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Cat toilet training in easy steps:

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

The advantages of cat toilet training:

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

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

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

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

Cat toilet training steps:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Products to assist you in toilet training your cat:

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

The disadvantages in toilet training your cat:

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

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

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

Things to remember when toilet training a cat:

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

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

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

PHP is a scripting language originally designed for producing dynamic web pages. While PHP was originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995, the main implementation of PHP is now produced by The PHP Group and serves for PHP as there is no formal specification. PHP is free software released under the PHP License and is a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web development and can be embedded into HTML. It generally runs on a web server, which is configured to take PHP code as input and create web page content as output. It can be deployed on most web servers and on almost every operating system and platform free of charge. PHP is installed on over 20 million websites and 1 million web servers.

PHP itself is a server-side programming language and it is vastly used by software developer to build dynamic web pages and to develop textual user interfaces. As a programming language it is vastly used in different segments while developing a professional website. With the help of PHP coding we can develop synergistic, capable and money making websites.

Custom web development, database driven website development, website with dynamic pages are the core aspects of PHP programming language. Custom PHP programming can be applied in several areas in web development like

1. Back end Administration Panels

2. Shopping Carts

3. Banner and advertising management

4. Web content management

5. Membership management

6. Blogs management

7. Mailing systems

8. Product catalogs

9. Visitor tracking

10. Feedback form

11. Forums and message boards

12. Event Calendars

PHP itself is a server-side programming language and it vastly used by software developer to build dynamic web pages and to develop textual user interfaces. As a programming language it is vastly used in different segments while developing a professional website. With the help of PHP coding we can develop synergistic, capable and money making websites.

Foremost features of the PHP Programming language

1. Ease of writing interfaces to other libraries.

2. Various HTTP server interfaces.

3. PHP codes are platform independent thus can run on (almost) any platform.

4. Several types of database accessibility like My-SQL, MS SQL, Oracle etc.

5. PHP programming syntax is similar to C and C++ thus easy understandable by programmers.

6. PHP is an extensible language by nature.

7. PHP is Open Source, thus costly registration fee are not required here.

Advantages of PHP Programming

1. Speedy, trustworthy, stable, easy to understand and high performance programming language.

2. Compatible with various servers like IIS and Apache.

3. PHP codes can be run on any major operating systems like Windows, Linux and Unix etc.

4. PHP Providing design structure to produce rapid application development.

5. PHP has powerful output buffering system.

6. PHP programming can be used in a large number of relational database management systems.

7. It offers flexibility during and after the initial project to PHP programmers.

8. PHP provides quick execution of complex application solutions.

9. PHP is versatile programming language which is supported on most web servers.

At last, PHP is an open source language and hence free access to the source code is available for your development. It can be easily installed and we do not require paying thousands of dollars for registration. The most recent version of PHP is PHP5 which is really very programmer friendly and completely object oriented.

Cristina Gomes has years of experience as a software developer and her knowledgeable articles on PHP programming helps her audience to learn industry applications of PHP programming.

Standard furniture is unsuitable for young children; it can be uncomfortable and even dangerous so if you have a baby or a young child around the house you will definitely want to invest in some purpose built children’s furniture. 

There are many pieces of furniture available on the market for children. Here is a brief rundown of the main things you should purchase to cater for your child.

 

A cot and mattress is one of the first things you’ll need. It is essential that your baby or small child gets a sound night’s sleep and you’ll want to ensure that they are safe at night. Cots provide a contained environment and prevent your child from accidentally rolling out of bed or wandering around the house at night.

 

It’s best to purchase a new cot so that you can be sure it conforms to the latest safety standards. Mattresses come separately and you’ll want a comfortable spring mattress which should fit into the cot snugly. We offer a range of cots and a quality mattress to fit.

 

You’ll want your baby or toddler to sit at the dinner table with the rest of the family and the best way to cater for them when they are very young is to purchase a good quality high chair. We offer a range of high chairs which have a crotch strap to ensure your child doesn’t slip out and rounded corners and edges for safety. We also offer adjustable high chairs which you allow you to adjust the height of the seat and foot rests to make your child comfortable and extend the life of the highchair as they grow.

 

When your child gets too old for a high chair but they aren’t yet big enough to sit at the table with the adults then a child size table and chairs can be a great solution. These can also provide a great play surface for your children and save your good table from becoming messy or damaged. We offer a wide range of high quality, durable tables and chairs which wipe clean easily and come in a variety of materials and colours. 

 

For child safety when playing around the house you should consider purchasing safety gates for doorways to restrict their access and also playpens which you can use to make sure they are safe when you have to leave the room briefly. We offer a wide range of playpens in various materials and colours and we also offer safety gates.

 

Children’s furniture isn’t all about functionality and practicality though and you may want to consider investing in some play furniture for your kids to spark their creative minds. We offer a fantastic hexagonal sand pit, am activity pond for water play and an easel which will aid the development of your budding Picasso.

 

Whatever your children’s furniture needs at our site you can find a wide range of products to order online. Delivered direct to your door these easy to assemble pieces offer terrific value for money and conform to safety standards so your child can eat, rest and play in safety.

childrens furniture

nursery furniture

The Internet and the software which has been developed to run on it have made it extremely easy for anyone to publish content and have it accessible to millions of people. In effect, consumers have been given a voice to air their views to a massive audience. Something which before the Internet, they could never have done.

In recent years one of the biggest examples of this has been the massive growth of weblogs (blogs), wiki’s, podcasts, vlogs and moblogs – together they form what is loosely known as social media; the ability for anyone to publish almost any content without the typical costs and hindrances associated with traditional media.

This new publishing freedom has resulted in an explosion of new content. However the term social media, or citizen journalism as it is sometimes called, may be a misnomer as many companies can do it as well!

What is Blogging?

Blogging is currently the most common form of social media, in fact as of October 2006, about 100 000 new weblogs are being created each day – that’s more than the number of books published in the US each year!

The word blog is derived from the term “weblog” which was coined by Jorn Barger in 1997. We started using blog over weblog when Peter Merholz broke the word weblog into the phrase “we blog” in the sidebar of his weblog in 1999.

A blog is essentially a website typically driven by a content management system which features articles (blog posts) and comments on the blog posts. They come in all shapes and forms – from personal diaries shared with friends and family, to arms of political campaigns, media programs and updates on current affairs. They also range in scale from the writings of one blogger, to the collaboration of a large community of writers.

The world of blogs, bloggers and blog posts is commonly known as the blogosphere which has evolved rapidly since its inception. Blogs have given consumers and companies a voice and blogging has opened up a world of information sharing possibilities.

Blogs are not a fad that will lose popularity any time soon – they are here to stay and companies who want to be taken seriously by their consumers need to consider the benefits of starting a corporate blog or at the very least listen to what is being said about them in the blogosphere.

Blogging and RSS

Pioneered by Dave Winer, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) has taken blogging to a whole new level. An RSS feed is an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file automatically generated by a blog or indeed almost any website or Internet service. Users are then able to “syndicate” or subscribe to this feed using a feed reader or aggregator. When a new post is available, the reader fetches its contents and puts the headings and usually some or all of the content of the post into your reader or directly onto another blog. When a blog is updated, its RSS feed is as well so information spreads very quickly and automatically.

In layman’s terms, RSS eliminates the need for the user to constantly check a site or blog to see if it has been updated. Their feedreader automatically does this for them and presents fresh information as it becomes available. This means that a user can constantly monitor potentially hundreds or even thousands of blogs and websites without having to spend the time visiting each one to check for fresh content.

Some examples of feed readers include FeedDemon, Newsgator and RSS Bandit.

Understanding the subject of blogging is made far easier when one immerses oneself in it, so set up a feed reader and get to it. You’ll soon lose yourself in this fascinating world of content sharing and strong opinions.

Better Blogging

By October 2006, Technorati, a blog tracking engine, registered 57 Million blogs tracked. They also acknowledged a consistent pattern whereby the number of blogs doubles every 236 days. However despite the massive growth of blogs, most do not make it past 3 months. According to Technorati, only 55 percent of bloggers are still posting 3 months after starting the blog with very few in comparison updating their blogs weekly or more.

Whether one is starting a blog for personal or corporate marketing purposes, there is no guarantee that anyone will ever find it. In order to ensure a blog’s success it needs to be marketed. Here is a list of suggestions on how to go about doing so:

Search engine optimisation: By ensuring that your blog is search engine friendly, search engines can be a major source of traffic. It is important that your chosen keywords are used in your blog headings, content and meta tags and that the search engines are able to spider all aspects of your blog.

