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Whether we like it or not, the truth is that the lives of celebrities are scrutinized with magnifying glass-curiosity by the paparazzi, the media and fans alike. In fact, celebrities rule the airwaves and gossip columns today. Every little detail of a celebrity’s life is usually big news among the public at large, and one such aspect is the celebrity wedding rings flashed by our favorite star couples. Among the ardent fans of celebrities, are couples who would love nothing more than to own and wear celebrity weddings bands, as similar as possible to the ones worn by their celebrity heroes.

The fact remains that today many couples wish to be different in terms of their wedding styles, themes and even their wedding rings. It is specifically such couples who are also choosing celebrity wedding rings. If you and your partner wish to own and wear celebrity wedding bands as close as possible to those worn by your favorite celebrity couples, there are some simple ways to do this. For a start, you may color-copy, or scan the designs of the celebrity wedding rings worn by the particular celebrity couple from a close-up of the same, published in any glossy, celebrity magazine. If you succeed in getting a reasonably, legible scanned picture or laser color-copy, you can get an experienced designer of celebrity wedding bands to come up with a more detailed, illustration.

There are several jewelers who can come up with prototypes of the final designs you present to them. Such jewelers can then easily make your celebrity wedding bands at a cost far cheaper than the originals of your favorite star couple. On the other hand, there are also several certified, jewelers who have a range of celebrity wedding rings that are identical to the ones worn by top celebrities, although not necessarily of the same precious metal or gemstone authenticity. The advantage here is, that you will not only have celebrity wedding bands that are virtually identical copies to their celebrity-worn originals, but at a price far less than their originals.

Perhaps, why many young couples are desirous of having look-alike, celebrity wedding rings, is that it gives them a sense of confidence, style, sophistication, and, above all, the satisfaction of being different. Thankfully, with the widespread interest among people in the lives of celebrities, coupled with the power of the media, the opportunities to find actual photographs of the celebrity wedding rings and reproduce them have become extremely easy. While it’s true that original, celebrity wedding rings or celebrity wedding bands, cost enormous sums of money, inexpensive, copies of such wedding rings can be made by any experienced and professional jeweler, using cheaper grades of metal and gemstones.

In the final analysis however, celebrity wedding rings will certainly reflect your sense of style, personality and taste and that of your partner’s, as well as give the overall atmosphere of the wedding you’ve planned, a degree of sophistication. However, what matters most is, the love that you and your partner share. After all, the real celebrities … are you.

Wedding Rings
Celebrity Wedding Rings To Die For!

So… did you jump on that early bird special and register your child for summer camp back in January?

The economy is tough on summer camps. Not only can they be a “luxury” expense for many families, but with so many parents out of work and staying home we also know that summer camps no longer have the same role in child-care.

Since camps are in a yearly revenue cycle with huge dry spells and just a few peak sale months (March – May), it can take until June (for summer camps who are on the edge) to figure out if they can make payroll or pay for facilities through the summer. What? Really? Yep. Summer camp payroll is a huge expense for camps that do not run off volunteers, as are facility costs for any camp that doesn’t own its own site. And keep in mind, those that run off volunteers are generally non-profits relying on fundraising and donations; contributions that also dry up in slow economies.

What happens when a summer camp is in the red?

That depends on the summer camp company. Many summer camps are part of a bigger organization, and the camp can be a loss leader. To stay a float some summer camps will renegotiate terms or payment plans with venders or facilities. Some camps will turn to volunteer staff or cut staff ratios. And a few will run to the bank and hope they can get that loan to cover payroll. When those attempts are successful they squeak by. But it happens every year…. some summer camps will close mid-summer or just before they are due to run.

Will you get your money back if a summer camp closes?

That depends on the summer camp company. Most summer camps that are associated with a youth organization, to protect the reputation of the umbrella company or the facility they work for, will be covered by the latter. A summer camp run by a multi-program agency has other budget to draw on and can’t afford the legal entanglement from a Chapter 7 that leaves customer damages. But companies that only run camp… well, these are the ones that can fold up on you. (Don’t get me wrong, these are also some of the best camps because they devote full time to just running camps. But as a possible indicator of stability in tough economic times – a diversified company may be more resilient.)

Back in 2001 ACE computer camps, a nationally run chain of computer camps with over 60 locations nationwide stopped running mid-session. With estimated numbers at 10, 000 campers per summer – this was a big upset.

When campers came back from lunch some happened to search out the ACE website, they found this message: “American Computer Experience is going out of business immediately. All ACE computer camp locations are cancelled effective immediately.” So, the campers and staff went home. None of the families of that week or subsequent weeks were refunded. Camp staff who had worked at camp several weeks were not paid. The rented camp facilities also did not get paid. Lawsuits went on for years and financial restitution is still incomplete.

How can a summer camp customer protect themselves?

It can be hard to find out if a summer camp company has solid financial footing. In the 2009 camp season, you should assume all camps are struggling a bit so don’t be afraid to ask some pointed questions:

1) Assume your summer camp might have to close slow weeks and move everyone together to reduce the cost and maximize the profits. Ask your summer camp which weeks might they close if they have to consolidate?

