, (or converted from film or another format with HDTV Equipment). The HDTV Signal is transmitted to the HDTV Receiver and finally displayed on an HDTV-Capable TV Monitor. But it must also meet the ATSC Standards for High Definition Television in order for it to be “true” HDTV.

Note: It is more than likely you will confront mis-information stating that Digital TV in various configurations is ‘high definition television.’ This is NOT True! You may also be told that as long as the TV meets one or two criteria, or if it has been enhanced by the Manufacturer, using some proprietary engineering “magic,” this makes it – “as good as” – HDTV. Again, NOT TRUE!

If what you want is HDTV, be sure the television you are considering, is really “True” High Definition Television. How Do you Know a TV is – HDTV? To answer this question a ‘bit’ of basic TV technology will be helpful.

It will be helpful in understanding some of the basic elements of HDTV by educating yourself. After all, this is a discussion about Digital-HDTV – possibly the most significant ‘leap forward’ in consumer-technology to impact our society in more than a century!

The image you see on your television screen is comprised of a series of horizontal lines. An electron gun ‘shoots’ energy beams (light) which strike a layer of phosphor on the inside surface of the picture tube, causing it to glow. These glowing lines create the image displayed on your TV screen. How they are formatted, which resolution is used, what standards are met, are some of the factors that determine the type of television picture you will receive.

TV Resolution.The quality of the picture displayed on the TV screen is primarily the result of the television’s “resolution.” Put simply, TV ‘resolution’ refers to how many horizontal lines are displayed on the TV screen.

Note – Although the horizontal lines are counted, (in this instance) this is referred to as the “Vertical resolution,” because the lines are counted from top to bottom – or vertically. TV Resolution is sometimes expressed as the total ‘pixel’ count, which is a product of the number of lines and number of pixels per line

Why Is “Wide-Screen” TV The DTV Standard?

DTV sets are sold in two ‘Aspect Ratios.’ Aspect Ratio refers to the ratio between the horizontal (width) measurement and the vertical (height) measurement of the screen. This ratio is also used in reference to how the picture is transmitted and displayed on the screen. The two aspect ratios used in DTV are (4:3) and (16:9). That is, (4) units wide by (3) units high, and (16) units wide by (9) units high respectively. Your NTSC-analog television has an aspect ratio of (4:3); the screen appears almost ‘square’ because it has just slightly more width than height. For instance, a (4′) wide screen would have a height of (3′).

Go to the link below to find more information on the Analog to DTV Transition on February 17th, 2009 before your left in the dark.

This brief introduction to Digital TV and HDTV basics, provides an overview (intentionally simplified) of how DTV differs from traditional Analog TV, and how HDTV differs from Digital-SDTV; and a little about the Transition from Analog TV to Digital TV. This is just a start towards a better understanding of Digital TV. Now that you’re familiar with some of the basics, you are better prepared to begin considering which Digital HDTV is right for you.

http://inform4you.googlepages.com

Dog training is an integral part of maintaining a healthy relationship between you and your pet. There are various pet books available at discount pet supply stores, but if you are looking for the cliff notes, I recommend this type of pet training formula. A typical 3-step procedure in caring for your animal should follow these 3 guidelines: Discipline, Exercise and Reward.

Discipline:

A dog more so than any other pets needs discipline. This is simply because the Canine species is one of the more social and trainable domestic pets. You don’t want your Labrador going crazy when company comes over or a Shepherd that barks at the moon. So, in order to train your pet, you must show it that you are the boss.

In the animal Kingdom, there is a hierarchy and this hierarchy is natural in pack animals, such as your dog. So, you simply show it that you are the leader. In order to do this, you must act like the leader. This means that your pet should follow you in and out of rooms, doorways or even on a leash. Never let your pet lead you and if it tries to go around you cut off its path just like a real Alpha male would do. Shorten your leash to 12in if your pet continuously pulls forward on the leash. Teach your pet discipline and never reward anything but the absolute best behavior. This stage requires much patience from the pet owner and is a crucial part of a healthy pets life. Remember you are training your pet, not the other way around.

Exercise:

Another critical aspect of training your pet is exercise. Certain breeds will require more exercise then others. Typically it is the working breed type dogs that require the most. For these types of pets a 45-minute per day workout session is crucial. Whenever possible you should workout with your dog. Whether it is throwing a ball, going for a jog or just walking around in the woods, this time is integral in bonding with your pet. Be sure to have a good dog leash or harness for your pet if you live in a busy part of town.

Typically dogs that are destructive or overly aggressive aren’t getting enough exercise. If your pet isn’t tired at night, run them during the day. If you give your dog adequate exercise it will help him or her calm down and be more responsive to training. Have a spot for your dog to sleep and ensure that they lay down there consistently. For outside dogs provide a dog house or structure and for inside dogs pet beds will work nicely. This again shows the dog their place in this household.

Reward:

Rewarding your animal can mean many different things. To a pet, reward may mean a treat, a nice scratch on the butt or playing ball. Keep that in mind when you are training your pet. You don’t want to come home and immediately love on your pet, because it may see that as reward for an action. Instead come home and ask your pet to sit or shake, then reward them with a hug or scratch. When you pet behaves badly, you do not hit your pet or hurt your pet, but rather do not reward your pet and ignore your pet. Remember, your pet sees attention as reward. In fact, you should often ignore your pet as you walk into the room.

Have you ever seen puppies or inferior dogs run up and lick an Alpha male? Of course you have, that’s the way they show they are subordinate. How does the alpha male react? He simply ignores them or shuns them away with a snarl.

Now remember the same holds true for this hierarchy. Your pets runs up to you and licks you or jumps on you, it wants attention, provide it only after a desired action and sometimes ignore it all together. This lets your pet know, you are the king and a pet that knows its place is much easier to train.

Pet Training can last a short period of time or a long period of time, but is totally dependent on the owner. When you train your pet don’t think like a human, think like a dog. How a dog interacts with other dogs, how they like to run and play and what makes them feel like they were rewarded. Pet owners often need more training then their pets. Follow these three steps and your dog is guaranteed to respond.

Dawn Rose is a pet enthusiast and avid pet advocate. She runs a blog and pet news site called Front Page Pets. She also writes articles for Pet Super Store. Many of the Pet Supplies she writes about can be found there.

SEO and Search Engine Optimization for Blogs

How Does Google Rank Blogs? A lot different that you think!

Google does not rank blogs anything like you think they do. What we think of as SEO does NOT work for blogs. For months I have been chasing Google with incoming links, social marketing and keyword SEO in my blog. Then I discovered how Google really ranks blogs and what it can mean to your blog traffic.

Let’s look deep into the Google patent and see how SEO really applies to blogs and Google.

In this article…

1. How Google Really Ranks Blogs and Blog SEO

2. By the number of blog readers you have in Google Reader and Technorati.

3. By how many blogrolls you are in and the quality of the linking blog.

4. By how many times your Google search engine listing is clicked.

5. By social bookmarking posts and the number of times you are Dugg etc.

6. The number of times your URL appears in conversations.

7. The quality of the links in a blog article and the quantity of links.

Google judges your blog by the number of blog readers you have in Google Reader and Technorati.

Yes, Google is reading your RSS reader.

From the Google Patent:

“The popularity of the blog document may be a positive indication of the quality of that blog document. A number of news aggregator sites (commonly called “news readers” or “feed readers”) exist where individuals can subscribe to a blog document (through its feed). Such aggregators store information describing how many individuals have subscribed to given blog documents. A blog document having a high number of subscriptions implies a higher quality for the blog document. Also, subscriptions can be validated against “subscriptions spam” (where spammers subscribe to their own blog documents in an attempt to make them “more popular”) by validating unique users who subscribed, or by filtering unique Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the subscribers.”

I other words, Google is judging you by the number of subscribers you have in Google Reader. Google reader owns about 60% of feed reader use. To calculate the other 40% they just do the math. Definitely the number of subscribers you have in

Technorati is an indication of you blogs reach and popularity.

To see how many subscribers you have in Google reader, look on the left side of the page for “+ Add Subscription.” Click the button and a search box will open up. Enter the name of your blog, not the URL, and a list of blogs will appear in order of readership in descending order.

You may want to use “” around your blog name to slim down the results.

Blog SEO Solutions

Add a Google button to you site prominently on the top right of the page. I am currently testing adding the Google button to my email newsletter popup forms.

Here is the add to http://www.google.com/webmasters/add.html Google Reader button wizard.

The Technorati button is a little more hard to find so I am just going to post the code here.

Here is the Technorati image Just right click the image, select “save picture as” and save it to your images folder. Then upload it you your site. Adjust the img src= path in the code.

img src=”http://www.keywebdata.com/images/technorati.gif”

Here is the add to [http://publisher.yahoo.com/rss_guide/submit.php] MyYahoo button wizard.

Also a lot of skilled bloggers are adding a “if you found this post useful why not add my RSS feed” link at the bottom of posts.

Google ranks your blog by how many blogrolls you are in and the quality of the linking blog.

From the Google Patent:

“Similarly, the existence of the blog document in a blogroll of a well-known or trusted blogger may also be a positive indication of the quality of the blog document. In this situation, it is assumed that the well-known or trusted blogger would not link to a spamming blogger.”

So let’s talk blogrolls. Think of this as the friends list of blogs. Three factors come into play here.

The number of times your blog is listed in blog rolls. Quantity matters.

The quality of the other blogroll members in blogrolls you appear in.

The quality of the blog that adds you to their blogroll.

Do not trade recipricol links with other blogs in blogrolls. Google puts more weight on incoming one way links that do not return the favor and link back.

You want to appear in powerful authority laden blogrolls. You also want your blog roll to be nothing but #1 rated blogs about your blog topic.