Comments and trackbacks: By treating the blogosphere as a series of ongoing conversations and actively being a part of these conversations through comments and trackbacks, other bloggers will get to know you, link to your blog and a gradual stream of visitors will result.

List your blog in blog directories: Similar to search engines, directories are human edited and managed. Although the traffic volume is not as massive as search engines, many users do visit directories and this could be a great place for them to find out about your blog.

Ping web services with your updated content: Sites like ping-o-matic and FeedShark offer a service whereby they ping multiple web services, blog directories and search engines to let them know that your blog has fresh content.

Content – know your audience: Your blog posts must be interesting and useful to your readers. Develop your unique voice and don’t be afraid to post things others will not agree with.

Frequency: The regularity of posts is important, as there is a direct correlation to blog repeat visitors and the number of times it’s updated. Post 3-5 times per week at a minimum. Web sites and blogs that are updated often get spidered by Google more frequently.

A Holistic Approach

Blogging works in synergy with other eMarketing services, once again proving that a holistic approach is vital to ensure success on the World Wide Web.

Blogs and SEO

You’ve heard it a million times… Content is king! Because search engines love fresh, relevant content, blogs are a great way to give them exactly this. Essentially by writing one post a day, a blog allows you to add a fresh page of content to your website each day. The nature of blogs also makes them an excellent source of links to your website. Provided your content is engaging, other bloggers will link to it and search engines view these links as popularity votes thereby assisting in improving your rankings.

It is important however that the blog is set up to be as search engine friendly as possible. Start by ensuring that all blog posts are assigned a unique page which is easily indexable by the search engines. This can be achieved by ensuring that each page has a link to it which the search engines can find and follow. Pages must be tagged with keywords relevant to your SEO strategy. This means putting important keywords in your post headings, page URL and meta tags, particularly the title tag.

Blogs and Viral Marketing

In a similar vein to blogs being used as a natural link attraction tool, they can be extremely useful as a viral component to your online marketing strategy.

With valuable and engaging content, people will begin talking about and linking to your site. The blogosphere is an interconnected environment and as a result items which are interesting or remarkable are talked about and shared amongst bloggers. Over time this interest brings eyeballs to your site and ultimately awareness to your brand.

It’s Not Always Happy Day’s and Sunshine

Although word of mouth can have a tremendously positive impact on a brand, it can also cause immense damage. One of the best examples of the blogosphere influencing brands negatively is the now infamous “Dell Hell” scenario.

It all started when blogger, Jeff Jarvis had a terrible customer experience with Dell Computers. In true blogger style he documented his experience on his blog and word quickly spread to the point where it was even covered in print by Business Week. However Dell failed to respond to his musings and the bad customer experiences continued as did the negative comments on the blogosphere. Jeff’s rantings become known as Dell Hell and a recent scientific study by responsesource.com showed first that Dell has sustained long-term damage to its brand image and secondly that the cheerleaders for the poor reputation of Dell’s customer services, are bloggers.

With blogs wielding this level of power, it is critical that brands understand how to manage their reputation online and if necessary take proactive steps to limit the damage which can be caused by negative word of mouth. Online Reputation Management is something all companies need to be considering.

On a final note, a great thing to remember about blogs is that a blog is simply a method of publishing content on the Web. Calling something a blog now is a focus on the technology used on the server, the content management solution. Of course, there’s a significant culture that’s grown around this particular technology, but that culture is bound to remain a subculture. Not because the number of people who are involved in blogging is going to shrink but rather because the number of people reading content published using Movable Type, Blogger, or any of the other tools is going to grow. Fast.

This article has been taken from Quirk eMarketing’s complete online guide to eMarketing – eMarketing 101. The services offered by Quirk eMarketing include everything from the conceptualisation of a comprehensive online marketing strategy, through to the implementation of the various eMarketing methods needed to make that vision a reality.

On-campus education vs. online education! Is one better than the other? Can one completely replace the other? Indeed it seems that online education is the way of the future. Educational institutions, corporations and government organizations alike already offer various forms of electronic teaching. However, can a computer truly replace a teacher and a blackboard?

How people learn

Each individual has a form of learning that suits them best. Some individuals achieve fantastic results in courses taught online, however most people drop out of 100% computer-led courses. Educational institutions, as well as companies in carrying out staff training, must recognize that there is no ideal way to carry out the teaching of a large group of individuals, and so must design programs that best suits the needs of the group as a whole.

People learn using multiple senses. This involves learning through both theoretical components of a course, as well as social interaction with both instructors and other students. Students learn from each other’s mistakes and successes, not just from what they are told by instructors.

Each individual student has an ideal learning pace. Instructors are therefore faced with the challenge of designing courses that move forward such that those students with a slower learning pace do not get left behind, while not moving so slowly that students with faster learning paces get bored.

Online education

In the age of high-speed information transfer, online education is becoming a popular and cheap means for delivering teaching to individuals outside the classroom, and in some cases all over the world. Teaching can be via CD, websites, or through real-time online facilities such as webcasts, webinars and virtual classrooms. However, different methods of online education each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Online education is still a relatively new concept, and in many respects still in the teething stages. As such, various problems arrive across different online education environments. For example:

1. Lack of immediate feedback in asynchronous learning environments: While some online education environments such as webcasts, webinars and virtual classrooms operate live with the addition of an instructor, most do not. Teaching that is delivered through a CD or website, although having the advantage of being self-paced, provides no immediate feedback from a live instructor.

2. More preparation required on the part of the instructor: In an online education environment, an instructor can not simply stand in front of a whiteboard and deliver a class. Lessons in online education environments must be prepared ahead of time, along with any notes and instructions that may accompany the teaching.

In many cases it would also be necessary that the instructor not only understands the concepts being taught, but the technology used to deliver that teaching. This therefore increases the skill-levels needed of online education instructors, placing greater demand on educational institutions.

Staffing levels may also be higher for courses run in an online education environment, requiring for example:

The Instructor – able to teach both course content and be skilled in the use of technologies involved

The Facilitator – to assist the instructor in delivering content, but may do so remotely

Help Desk – to offer assistance to instructors, facilitators and students in the use of both software and hardware used to deliver the course.

3. Not all people are comfortable with online education: Education is no longer only sought by the world’s youth. With an increased trend towards adult and continuing education, there is a need to design courses suitable for students over a larger age-range, as well as students from different and varied backgrounds. It is difficult, however, to design online education environments suitable for everyone.

4. Increased potential for frustration, anxiety and confusion: In an online education environment, there are a greater number of parts making up the system that can fail. Server failures may prevent online courses from operating. Software based teaching applications may require other specific components to operate. Computer viruses may infect software necessary to run online education environments. If these systems are complex, students may choose the ease of On-campus education rather than taking the additional time and effort necessary to master the use of online education systems.

5. The Digital Divide: Many people who live in remote areas and developing countries do not have access to computers, making any form of online education virtually impossible. For this reason, online education is only able to be targeted at the people lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the technology involved. Similarly, offering live teaching across the world means that different time zones and nationalities increase the demand for multi-skilled instructors.

In addition to these, there are also several legal issues associated with maintaining an online education environment. For example, intellectual property laws, particularly those relating to copyright, may or may not fully cover electronically created intellectual property. For example, information on a website is not necessarily considered to be public domain, despite being available to everyone. However, the Australian Copyright Act was amended in 2001 to ensure that copyright owners of electronic materials, including online education environments, could continue to provide their works commercially.

On-Campus Education

Still the most common form of instruction is traditional classroom-style learning. These instructor-led environments are more personal than online education environments, and also have the advantage of allowing for immediate feedback both to and from student and teachers alike. However, the classroom allows for less flexibility than courses run in online education environments.

Instructors in modern classroom environments are still able to take advantage of several forms of electronic teaching tools while still maintaining the atmosphere associated with the traditional classroom environment. For example, PowerPoint slides can be utilized instead of a whiteboard or blackboard. Handouts can be distributed via course websites prior to the event. However, on the day, students are still able to actively participate in the lesson.

Like online education environments, On-campus education comes with certain drawbacks, the most common of which is the classroom itself. This requires a group of people which, in a university for example, could reach a few hundred people in size, to gather in the same place at the same time. This requires enormous time and financial commitment on behalf of both the students and the educational institution.