2) If your summer camp is using a rented facility; ask if the camp has paid upfront (or are they past the point of canceling) where the camp would have really committed to the week? (In rental contracts there are dates by which payments become committed, if it’s past that point (or if they paid in full upfront), then they will run the week even if it’s lower in numbers.)

3) How many campers are registered in the summer camp? Ask for totals for each class as well as over-all camper registration numbers and ask what they had expected. Ask what happens to classes or registration numbers that are low? What is considered low? You are looking for a reasonable answer and a plan for how they will serve lower number. Do some simple math based on what you are paying for the camp and how many kids they say each staff will cover. And if you think because you pay $600 or $1000/week that they must have a ton of profit to play with… think again, summer camps just don’t operate on huge margins until they really have volume, it’s the “economy of scale” that work in this business – which is why every summer camp may be hurting right now.

4) If you hate your plans to change… avoid registering early for the first week of the camp season and the last week of summer too and the weeks on either side of the holiday. These are the most frequently closed summer camp weeks. The bookend camp weeks close to consolidate the numbers. The weeks on either side of the holiday close because families are taking more trips and enrollment is low. (If you wait and buy these weeks late you may find good deals, call the week before and make an offer … this may work especially well if you are paid in-full for weeks later in the summer as well.)

5) Know your summer camp leadership. Find out all you can about the camp owner. Are they from a summer camp back ground? Is this a passion that they will not give up on, even in bad times? Would they sell their summer camp today if they could? Also, if you have been at this summer camp for a while, do you sense any change in their approach to camp customers? Are they emailing you more or less? Are the notifications on time, is paperwork late, are they cutting back any services? In this economy, they should be making some adjustments but a “camp” committed owner will be guarding the customer experience from those cuts. Ask what adjustments they are making.

6) How long your summer camp has been around can be a good indicator, but only IF they have a great return rate. (A topic for another day… there are MANY ways that camps can compute a return rate). The summer camps with strong return rates tend to be camps that have either a strong “traditions-based” programming and/or an excellent progression for kids to follow as they age and/or develop in skills. Summer camps that offer a single topic can be fine, if they offer a strong progression. But keep in mind that trendy topics always come and go, so even in good economic years you will see ebb and flow in the numbers at any specialty summer camp. If you hear about some new cool summer camp focused on a topic that is ripped from the TV prime time… it might be fun, call early, but don’t drop your cash until just before it runs – and do your best to stop by and visit the program their first week, before you pay up in full… to avoid an unhappy camper.

7) You can check on them. If you are thinking of going to a summer camp that rents their space, call the facility and ask if the summer camp always pays on time. Verify they have been paid all appropriate fees for 2009. This can be very very informative.

8. Take “Fire Sales” as a warning sign. If your summer camp company is running “Fire Sales” (dropping prices like crazy) in the month of June, they are scrabbling for revenue. They have figured out that they have lost money and they are trying to fill all the seats as a tourniquet for the bleeding. They will likely try to up-sell to people already registered for weeks… “Since you bought early we’re offering you this amazing discount on your added weeks”. This can be a great deal… and using Fire Sales to get a great deal is wonderful… but if your week is in August, and Fire Sales start happening… it’s a warning that your camp company is already worried and is likely tightening its belt and scrabbling for last minute camp sales. This could mean reductions in staff ratio, tightening on supplies, or other cost saving measures, including cancelling weeks. It’s time to call and ask to make sure your week is still 100% a go. (Ok, in all honesty, if they are doing this at least they are doing something… some businesses can get so busy in summer they don’t even try to save themselves and end up folding post season).

9) Have key people in the camp company left? No, I’m not talking about the counselors – though they are “key” since your kids will be with them (but a % of summer staff always go before the season is out). But check into the company leadership, have they had any major turn-over, this can be a sign of financial troubles or major shifts in the company direction. Don’t just ask how long the company has been around, ask how long the main Camp Leadership has been in place.

10) Do they have a fall back position? A strong summer camp knows its numbers and knows what it will do based on those numbers along the way. If you can have a frank discussion with someone about the contingency plans you will likely get a gut feel for their business sense; of course that is if you get to speak with a leader in the company not just a sales person. Asking a sales person who is not trained handling these types of questions, may give you your first clues about how the numbers are. If you’re worried after that, as to speak to the director or business manager and go ahead and ask questions. Start form the basic assumption that sales must be low and let them know you plan to have a frank discussion.

The point is… Ask some direct questions and make yourself an insider. Your camp company should welcome your partnership!

Kat “Toes” Fitzgerald has been a leader in the summer camp industry for over 20 years. She currently is the founder of an educational summer enrichment camp at multiple locations that focuses on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math.) You can read more tips for parents, counselors, administrators and campers at http://www.campydiem.com

Dining out is an occasional indulgence for some people. For some, it is a way of life. Whatever the case for you, careful choices and moderate portions will help you make dining out part of a wise overall plan for your diabetes nutrition.