Blog SEO Solutions

This is not reciprocal linking here. In fact there is some evidence that reciprocal blogroll linking can hurt your blog.

Google ranks your blog by how many times your Google search engine listing is clicked.

Punch up that title tag, it is really your search engine headline.

From the Google Patent:

“An implied popularity may be identified for the blog document. This implied popularity may be identified by, for example, examining the click stream of search results. For example, if a certain blog document is clicked more than other blog documents when the blog document appears in result sets, this may be an indication that the blog document is popular and, thus, a positive indicator of the quality of the blog document.”

Have you ever searched a term and gone back and searched it again and the top results were different?

That is Google testing the pulling power of the title tag of your post and the snippet that Google pulls from your body text.

Believe me Google watches everything we do.

Blog SEO Solution

Turn your title tag into a benefit laden headline. Either craft the title tag to include a benefit to the reader of use a little scare tactics by defining a problem that a searcher is looking to solve.

The latter is best. People are not proactive, they do not look to head off problems. They use search engines to solve a problem they already have.

I am writing this page because my blog did not rank well in Google. You are reading this because yours did not either.

Did either of us search Google to find out how what we could do to get our blog ranked well before we noticed that we were not doing well in SERPs?

That is why I used the title tag on my post “Why blogs don’t rank well in Google.” Because that is the phrase that I used to find the original content that I started blogging about.

Google ranks blog by the number of social bookmarking posts and the number of times you are Dugg etc. Social marketing definitely effects SEO.

From the Google Patent:

“Tagging of the blog document may be a positive indication of the quality of the blog document. Some existing sites allow users to add “tags” to (i.e., to “categorize”) a blog document. These custom categorizations are an indicator that an individual has evaluated the content of the blog document and determined that one or more categories appropriately describe its content, and as such are a positive indicator of the quality of the blog document.”

Google is definitely not just tracking the number of listings in social bookmarking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious and Blinklist.

Google is tracking how many times we are dugg, the tags that are used in the original Digg and the quality of the user.

Have you ever noticed that Digg posts do not show up in a links check? They will when you have at least five to ten Diggs or the Digg page itself and will show up in a keyword search even sometimes above your original article.

Google ranks blogs by the number of times your URL appears in conversations.

Think Gmail….

From the Google Patent:

“References to the blog document by other sources may be a positive indication of the quality of the blog document. For example, content of emails or chat transcripts can contain URLs of blog documents. Email or chat discussions that include references to the blog document is a positive indicator of the quality of the blog document.”

Yeah, Google reads your Gmail. Google listens to your Google chat. All the time counting how many times your URL is present.

Blog SEO Solution

This is a good case for not using tracking links in emails to your list. By using click counting URLs to see how count click thrus to your site you may be removing a positive indicator that Google counts.

Google ranks blogs by the quality of the links in a blog aritcle and the quantitiy of links.

SEO also is effected by the link text in these body text links.Don’t be scared to link to other blogs.

I am also thinking that the quality of blogs that you link to in the body text has a lot to do with your blog and your posts’ ranking.

I feel that Google thinks if you are unwilling to link to blogs better than yours then you are not sure of your own content.

It is also possible that the number of links in a blog document (or lack of) says to Google that you are just building landing pages that are worthless rather than writing a well researched article using a number of authoritative sources as background.

While not mentioned in the Google patent there does seem to be evidence that using Feedburner helps your Google rankings.

Since Google aquired FeedBurner, just using Feedburner analytics seems to increase your SERPs position.

Obviously if the more subscribers you have in Google reader helps your rankings then the greater the number of subscribers that Feedburner tracks has an effect too.

Want to learn more about Google and how social marketing can take over the search engines for you? Of course you do!

Tips, tools and tricks for more traffic and better rankings!

Look to Chris Lang’s Social Marketing and Social Networking blog.

First, when you want to arrange a child’s room, you need to take account of age, personality and desires. The room will have to evolve as the years pass, especially if you do not plan to move elsewhere. So, it would be wise not to give into the urge to buy a bed in the shape of a car, boat or princess palace, because when your baby grows, you will have to buy another one. The best thing would be to buy classic furniture and try to play around with the details – the curtains, linens, bedding, wall colour etc.

Imagine a child’s bedroom: in the first period of a babies life (the first few weeks) it will sleep more than it is awake, the waking periods are rare. So the first object to which we refer is the child’s cot. May people prefer to go with a Moses basket for the first few months, but really it will only last a short while and there is no reason a baby can not go straight into a cot with tends to last until a child is 2-3 years old. Because it can be quiet sleep, the mattress must be of a material that allows the child’s body relaxation, easy to maintain (to allow periodic cleaning) and to fit perfectly in the bed (which can be wood, iron or plastic). The cot/bed, here are other issues that we must bear in mind: the child needs protection against air currents but needs air and natural light. In the first months of life a babies movements are small, for the older children, starting from month 3, you can expect it to change its position during sleep. Not to mention the baby who begins to twist from the belly or back, being curious, wanting to see what is beyond the bed, will try to get up. To meet the needs of the child, but also to guard against risks of accidents, bed bars must be sufficiently thin (in order to be grasped by the child’s hand) and a suitable distance apart ( to avoid situations in which a foot can get caught between the bars of his bed… or worse, his head to get stuck among them.)

So far, we referred to as the bed. Consider that, especially in the first few weeks of your child’s life, you will spend a lot of time near it (to see how he sleeps, if he smiles in his sleep, if the bed should be bigger. Also, the baby’s bed should be a convenient height (one side of the cot can be lowered down to allow easier access to the baby). Cots are also available where the mattress can be adjusted to different heights, ensuring that the baby is unable to climb out or over the bars.

Once you have the bed or cot you can arrange a room specially designed for the newest member of your family. There are various hypotheses that come to support the importance of colour on our mental state. But you just use your imagination, you don’t have to stick to the traditional pink, blue, beige or yellows. In choosing the colour of the baby’s room, keep in mind that it will be full of toys, and clothes. If a child’s room is an explosion of strong colours, it will be overstimulated and the effect could be reversed than expected: less interest in it’s toys.

Some parents, especially those with their first child, don’t ask themselves all these questions, often they do what comes naturally to them: the child must sleep where the mother sleeps.

The child grows up as you educate him so he must know he has his own space and privacy. A resolution of this need to constantly supervise can be shown by the parent’s room. As baby grows, the crib can be moved to the nursery. But then parents will be helping the baby (with love and, remember, be firm) to get used to his new room. This doesn’t mean that he should “forget” the way to his parents room, but must understand that while he has to respect the privacy of his parents, he is also entitled to his privacy.

In the nursery, the temperature must be constant and to fall between 16-20 ° C. Therefore, you should have a thermometer (there thermometers in various forms, which cheer up the room).

So I think of moments when the mother is nursing. It is a moment full of emotional exchanges between mother and child. The child learns at his mother’s breast and smiles. Or if the father keeps his bottle, he learns to distinguish between the mother and the father’s voice. The child may fall asleep by the voice of his parents, while listening to a story. And it would be a shame for him if these moments were cut short because the parent was sitting in an uncomfortable chair. As a result, the child’s room must always have a place for a small chair or a rocking chair.

What about the other baby furniture items? Baby clothes can be placed in a sideboard with drawers closed, or on some open shelves. Remember that your baby grows and, within a few moths begins to crawl which endangers the neat, open shelves! This is why you choose overhead racks which, later can be used as shelves for books and toys. True, there are specialty stores the changing tables, and countertops with the bath tub and have drawers for everything. You can also choose this option, but that will not be used in the first period of childhood and the child will quickly outgrow the fancy bath tub and changing table.

For the dirty laundry you can use small wicker baskets with lids. (No nappies in here though!). Baskets have a cheerful air, and after a while, these may be placed alongside those of his older brothers or sisters where they can all store their toys. If you are using disposable nappies, plastic buckets, with lids are ideal! They are easy to use and easy to sterilise.

A high chair is ideal for meals, but I see it in the kitchen, where the family sits around the table. But initially, the high chair may stay in the nursery. The seat itself must support the child and have straps for safety, but that do not inhibit the baby’s movements or to prevent him from eating. Remember that each meal is a new experience for your child!

John Orr is the founder and director of Baby Furniture John has a keen passion for interior and outdoor design and when he is not beautifying his garden he is involved in his other passion – football. He describes himself as a serial entrepreneur and offers his insight on using Moses baskets, Cots and High Chairs.

Cat Declawing

What is the use of cat declawing?

The main reason people decide to declaw their cat is to protect their furniture. An untrained cat’s claws can be very destructive in a home, damaging furniture, curtains and carpets. Cats like (and need) to scratch and claw at wood and rough surfaces, and if they are not properly trained, your furniture will look very inviting to them. Another reason people give for declawing their cat is to prevent the cat from injuring them. Cats use their claws and teeth to defend themselves and to fight. Small children may mishandle a cat and provoke it in scratching them. Some cats also have a more aggressive or nervous nature and will scratch people when they feel threatened.

Toxoplasmosis and Bartonellosis are two diseases that can be transmitted from cats. It is important to note though, that those diseases are most likely to be contracted from a litter box, or even from biting – but it is highly unlikely that it will be contracted from cat scratches.

Declawing a cat is a selfish and very drastic solution for problems that could be solved in many other ways and may bring forth much more serious problems. Owners that decide to declaw their cat do this solely for their own comfort and do not take in account the problems that may sprout from doing this.

What does the declawing process involve?