However, it is this sort of environment that is most familiar to students across the world. People of all ages can access a classroom environment feeling comfortable with the way that a classroom-run course is carried out. Older students who may not be comfortable with the use of information technology are not required to navigate their way through possibly complex online education environments, making On-campus education the most accessible form of teaching.

On-campus education has one advantage that 100% electronically delivered courses can not offer – social interaction. Learning comes from observing, not only what is written on a page or presented in a slideshow, but what is observed in others. Most students are naturally curious, and so will want to ask questions of their instructors. The classroom environment allows students to clarify what is being taught not only with their instructors, but with other students.

So, Which is Better?

There is no style of instruction that will best suit every student. Studies have shown (Can online education replace On-campus education) that courses where online education is used to complement On-campus education have proved more effective than courses delivered entirely using only one method. These courses take advantage of both online education materials and a live instructor, and have produced results higher than those of students in either 100% online education or classroom environment courses. Students have the advantage of the immediate feedback and social interaction that comes with the classroom environment, as well as the convenience of self-paced online education modules that can be undertaken when it best suits the student.

It would seem that online education environments will never completely replace On-campus education. There is no “one size fits all” method of teaching. Teaching styles will continue to adapt to find the method that best fits the learning group. Using a mix of online education environments and classroom sessions, educational institutions, corporations and government organizations can ensure that training is delivered that is convenient and effective for both instructors and students alike.

Mathew Simond is a journalist and copywriter. He is also a webmaster of many websites including http://www.paralegal-degree.org and http://www.humanservicesdegree.net

He aims to provide healthy information and advice on academic degrees.

Fly fishing is very different than fishing with a lure or worm type baits. The fly fisherman uses a artificial fly consisting of bites of feathers, foam, hide, fur, yarn, and other materials to be tried on to a hook that make it appealing to the type of fish you are catching.

Every fly fisherman has his own type of flies he like to use some purchase them and then some of us like to tie our own. Fly tying is more of an art with basic training which most people can learn over a short period of time.

Dry fly fishing is the best classic form of fishing. The artificial fly is cast so that it floats on the surface of the water. As the fly passes over the fish it will rise to the surface and strike or take the fly.

With the fly rod you will attempt to stop the fish from spitting out the fly and get it tired enough so you can land it in your net. With fly fishing you will see all the action as you cast the fly and play the fish for a strike. The fly is very visible on the surface to the fish. You will see the fish take the fly on the surface however trout and other fish tend to feed under water so if you see the fish rising to the surface it is time to use a dry fly.

Wet flies will sink under the surface of the water an may be passed in front of the fish there bye causing the fish too strike at the fly,

Nymph fishing is very popular after the flies lay eggs on lakes or in streams and they hatch out as nymphs. As the nymphs make their way to the surface the fish will take them. When they get to the surface they will hatch into a flies.

When nymph fishing the imitation nymphs you us will be weighted to stay below the surface of the water. This will be far more of a challenge for you as the action all take place under the surface of the water and you will not be able to see if a fish is about to strike.

Most fish can be caught on a fly but the most common are trout, salmon, chars, and most game fish. In most areas the trout are the most popular and you will find them feeding mostly on small insects in shallow water. If you live on the coast you find salmon fishing with a fly rod a very rewarding challenge. Hooking a 30 or 40 pound salmon on a fly rod will give you a work out running up and down the beach trying to play the fish out to land it .

The fly fishing sport has gained ever increasing popularity over the years. Most will agree it just not about catching the fish but in the delivery of the fly and the skill and knowledge in the pursuit.

Some fly fisherman regard fly fishing as the holy grail of fishing. It is more relaxing and some say a better past time than golf. The sport of fly fishing see people from all walks of life. Some say it is more environmentally friends than the other type of fishing because it does less harm to the fish then other styles of fishing.

The art of fly fishing will get in to your blood and you will peruse the quite of the streams or the solitude of the ocean beaches to capture you prey. Most anglers will catch and release if they are fly fishing.

Sammy Salmon has been having fun fishing for years and wants to share all his knowledge with you so be sure to visit him at Fishing-For-Fun [http://www.fishing-for-fun.net/]

Having a dog as your companion can be a true joy. However, you don’t want your beloved buddy chewing your new shoes or going to the bathroom in the house. Therefore, you need to create a dog training plan to help your new puppy or dog understand the rules of the house.

What things should you focus on in dog training when you want your dog to understand the expected behaviors and even some fun tricks? Should you take dog training classes or complete dog training all on your own? The answer to these questions is that it depends. Take a look at the following dog training options to determine what type of dog training you want to provide for your canine best friend.

Possible dog training options include: a beginning obedience class that you can take through your local human society, dog supply stores such as PETCO, community recreation departments, and local colleges. These dog training classes can vary in price, time commitment, and personal attention. They are usually affordable and meet once a week at a community park. It is a great way to not only have your dog experience basic dog training, but socialize with other dogs as well.

If you have the financial resources and time you can hire a personal dog trainer. This type of trainer may be necessary if your pooch is having a hard time in basic classes and your dog training efforts aren’t making a difference. Before you invest in a private dog trainer it is important to make an accurate assessment of your dog training methods. Often times a dog that is not following directions is the result of the poor dog training by the dog’s owner.

A private dog trainer might be necessary if you are going to show your dog at dog shows. You can hire a dog trainer/handler or you can become one yourself. If you do, you must know the proper dog training techniques. You don’t want to have Fido jump up on the judges during the competition so he must be trained thoroughly and correctly.

You can also search through dog training books, guides, and various resources. There are products that will help you complete dog training such as special collars and muzzles. You can effectively go through a dog training regime with your canine if you follow these eight dog training tips.

Tip #1: Many people start their dog on the path to dog training success by enrolling them in a basic obedience class. This is a great idea because you will learn how to teach your do basic commands such as “sit”, “stay”, and “heel”.

You can teach these dog training commands by using verbal commands and physical actions. For example, right after you say the word “sit” you gently push your dog’s bottom down onto the ground and put them in the sit position. Immediately say “good” and smile. Give them a tasty treat as well. Basically, you want to do as much as you can to reinforce the action of sitting when you say “sit”.

Tip #2: Dogs act like absorbent sponges when it comes to learning proper behavior and tricks. If you do your job properly then dog training should be a hit. Your dog is ready and eager to learn proper behavior. They want to please you. Therefore, if they aren’t following your instruction it might not be their fault. You might be giving confusing dog training instructions.

Tip #3: Dogs thrive on positive reinforcement and encouragement. Positive reinforcement such as acting excited and petting your dog when they do the right behavior help with your dog training efforts. It is a dogâÂ(TM)s nature to want to be close to you and make you happy. Showing encouragement and praise will help your dog much farther, much faster in their dog training. Make sure to encourage a dog through each dog training accomplishment, no matter how big or small.

Tip #4: Food is a powerful motivator when it comes to dog training. You will be hard pressed to find a dog that passes up food or a tasty treat. Dogs are always hungry and welcome any situation where food is involved.

Tip #5: Dog training should be a gradual process with regards to skill level and learning more complex commands. Give your dog time to understand new commands. They most likely won’t learn it the first day you teach them. You will have to review the commands and proper behaviors often.

Tip #6: Have dog training sessions at various times throughout the day. Your dog needs periodic training to reinforce the proper behaviors. You dog’s attention span can wane, so make sure to keep the training sessions to five to ten minutes long.

Tip #7: When you first start dog training work in environment that is free from distractions so your dog can focus on their behavior. Once your dog understands the basic commands you can try to use the commands in a busier environment.

One thing you may find is that your dog is distracted and seems to have forgotten the commands. Don’t fret. This can happen because dogs tend to be situational learners and your dog just needs to work on the commands in the busier environment.

Tip #8: Too many treats equals an overweight dog. Dog training is a process that involves tasty treats, but too many of these treats can be a bad idea for your dog’s waistline. Use small treats and wean your dog off treats as they understand the different commands. They will then rely on your praise as the positive reinforcement for each behavior.

These eight dog training tips will set you on the road to happy, healthy, obedient pooch.

Visit the dog products [http://www.dog-breeds-infosite.com] website to research dog breeds & get free tips on dog training, dog health, dog grooming & how to find dog sitters & dog walkers.

Today, more and more people are setting out to buy Japanese used cars. Although most of these used car buyers know everything about cars as well as car buying techniques, but what they are not quite sure of is, “How to import used cars from Japan?” Why Buy Used Japanese Cars?