1-Research the menus. Ask the waiter about recipes.

Many restaurants include information about the nutrition values of their entrees. When this resource is available to you, take advantage of it. Research food or meal options at those establishments to make the healthiest choices possible.

2-Keep your helpings of food in check.

Diabetes nutrition is based on moderate portions, so keep portion sizes in check. Large portions are the norm at many restaurants.

How to control your portions.

Always choose the smallest meal size if they offer you options. Share part of your meal with a dining partner or request a take-home container. Avoid “dangerous” places like all-you-can-eat buffets. Resist overeating will be surely hard with that many options. Small amounts of many different foods can obviously add up to a large calorie count.

3-Make substitutions.

Choose for example a diabetes-friendly side salad or a double order of vegetable, instead of fries. Do not settle for what comes with your meal or sandwich with the eyes closed. Try a flavored vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice on your salad, or use fat-free or low-fat salad dressing rather than the regular variety. Instead of shredded cheese and sour cream, ask for salsa with your burrito. On sandwiches, substitute mustard, ketchup, fat-free mayonnaise or a slice of tomato for the house dressings or creamy sauces.

4-Watch the “extras”.

Keep in mind that the extras such as croutons, fried chips and bacon bits can undermine your diabetes nutrition goals by increasing the carb and calorie count. So watch the extras! Do not ever forget that all the additions have calories, even the healthier ones, like barbecue sauce, fat-free mayonnaise and salad dressings. Notwithstanding, you can enjoy small servings of these, without sabotaging your meal plan.

5-If possible, speak with the chef.

Food preparation is also worth to consider. Avoid fried and breaded food. Instead request that your food be roasted, grilled or broiled. Whenever necessary and possible, ask if the chef can use skinless chicken, whole-grain bread and low-cholesterol eggs. If you are to order pizza, avoid doubling on meat or cheese, and request lots of vegetables and just a thin crust. Ask that no salt or MSG be added to your food if you are on a low-sodium diet. When you request healthier options and substitutions, do not feel like you are stepping out of line. You have the right to do it. You just try to stay committed to your meal plan, and you are simply doing what it takes to accomplish that.

6-Avoid high-calorie beverages.

Watch what you drink. Keep an eye on the continuously refilled soda glass. Each glass of sugar-sweetened soda adds hundreds of calories to your meal. Ice-cream drinks and shakes may be even worse. They have more calories, as well as saturated fat. Instead, drink water, diet soda, sparkling water, mineral water or unsweetened iced tea.

7-Refrain from overdrinking alcohol.

Alcohol is another crucial matter. Alcohol has its own caveats because it can worsen your diabetes. An occasional drink with a meal is fine, if your diabetes is under control and your doctor agrees. Remember that alcohol adds empty, non-nutritive calories to your meal. Diabetes complications, such as eye disease and nerve damage, might be the immediate consequences of drinking imprudently. Nevertheless, if you choose to drink alcohol, opt for light beer or dry wines, beverages with fewer calories and carbohydrates. Other options can be mixed drinks made with sugar-free mixers such as diet tonic, club soda, seltzer or diet soda. One or two drinks a day should be your limit, anyway.

8-Eat out at your usual time.

Sometimes it is hard to maintain the blood sugar level steady, especially if one takes insulin shots or diabetes pills. Eating at the same time every day can help achieve that.

Follow these steps if you are dining out with others:

+ Schedule the gathering at the time you usually eat.

+ Try to avoid times when the restaurant is busiest, or make a reservation to avoid waiting for a table for long  periods.

+ If you cannot avoid dining out later than usual, snack on a starch serving or a fruit from the upcoming meal at your usual mealtime.

9-Save room for the afters.

Sweets are not necessarily off-limits. Just remember that sweets count as carbohydrates in your meal. Reduce the amount of other carbohydrates in your meal, such as tortillas, rice, bread, potatoes or milk, if you would like dessert.

Bottom line: the point is to never forget the principles of diabetes nutrition, whether you are at home or dining out. Limit the amount of carbohydrates, salt and fat in your diet. Eat a diversity of healthy foods.

Responsibly follow the nutrition guidelines set by your dietitian or doctor. If you do that and work together with them, you can afford the joy of eating out without setting your meal plan aside.

JOSE TALAVERA – Health advisor. Diabetes expert. Experienced consultant and author. If you like this article, please visit the web site below for more advice and resources: http://conquer-diabetes.blogspot.com

Career Development: A guide for your future!

Today it’s not uncommon for an individual to change their career choice or to move into another career entirely at least once in their working lifetime, and for many they may change careers three or more times. Career development, therefore, is important to know and understand.

Career development is the path an individual travels and the procedures they follow in choosing a career. A career is work an individual does or plans to do, for a considerable length of time, and something they plan on becoming good at.

The career development process is the examining of your basic skills, how well you handle stress, your abilities and interests in working with others, and schooling or training that you complete to enter the career. Career development is the plan you design to assist you in advancing through your career, to be flexible as needed and to be alert to trends and patterns to help further advancing your career.