Cat declawing is also known as onychectomy and is a much more complex operation than simply removing your cat’s nails or claws. The declawing operation is in fact the amputation of each of the cat’s toes at the first joint. It involves cutting of the front part of a cat’s toes and means cutting through nerves and muscles and removing bone. This operation is extremely painful (it has been proven to be much more painful than sterilizing or spaying your cat) and it will take a long time to heal. Even after the wounds have healed, the cat may suffer from a series of after-effects.

Are there any disadvantages to declawing your cat?

Yes! There are numerous disadvantages, not only to your cat but to you as cat owner as well. Cat declawing is illegal in many countries around the world and considered as inhumane and as a form of animal abuse and mutilation.

Many people don’t realize just how painful a declawing operation can be. Scientists have proven cat declawing to be extremely painful and even test new painkiller drugs on cats that are being declawed. Although the cat may not show signs of pain outwardly and seem to be content, it will definitely be in a lot of pain after the operation. Big operations or rather amputations like declawing can hold many of the usual dangers related to surgical complications. A lot of vets also only use the minimum amount of painkillers and anesthetics during the operation, and prescribe no painkillers for the recovery process at home. The wounds take several weeks to heal, and the pain may continue months after the operation.

Complications after a declawing operation are also very common. The wounds may become infected or some of the amputated toes can begin to grow back. Some cats may experience lameness and even be crippled. You may notice a declawed cat trying to scratch at surfaces. They reason for this is because it is common for the tendons of the severed joints to detract and cause a constant feeling of stiffness in their paws.

Cats need their claws for balance and also use it to hook their paws on surfaces and stretch themselves. This stretching forms a very important part of the cat’s exercise and muscle toning. A declawed cat will need to learn to walk differently (because it doesn’t have any front joints) and its body weight will rest on their feet which can even cause arthritis.

It is very common for declawed cats to develop behavioral problems. It may develop a fear for its sandbox, because scratching in the sand may be painful. So, instead of having a cat that damages your furniture, you will have a cat that refuses to use its litter box. Also, because it has been deprived of its best means of defense, its claws, it may now revert to using its teeth to protect itself and can start to bite people when feeling threatened.

Declawed cats will also not be able to defend themselves effectively against other cats or dogs and can even die in fights.

Because of these behavioral problems developed after declawing, many cat owners become detached from their cats and may even want to get rid of them.

Professional cat declawing

If you do decide to declaw your cat after all, at least make sure that it is done professionally and with as little discomfort to your cat as possible.

The most developed method of declawing to date is laser declawing. Laser declawing is less painful, because bleeding and swelling is reduced.

Always ensure that your cat or kitten is older than 4 months before declawing. It is also not advisable to declaw cats that are old and not so active anymore, because they will take a longer time to recover.

After the operation, your cat may be kept in the hospital for the night, or a longer period of time depending on the cat. When taking your cat home, try to keep it from getting overexcited and prevent it from jumping or putting heavy strain on its paws. It is common for the paws to start bleeding every now and again, but ask your vet’s advice if the bleeding alarms you.

To minimize the pain your cat can experience when using its sandbox, put newspaper strips in the sandbox. Sand or clay can infect the wounds on the paws or cause pain when “scratching” in the box. After your cat is fully recovered you can replace the sand again. Your cat may not like the newspapers and this can become a messy affair.

Always look out for the following warning signs, and notify your vet if any occur: Swollen paws and frequent bleeding. If your cat display extreme difficulty in standing up or walking after one day.

Alternatives to cat declawing

Before deciding on such a drastic measure or “solution” as declawing your cat, first consider some of the (often more effective) alternatives. The main reason for declawing a cat is to prevent it from damaging your furniture. Scratching is a necessary instinctive habit for removing the dead cells around its claws, practicing balance and stretching and toning muscles.

Cats are highly trainable animals and can be taught to use only a scratching post for these purposes. There are numerous scratching posts or “cat furniture” to choose from, whether your cat likes scratching vertical or horizontal surfaces. You can even buy “cat trees” with attractive objects hanging from the tree to catch your cat’s attention or build your own (just make sure they are stable and won’t fall over on your cat).

To train a cat to use scratching posts, and to discourage it from scratching your furniture, you can place netting or foil over your furniture. When you see your cat trying to scratch your furniture, pick it up and put it down in front of its scratching post.

Nail caps can be applied to a cat’s claws, this need to be applied every 3 to 6 months depending on the cat. Nail caps will prevent damage to your furniture and to yourself while causing almost no inconvenience to your cat (compared to the serious discomfort caused by declawing). You can also trim your cat’s nails frequently to keep it blunt.

For more information about taking care of cats see cat-urine.net

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

With an increasing number of serious incidents being reported at dog parks, I want to introduce the safe alternative that a well-run private dog park can provide. You will find that a properly designed and managed private dog park is a dramatically different experience than what you have read about or have witnessed in public parks. A privately run dog park can properly screen, staff and enforce park regulations. We do caution you that even with the information you will gain from this article, please know that any dog park is not regulated, so we encourage everyone to do their homework before visiting any dog park to ensure it is right for you and your dog.

The current trend is that community and homeowner associations are responding to community demand by setting aside a small plot of their land for a public dog park. Unfortunately these unmanaged and unregulated fenced areas often turn to that of neighbor confrontation, injury and horror, even with the best of intending groups and dog owners. Let’s face it, without any oversight or enforcement, incidents are going to occur. Because I recognized the dangers in dog parks to the point that I would not take my dogs to one, I was motivated to devise the complex recipe for a safe off-leash dog park. Therefore; I conducted an in-depth investigation of many existing dog parks to establish the precise formula needed to create an off-leash haven.

I visited many, talked with visiting dog owners and observed many dog parks, both private and public. From my investigative travels and with my inherent understanding of dogs, I developed the complex operating matrix for a safe, off-leash dog park. Since that design work, we have successfully opened the first of our many private dog parks that thousands of qualifying dogs and their owners have already enjoyed. Our safety performance at the Royal Paws Dog Park & Doggie Day Camp facility speaks for itself with an impeccable safety performance and industry leading staffing ratio.

Benefits to your Dog with Off-Leash Exercise

The benefits to a dog at an off-leash dog park or any open area of land are immense. Unleashed running elevates heart rate, increases metabolism, improves gastrointestinal efficiency, and extends muscles and joints, all of which contributes to general overall fitness. It is known that maintaining such a healthy lifestyle for your loved dog will increase longevity and reduce risk of all associated conditions and diseases that obesity can cause. The experience for your dog in open field run is like no leashed exercise we can otherwise provide and the benefits will last a lifetime. When letting your dog run in an open field for exercise value, please consider that there are many risks to both you and your dog. You may be violating leash laws, the dog can track a scent or get lost, run into traffic or unwelcome neighborhood area, confront aggressive dogs or dangerous wildlife or foliage; which are all of the reasons as why I do not take my dogs to any open land without fences despite their excellent obedience.

In fenced area designated as a dog park, in addition to fitness improvement, your dog can enjoy benefits from the social interaction with the other dogs IF experienced without incident. The advantage for a dog that is well exercised and socialized benefit the dog, the owner and the community ONLY IF they have somehow avoided traumatic incident. Well exercised and socialized dogs are much less likely to contribute to neighborhood nuisances like chronic barking or showing aggression to other dogs.

If public parks could operate as well-run private dog park do, these benefits would be maintained. Unfortunately, many dog parks are not continuously regulated nor do they have the resources or knowledge to accurately screen the dogs; therefore, odds are that incidents will occur. Incidents like your dog being attacked by another dog or even being bullied by another dog can cause regression in social skills, cause behavioral issues, invoke fear aggression or cause physical injury or death. Following any incident at a public park, without a safe and regulated choice of private dog park that can best create positive experiences to overcome the impact of the incident, your dog may never physically or emotionally recover from the past trauma. The likelihood of good experiences for your dog in a well-managed private dog park is the reason that many loved dog owners everywhere chose private over non-regulated public parks.

Premise of a Safe Dog Park – It’s Private

The advantages a private dog park has over any public dog park is the ability to secure more favorable, larger parcels of land, improved grounds maintenance, set dog health requirements, enforceable park rules, screening of appropriate tempered dogs and third party intervention. Beware though and do your homework about any private dog park you intend to visit. Just because they can do all of the above does not mean that they do! While it is integral that the private dog park has the ability to control all of the above to make visits to a well-managed private dog park enjoyable, the most important to me are the health and temperament screening and ability of park staff to intervene.

If you have read the actual details in the recent headline grabbing horror stories of incidents in dog parks, they almost always are a result from a dog being in the park that should not be or from uneducated/erroneous decisions made by visiting dog owners. Both of these should not occur if your private dog park is consistent in managing and operating the facility for the safety and enjoyment of all. With private dog parks operating as a business, financial success is always a consideration. So turning away visiting dogs equates to lost revenue, so unless the park is focused exclusively on maintaining a safe environment for all, a private park that is short-term financially driven can pose the same risks that a public park does.

The third party oversight ability of park staff to intervene is required to eliminate personality clashes and biased evaluation of situations and/or dog’s behavior. So when the experienced screener determines the dog lacks the temperament so he/she can play with others, it is the park staff’s responsibility to deal with the disappointed dog owner. Same intervention by park staff goes in the event a visiting dog owner does not abide by park rules or a dog plays too rough or violations of any other park code of behavior. You can imagine these discussions are difficult; however, by park staff entertaining such discussions it eliminates any personal intervention by visiting dog owners.

Telling a dog owner that their dog is not allowed or can no longer come to the park until troublesome behavior is removed is always difficult. However, it is critical that the staff of the private dog park you are intending to visit has the proper screening system, the diligence to comply and financial ability to effectively turn away the revenue for dogs that do not appear to be capable of socially interacting at such level to keep the park safe for all.