Considering the growing popularity of used Japanese cars, the most pertinent question that arises is, “Why do people have preference for used Japanese cars?” One of the foremost reasons for favoring Japanese used cars is that since innumerable years, Japan has been a leader in car manufacturing. Japanese cars as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Mazda are famous throughout the world for their excellence, value and steadfastness.

Another reason for opting for Japanese used car is the wide assortment of car models that are available for selection, and almost all of them come with ultra-advanced features such as power steering, air bags, air conditioning, power windows and high performance engine.

One more reason why buying used Japanese cars is worthwhile is that they are maintained in excellent condition, both cosmetically and mechanically. World-class public transportation system, heavy traffic conditions, high toll and parking fees, and stringent rules of Japanese government with regards to proper maintenance of car safety system are some primary reasons why Japanese cars are used infrequently, and hence, are technically sound.

Where to Buy Japanese Used Cars?

Once, you’re convinced that Japanese used cars are the best; the primary question that impinges your mind is, “Where to buy used Japanese cars from?” There are several dealers and exporters who supply Japanese used cars, you can easily purchase your used Japanese car from them. However, in reality all these people get the used cars from major auction houses.

These auction houses get used Japanese cars from two main sources. Firstly, from Kaitori Shop, which concentrate on purchasing cars from individuals who sell their Japanese used or new cars to fulfill their urgent monetary needs, and secondly, from car dealers, who trade in used Japanese car for a new model. Thus, auction houses have a wide variety of used Japanese cars, and all of them are available at very low prices to professional buyers such as dealers and exporters. Hence, it would be a better proposition to buy your used Japanese car directly from such auction houses rather than obtain it from intermediate dealers and exporters.

However, you cannot purchase Japanese used cars directly from auctions because you cannot become a member of these auction houses. Only used car dealers and exporters, who have a license to do business in used cars, can apply for the membership. Furthermore, there are several strict contract terms that have to be followed when applying for the membership. Nevertheless, there are several used car exporters as [http://www.auctiondirectjapan.com], who provide “Auction Agent” service, that is, purchase Japanese used cars from auctions or from One Price (for sale at fixed wholesale price, until the next auctions). They also handle all the necessary procedure for shipping Japanese used cars.

How to Inspect the Condition of Used Japanese Cars?

When you buy used Japanese cars from online auction houses, using an “Auction Agent”, you would neither get a chance to inspect your Japanese used car from close quarters nor you would have the privilege to test drive the used car before purchasing it. Hence, to know more about the condition of the car, you would have to depend solely upon the ‘Auction-Sheet’, which is nothing, but a car evaluation sheet prepared by the auction house.

Although all auction houses have different criteria for measuring the condition of the Japanese used cars, but some parameters are the same. For instance, they allocate grades 2 to 5 or 6 to S for the condition of car exteriors, and grades A to C for the state of car interiors.

Apart from external and internal condition, mileage is the next most crucial factor that used car buyers’ worry about. The auction houses take care of this aspect. The seller is compelled to divulge the correct mileage. If the owner rolls back the mileage to hide the true figures, he is severely penalized by the auction house.

Another worrisome aspect related to Japanese used cars is the accident record. Even though it is difficult to ascertain this fact, but the auction houses have the ways and means to extract the truth, and the details are given in the auction sheet.

How to Import Japanese Used Cars?

Most used car buyers hold the opinion that it is usually difficult to import used Japanese car. Nonetheless, importing used cars from Japan is not at all difficult if you know the correct process. Here is a glimpse of the entire procedure that is put into practice while importing Japanese used cars.

1. Find out details about every law dealing with import of foreign cars in your country.

2. If you haven’t found the right used Japanese car as yet, then you would have to send a request to the dealer to find the right car for you first.

3. Before giving a confirmation to the exporter/dealer (Auction Agent) to buy the used car, you should (1) check recent market price of your favorite car, which is usually provided by Japanese used car exporter or dealer (Auction Agent); (2) read the auction sheet very carefully; and (3) decide your budget to bid from auctions or purchase from One Price.

4. The next step is to make the payment. Before issuing the check, you should verify the authenticity of the exporter/dealer. This can be done in two ways: (1) by getting the company registration number and address confirmed at Japanese embassy in your country, (2) by checking if your exporter is a member of JUMVEA (Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporter Association), which is the most reputable organization in the Japanese used car export industry, and is officially accredited by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japanese Government.

5. On arrival of the used car in your country, you would have to reproduce the documents that the exporter/dealer has sent to you. Thereafter, you would have to complete a few official procedures as paying import tax, getting your Japanese used car tested and insured etc. Once, you do that, you can drive your used Japanese car home.

About the Author

Sadayoshi Miyakuni, CEO of M’s Crew Co., Ltd. who runs [http://www.auctiondirectjapan.com]

Discount pet supplies are definitely for people like me, who end up buying a whole lot more things than they set out to in the first place! I’m a shopaholic alright, and even when it comes to getting supplies for my cat, Tabby, I just cannot control myself. Sometimes I even end up buying things my pet doesn’t even require! But I just can’t help it, and I’m not ashamed to admit it! So discount pet supplies are a boon for me!

Smart Moves

Discount pet supplies lets you have everything your pet needs, but at a much lower price. And as we all know, that’s really important because you need to stick to your monthly budget. You also need to make smart purchases. This is because if you don’t buy smartly, you’re probably going to end up spending a whole lot more than you set out to.

When you’re buying bowls for your pet, for drinking water or even for feeding, make sure you get sturdy, stainless steel ones. They last much longer than plastic and if you get them as part of your discount pet supplies, then it’s a very good buy indeed. Not only are you getting it at a lower price, it will also serve it’s purpose for a longer period of time than it’s fancy plastic counterparts.

Turning To the Internet

You can also look at other avenues for your discount pet supplies. Online stores stock a whole lot of supplies from leading brands and the best part is, they offer these to you at unbeatable prices. For example, for my Tabby, who is quite old and has a whole list of dental problems, I purchase food from there, because they stock foods which are specially developed for cats with dental problems.

You also have the added advantage of getting these items dropped right to your doorstep. Shipping is fast and efficient and totally worth the extra money you are charged for it! Yes you still pay for shipping but it’s still cheaper than going to the store. Remember there’s no gas involved. And depending on where you live, you may not have to pay local sales taxes either.

So the internet is definitely an option when you’re looking for discount pet supply store. Also, don’t forget to look out for the discount coupons and sales which many online stores offer. All you need to do is be vigilant and you’ll get already cheap pet supplies at an even cheaper price!

Discount pet supplies are also offered by your favorite retailer or your neighborhood pet stores, but only during sale season, so just keep a lookout for the “sale” sign when you drive buy. After all, why would you want to pay a steeper price for your pet supplies when you’re sure to get them at a discounted price at certain times of the year? When you find a discount pet supply store both you and your pet will be much happier.

To learn more about how to find a discount pet supply store be sure to visit our website at WholesaleDogProducts.net. And if you don’t mind buying in bulk and storing items, you can also look at getting wholesale dog products or cat products for your pets.

Have you been using the same older television for a number of years? Perhaps you are somewhat satisfied with the performance of your current television set, but you can not help but notice all the new high tech televisions with impressive pictures on the market today. There are so many televisions available now which have superior picture quality, as well as being high definition ready, that it is a smart choice to buy a new television set at this time. Since prices are now lower than ever before, and with the digital age now upon us, a new television set is simply a smart investment.

Is This The Time To Buy A New Television?

At this time, prices on new televisions in the UK are at an all time low. Thanks to the increased competition of so many companies producing the newest generation of televisions, the consumer benefits with low prices. In addition to the excellent choice and low prices today, there is another important reason to consider buying your new television now: the dawn of high definition. The older analogue signals, which provide picture to the older generation of tv’s, are being phased out completely. By the year 2012, all television signals in the UK will be digital only, and unless your television is a newer one which can receive the digital signal, you will be unable to watch tv broadcasts at all unless you either replace your TV or buy a set top box.

What Differences Will I Find With My New TV?

The first, and most obvious, difference you will find is in the vastly improved picture quality. The difference between the display of older televisions and that of newer ones is simply amazing. With the newer LCD and Plasma tv’s, the picture is far more sharp, and more lifelike than anything that was possible with the older analogue televisions. You will also find that the new televisions have superior sound quality, and are even are able to connect to home theatres and gaming consoles, bringing sound quality to the level of a movie theatre experience.

Which To Choose: Plasma Or LCD?