Equally important is a careful examination of your current job and career situation. Did you jump into the job because you needed the money? Does the job have a future? Are you progressing in your career? Or are you unhappy, not motivated and burdened by stress or other job related problems? This situation may not be productive for the employee and even less so for the employer.

Now may be the time to do some study about the career field they have an interest in. Self-study, on the job training, traditional or online learning may be involved. In addition, the more you know about a particular career the more focused will be your career development plan.

Studying career development you will learn it isn’t just about education. Training and education will always help move you into the right direction and allow you to fine tune your career development plan.

However, you’ll learn through self-examination what your interests are, what you’re good at, how well you have the basic skills to perform at a high level in whatever career you choose.

Many educational institutions offer career development classes or assessment centers to help direct you into the right career. There is a plethora of free career assessment tests on the internet to help you define your interests and career goals.

From this wealth of information, whether you want to advance in your present career or make a career change, career development planning can be an important strategy to guide you in reaching your career goals.

John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Find Career Development Planning, valuable articles and a free seven day career planning guide. Discover up to date recruitment strategies at our Career Ideas web site all to assist you in advancing and managing your career.

Today’s economy limits most consumers’ ability to replace large pieces of equipment, vehicles and furniture. To save money, consumers have to get smart, and sometimes creative. By identifying what problems are occurring that may be causing these things to not work properly, it is then an easy step to find less expensive solutions to make it work. Often times a simple repair or part replacement can make all the difference. Specifically for vehicles with engine trouble, the problem may seem beyond repair but if analyzed, a simple replacement kit or a repowered engine may be the best, low cost option available.

Small engine vehicles – lawn mowers, golf carts, trucksters, motorcycles, snow mobiles – are secondary pieces of equipment that are expensive to replace. When they seem to have engine trouble, replacing the entire vehicle is an expensive proposition. A replacement kit is typically the most cost effective alternative. But before going that route, it is important to identify exactly what is wrong with your current engine.

Small engine problems typically fall into two basic categories, failure to start and a problem running after the engine has started.

Failure to Start

There are a number of reasons a small engine might not start properly:

o Fuel line problems: Check to see that the fuel tank is full, that the fuel is fresh, and that the shut-off valve is closed. The fuel line or inlet screen could also be blocked or the fuel tank cap could be clogged.

o Carburetor problems: The carburetor could be blocked or the engine could be flooded. There might be problems with the spark plug. Check the choke on the fuel bowl as well – it could be set too high.

o Ignition problems: The spark plug contacts could be dirty, the plug gap could be set incorrectly, the lead could be faulty, or the kill switch could be shorted. These all require basic replacement or repair and are a snap with a proper kit.

o Compression problems: Check the valves, pistons, cylinder, or connecting rods if you suspect a compression problem. These could be dirty, stripped, or otherwise damaged, and would prevent the engine from starting properly or at all.

Problems Running

Problems running properly can pose more danger to your vehicle than an engine that simply wont’ start. If left unfixed, constant overheating or smoke emission can eventually ruin an engine and require a full-on replacement.

o Overheating engines: Lack of oil is one of the most common reasons for overheating. So is a dirty engine. Beyond that, there may be shrouds or cooling fans missing within the engine or the gasket could be leaking. The fuel mixture might be too lean, another carburetor problem. Cleaning or replacing the fuel tank vent and fuel tank screen can help reduce the chance of your engine overheating as well. These are all fixes that you can do yourself or with some simple repair kit that will cost far less than a new engine.

o Smoking: If the engine is emitting blue or white smoke then it is likely burning oil. If it is emitting black smoke it is a problem with the carburetor most likely. If it is neither the carburetor nor an oil leak, then it might be a clogged or dirty air filter.

o Knocking engine: If your engine experiences knocking it may indicate an excess of carbon in the combustion chamber, which would require you to clean carbon from the piston and head. The flywheel might also be loose. A faulty spark plug lead could cause engine knocking. This can be easily repaired or replaced.

o Spark Plug Misses: This could be caused by any number of things, including a faulty spark plug, faulty breaker points, an incorrectly set carburetor, or a weak valve spring.

It may appear that your small engine problems are large and will require a brand new small engine. Very rarely is this the case thought. To save money, take note of what exact problems you are having with your engine, test the areas we have outlined above and talk to a small engine specialist about steps to take to get the engine in working order again. The steps may be as simple as basic cleaning or part replacement to a slightly more complex but much lest expensive small engine repower kit. In today’s economy, none of us can afford to make unwarranted purchases like new engines if it is not necessary.

~Ben Nystrom, 2009

Ben Nystrom lives in Portland, OR and writes for Repower Specialists, LTD.
Read more about complete small engine repair kits available online by visiting the Repower Specialists site specializing in truckster, mower and golf cart engines and parts.

Starting with affordable Internet businesses is one of the best small business ideas.

Establishing a small Internet business is much easier than any traditional business. Internet brings equal play fields for anyone who wants to start a small business, home business or simply want to work on an Internet job to earn extra income during spare time-regard as a “part time job Online”.