As important to the screening is the park’s development and maintenance of expertly developed park rules. To the novice dog owner, many of the park rules appear to be too cumbersome and detailed. The reality is that each rule of a well-run dog park is well thought through and derived from merit by an expert in dog behavior. Compliance to all of the rules is key to the safe enjoyment of the park by all. For example, the toy aggression of a dog or rough play can within seconds turn into a dog fight even with the best of mannered & socialized dogs. Without such detailed rules and the full oversight to insure they are all followed, the private dog park could turn into mayhem.

Dog Park Management of Sizes and Breeds

For the safety of all, we highly recommend separating small dogs from large, excluding entrance to a few breeds, requiring males be neutered unless under strict command and requiring that dogs be at least four months old to enjoy the park. What we hear the most from small dog owners is that they want their small dogs to be able to play in the designated big dog area because “they like to play with big dogs”. Although the small dogs may have enjoyed past experiences playing with a large dog of neighbor or friend, the risk remain of physical injury to the small dogs if they are allowed in the same area as big dogs. It is my opinion each size should have designated areas to create safe play for all. Thus, we recommend that when investigating which dog park is right for you, this should be part of consistent operations.

Let me first say I do not believe in stereotyping any particular breed for temperament. However, due to instinctual drive levels, size and bite capacity, there are some breeds that I believe should be prohibited from entry to an off-leash park and some that should have elevated entrance criteria. Pit bulls, not specifically because of temperament but rather from jaw force/releasability should be forbidden from the off-leash dog park. Although we have met some of the sweetest and well-socialized pit bulls, we do not allow them to visit our parks because the risk is so high of severe injury to another dog if they were to bite.

Chow Chows are another breed that unless have a lifetime of scalability or coming in as a young dog, do we rarely let into the park. Any of the other “working breed” dogs, including terriers, due to their breed characteristics, prey drive, protection dog status and/or sheer size should go through elevated entrance criteria. These types of dogs must meet entrance-required temperament, in addition must demonstrate clear owner command. Upon meeting entrance criteria, they undergo frequent evaluations for continued social ability and owner command. All other dogs must pass dog socialization evaluation and demonstrate basic obedience.

Many Responsibilities of the Dog Owner

Even with the best of run private dog parks, the dog owners retain a high level of responsibility upon park entrance while be willing to withstand the occasional park staff directive. They must carefully watch their dog, abide by all park rules, maintain the obedience skills of the dog and know their dog well enough to predict their dog’s behavior. Knowing your dog’s mood, watching it’s posture and identifying or correcting any potential troublesome behaviors is critical so all can enjoy the park. Every dog will encounter occasions where they will meet another dog that they do not like or are uncomfortable around.

It is the best of private dog parks where entry requires command of your dog so that incidents of escalated aggression can be avoided when each dog owner carefully watches their dog and can command their dogs away from each and every situation. Incidents occur only when the dog owners are not vigilant in watching their dogs or do not understand their dog’s behavior and the slightest of uncomfortable encounters prolongs to escalate into a dogfight. Again, each dog owner should understand their dog’s postures, expressions and movement to be able to differentiate in off-leash situations when they are comfortable and when they are not. If the dog owner does not intuitively understand their dog, we recommend seeking the assistance of a professional dog trainer.

Safely Socializing Dogs Early Benefits Everyone

We believe that all dogs, when in receipt of proper health vaccination should be socialized in a safe environment to improve their ability throughout their life of all of the benefits an off-leash park can provide. Any puppy, following final adult vaccination booster should be introduced socially to other dogs, people, children and other distractions and a well-managed private dog park creates the perfect place. Puppies visiting a safe off-leash park will easily learn good behavior in the dog social structure and provide the dog owner the ability to enhance obedience training with distractions. Just as the benefits of teaching good manners to a dog early in their life are immense, so are the risks that behavior issues or dog aggression will occur in the event the early experiences are traumatic.

With puppies, we strongly encourage you thorough investigation on the park you are considering to take them to best create the opportunity for good experiences. We recommend you confirm that the park is well maintained, strictly managed and rules enforced. Taking the puppy to a private off-leash dog park will provide your dog a life-long of comfort around other dogs, people and children. However; even with the best of private dog parks, there are other distractions that you should have your puppy comfortable with, which is why we also recommend taking a puppy (when fully vaccinated) to busy shopping malls with diverse people and sounds, nature walks with children & bicycles and on-leash dog walking trails to learn on-leash manners.

Picking the Private Dog Park for You

While private dog parks are gaining in popularity because they may be the only choice for safe and enjoyable off-leash fun, enter with caution. If a dog park is “Private”, it is operated as a business entity, but this does not guarantee it is safe for you and your dog. It is our recommendation that with any place you intend to take your dog, you first tour the facility. Inspect the fence and the grounds, as well as talk with some of the dog owners visiting to learn about their safety record and staffing. After touring, talk with the park staff about what is required to visit. If you do not have to show paperwork confirming vaccinations or they do not meet your dog and determine social ability with other dogs, we would recommend that you know there may be risks. As with any place that you take your dog, insure you have great command of your dog and you are comfortable with the park layout and your dog’s social skills to lessen the chances of a possible incident with another dog.

Terri Malueg-Ray, President & Founder of many industry leading, innovative companies who is an international pet industry expert.

Terri L. Malueg-Ray is President and Founder of six-year-old company, Royal Paws Resort & Day SpaÔ, Ltd., one-year old company Royal Pawsä Dog Park, LLC and founding partner of My Owner Has Gone To Heaven, LLC. Terri is known throughout the pet industry as a true innovator. She has created many premier products and services and most recently introduced her new line of gourmet pet meals, called Pet TastiesÔ. Terri’s background in engineering, chemistry and computer science provides her the ability to develop, design and execute the creation of Pet Tastiesä, the only complete line of healthy, yet tasty brand of gourmet pet meals available in the market today. Following the design of Pet Tastiesä, Terri utilized her leadership background to open the first pet restaurant in the Atlanta metro area and has made headlines nationwide. Most notably, on the reality hit TV show, Ambush Makeover, The Montel Williams Show, CNN, Jezebel Magazine, Atlanta Magazine.

Indie film financing and movie distribution reminds of what it would feel like dancing nude on stage (much respect for exotic dancers at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club!). You show up to pitch your movie project and need to be able to dance to a film investor’s music. It’s their stage and not yours as an indie filmmaker seeking film funding. They want you to make a sellable movie which appeals to movie distributors so the production can make money.

Most investors I’ve met with are not interested in putting hard money into indie art house films because those are tough sells to movie distributors and overseas film buyers aren’t usually interested in seeing them. The dialogue and scenes of certain art house type films don’t translate well to foreign buyers and movie viewers. Action, horror and skin does not need subtitles for people to follow the story is what I’ve been told by distributors. Talking head movies can make no sense to viewers that don’t understand subtle lines spoken in a foreign language.

Independent film financing continues to change as indie movie distribution gets more financially shaky. The place it’s hitting indie movie producers hardest is right at the source – film financing. Film investors right now aren’t feeling excited about putting money into movies that do not have bankable name actors. This is not like so-called indie movies that have A-list actors or are produced for millions of dollars. Those type of indie film passion projects you can make once you’ve made it in the entertainment business at the studio level.

Indie film investors and movie distributors won’t expect you to have an A-list actor, but they do want producers to have actors (B-list or C-list or D-list) with some name recognition or celebrity. The first question film investors and movie distributors ask is who the cast is. This is where most indie movie producers are blown out of the water because they have an unknown cast of actors. Plus there is a glut of indie movies being made because technology has made it more affordable to make movies.

The bright side is that entertaining indie movies are being made that might not otherwise ever have seen light of day before. The downside is meaningful movie distribution (getting paid) for indie produced films continues to shrink as indie films being made rises (supply and demand 101). I talked to one movie distributor that caters to releasing independent films and they told me they receive new film submissions daily.

They were honest saying they get very sellable movies and ones that are less than appealing, but with so many movies out there they no longer offer a majority of producers advance money against film royalties or pay a lump cash “buy-out” to secure distribution rights. Their business viewpoint is most indie filmmakers are just happy seeing their movie released. The term they used was “glorified showreel” for an indie filmmaker to display they can make a feature film. So, they acquire many of their movie releases without paying an advance or offering a “buy-out” agreement.

Not making a profit from a movie does not make financial sense for film investors that expect to see money made. When people put up money to produce a movie they want a return on their investment. Otherwise it’s no longer a movie investment. It becomes a film donation of money they’re giving away with no expectations. I’ve been on the “dog and pony show” circuit meeting with potential film investors and learning invaluable lessons.

I’m in the habit now of talking to indie movie distributors before writing a screenplay to see what types of films are selling and what actors or celebrity names attached to a potential project appeal to them. This is not like chasing trends, but it gives producers a sharper picture of the sales climate for indie films. Sometimes distributors will give me a short list of actors or celebrities to consider that fit an independent movie budget. Movie sales outside of the U.S. are where a bulk of the money is made for indie filmmakers.

Movie distributors and film sales agents can tell you what actors and celebrity talent is translating to movie sales overseas at the indie level. These won’t be A-list names, but having someone with some kind of name is a great selling point to help your movie standout from others. Brief cameos of known actors or celebrities used to be a good way to keep talent cost down and add a bankable name to your cast.

That has changed lately from my conversations with distribution companies. Movie distributors now expect any name talent attached to have a meaningful part in the movie instead of a few minutes in a cameo role. Cameo scenes can still work if there is a visual hook that grabs the attention of viewers in some way. But having name talent say a couple of lines with no special hook won’t fly anymore.