Most televisions available today will be either plasma or LCD. Each has it’s benefits, and which you choose depends primarily upon the size you are seeking. LCD tv’s come in a far wider range of sizes: from about 14 inches up to 50 inches and more. With plasma televisions, sizes available are limited to the very large sizes, beginning at about 37 inches. Both of these televisions do process digital pictures, so you will be prepared to watch all your favourite programmes in high definition on either. There is another option for those who wish to receive both analogue and digital signals on their television, the IDTV. This tv can display both sorts of signals, however it does tend to cost quite a bit more than the other two types.

This is the best time to purchase a new television for anyone who has been thinking of it. With prices in the UK at so reasonably low, and the advantages that the new generation of televisions can offer, there is no reason to wait.

Do you want to know more?

For more information and low prices on LCD TVs and Plasma Televisions click TVs or Televisions

Automotive logo designs are probably one of the most stylish logos around. Cars, bikes and other similar stuff are incorporated in automotive logo designs to make them look classier and more eye-catching. Your automotive logo designs can benefit you by certain ways; it can setup a base for you to market your products well and to be recognized better. When creating automotive logo designs, the designer needs to pay attention to three factors which are (1) the objective to be achieved by the logo design, (2) should be according to the latest trend and (3) should be of high quality. Anyhow, the basic rule for designing good automotive logo designs is to relate it with your company.

For designing good automotive logo designs, you should take in consideration the following points:

Your automotive logo designs should relate to your business:

A basic technique to make your automotive logo designs look sportier is to associate it with automobile parts. Normally, the designers use the basic components of automobiles such as their wheels, handles, steering, etc. Also, you will find a large of number of automotive logo designs having images of cars and bikes in a very creative and amusing manner. For instance, automotive logo designs can have a tattoo type of design showing a car.

Color scheme used in automotive logo designs:

The colors which are normally used in automotive logo designs are mostly of an igniting nature. Colors like orange, fiery red, black, etc are used in automotive logo designs.

Fonts used in automotive logo designs:

Usually bold and big fonts are used in automotive logo designs. The reason is that the automotive industry is an amazing yet serious industry.

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My favorite online game to play is WoW (World of Warcraft) and that is why I am writing this short WoW cooking guide article. I am going to show you a brief overview of the cooking skill in the game WoW. When I say WoW I am referring to the MMORPG World of Warcraft and that is how I will be referring it through out this article.

OK the first thing you will have to do to start cooking in WoW is to visit a cooking trainer to learn the skill. Most of the major cities in the game have cooking trainers and you can get directions to them by asking a guard in the city. Once you find the trainer you will want to learn the apprentice cooking skill and all the recipes you can learn at the moment. You will also want to learn the skill to build a fire so you can cook just about any where you want. This can come in handy if you are out farming material to cook with and are not near a fire source to cook with. You will need to carry a flint and tender and some simple wood in your inventory to build a fire after you learn the skill.

OK now that you have learned all your skills you can buy some ingredients from a cooking supplies vendor and you should be ready to start cooking. You can also buy the flint and tender and the simple wood to build your own fire from the cooking supplies vendor. Just remember that when you reach certain levels you will be able to learn new recipes and you will have to visit the cooking trainer to learn these new recipes.

To gain skill points you will need to make items that you can cook and this will raise your skill points. You can see these items by opening your cooking interface and the cooking icon to do this should be in your spell book. When you open this interface you will notice some things are color coded with orange, yellow, green, or maybe even gray. As you cook items these will change as your skill level goes up. You will want to try and cook items that are colored orange to guarantee skill points that way will gain a point for each item cooked. If you cook items that are yellow or green you are not guaranteed a skill point. If you cook items that are gray you will gain no skill points because your cooking skill level is to high for these items.

There is six different level classes in WoW cooking that you will have to gain as you progress. These different levels are attained by reaching certain skill levels in cooking. You will learn these levels from a cooking trainer once you reach these skill levels. Here is a brief over view of the different levels:

1. 1-75 Apprentice (Visit trainer)
2. 75-150 Journeyman (Visit trainer)
3. 150-225 Expert (Purchase the book called Expert Cookbook from a NPC vendor)
4. 225-300 Artisan (must complete quest)
5. 300-375 Master (Purchase the book called Master Cookbook from NPC vendor in outlands)
6. 375-450 Grand Master (Visit trainer in Northrend)

In order to learn the expert cooking skill you will need to purchase the Expert Cookbook. You can get this book in Shadowprey Village in Desolace (Horde) or at Silverwind Refuge in Ashenvale (Alliance). There should be a NPC vendor in these two areas to purchase it from.

In order to learn the artisan cooking skill you must complete some quests. The cooking trainer named Zamja in Ogrimmar (Horde) is where you should be able to start the quests. If you are alliance a NPC named Daryl Riknussun in Ironforge should be able to help. You will need a 225 Cooking skill to start the quests and a minimum player level of 35 to learn artisan cookin.

You can learn master cooking from a book sold by cooking trainers in Hellfire Peninsula. The horde can buy their book from a NPC named Baxter in Thrallmar. The alliance can get there book from Gaston in Honor Hold.

You can learn the grand master skill from cooking trainers in Northrend. Just visit your factions cooking trainer.

OK that is a quick over view of the cooking profession in the game wow. I hope this wow cooking guide has helped you get a better understanding of the wow cooking profession. If you enjoyed this guide and would like more info on the wow cooking profession I recommend this site: Wow Cooking Guide

The cooking profession is a great way to make more gold in WOW so I would recommend leveling it up.
For more info visit here: Wow Cooking Guide And More

Why does celebrity makeup always look so perfect?

Celebrity makeup artists have tons of tips and techniques for applying makeup that most people never heard of! Want to be one of the few in-the-know? We’ve gathered some great ones for you right here! Here you will learn some great makeup application secrets to get your most flattering eyes, eyelashes, eyebrows, concealer, foundation, blush and lips ever

!

Celebrity Eyes:

Makeup artists have many tricks up their sleeves to make celebrities’ eyes pop! They first put an eye shadow primer or some foundation on the eyelids, so that the eye shadow has something to hold onto. For eye shadow colors, they’ll select three shades which are variations on the same color (i.e. light green, medium green, and dark green), or in the same neutral color family (i.e. beige, brown, and dark brown). They will put the lightest color on the brow bone, the medium color on the lid, and the darkest color in the crease. This will emphasize the shape of the eyes and make them stand out!

Other tricks for glammed-up, red carpet eyes include lining the lower inner rim of the eyes with a white pencil to make them appear bigger and applying shimmery clear lip gloss to the top eyelids to make eyes sparkle. Celebrity makeup artists also apply shimmer powder under the brow bone to draw more attention to the eye area and they always smude eyeliner with a Q-tip to make it look less severe or smokier.

To create cat-eyes (like Brigitte Bardot in the sixties or Pamela Anderson today), celebrity makeup artists use dark brown or black eyeliner to exaggerate the end of the eye so it turns up slightly. If you decide to go this route, remember that smudging is the key to perfecting this look!

Celebrity Eyelashes:

Celebrity makeup artists also have many secrets for eyelashes! They always curl eyelashes first to maximize length and curl. They then dust them with powder which makes the eyelashes look much thicker after the mascara is applied! Celebrity makeup artists will often use two coats of mascara, the first will be a lengthening or separating formula, and the second, a thickening formula, to max out eyelash potential! Mascara clumps are combed out between coats.

For special occasions celebrities may use false eyelashes (their secret is dark eyelash glue) or may have eyelash extensions applied which are semi-permanent variations.

Celebrity Eyebrows:

Celebrity makeup artists know that enhancing the shape of the eyebrows is one of the most dramatic ways to improve a celebrity’s appearance. Celebrity makeup artists use Treezerman brand tweezers most often to shape eyebrows. They tweeze the hairs under the arch of the eyebrow to further emphasize it and pluck away any strays. Eyebrows are filled in with the feathery strokes of an eyebrow pencil in either “blonde “or “taupe” for blondes, “auburn” for redheads, and light brown or medium brown for brunettes. Only black-haired gals should fill in their eyebrows with a “dark brown” eyebrow pencil” and nobody should use a black eyebrow pencil as it looks too severe. A secret weapon of celebrity makeup artists is brow sealant, which keeps this brow look in shape all day.

Celebrity Concealer:

Amazing Concealer by Amazing Cosmetics is favored by many celebrity makeup artists. Concealer is usually applied with an eye shadow brush. It is applied in thin layers which are “built up” until the blemish is covered. Concealer typically is applied before foundation. For really red blemishes, makeup artists often use a green concealer first which tones the redness down under foundation.