Do you know what will likely go down as the most colossal, most lucrative goldmine in mankinds’ history?

It is the Internet.

The Internet has become a worldwide revolution, radically changing the way the world communicates and gets its information.

E-commerce and shopping on the World Wide Web is already a multi-multi billion dollar industry… soon to be in the Trillions.

Broadband usage in the United States was predicted in 2000 to reach 22.3 million by 2002. The actual figure turned out to be 17.2 million. But by the end of 2003 however, 24.2 million US homes had high speed access.

What if YOU can share in the profits of this incredible global explosion?

Here’s perhaps the most surprising statistcs: At the peak of the “dot com frenzy”, Jupiter Research predicted the world’s online population would reach 498 million by 2003. According to eMarketer, because of rapidly surging growth in countries like China, India, and the Pacific Rim, the global Internet population last year jumped to over 633 million.

The Internet offers you the best financial opportunity. Anyone with commitment can succeed if they choose the best online businesses, follow clear marketing plan with good marketing tools.

There are a lot of advantages and benefits for the starting online business:

1. You can start affordable Intnernet businesses with LITTLE capital and have potential to make MILLIONS. Build an income well above what many conventional businesses.

2. You can build Online business and run it from anywhere in the world. Even when you are on vacation. The only tool you need to carry around is the laptop. If you don’t have a laptop, you can use computers in libraries or “Internet Cafes’” to check on your business (assuming your email is accessible remotely).

3. You can reach millions of visitors if you have websites! How many people visit the Mom-and-Pop corner brick and mortar store? You have the global market.

4. You can start and run your best Internet businesses at home office. You need just a small room or desk where the computer can sit on, and an internet connection from your home. You can reach the world from your home.

5. You do not need to hire anyone, but yourself. You can earn while you learn. Do not try to master everything at one time. It will cause frustration. You apply what you learn, and learn from what you’ve done. Gradually you will master the internet world.

6. You can do your business in your spare time. You do not need to quit any daytime job when you start your business. It is the best for those working moms and dads. You can work when your kids sleep. You can work anytime of the day or night. It is also good part time job opportunity for college students who can apply computer skills and make money for their tuition.

7. You can let your automatic system do the work for you. Run your business on autopilot

Plus TAX Advantages.

As a home business owner, you can huge take advantage. You can deduct the cost for your business travel, meals with business partners, and home office cost like your computer, internet connection, telephone, and other tools related to your business.

As you can see that there are a lot of potential from best Internet businesses and the leverage is enormous. But you need to act sooner than later before everyone in this world knows the secrets.

Starting your online business should not put you in debt. Hundreds of internet business owners who are making $100,000 more per year started for less than $200! You can be successful with your own business without investing much money, as long as you do the right things.

Take advantage of every free and low cost resource. Like free trial for 90 days, free bonuses, free eBooks, and more.

All you need for starting your best Internet businesses is the following:

- A good computer – An internet connection – Choose best Online businesses – Build your business and follow a good leader – Marketing your business with effective marketing resources

Once you find good online business model, with good leader’s help, and right promotional method, you are on your way to earn a good income online.

Note: Feel free to publish it with the resource box and content unchanged

Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com

Stop researching the subject and get started!  Starting a fish tank set up needn’t be difficult.  There is an enormous amount of information on the world wide web about setting up fish tanks and it can all seem a bit too much when you first start looking into it.  There are probably half a dozen things that you need to think about when you do your fish tank set up.  If you get those right, you’ll be able to learn the rest as you go along, so stop worrying, make some decisions and start enjoying your first fish tank.

Firstly, tempting as it may be to start with marine fish, I would advise against it.  The fish are a lot more expensive so any mistakes can be very costly.  Secondly, eighty percent of people who start the aquarium keeping hobby give up within twelve months.  With marine fish there a lot more to think about, more to learn and the cost of equipment is higher.  Make it easy on yourself and start with a freshwater tropical fish tank set up.

Why a tropical fish tank set up as opposed to a cold water fish tank set up, simply because it will give you a much wider choice of fish for virtually no extra effort.  First off select your aquarium.  Start with something between 20 and 40 gallons.  A great size for beginners, big enough to be interesting, small enough to be easy to look after.  When you’ve got the hang of it you can always but a bigger tank or get a second one.  make sure that you get an aquarium with a power filter that comes as standard.  (You need to|All you need to do is} make sure that it can pump five times the contents of the tank every hour, so if it’s a 20 gallon tank, it needs to pump 100 gallons per hour, if its a 40 gallon, then its 200 gallons per hour.  Simple maths but important.  If you have a pump that is too small your fish will die.

Think about where the tank is going to go.  Avoid direct sunlight is crucial and somewhere where you can enjoy it without rearranging the furniture too much.  Get it right first time.  Moving a full aquarium and stand is not an easy job and one that you should avoid whenever possible.  Every gallon weighs ten pounds!