Another way to make an indie film in need of funding more attractive to investors is to attach talent that has been in a movie or TV show of note. Their name as an actor might not be that well-known yet, but rising stars that have appeared in a popular movie or TV show can give your movie broader appeal. If you cast them in a supporting role keep working days on the set down to a minimum to save your budget. Try to write their scenes so they can be shot in one or two days.

When you’re pitching to serious film investors they will want to be given a detailed movie budget and distribution plan on how you plan on making money from the film’s release. The Catch-22 that happens a lot is that most movie distributors that cater to releasing indie films won’t commit to any deal until they’ve screened the movie.

There is not built-in distribution like with studio budget films. Film investors that are not traditionally part of the entertainment business can get turned off when a producer does not have a distribution deal already in place. They don’t understand the Catch-22 of indie filmmaking and distribution. This is where a movie producer really needs to have a solid pitch that explains the financial dynamics of indie film distribution.

Most film investors will pass on an indie movie producer’s financing pitch that mentions self-distribution in it. From a movie investor’s business perspective it takes entirely too long for an indie movie to generate money going the self-distribution route. It’s like the old school way of selling your movie out of the trunk of your car at places, but now it’s done online using digital distribution and direct sales via a blog. That’s a long grind that most investors will not be interested in waiting around for. Moving one unit of a movie at a time is too slow of trickle for investors.

A possible way around the Catch-22 is to reach out to movie distributors while you are pitching to film investors. With a firm budget number and possible cast attached you can gauge to see if there is any meaningful distribution interest in the movie. It’s always possible a distributor will tell you that they would offer an advance or “buy-out” deal. They usually won’t give you a hard number, but even a ballpark figure of what they might offer can let you know if your budget makes financial sense to approach movie investors with.

I know one savvy indie movie producer that makes 4-6 movies a year on very reasonable budgets and knows they’re already making a profit from the advance money alone. The film royalty payments are a bonus. The producer keeps budgets extremely affordable and streamlined at every phase of production. Once you have a track record with a distribution company you know what you can expect to be paid. Then you can offer film investors a percent on their money invested into the production that makes sense.

Social networking with other indie filmmakers lets you hear what’s happening with movie distribution from other people’s real life experiences. A cool thing I’ve been hearing about is that there are film investors that won’t put up money to make movie that is going to be self-distributed, but they will roll the dice on a feature that is going to specific film festivals. Not the art house film festivals. The ones that are very genre specific like for horror or action films. Like Screamfest Horror Film Festival or Action on Film (AOF). Film buyers attend these events and meaningful distribution deals are made.

Independent film financing and movie distribution are areas of the entertainment business all filmmakers will have to deal with and learn from each experience. I was in the hot seat today pitching to a film investor. I’ve streamlined the budget as much as I can without making the plot lose steam.

The jam I’m in as a producer is there are hard costs that cannot be avoided that include lots of gun play including two rigging shots where baddies get shot and are blown backwards off their feet. Badass action films need experienced and seasoned film crews to pull-off hardcore action shots off clean and safe. The cast I want to hire has the perfect appeal and name recognition for this indie action movie to rock viewers. There is nothing that can get lost in the translation in this film for foreign film buyers and movie viewers.

What I think got lost in the translation with the potential film investor today is if I keep taking out below-the-line crew to save money I’m going to have to do rewrites to the screenplay to take out action scenes. These are selling points that will hurt sales if they are written out. But it’s my job as an indie filmmaker to balance a budget that appeals to film investors. We’ll see how this goes. This is indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing fade out.

Get the inside scoop on writing, producing, directing, and movie distribution at Slice Of Americana Films. Check out the life and times of filmmaker Sid Kali.

In my experience, autocross can be a very fun and exciting sport. I have participated in several events in my local area. I found the hobby to be very addictive as well.

Out of all my other hobbies, I think this one is the best “bang for the buck” as far as thrills go with your car. Everybody can participate. Every car (some clubs have exceptions to this though like no SUV’s, no Trucks) can race. The nice thing about this kind of race is that you are competing against others in your class usually defined by the SCCA, however, you are on the course alone so there is minimal chance of hitting other cars.

The hardest part about autocross (aside from learning how to race) in my opinion is finding the right car. Sure, you can use a daily driver, but that is not recommended if you are going to participate in several events a year. Autocross can create wear on the tires and other components very quickly and can get expensive very fast. I would recommend to get a vehicle that you can use for autocross. This can be a “trailer car” or a car that you can still drive on the road, but use only for this hobby.

There are 4 key components to consider when selecting a car for autocross:

1) What type of car to get

2) The Price of the car

3) The overall condition of the vehicle (if used)

4) Aftermarket upgrades/modifications

WHAT TYPE OF CAR TO GET FOR AUTOCROSS:

For autocross racing, some people would assume that the car has to be very powerful, small, 2 doors and modified. This is not entirely accurate. While that type of car would be nice, it is not required to be competitive in autocross.

Remember that most autocross events and clubs have the cars grouped in to some sort of class. The club I participate with follow the SCCA Class guidelines. The classes help group the cars so the same “level” of vehicles can remain competitive within each class.

This is done to avoid the “biggest and fastest is best” state of thought. It would be unfair to put a heavily modified Porsche GT3 up against a stock Ford Focus. This is why they do that.

So, to pick the right car for autocross, you would probably want a coupe or convertible FIRST if possible. Sedans can work well too, but some sedans are not geared for modifications, although, the sport sedans of today are really starting to take over.

Manual transmission would be recommended, however, if you have an automatic that is OK too. You may want to consider trading it for a manual in the future to remain competitive. Again, there are still “sport shift” type automatics out there that are getting better and better each day.

Ideally, you would also want a rear-wheel drive car for autocross. RWD cars typically provide better control and handling in most cases. I know some enthusiasts out there will disagree with me, but that’s OK. On the other hand, I have used several front-wheel drive cars that run with the best of them.

PRICE:

The price of buying a car for autocross is always the factor for me. I, like many others, cannot afford an expensive vehicle for autocross. There are, however, those that can afford it and price is still something for them to consider.

The $0-$5000 range:

This is the range most of us beginners want to start. Of course, free is GOOD, but consider the 3rd component (overall condition) when this option comes to mind. Several cars that can perform well and have a lot of upgradable options are the following:

1989-1997 Mazda Miata – Very nice power to weight ratio. It is VERY popular at autocross. 1979-1991 Mazda RX7 – Fast small car, handles well. Many upgrades available. 1989-1998 Nissan 240sx – Several aftermarket upgrades, handles very well. 1990-1999 BMW 3 Series – Very versatile car. You can find very nice models in this range now. 1988-2000 Honda Civic/CRX – I have seen several models compete well in autocross. 1984-1999 Toyota MR2 – Low center of gravity, great performance, mid engine. 1990-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon – Many upgrades, some models Turbo AWD. 2000-2007 Ford Focus – Very competitive cars. SVT models available in price range. 1997-2003 VW Golf – Hatchbacks always like autocross. VR6 models available in range. 1990-1999 Acura Integra – Like the Civic, very competitive with many upgrades out there.

There may be a few more cars that I missed that fall under this price range. The method I use to hunt for cars can vary depending on the type I am looking for. I will use local classified ads, Craigslist. I will also use the bigger car searches and expand my general “hunting” area. I have successfully found great cars using VEHIX, AutoTrader as well as Government Auction Sites.

But what about the autocross cars above the $5000 range? Well, I am glad you are think that because I am about to list them below.

If you have some money to work with and want to get something newer, you can consider the following cars:

The $5,001-$20,000 range:

This range can include newer cars as well as pre-owned cars that are no more than a few years old. Remember, cars usually depreciate very fast, so as the years go by, some of the newer cars can be within reach for less money and are great for autocross. The cars below come to mind in this range:

1998-Current Mazda MX-5 – Still same basic car, but more power as they got newer. 2003-Current VW Golf – Even more modified than the previous versions, compete well. 1992-1997 Mazda RX7 – 3rd Gen is twin-turbo and can compete in autocross. 1992-2006 BMW M3 – M3′s are designed for racing. Some newer models will fall in this range. 1998-2003 BMW M5 – M5′s are very powerful and compete in their class well. 1994-Current Ford Mustang/Cobra – Very versatile car. Competes well in class. 1994-2002 Camaro/Firebird – Competes well in class. Many autocross upgrades. 2007-Current Mazda Mazdaspeed3 – Turbo, hatchback, competes well in autocross. 2003-2008 Nissan 350z – Great autocross car, very popular on the track. Special Autocross Kit cars such as the V6 Stalker fall in this range as well.

Now, this price range can vary in vehicles. A lot of these cars are still new and may require loans to purchase them.

The $20,001 spectrum will consist of some of the current-day models as well as the obvious “super cars” we all respect such as the Corvette, Viper, Porsche, Ferrari, Lotus and others. I will not include a list for those because if you are buying one of those for an autocross car, you did your research.

OVERALL CONDITION OF THE VEHICLE (USED):

When buying a second car for autocross, treat it like when you are buying your daily driver car. You want the car to be relatively free of major problems. Autocross racing can put stress on the car’s frame, the suspension, the brakes, the tire and the overall body of the car.

You want to be sure that the car has not been in any major accidents. Frame repair or frame damage can be very dangerous mixture when you autocross. That is the MOST important thing to check for when buying a car for autocross. I have experienced and used the service by Experian called AutoCheck. They offer an unlimited number of VIN checks for one of their service options and the price is way better than the other services out there. I have used it when shopping and comes in very handy when you are checking the history of a vehicle.

The next important item to check on the car is major component problems such as smoke coming out of the back of the exhaust, major oil leaks (small leaks are expected on most used cars) slight/major overheating of the engine. Autocross is outside and you push the car to the limit. You want the major components to be in the best shape they can be. The mentioned problems can leave you stranded at the track if you do not look out for them.