Celebrity Foundation:

Laura Mercier Foundation is very popular with celebrities. Foundation is usually applied by celebrity makeup artists with a sponge for the most natural looking coverage. Celebrity makeup artists use a foundation primer which is worn between your moisturizer and your foundation. This product refines the skin and helps foundation stay in place all day. If you can’t spring just yet for celebrity products, try Revlon’s Color Stay Foundation with Soft-flex, which stays in place all day and comes in an extensive variety of shades.

Celebrity Powder:

Celebrity makeup artists almost always use loose powder in a translucent or skin matching shade. They will apply it with a puff and then dust it away with a big brush, or will apply it with the big brush, being sure to shake off any excess first. Then the celebrity will carry around a pressed powder or blotting papers in her evening bag for touch ups. Some celebrities skip powder all together for their dry skinned clients. Powder is great for keeping foundation in place for the longest period of time, however.

Celebrity Blush:

Nars and Stila blushes are very popular with celebrity makeup artists. While these are powder blushes, there are other makeup artists who prefer gel blush because of the dewy, healthy glow it imparts. Blush is never applied with anything but a big, fluffy brush. It is applied on the apples of the cheeks in circles, or is swept from the apples to the hair line. Shimmery blushes like Nars blush in Torrid can make the cheeks appear to be glowing, according to celebrity fans.

Celebrity Lips:

MAC lipliner in Spice is the shade thought to most closely resemble natural lip color for most people and is a favorite of celebrity makeup artists. Celebrities often use lip-plumping products like City Lips and LipFusion which have both won awards from Good Housekeeping! Lip gloss is applied at least to the center of the bottom lip to make it look fuller.

Sara Liz, M.A. is the Editor-in-Chief for Celebrity-Beauty-Secret-Goldmine.com. Visit http://www.celebrity-beauty-tip-goldmine.com for tons more celebrity beauty secrets for your body, hair, makeup, nails, skin, style, and weight-loss.

Career assessments and tests help you explore who you. Career books and web sites give you a glimpse of the world of work. Free career information is available on web sites. Some writers have written facts for children and teens. We would like to share some information with you. These web sites use graphics, multimedia presentation, activities, and other techniques to expand our knowledge of careers. We have written information on seventeen (17) web sites. Here are the four different types of exploring careers web sites:

Curriculum

General Career Information

Science Career Clusters

Specific Science Careers

Curriculum Web Sites

Curriculum web sites provide activities, tests, guidelines, as well as career information.

Resource One: Career Cruiser

Source: Florida Department of Education

The Career Cruiser is a career exploration guidebook for middle school students. The Career Cruiser has self assessment activities to match personal interests to careers. The Career Cruiser has information on Holland Codes. Careers are grouped into 16 career clusters. The Career Cruiser has information on occupational descriptions, average earnings, and minimum educational level required for the job.

Teacher’s Guide is also available.

Resource Two: Elementary Core Career Connection

Source: Utah State Office of Education

The Core Career Connections is a collection of instructional activities, K to 6, and 7 to 8, designed by teachers, counselors, and parents. Each grade level has instructional activities that align directly with the Utah State Core. This instructional resource provides a framework for teachers, counselors, and parents to integrate career awareness with the elementary and middle level grade students.

Career Information Web Sites

Some web sites provide excellent career information. Some web sites list facts about job tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, and more.

Resource Three: Career Voyages

Source: U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education

The Career Voyages web site is a Career Exploration web site for Elementary School students. The Career Voyages web site has information about the following industries:

Advanced Manufacturing

Automotive

Construction

Energy

Financial Services

Health Care

Hospitality

Information Technology

Retail

Transportation

Aerospace and the “BioGeoNano” Technologies

Resource Four: Career Ship

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Ship is a free online career exploration tool for middle and high school students.

Career Ship uses Holland Codes and the O*NET Career Exploration Tools. For each career, Career Ship provides the following information:

Tasks

Wages

Career outlook

Interests

Education

Knowledge

Skills

Similar careers

Career Ship is a product of Mapping Your Future, a public service web site providing career, college, financial aid, and financial literacy information and services.

RESOURCE FIVE: Career Zone

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Zone is a career exploration and planning system. Career Zone has an assessment activity that identifies Holland Codes. Career Zone provides information on 900 careers from the new O*NET Database, the latest labor market information from the NYS Department of Labor and interactive career portfolios for middle and high school students that connect to the NYS Education Department Career Plan initiative. Career Zone has links to college exploration and planning resources, 300 career videos, resume builder, reference list maker, and cover letter application.

Resource Six: Destination 2020

Source: Canada Career Consortium

Destination 2020 helps youth discover how everyday tasks can help them build skills they will need to face the many challenges of the workforce.

Skills are linked to:

School Subjects

Other School Activities

Play Activities At Home

Work at Home

Through quizzes, activities and articles, they might actually find some answers or, at least, a direction about their future. There are more than 200 profiles of real people who are describing what a day at work is like for them.

Resource Seven: What Do You Like

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Do You Like is the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Career web site for kids. The web site provides career information for students in Grades 4 to 8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the material on the site has been adapted from the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook,a career guidance publication for adults and upper level high school students that describes the job duties, working conditions, training requirements, earnings levels, and employment prospects of hundreds of occupations. Careers are matched to interests and hobbies. In the Teacher’s Guide, there are twelve categories and their corresponding occupations.

Science Career Clusters

Some organizations have created web sites that feature science careers.

Resource Eight: EEK! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Eek! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids is an electronic magazine for kids in grades 4 to 8. Eek! Get a Job provides information about:

Forestry

Hydrogeologist

Engineering

Herpetologist

Park Ranger

Wildlife Biologist

Park Naturalist

There is a job description for each career, a list of job activities, suggested activities to begin exploring careers, and needed job skills.

Resource Nine: GetTech

Source: National Association of Manufacturers, Center for Workforce Success, U.S. Department of Commerce, and U.S Department of Labor

Get Tech is a educational web site that provides CAREER EXPLORATION information.
Get Tech has information about the following industries:

New Manufacturing

Information Technology

Engineering and Industrial Technology

Biotechnology and Chemistry

Health and Medicine

Arts & Design

Within each area, there are examples of careers.

Each career profile gives:

General description

Salary

Number of people employed to job

Number of jobs available in the future

Place of work

Level of education required

Location of training programs: University Pharmacy Programs.

Courses needed

There is a Get Tech Teacher’s Guide.

Resource Ten: LifeWorks

Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Science Education

LifeWorks is a career exploration web site for middle and high school students. LifeWorks has information on more than 100 medical science and health careers. For each career, LifeWorks has the following information:

Title

Education required

Interest area

Median salary

True stories of people who do the different jobs

LifeWorks has a Career Finder that allows you to search by Name of Job, Interest Area, Education Required, or Salary.

Resource Eleven: San Diego Zoo Job Profiles for Kids

Source: San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo Job Profiles discussed jobs for people who:

Work with animals

Work with plants

Work with science and conservation

Work with people

Work that helps run the Zoo and Park

There are activities listed under each area, for example:

What we do

What is cool about this job

Job challenges

How this job helps animals

How to get a job like this

Practice Being a …

How to Become a …

Resource Twelve: Scientists in Action!

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior

Scientists in Action features summaries of the lives of people involved in careers in the natural sciences:

Mapping the planets

Sampling the ocean floor

Protecting wildlife

Forecasting volcanic eruptions

Resource Twelve: Want To Be a Scientist?

Source: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of the Agriculture

Want To Be a Scientist is a career exploration web site for kids about 8 to 13 years old. Want To Be a Scientist has a series of job descriptions, stories, and other resources about what scientists do here at the ARS.

These stories include information about:

Plant Pathologist

Chemist

Soil Scientist

Entomologist

Animal Scientist

Microscopist

Plant Physiologist

Specific Science Careers

The last group of web sites is dedicated to providing information on specific science careers, for example veterinarians,

Resource Thirteen: About Veterinarians

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

About Veterinarians has facts about:

What is a Veterinarian?

Becoming a Veterinarian

Making a Career Decision

What Personal Abilities Does a Veterinarian Need?

What Are the Pluses and Minuses of a Veterinary Career?