Get an extra Heater.  If one fails your fish will still be OK.  It’s surprising how quickly a tank can cool down if the power goes off or a heater down.

Now, think about the fish which fish you want, don’t buy them but do think about what fish you want.  Is this going to be a species tank or a community tank.  I like community tanks simply because I like to see how the fish interact with each other.  Choose some top middle and bottom feeders to balance the tank.  Make sure that they all get on together.  A bit of research and planning will avoid potential problems later.  Most aquarium shops will advice on compatibility of fish.

I say think about the fish because that will effect the next two decisions.  Which substrate and plants.  Substrate is the gravel or sand that goes on the base of the tank.  If you go for fish that feed at the bottom of the tank the substrate needs to suit them as well as the plants.  Sand or Fine Gravel is recommended for bottom feeders.  Choose the easy to look after fish to start with. They tend to be cheaper and are more likely to survive if you make mistakes.

You’ll need enough Sand or Gravel to cover the bottom of the tank.  One and a half to two inches deep at the front of the tank sloping up to about four inches at the back for the larger plants.  Get some laterite that you can mix in with the bottom layer of substrate to help feed the plants.  You won’t need a lot.  Choose plants that don’t need extra light or carbon dioxide.  You can always move on to the harder to keep varieties later on if you get the bug.

Ok time to start.  Place the aquarium in its final position, set up all the equipment like lights filter etc. but don’t plug anything in yet.  Clean the tank with clean water.  Do not use soap or chemicals.  Wash your Gravel or sand until it runs clear.  Mix laterite with about a third of your substrate and spread it over the base of the tank.  Add the remainder of the substrate covering the base layer evenly and landscaping it as you want it.  Put a plate in the bottom of the tank and add your water pouring gently onto the plate to avoid disturbing the laterite.  Add your water conditioner to remove any chlorine.  Once the tank is full turn everything on and let it run until the water is up to temperature.  Now add your plants, putting the large ones at the back and leaving space for them to grow.

Now it is time for patience.  The biggest mistake that most people make with a fish tank set up it is not cycling the tank properly.  Your fish will be living in their own toilet.  Their waste together with any uneaten food will rot and create Ammonia which is poisonous to them.  So you need to allow the nitrogen cycle to establish fully before adding any fish.  There are several ways of speeding this up but I find the household ammonia method the quickest and easiest.

Once your tank is cycled it is safe to start adding fish and start enjoying them.  Fish tank set up completed and not too difficult!

If you found this article interesting and would like to know more about starting an aquarium check out my website at http://www.aquariumhintsandtips.com

Nick North is a keen freshwater aquarium enthusiast and spends a great deal of his time writing articles to promote the hobby to anyone interested in taking it up as a pastime. He has now got his own website aimed at the new aquarium enthusiast which gives lots of useful information on starting your first freshwater aquarium. If you found this article useful check out the site at: http://www.aquariumhintsandtips.com

Stress is the common problem these days for many people due to the changes in life style and the aggressive career goals. Many of us forget the stress built within us while chasing our dream of earning money to have a better life. To get peace of mind while we fight with this aggressive life style, many of us choose various relaxation methods. Playing games is considered as the best option since it relaxes the mind in a very enjoyable way. Tennis is one of the favorite games for many people which gives a complete body workout and helps in maintaining the body health as well. The game not only relaxes the mind, but also gives a stretching relief for the body.

Tennis being one of the most popular games around the world, individuals begins playing the game pretty early. As a result, more and more people line for playing. However, with the lack of space, most have to go through long queues and endless waits before they get a change to hit the tennis ball around the court. Public tennis courts are a few in number and so if you too are tired of waiting or never seem to find an empty court, you could consider building a backyard tennis court.

A backyard tennis court is a great solution for every tennis buff. And converting the backyard into a tennis court is a really cool idea as well! Whether you go for a grass court or a concrete court, you will have plenty to choose from and your dreams of having a backyard court could become a reality in no time. It is always great to have a play area at home, where you can spend considerable time of your day in the game and get the stress relief as well.

If you are lucky to have a backyard that’s big enough to house a court, you should immediately begin looking at data as to how to build a backyard tennis court. It is no secret that some of the most fames tennis stars of recent times had always enjoyed the services of a backyard court while growing up. From Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and the great Andre Agassi, everyone grew up playing tennis at the backyard tennis court. So if you too want to give support to your children who show immense talent in the sport, consider building a backyard court.

Planning For Backyard Tennis Court

For a grass backyard tennis court, what you need is a flat surface. If your backyard is big enough to hold a 78 by 36 feet tennis court, nothing like it! However, if you have a smaller backyard, go for a court that’s 27 feet wide. That would serve as a good singles court. Once you have the space,

• Get rid of all the obstructions huge stones, pebbles, bushes, debris, junk, etc.

• Reverse the soil with the help of a spade or shovel. This will help expose the fresh soil from underneath and will also help trim out all the extra, dead and dry grass.

• Rent a roller and take it around the playing surface. This will help harden the playing surface and make it level as well. You can hire a roller from the local hardware shop.