I usually have some expectation to do minor repair or preventive repairs on my vehicles when I am buying to autocross them. As I stated above, small oil/fluid leaks are “OK” and can usually be fixed very easily. Small leaks tell us that the car is just used and may not be suffering from the leak as a result. Large/major leaks tell us the car may have been neglected by the previous owner and may carry residual problems unseen at the moment. When looking at a car, start it up, drive it around with the A/C engaged (even if it doesn’t work). When you are finished with the test drive, leave it idling while you walk around the car continuing to inspect it. If the car has an overheating problem, often this is the time it will show. This tip has helped me avoid several beautiful autocross cars that had an overheating problem.

Belts and hoses are my most frequent “preventive” repair I do, even if they are not a problem. It is always best to know when an important component has been replaced rather than to “guess” and trust the previous owner. Water pumps, too, fall in this category sometimes.

One thing people always check when buying a used car are the tires. Yes, this is important for an autocross car, but not to see how “good” the tires are, but to see if the car needs an alignment. Autocross is about handling and you need to be sure the car’s stock “handling” ability is where it should be.

Why not worry about the tires? Well, tires should be one thing to consider buying for your autocross car to begin with, so the existing tires should be removed anyway. Tires are probably the most bought wear item an autocross member will buy. A lot of autocross racers will bring a set of tires for racing, one for driving home (those who do not use a trailer) and some will even bring spares for the racing tires. This is so common that Tire Rack offers tires just for autocross. I have used them and they are the best place to get tires for this.

AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS FOR AUTOCROSS:

If you ever look into the aftermarket world of the auto industry, you know that there are literally thousands of places to look and buy. I will list a few spots that most people do not think to look, but surprisingly have things for the autocross fans.

First and foremost, autocross cars do NOT always need major upgrades to be competitive. A driver can use a stock vehicle and compete against fellow stock vehicles and remain competitive. Once you start to modify or upgrade heavily, you may start to move into different classes and compete with other cars that are equally modified. Keep that in mind when you want to change something.

Usually, I say modify the easy things first: Intake, exhaust and general tune ups. Most autocross drivers do not go far from that. These should be the first things you try to upgrade while you participate in autocross to get the most performance out of your vehicle.

If you decide to go further to be more competitive, my next recommendation would be suspension and body roll modifications. Please remember, certain upgrades in this area may change your class. Be sure to check your club or groups rules with these modifications.

Usually, the fastest upgrade to an autocross car would be front and rear strut tower bars/braces. They are usually inexpensive to buy and easy to install. They are also very modular meaning that when you buy these, they will work with other suspension components in place (usually). This modification helps stiffen the car’s suspension and frame and helps with cornering.

The next modification recommendation would then be the front and rear sway bars and links. These parts also help the body roll while cornering and handling and can sometimes be modular to the suspension system as a whole.

The final suspension upgrade is usually the most expensive: The struts (shocks/springs). This upgrade usually works well with the above items, but ads more stiffness, more response to the handling and sometimes lower the car overall for a lower center of gravity.

Once you have modified the entire suspension, my next recommendation would be to upgrade the brakes (at least the pads). This will help your stopping ability for those moments where a tap of the brake is needed during a lap. Please keep in mind that high performance brake pads usually wear much quicker than OEM.

One of the last things I recommend to upgrade is the tires. Now, I’m not saying that you should not FIRST buy new tires when you autocross, but I am saying not to UPGRADE them to an autocross/race tire just yet. Most autocross enthusiasts will tell you to get used to the stock/regular tires on your car first.

Once you get used to stock type tires, modifying them to a race tire or softer tire will actually improve your lap times (that’s the theory anyway).

One last note. I recommend replacing the fluids in your car with as many synthetics as you can. Synthetic fluids have higher heat resistance and can take the intense moments you will be putting on the car during the autocross laps.

Some of the places I have bought aftermarket modifications and upgrades are from the following: Tires- Tire Rack, General maintenance items/Oil/Filters/Performance, MyAutocross Store, Auto Warehouse

Model and make specific forums are also a great place to find parts for your specific car. Usually people on those forums are experts with that model and are constantly modifying it and selling the used items.

Now that I have provided this information, I hope it is useful to at least one person out there interested in autocross racing. I know when I started I had to learn my lessons the hard way and ended up buying cars that either were no good or were not “for” autocross. Please keep in mind that these opinions are based on my experience and knowledge. I am open to changing or adding items I may have missed. Please comment if you’d like.

MyAutocross.com is the enthusiast’s site for Autocross racing. Visit today http://www.myautocross.com

Have you ever dreamed of living with a bobcat or having a pet tiger? You’re not alone, and many people share their lives responsibly and safely with such animals. My beloved companion is a African Serval, a very affectionate 33-pound spotted feline. However, this dream come true brings with it some very real challenges and responsibilities far beyond those facing the average pet owner.

A huge number of visitors to my exotic feline site are trying to make very important decisions. Should I get a exotic cat? Is this species the right fit for my family? Can I provide for one properly?

There are a number of things to take into consideration when deciding if exotic cat ownership is for you, and if the answer is yes, which species of exotic cat is suitable for your situation. They include:

• Your ability to make a lifetime committment to an animal who may cause you considerable headaches
• Your ability to be a responsible owner
• Local and Federal Laws
• Your financial ability to provide proper care and housing for the cat
• Your level of experience in working with animals
• Size of the cat
• Disposition of the cat
• Endangered Species Status

Owning an exotic cat requires a lifetime committment to a cat who may live to be 20 years old. If your circumstances change, the cat develops behaviors that are unacceptable to you, or you simply grow tired of caring for it, an exotic cat cannot simply be given over to your local humane society. Being placed in a new home is much more traumatic to an exotic cat than to most domestic animals and can cause a major change in their personality. In some cases, they may never accept a new owner. Qualified people willing to take in an adult exotic cat are hard to find, and no, the local zoo will not accept your cat. Large cats such as cougars and tigers are especially hard to place.

Everyone gets an animal with a certain dream in their minds about how that animal will behave, and some people cannot handle it if things turn out differently. For instance, if you want to own a tiger, you probably imagine being able to play with it and cuddle with it. That may happen; but if you undertake this responsibility you have to be prepared for the fact that you might not be able to so much as enter the cat’s enclosure safely, even if you raise him from a cub.

If you are interested in getting a small cat like a bobcat or a serval, you probably imagine sharing your household with it, as many people do. But what if that cat grows up to spray everything in sight?

If you’ve been researching the idea of owning an exotic cat, you’ve probably discovered how much conflicting information there is. Some sources seem to indicate that living with an exotic cat is no more challenging than feeding your pet goldfish. At the other end of the extreme spectrum, many sanctuaries and animal rights activists paint them as unmanageable creatures that no ordinary mortal could hope to deal with successfully. As is usually the case, the truth lies in a rational world between the two extremes. This site exists to provide realistic and balanced information.

Like all creatures, exotic cats are all individuals, and nobody can tell you exactly how your future cat will act. Generalizations can be made about the behavior of different species, but individual personalities and behavior traits vary widely. As a dog trainer, I have seen puppies with the perfect upbringing turn out dangerously aggressive, and severely abused dogs who were stable and friendly. I have met dangerous Golden Retrievers and unprovokable Pit Bulls. It’s the same with cats; you can generalize to a certain extent, but never count on those generalizations.

If you decide that you are serious about getting an exotic feline, one of the first things you need to do is learn the federal, state, county, and city laws regulating the ownership of the species you are considering in your area. Contarary to popular myth, exotic animal ownership is pretty heavily regulated. Laws and permit requirements vary widely from area to area, and owning exotic cats is banned altogether in many places.

The legal issues will become vastly more complicated if you are interested in owning a cat that is endangered. While it is not impossible, the additional laws and permits that you have to contend with makes owning an endangered cat an unrealistic goal for most people.

Owning an exotic cat means having to remain constantly aware of changing laws and of proposed legislation, and being prepared to fight for the continued right to own your beloved pet.

Owning an exotic cat can be quite expensive. You will need to take into consideration the cost of building a secure and spacious enclosure, feeding costs, veterinary costs, the initial purchase of the kitten, and incidental expenses which seem to crop up on a continual basis. The cost of owning a smaller cat such as a serval or bobcat is more likely to be affordable than that of owning a tiger or other large cat. When you get into the large cats you will find that your feeding and enclosure costs escalate dramatically.

A major consideration is the size of the cat. Some species are smaller than a domestic cat, while others reach 500 pounds. The most common species to find in a pet household is the serval, which ranges fron roughly 18-40 pounds.

Owning a small cat is a more realistic goal for most people than a large cat such as a tiger. Large cats are very expensive to feed and house, heavily regulated by the federal government, and of course much more dangerous. Often keepers are unable to safely enter the enclosures of big cats once they mature. This does not mean that these animals are malicious, but a tiger or other big cat can easily injure you even in play. If you see yourself with a “pet” cat, start thinking small.

Cougars are an interesting compromise in size and temperament. They are actually classified as “small cats” even though most people think of them as a big cat. They are large cats and come with all of the duties, responsibilities, and cost of owning a big cat. However, they often have very gentle and affectionate natures; of all the large felines, they are probably the species that you are most likely to be able to have a “pet-like” relationship with after they mature. For those determined to own a big cat, I would reccommend a cougar over any other species, especially over a tiger.

Owning an exotic feline is not for someone who spends their time in fantasyland. If you are one of those pet owners who think their dog is soooo sweet that he could never, ever harm anyone, that all animals love you because you have a “special touch” with them, or that no animal will be dangerous as an adult if you “love it enough” or “raise it right,” you have no business owning an exotic cat.