Veterinary Education

General Information

After Graduation From Veterinary School

General Information

School Statistics

Preparation Advice

Preveterinary Coursework

Where Most Schools Are Located

About School Accreditation

The Phases of Professional Study

The Clinical Curriculum

The Academic Experience

Roles of Veterinarians

Private Practice

Teaching and Research

Regulatory Medicine

Public Health

Uniformed Services

Private Industry

Employment Outlook

Employment Forecast

The Advantage of Specializing

Statistics

Greatest Potential Growth Areas

Other Professional Directions

AVMA Veterinary Career Center

Becoming a Veterinary Technician

Your Career in Veterinary Technology

Duties and Responsibilities

Career Opportunities

Education Required

Distance Learning

Salary

Professional Regulations

Organizations

Further Information

Resource Fourteen: Aquarium Careers

Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Aquarium Careers features careers information. For each Staff Profiles, there is Educational Background and Skills Needed. The Staff Profiles include:

Aquarist

Education Specialist

Exhibits Coordinator

Exhibit Designer

Research Biologist

Science Writer

The Aquarium Careers web site answers the following questions:

What should I do now to prepare for a career in marine biology?

Where can I find a good college for marine biology?

What should be my college major?

How do I pick a graduate school?

I’m not sure of my area of interest. What should I do?

Marine Science Career Resources include information on:

Marine Advanced Technology Education

Marine Mammal Center, California

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California

Scripps Library

Sea Grant

Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Resource Fifteen: Engineering The Stealth Profession

Source: Discover Engineering

Engineering The Stealth Profession has a lot of information about engineers:

Types of Engineers

Aerospace Engineering

Ceramic/Materials Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Electrical/Computer Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Other Engineers

True Stories

Salaries

Education Required

Work Schedules

Equipment Used

Resource Sixteen: Sea Grant Marine Careers

Source: Marine Careers

Sea Grant Marine Careers gives you facts about marine career fields and to people working in those fields. Sea Grant Marine Careers outlines information on:

Marine Biology

Oceanography

Ocean Engineering

Related Fields

In each area, there is a detailed description of the type of the work that the scientists do. There are feature stories for different scientists in the career field.

The career profiles include information on:

What is your current job and what does it entail?

What was the key factor in your career decision?

What do you like most about your career?

What do you like least about your career?

What do you do to relax?

Who are your heroes/heroines?

What advice would you give a high school student who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in your field?

Are career opportunities in your field increasing or decreasing and why?

What will you be doing 10 years from today?

What is the salary range?

Resource Seventeen: Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist?

Source: Volcano World

Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist? provides the following descriptions:

The Word Volcanologist

Daily work

Traits for success

Education

Salaries

Career web sites help you build awareness of the different aspects of careers: the tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, knowledge, and skills. We know that you will be fun exploring careers.

Dr Mary Askew specializes in career tests, websites, and books for students. Students need eye appealing, easy to use, yet comprehensive career resources. Find out how students can reach their career potentials at http://www.hollandcodes.com Contact Dr. Askew at learning4life@qwest.net

Starting and operating your own home based business is

the ultimate tax shelter.

Although this article has been written from a Canadian

income tax perspective, the principles should be

practical in other tax jurisdictions.

1. Non-Deductible Personal Living Expenses

All of us have expenses that we incur in everyday

living.

Either you rent an apartment or house or you own your

residence. Utilities, insurance, rent, mortgage

interest, property taxes, and maintenance and repairs

are typical costs of operating your home.

Likely, you have a vehicle which also consumes large

amounts of cash.

Add to this, dining out, entertainment, gifts,

alcoholic beverages, office supplies, telephone and

many other expenditures, and you have a significant

cash outflow.

In most cases, as an employee, retired person,

investor, student, or homemaker, few of these

expenses are tax-deductible to you.

This means that you must earn a considerable income,

pay your income taxes first, and then use what is

left to pay all your expenses.

Some employees may be able to write-off some of

their employment related expenses, if such are

required by their contract of employment. However,

even in this situation, the tax deductions are very

limited.

2. Your Own Home Based Business Means Tax Deductions

Now consider the situation where you decide to start

your own home based business.

Suddenly, many of your everyday expenses are now being

used for business purposes and are now tax-deductible.

If you use one quarter of your home exclusively for

business use, you will be able to deduct (or write-off)

one quarter of all related occupancy costs. These

expenses may include maintenance and repairs (that are

not capital in nature), rent, mortgage interest, house

or apartment insurance, power, heat, water, and

property taxes.

As well, your vehicle expenses used for business

purposes are another tax write-off. If you use your

car ninety percent for business purposes, you can

deduct ninety percent of your vehicle insurance, gas

and oil, maintenance and repairs, car washes, license

and registration, auto club, loan interest (within

certain limits), and other costs from your income.

You may also write-off one hundred percent of your

business related parking. Capital Cost Allownance

(C.C.A.) on your vehicle is also allowed for income tax

purposes; depreciation is the accounting term for this

tax deduction.

The Canadian government also allows as a deduction,

fifty percent of your business related entertainment

expenses.

Also tax-deductible are business related telephone

expenses, Internet access, office supplies, travel,

books, memberships, and a host of other expenditures.

3. Income Splitting with Your Home Based Business

If you have a high paying job, you will pay higher

taxes because the rates of tax increase as your income

does.

With your own business, you can pay reasonable wages to

your spouse and children. In this way, you can legally

divert income taxed at your higher rate to your family

members that are in a lower tax bracket.

This tax saving technique is called income splitting.

It is another good reason why your own home based

business is the ultimate tax shelter.

4. Even a Part-Time Home Based Business Works

Even if you have a full-time job, running a part-time

business can be advantageous.

Of course, you must actually run a real, moneymaking

business. Any attempts to write unprofitable hobbies

off will ultimately fail with the taxation authorities.

If you earned eight thousand dollars during the year

from your part-time business and were able to deduct

eight thousand dollars in car expenses, home office

expenses, entertainment costs, office supplies, and

other business related expenditures, you would have a

net business income of nil. You would pay no tax on

this additional income.

Don`t miss this important point! Although these tax

deductions are actual, legitimate business expenses,

these are expenditures you would probably have made

anyway, whether you had a business or not.

Thus, by rearranging your affairs to start and operate

a home based business, you have been able to convert

non-deductible personal expenditures into legally

deductible business expenses. You have successfully

sheltered your income from tax and have split your

income with family members in lower tax brackets.

Yes, indeed, your home based business has become

your ultimate tax shelter.

RESOURCE BOX:

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.

For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/

If you think that you are ready for the world of gourmet delight and would like to bone up on your skills; then buy a cookbook that does not begin with, you must first thaw your hamburger meat before making a hamburger patty.

If you know how to go to a supermarket and pick a fine quality English roast and have the butcher grind it to your specifications then you are ready to give gourmet cooking a try.

What Cookbooks should you buy?

What kind of cookbooks should you buy to become a gourmet cook? You should try ethnic cookbooks. You can give Julia Child’s books a start and then back off to learning how to make a fine rice pilaf from either a Greek or from a Middle Eastern cookbook.

The key is to read upon the topic as much as possible as this will help you to gain a broader understanding of the subject. Plus it can be a lot of fun and you can learn lots of new exciting cooking techniques that make meals delicious.

How do gourmet cooks talk to each other?

When you begin to cook with the intention of producing an artistic meal rather than a filling meal, you will have reached a gourmet’s cooks conscience. And, by that time, you will have read and learned from gourmet cooks what they mean by add salt to taste or a standing rib roast.

As you read more you will become increasingly versed in the subject which will further help you to understand how and what gourmet cooking is all about.

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Feeling peckish and can’t be bothered with the regular meal preparation that is time-consuming and asks for a whole lot of steps? Then you are in luck with putting together a healthy and fast meal with basic cooking tips using the Chinese Cooking Method, ideal for those unannounced hunger-pangs that can quickly be appeased without compromising on granting taste-buds their due and simple to follow. Most Chinese recipes require one or more of a combination of methods like stir-frying, steam-cooking, boiling or sauteing besides other styles adapted over the years!

The most commonly used Chinese cooking methods of all times though is frying, which may include deep, shallow, stir or slippery frying while popular Chinese food items include noodles, fried-rice, chicken pieces and shrimp dishes. Sometimes, Chinese cooking methods extend to dicing chicken and veggies into small bits and stir-frying them to serve with noodles or a rice dish.