• Once you have leveled the ground, sprinkle grass seeds and with proper watering, you will see fresh, new grass appearing in no time, just the perfect beginning for your very own backyard tennis court.

• After the grass grows to a height of 19 mm, which is the height required for playing, you could start marking the area with the help of spray paints.

• The next step would be to a buy the net and install it. Take care while installing the net. Fix two poles on the adjacent sides to which the net will be tied. The net needs to be absolutely straight and uptight. Once equipped with the net, you will have successfully transformed your regular backyard into a sprawling court.

Construction Of The Tennis Court

While a grass backyard court is simple to set up and maintain, for areas where grass does not grow easily, concrete backyard tennis courts are the preferred choice. Concrete tennis courts are also heavy-duty, can be looked after easily, and are anti fracture. However unlike a grass backyard tennis court, constructing a concrete backyard tennis court is not very simple and therefore it is recommended that you consult an expert for it. There are a lot of construction firms that specialize in backyard tennis courts and it will do you good to seek their services. Before consulting the experts for the construction, you will need to collect a lot of information like the area space details, any other affecting factors like water, electricity etc… and most importantly your budget. Based on your inputs for the construction of the court, the construction companies give the plan and the estimation for making the backyard tennis court. It is suggested to consult with more than one consultation firm to make the your dream backyard tennis court.

For Tennis Career People

If you want your child to grow up and take tennis up as a profession, it is highly recommended that you get a backyard court. If you have the space and the resources, definitely go for it. A lot of the top tennis coaches of the country have always suggested that for a player to flourish later on, it is important that training begins early. And what better place to train than at home! Setting up a well planned tennis court at home will give flexibility for you and your children to practice the game anytime in the day. You can find a lot of tennis coaches available for training the players at home and give great tips to excel in the game. Having a backyard tennis court is always an added advantage to get an effective training from a home training tennis coaches.

Factors To Consider

While building a backyard tennis court, you should, however, be cautious about a few things. The neighborhood you live in could play a very vital role. If you have nice, friendly and supportive neighbors, then well and good! But if your neighbors are troublesome and like picking arguments, you may have to face a lot of problems. A lot of complaints are heard from neighbors of people who have backyard courts and how the light and the sound from the backyard tennis disturb them. Sometimes, if you play at night, you may have to use floodlights, and that often causes a lot of problems for the neighbors. Also, the constant, monotonous noise that a tennis ball machine makes can be very annoying for the people around you. So before you install a backyard court, make sure you have the neighbors on your side and thereby prevent any future misunderstandings and obstacles.

Budget And Time For The Construction

Building a backyard tennis court may seem simple, but before you embark upon the project, you need to sort out important issues like your budget, the time you are willing to devote, and so on. Budget is a very important consideration and the overall look, design and sturdiness of the backyard court will depend on the amount of money you will spend on it. So sit down and chart out a budget carefully. See how much money you can spend and where you want to spend it. Also, building a backyard tennis court will take up a lot of your time. Be sure that you will be able to devote that much time to the project; else the project will get completed with numerous flaws. You will need to check with the construction firm for the construction methods they follow and how they deploy the planned project. You can check their previous experience in making such projects, find their delivery time and can estimate how well and faster your dream court can be made.

So build a backyard tennis court that will not only give you the opportunity to play tennis and remain fit, it will also be a great place where you can have complete family activities at anytime of the year! Having our own tennis court at home gives lots benefits in having a joyful time with the family together at the play area, enjoy the game and have a wonderful time together!

Swati is a freelancer, a work from home mom, who loves to write. She is a postgraduate in English and an MBA. She has written on practically every niche on the web. She writes articles, blogs, web pages, reports, press releases, product descriptions, eBooks, sales letters and newsletters. Visit Swati’s blog at http://swatibanerjee.wordpress.com now if you need content for your business or personal needs.

Celebration is often a challenging topic for leaders. They wonder if they should celebrate and when they should celebrate. They waffle between “we don`t need to celebrate, people know we are succeeding” and celebrating every, single, little thing along the way.

The best answer (as is the often the case) lies somewhere in the middle.

Celebration is important and it can be overdone.

Most of the conversation and consternation is typically about celebrating (or not celebrating) success. However, the element of celebration most often forgotten is celebrating progress towards a goal.

Why celebrate progress?

You should consider celebrating progress for two basic reasons – focus and momentum.

In the midst of long projects or in the pursuit of big goals, focus can get lost. People can be so busy that they miss the progress. They are so busy in the forest that they miss the trees they have just passed or chopped down. When you recognize progress it helps renew focus while re-energizing the team.

In addition, the intangible momentum that is so easily seen in the athletic world is just as real in your business or organizational pursuits. Celebrating progress is one way to create and sustain momentum towards your goals.

So, the question is, how do you do it?

I`ve separated the dozen suggestions here into two categories – the results components (basically what and when to celebrate) and the process components (how to actually celebrate). Let`s get right to them.

Results Components

Base it on milestones.