You have to be able to objectively assess the safety of any decision you make, whether it involves handling your own cat, letting a family member or member of the public have contact with the cat, etc. You have to be able to say “I love Tigger with all of my heart and he loves me back, but I can tell from the playful look in his eye that if I walk into his enclosure now he might hurt me, so I choose not to.”

It is important to locate a good veterinarian who is willing to treat your exotic cat before you get one. It can sometimes be difficult to find a good, experienced vet who will be willing to treat exotics. Often, vets are uncomfortable around them or dissaprove of keeping them as pets and will therefore refuse to treat them. Many clinics also lack large enough equipment to handle larger felines like cougars or tigers. Veterinary costs for an exotic cat can be higher than those for a domestic animal, especially if your cat develops a serious problem and you are referred to a specialty clinic or university.

If you choose to own an exotic cat, you owe it to your cat and everyone else who owns exotics to be a responsible owner. What constitutes responsible ownership? Some of the criteria, in no particular order:

• Provides a ample, nutritious diet suitable to the species
• Provides ample housing for the cat to live in happily
• Provides shelter and protection from the elements
• Provides veterinary care as needed
• Purchases animals from an ethical and responsible breeder
• Does not neglect or abuse the animal
• Provides generally pleasant living conditions and has the cat’s feelings and best interests in mind
• Makes a good-faith effort to comply with all applicable laws
• Takes stringent precautions to prevent the escape of the cat
• Protects the cat from unauthorized contact or harrassment from members of the public
• Protects the safety of the public and visitors
• Makes a lifetime committment to caring for the cat

This article is written and copyrighted by Jessi Clark-White of www.exoticcatz.com. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only; permission is NOT granted to display editied versions. This article may not be used to support the ending of private ownership of exotic pets.

For more comprehensive information on exotic pets and their ownership, visit my website, http://www.exoticcatz.com. You can ask the author and other exotic pet owners questions at our online forum.

The Best Way to Make Money Without Spending Money and Time is to Have the KNOWLEDGE! Learn how to From the best expert.

I worked my butt off for two years before I made my first sale online. Two years of trial and error, late nights and too much coffee. Making money online is not easy. To set up your business in the Internet marketing world, you need to have the knowledge and the ways and means to go along with to sell your products. I want to help you to make money without spending a lot of money and time.

Know that 99% of money making websites and information products are scams, and real money-making recipes need real authority.

To make money online is NECESSARY to use Proven Online Marketing Strategies, Secrets and Tactics That Will Boost Your Online Sales And Explode Your Profit. It is NECESSARY to Learn Internet Marketing from Internet Marketing Experts. These Internet Marketing Experts come from all kinds of backgrounds, but have one thing in common.

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If you want to be a success, you must study the great ones: Internet Marketers, have a lot to teach. All you need to do is begin studying what works for them and adapt it to your own site. Study great sales letters, see what they have in common and then apply those techniques to your own site.

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An Education Staff of Athalia School, Tangerang, Indonesia.

If someone has the ability to read does not mean he directly has the interest to read. Reading skill and reading interest are 2 kinds of different matters. Many schools in the developing countries struggle to educate their society to be able to master the reading skills. For example in Indonesia, some parts of the society still have no ability to read because of their poorness in getting education opportunity or because they live in a very remote area.

Many people in developing countries still struggle with the basic needs such as food, clothes and housing so that they do not have idea or budget for books, even for education.

Because of that situation, the culture of reading habit is far from their reach. Even though some of them already have a better living, their thought is still focused on something that is more real, functional, comforting, money- value or something that can improve their prestige like jewelries, hand phones, luxuries housing & cars, expensive toys, etc. Because the culture of reading is not formed yet, the society spend most of their free time for watching TV or chatting.

For some family who has realized the important of books and education, it is still hard for them to increase the reading interest and habit of their children because they have to spend more money for buying books that are getting more expensive. Libraries are rare. Even many schools have no libraries. But there are still some ideas to increase children’s reading habit in the midst of not ideal condition.

First, if you realize that reading habit is important for you and your children, start the reading habit in your own family without blaming the situation around you. Your habit will sooner or later influence your surroundings. Read your children everyday or regularly to form their reading habit and their love of books. It does not matter if you only have ten minutes everyday. It still also gives you good impact. Let your children know that you enjoy the time you share with them for reading. They will love both the time for reading and the time to attach with you.

Second, include expense for books in your budget. It does not matter if you only spend a little of money according to what you can afford. The important thing is you plan and budget it routinely every month. You and your children should often visit bookshop or book fair.

Third, visit any libraries that are available in your neighborhood, schools, universities, clubs, etc. Ask the children to visit the libraries will increase their love for books.

Fourth, you can decrease the expense of books if you can exchange your books with your friends, relatives or neighbors. Sharing books will increase our knowledge in a cheaper way. You can hold a book club where you and the other members (adults and children) can bring their collection of books and share them.

Fifth, you can make your own books. Reading books does not always mean buying books. We can borrow them, share them or make them by ourselves. Children will be enthusiastic if you make a personal book especially made for them. You can use their photographs, handmade pictures, etc to make the book. You can stick the photographs or pictures on some sheets of blank paper, then you write some comments about them. You can arrange the photographs from the child’s birth till he is growing. You also can cut and stick the brochure from the hospital where the baby was born to complete the book. You or your children can draw something on that books, too. You can put the photographs of grandpa, grandma or other relatives to introduce your big family to your children. You can also stick some pictures that reveal your culture or the customs of your society so that the children will learn about their ancestors’ culture and tradition.

The handmade books can be varied in themes. Maybe you want to tell your children about your job and what you are doing while you are away from them. You can take some pictures of your office, your friends, your projects, places you visited, etc and make a book from that pictures. The children will be happy and trust you because they know what you are doing when they miss you. It is important especially for career women who often leave their children.

It’s cheap but excited if you ask your children to make their own books. They can draw or cut pictures from magazines and write their own stories according to their imagination. If your children is still to young to write, you can ask them to tell you the stories of the pictures and you write it for them. After that, read the books for them. They will be very proud of them.

For you yourself, you can collect a lot information from newspaper, magazines, internet, brochures and any other printing materials to make a clipping of information. For example, if you like cooking, you can collect many recipes from many resources and also add your own recipes that you write or type. Bundle those information to make your personal cooking book. If you need information about technology, you can also do the same although you must work harder to collect more information. The important thing is financial problem and lacking of books do not stop your enthusiastic for reading. There are many ways to get and collect information.

Sixth, there is another way that will make children interested in book. Usually children like watching cartoon like “Nemo, Lion King, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh” or may be there are some traditional legends, puppets or stories that the children love very much. It is very interesting if they watch the movie or show and then read the books. The books can be bought or made by yourself.

Seventh, It is creative if you can dramatize the story you read to your children. For example, if the story is about a king and a queen, you can pretend to be the king and your child is the queen. You can pile up some pillows as your throne and wear a hat as your crown. You and your children can also roar like lions if there are some lions in the story. Children will be very enthusiastic to do that. You can do what the story is about, too. For example, the story is about going to the zoo, you can go to the zoo, too. Or if the story is about fruit, you can go to the market or supermarket to observe them. Bring the information in the story into reality or action.

Eighth, give books as gifts for your children instead of toys. I do not mean that toys are not good for children. I think educational toys are very important for children but you should introduce books as gifts so that the children will respect books as valuable gifts. You can give books for your children as their birthday presents, Christmas presents or when they have good achievement in schools.

Ninth, your reading habit should be the example for your children because deeds speak louder than words. If your children often see you reading, they will know that reading is a good habit that mom and dad often do. How if you yourself do not like reading but you realized that reading is very important for your children ?. It is a fact that many adults do not like reading but there are some tips that you can do to overcome this problem. Find the books that are suitable with your hobbies. If you like cooking, read many recipes or books about cooking. You can also chase your favorite novels. Talk to yourselves that books are important because they can broaden your point of view, your knowledge, skills and even improve your career as well as give you relaxation. Switch off your television, because we usually spend more time for watching television that what we plan. Put the books on the places that are easy to see and access like in your bedroom, in the living room, in the kitchen, in the car, etc. Ask your friends what books they are reading now or books that are good in their opinion. You will be more motivated if you hear that your friends promoted them to you. Make a list what books you have read and what books you plan to read. You will be satisfied if the list is becoming longer. Visit the bookstores, book fairs and libraries. The best thing to do is do it now ! Do not wait until you have enough time or until you think you want to do it later.

Tenth, make sure that books and reading habit are one of your priority because you know the benefit of them. From books you can introduce a lot of knowledge to your children. There is no limit of knowledge if we can learn it by ourselves through reading both from books or from the internet. Do not wait until your children able to read to give them books. Start as soon as they were born. If you often communicate with your babies and read stories for them, their language ability will increase. Although they have not been able to response you through words, they absorb the words you speak to them (Beck, 1997). Do not only give fiction books for young children although they usually like fiction with cute pictures like Winne The Pooh or Mickey mouse. They will also be enthusiastic if you give them non fiction books like books of knowledge such as books about human body, solar system, sea animals, etc. Introduce them to the knowledge since they are very young so that they will like the knowledge and their curiosity will increase, too.

Besides, through books we can teach our children about some concept, value or belief. When it is difficult to tell them not to cheat, you can find a children book with interesting pictures that contains of moral teaching concerning cheating. I have an experience with my little boy when he was afraid of visiting a dentist. Before we visited the dentist, I read him a book about going to the dentist. It is a funny story because the dentist is a tiger and the patient is a little tiger. The little tiger is very brave to see the dentist. This book made my son brave enough to see the dentist because he wanted to be a brave little boy like the little tiger was.