Sauteing, also known as shallow cooking, is another popular Chinese cooking method that requires a thin oil layer to cover the food which uses minimal grease and cuts down on much of the calories that creep in with other cooking methods. To ensure all the food items being cooked in this manner are not under-done, the veggies or meat is sliced thinly to enable faster, even cooking. When a light-brown color is achieved, then the spices and seasonings are added in to complete the process of sauteing.

Chinese cooking methods are usually very healthy ways of cutting back on calories and excess oil and thus Stewing food (first sauteing thinly sliced or diced veggies or meat, then pouring a sauce over it and cooking it over slow fire) is yet another popular cooking style adapted for world cuisine from Chinese cooking methods. The stir-frying ensures the food items are cooked superficially but raw inside so nutrients are retained and once gravy is poured over it, the simmer-and-cook method works well to give a good taste with a zesty tang to the dish.

Slow cooking over low flame and boiling are other smart and healthy ways of preparing food that are borrowed from the various Chinese cooking methods many chefs follow. Boiling calls for large pots with hot water used to cook vegetables, rice or noodles and meat; it can also incorporate the use of sauces to lend a savory taste to the ingredients while they cook. Simmer-cooking involves cooking in water or sauce for a long time and low heat is required and since it does away with the need for oil, this is among the best dietary helpers agree experts as no extra calories get a chance to creep in.

So, taking to Chinese Cooking Methods not only ensures quick meal time options but healthy ones too that are suitable for one and all!

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report “Master Chef Secrets” and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available! http://www.Cooking-Guru.com

A wealth of information exists that explains the relationships between school subjects and careers. Across the nation, children, teens, teachers, and counselors use Career Interests Areas or Clusters to explore careers and to make school study plans. There are sixteen (16) Interests Areas or Clusters:

1. Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources
2. Architecture & Construction
3. Arts, A/V Technology & Communication
4. Business, Management & Administration
5. Education & Training
6. Finance
7. Government & Public Administration
8. Health Science
9. Hospitality & Tourism
10. Human Services
11. Information Technology
12. Law, Public Safety & Security
13. Manufacturing
14. Marketing, Sales & Service
15. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
16. Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

States and federal agencies across the nation have created career cluster web sites and resources. We have reviewed three (3) of the best state or federal agency web sites.

Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA)

One of the most unique comprehensive career cluster resources is the Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA), an Internet program. LISA lets you explore career clusters, careers, abilities, training requirements, and more. Using the Lisa, you can do the following tasks:

• Assessment: Explore career options using the Work Importance Locator.
• I Enjoy: Find careers based upon the things that you enjoy.
• Cluster: Find careers from Career Cluster Groups.
• Search: Search for jobs based on knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Best Match: Use your current job to find knowledge, skills, and abilities to identify a new career.
• Compare: Compare current job to potential new job.
• Profile: Use this feature to create a profile from a selected career.

There are 3 steps in the LISA program. In Step 1, when you choose a career cluster, you will read the description of the cluster. When you select a career cluster in Step 2, you can select a career group. In each career group, you will see a lot of different careers. Finally, in Step 3, you see additional occupational information, such as:

• Job descriptions
• Educational and training requirements
• Crosswalks, for example ONET, DOT, GOE, and other codes
• Abilities
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Tasks
• Work Values
• Labor Market Information

There is detailed information in each job profile:

• Description
• Crosswalk
• Abilities
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Tasks
• Work Values
• Occupational Characteristics Narrative

The Louisiana Integrated Skills Assessment (LISA) is an excellent tool for students to do career cluster exploration.

NCE Career Clusters and State Career Clusters Initiative Resources

The NCE Career Clusters has adapted information from the State Career Clusters Initiative to create a career education toolkit for teachers and counselors. In your NCE Career Clusters toolkit, you can find a Career Cluster Model, poster, resource booklets, At-a-Glance PDF Slices, and Plans of Study. Each resource is designed to facilitate the exploration of Career Clusters.

Career Cluster Resource Booklet

To prepare for a Career Clusters discussion, teachers and counselors use the State Career Clusters Initiative Career Cluster Resource Booklet. The brochures discuss the differences between career clusters and career pathways. The booklet outlines that career clusters are career groups from the same industry that have the same skills and educational requirements. Career pathways are specific careers that are within the each career cluster. The Resource Booklet discusses the following topics:

• Historical background information
• Cluster Knowledge and Skills
• Pathway Knowledge and Skills
• O*NET Crosswalk Report
• Validation Studies
• Assessment Protocol
• Certification Protocol

The booklet is a “must-read” resource that provides in depth information on each career cluster. Each booklet has detailed graphs, charts, and tables.

Career Cluster Model

To provide an overview of Career Clusters, teachers and counselors use the Career Cluster Model. The Career Cluster Model simplifies sixteen (16) Career Clusters model. The center of the NCE Career Clusters model focuses on six (6) major groups. The career clusters are color-coded so that you can easily present six (6) major groups in classroom activities. The six (6) major groups are:

1. Environmental and Agricultural Systems
2. Business, Marketing, and Management
3. Communication and Information Systems
4. Industrial, Manufacturing, Engineering Systems
5. Health Sciences
6. Human Services and Resources

Here is summary of the relationship between the sixteen (16) Career Clusters and the 6 Super Clusters.

1. Environmental and Agricultural Systems – Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources (1)
2. Business, Marketing, and Management combines:

• Business, Management & Administration (4)
• Finance (6)
• Hospitality & Tourism (9)
• Marketing, Sales & Service (14)

Communication and Information Systems involve:

• Arts, A/V Technology & Communication (3)
• Information Technology (11)

Industrial, Manufacturing, Engineering Systems include:

• Transportation, Distribution & Logistics (16)
• Architecture & Construction (2)
• Manufacturing (13)
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (15)

Health Sciences – Health Science (8)

Human Services and Resources merges -

• Education & Training (5)
• Government & Public Administration (7)
• Human Services (10)
• Law, Public Safety & Security (12)

The sixteen (16) Career Clusters systematically fit within the six (6) major groups.

Career Cluster Brochure

Another excellent career cluster student aid is the Career Cluster Brochure. The brochure is filled with photographs that show people performing the different jobs. With this easy-to-read booklet, students get an overview of the different careers, career clusters, and career pathways. Students read about:

• What is a career cluster?
• What is a career pathway?
• What school subjects are important for a career in the … career cluster?
• What is the educational or training requirement for a career in the … career cluster?
• What are the necessary credentials for a career in the … career cluster?
• What is the employment outlook for a career in the … career cluster?
• What are some sample occupations?

Career Cluster Slices

Besides the Career Cluster Model and the Brochure, a third student Career Cluster aid is the NCE Career Cluster Slices. The NCE Career Cluster Slice identifies specific career opportunities found within each Career Pathways. Each Cluster Slice is illustrated and designed to explore areas, such as:

Cluster Description
• Pathway Description
• Cluster Knowledge & Skills
• Career Field
• Preparation for a Career in …
• Examples of Education and Training Postsecondary Programs of Study

Students discover that each pathways leads to post-secondary options including:

• Apprenticeships
• Certificates
• Licenses
• Associate’s Degree Programs
• Bachelor’s Degree Programs
• Master’s Degree Programs
• Doctoral Degree Programs
• Professional Degree Programs

Career Clusters Plan of Study

At the beginning of the students’ middle school years, the students use assessments identify career cluster interest areas. With the Career Clusters model, brochure, Slices, and LISA resources, the students have explored the different careers and post-secondary training options. Students, teachers, counselors, and parents then use the Career Clusters Plan of Study to strategically plan the students’ high school course work. The Career Clusters Plan of Study provides examples of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, electives, and extra-curricular activities for the following grade levels:

• 7th – 8th grade
• 9th – 10th grade
• 11th – 12th grade
• Advanced coursework for postsecondary credit

The NCE Career Clusters web page is the gateway to the student career cluster resources.

State Career Clusters Initiative, NCE, and Lisa materials are just examples of career cluster resources. Career clusters resources have established a connection between school subjects and careers.

Resources:

Explore Career Clusters, Texas Workforce Commission/Career Development Resources (TWC/CDR), US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and Louisiana Department of Labor

Nebraska Career Education, States’ Career Clusters Initiative, 2005, and NCTEF/NASDCTEc (National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium) States’ Career Clusters Initiative, & National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium

State Career Clusters Initiative Washington, DC: National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, 2002

Dr Mary Askew specializes in career tests, websites, and books for students. Students need eye appealing, easy to use, yet comprehensive career resources. Find out how students can reach their career potentials at http://www.hollandcodes.com Contact Dr. Askew at learning4life@qwest.net