But remember that only good books should you and your children read because some books can be very destructive if they are not suitable with your value or belief. For example, there are many books that contains of pornography and violence that can influence you and your children’s mind. You must be very selective in reading or giving books for your children because our mind is not like a computer. You can delete some data in your computer but you can not erase the information or imagination in your children’s mind. If you think that your children have already been fond of wrong books, do not forbid them directly to stop their habit of reading them. Instead, influence them with your opinion that they should be able to choose which books are good and which books are not so that they will not resist. Let them know from the beginning that they can choose their books but give them some limitation which books are acceptable, which books are not and your reason of that limitation.

There is another benefit of books. You can use it to teach your children foreign languages. Children’s brain is easier to absorb language than adult (Beck, 1997). If you take your little children live abroad, they will master the language when they interact with the children from other countries. If a child is raised by a couple of different nationalities, the child will be able to speak two languages of his parents. I know a child whose father is a Japanese and mother is an Indonesian. This child master both Japanese and Indonesian. Because of children’s ability to absorb new languages fast, you can use foreign language story books to introduce and teach them the languages. Maybe you yourselves only know a little about this language but if you can just read it for them, the vocabularies and structures of the language will be remembered by them.

I am an Indonesian. I read my son English story books when he was 3 years old. I just read the books again and again and then he can repeat the story by himself as if he can read it. He can also repeat the structures in a daily conversation. For example, the book says ” Cat can eat. Cat can drink”. While he was eating, he could say “I can eat, I can drink”. There is another book that says ” Teddy flies higher and higher”. While he was playing, he climbed on a chair and then he jumped to the floor saying ” I can fly higher and higher.” I think the influence of the books is very prominent. The important thing is you have to find a simple story book which has a big picture and a few words or sentences and repeat the story many times as long as your children is not boring. You can choose what foreign language you want to introduce to your children. Just find the simple story books and repeat them in a regular basis. Sooner or later he will remember the vocabularies and recognize the structures.

There are many benefits of books, but you do not always have to buy them. As it is explained above, you can borrow them, share them or make them by yourself. Use your imagination to produce your simple drawings. Or use the pictures from newspapers or magazines to make your own books. Arrange the pictures and the words according to your idea and you will have your personal collection cheaply but creatively made just for your children and yourselves. The value can’t be compared. So do not wait until you have enough money to buy books or wait until you have enough time to read or wait until your children are big enough to read books by themselves. Start it now ! No matter the condition of your financial problem is. If you invest your time and your kids’ time for reading good books, you invest better future for your family.

Anna Yulia lives in Tangerang, Indonesia. She is working as an education staff of Athalia School in Tangerang, Indonesia. Athalia School is a Christian School that provides education for playgroup, kindergarten and elementary level.

The Small Business Administration states that business loans for women are on the rise, and will continue to be needed on an increasing basis in coming years. Business loans for women are more popular than ever due to a variety of factors.

1. Women are taking the initiative needed to become business owners and are opening new businesses.

According to the most recent data on businesses, available from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, there were 5.4 million women-owned businesses in the United States in 1997. The Bureau of the Census also stated that the number of women-owned firms grew almost three times as fast as all firms between 1992 and 1997. They have reported that the number of women-owned firms increased by 16 percent in this five-year period, compared to a six percent increase for United States firms in general. The 1997 Economic Census states that women-owned firms made up 26 percent of the nation’s 20.8 million nonfarm businesses, employed seven percent of the 103 million workers, and generated four percent of the $18.6 trillion in receipts. The National Foundation for Women Business Owners states that the current estimated growth rate in the number of women-owned firms is nearly twice that of all firms, and this increase is a trend that is expected to increase even more in coming years. The anticipated increase in women-owned firms, therefore, brings about a tremendous need for business loans for women.

2. The past decade has shown a boom in the home-based business arena.

The increase in home-based businesses popping up nationwide is due very much to the idea that many mothers are starting businesses in order to choose a work-at-home lifestyle to bring income into the home, and at the same time, raise their children at home rather than placing them in daycare. While these home-based business are operated in a nontraditional work environment, in perhaps a nontraditional style of operation, they are nonetheless the same as other businesses in the style of carrying inventory, making purchases for the business, marketing the business, and creating a web presence. Business loans for women are crucial for small businesses such as these. Many have proven to be just as successful or even more successful than traditional businesses and businesses owned by men.

3. Women often purchase existing businesses.

Nearly no explanation is needed to stress the need for business loans for women in this area. Purchasing a business requires money, most often obtained through business loans for women or through another type of loan. Because more and more women are leaving the work place and carefully weighing all factors of owning a business, purchasing an existing business is a wonderful option for those that don’t want the risk involved in actually starting a business. By purchasing an existing business, it allows the potential new owner the opportunity to carefully examine the existing business regarding many things, including its profitability, gross sales, and market position. A business that rates high in all three areas is a good business investment for a new potential business owner, especially a women with past business experience. Business loans for women can offer a new, potential business owner the opportunity needed to operate a successful business.

4. With more women in business for themselves, business loans for women are needed to offer women capital crucial for a business to succeed.

Regardless of whether the business is home-based or more traditional in nature, and whether it’s a start-up business or was a purchased, existing business, capital is needed for a business to succeed, and to start, business loans for women are of great assistance. Business loans for women offer women a way of starting a new business with capital. Business loans for women can also assist women in increasing sales for an existing business, as well as marketing the business or expanding a business.

5. Women tend to choose to operate businesses in the services or retail trade industries.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than seven out of every 10 women-owned businesses and firms are operated in the services or retail trade industries. Considering the nature of these two types of businesses, one can easily see why the need for business loans for women is on the rise. In order for a woman to successfully operate a retail trade business, for example, inventory is needed. While drop shipping can sometimes be an option, especially for an at-home retail business operated through an online store, more realistically speaking, inventory needs to be purchased. Business loans for women offer women the option of purchasing inventory to be sold in a retail business. Likewise, a service-related business normally operates with the use of equipment, and is often specialized equipment for that specific type of business. The availability of business loans for women offers women the opportunity to purchase equipment and supplies needed to operate and succeed in running a service-related business.

Business loans for women are increasingly important for female business owners. However, careful consideration should be taken before securing a business loan to make sure that the loan is truly needed for the business to expand and succeed, and to make sure that the loan payments will easily fit into the business’ budget.

Rebecca Game is a 30 year entrepreneur who founded the online community for women in business at Digital-Women.com It provides resources and tools for women starting a business of their own. Please visit her site: Digital Women – Loans for Women

This article may be freely used when author/resource box is totally intact with live link.

If you are seeking automotive training, then a technical or vocational school may be the right place for you to get your start in an interesting and challenging career in automotive technology!

Whether you’re interested in becoming an auto mechanic, technician, service advisor, manager, or auto parts worker, automotive training can be your key to obtaining an automotive education and professional certification in automotive know-how.

In the modern world, automobiles are operated by electronic systems and complex computers, measuring performance and efficiency as the machines move down the road. Students in automotive training schools must develop skills as technicians to become high-tech diagnosticians, using electronic equipment and computer-based reference materials. Diagnosing the sources of problems quickly and accurately can be the most challenging and most rewarding part of a good automotive training program.

Students who would like to enroll in vocational automotive training should have well-developed math skills and physical science acumen prior to enrollment. As with all educational courses, it is important to review the automotive training curriculum to be certain that your school will offer Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification training. Furthermore, potential automotive technicians should understand that most employers pay their service techs based on productivity. Upon graduation, you may wish to consider the option of becoming an independent business professional.

In addition to their initial vocational automotive training, students can return for continuing education courses and credits to remain updated on ever-changing computerized diagnostic systems, tools, and other automotive-related technologies. Training in automotive technology often leads to an interest in other related areas such as auto body repair or automotive and diesel repair. The job seeker will find that diesel mechanic training is particularly valued.

If you would like to know more about Vocational Automotive Training, or even Online Automotive Training, we urge you to search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2007 – All rights reserved by SchoolsGalore.com, in association with Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find Automotive Training Schools, Colleges, Universities, Vocational Schools, and Online Schools at SchoolsGalore.com, your educational resource to locate schools.

Cooking with your kids can have lifetime benefits as well as teach them about nutrition.

You can easily incorporate cooking with your kids on a regular basis. Here are some ideas to help implement cooking lessons or just fun cooking activities from home.

Start cooking lessons that are age appropriate. Any child of any age group can get involved helping in the kitchen and learning to create and cook. Analyze what your child can do and what is safe for your kids and plan cooking activities accordingly.

Assign your kids to help cook dinner once a week. If you have teens they can be the head chef for a meal. If you have more than one child this is a great way to get one on one cooking experiences with them. Each child can have their own night for helping and cooking.

Holidays are great for cooking opportunities. Whether it is gingerbread houses for Christmas season or dying eggs for Easter, use these holidays for cooking lessons. Don’t forget about seasonal times such as apple season. Plan a trip to an apple orchard, pick apples and make an apple recipe. Seasonal cooking can give you cooking times all year.

Are you studying a certain country in geography? Cooking can expand kids learning by creating ethnic foods and discovering what food is easily available in different countries.

Pick a special night and have an International night. Cook native recipes and dress for the occasion. It is a great way to celebrate the end of a study unit.

How about history and cooking? You can learn what kind of food the Vikings cooked and try to replicate it. After studying Medieval times create your own family banquet, but forget the court jester.

Look for these chances to teach and bond with your kids whether it is in a home school environment or just for fun the opportunities are endless.

Visit http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-cooking-lessons.html for kids cooking lesson plans. For recipes, tips and ideas in teaching your kids to cook sign up for our Kids Cooking Activities Newsletter, http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-cooking-activities-newsletter.html