In order to celebrate progress, you must know what progress you have made. Any good project plan (that`s an article in and of itself) will have milestones attached to it. Look at those upfront, and determine when might be good celebration points. Of course how the project is going in real life and in real time may alter your plan, but start with a celebration plan attached to the most important or strategic milestones.

Get the group involved.

Have other people let you know when a celebration might be needed, and get them involved in both the celebration planning and execution. When people feel ownership it will be more meaningful and real. I`m not suggesting abdication or total delegation, but a collaborative process.

Don`t be shy.

It is OK to celebrate! Let people know how much you appreciate their effort and progress.

Keep the celebration in perspective.

The celebration is of progress and that should be clearly stated. It`s important that people know that you aren`t done yet.

Really celebrate.

Balancing the previous point, don`t make the celebration a veiled attempt to get people to work harder. Any message that sniffs of “we`ve made good progress, but it is time to redouble our efforts” will be seen cynically, and may have a negative impact on morale and productivity.

Be authentic.

Let people know how much you appreciate their effort and progress. If you aren`t really feeling it, perhaps better to delay the celebration until you do – or until you get yourself a leadership attitude adjustment (another great article topic!).

Process Components

Have food.

The way to a man`s heart may very well be through his stomach… and… any celebration is better with food. Your situation will dictate how fancy or informal it is, but having food always makes a celebration better.

Make it an event.

It needn`t be big or elaborate, but it needs to be an event! Make sure people know when it is, and make it a priority that they be involved. A celebration should be an event.

Think about where.

While you could do your celebration anywhere, progress celebrations especially are often done when people feel they are still busy with the work. Creating the celebration onsite may balance people`s need to “keep working” with the need you see for celebration.

Think about when.

When to celebrate will really be dependent on the demographics of your group, their habits and the culture of your organization. You might consider your celebration first thing in the morning, at lunch or, even, after hours away from the office. Use the wisdom and advice of others to make this decision, rather than following your own personal preferences.

Consider gifts.

Gifts can be a great addition to your celebration. How about a t-shirt, a gift card or something else? Again, culture and preferences will play a role here – get others involved so gifts is perceived as valuable (not just ANOTHER coffee mug or pen). Remember to make sure the value of the gift is congruent with the point of progress.

Symbols are powerful.

Symbols are really a form of gift, but perhaps with less utility. Plaques, certificates or a hundred other things can be powerful reminders of the appreciation and progress that have been made.

Hopefully these 12 suggestions will help you make your celebrations of progress more successful and meaningful. Remember when used effectively celebrations can create focus, momentum and even greater morale and productivity.

The best leaders recognize the power of celebration! Many leaders also recognize the power of personal development. Leaders from around the world have decided to continue their personal (and professional) development using the Remarkable Leadership Learning System – a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. This system allows you to learn without travel and with materials available whenever it works best for you. Get more than $916.25 worth of leadership development materials including two complimentary months of that unique system today as part of Kevin Eikenberry’s Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever at http://MostRemarkableFreeLeadershipGiftEver.com.
Kevin is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, consultant and the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group ( http://www.KevinEikenberry.com ).

There was a time when everything was simple and this included snow skis. Before there were only some brands to choose from and all of them were for racing. With today’s engineering innovations, the shape and skin design has received more attention. Today there are over 500 models being tested by reputable ski authorities. If you were to have them it shows that you can have a different ski every day of the year.

Choosing the Right Ski

With so many brands and models, choosing the right one for you may be a tedious and mind-boggling activity. A lot of people resort to ski hires before buying. With ski hires, you can test different brands and models without spending too much. The first thing is to have focus when doing your search. You know your needs so search for a type that addresses these needs.

Ski Reviews

Ski authorities and publications test skis and release reviews on a regular basis. Read the pros and cons of skis that you may want to try out first as a ski hire. Reviews are made by certified instructors so they know what they are talking about.

Talk to Others

You can also ask experienced skiers or join discussions on the internet with other enthusiasts. There are a lot of points you will discover when you discuss skis with others.

Ski shop owners would also be one of the best sources for information. Most shops have staffs that are good skiers and they would have valuable inputs. They know the snow conditions for the place that you will frequently ski and thus can give advice what the best brand or model to use.

When to Buy

You may have tried several brands and models and may have listed down your impressions about them. Don’t fall for sales. They maybe cheap but then is it the ski that you are looking for? Do you feel comfortable with them on?

Check Popular Brands

Be sure to inspect and try on different models by top manufacturers. As you move from brand to brand, you will narrow down your choices and eventually have one pair that will suit you.

Consider Location

One other point to consider when buying skis is the location where you will be using them. The chosen ski must suit the conditions of the area. Each ski resort is different from the other and your skis must be able to deal with most situations.

Mt. Buller ski hire is available from Ski Chute 4. Visit the website at http://skichute4.com.au

For millions of people, public speaking is a fear that they cannot overcome. Some experts believe that it is because it is the fear of speaking to peers or people who the speaker perceives to know more about whatever subject they are speak about. This occurs even though to become a public speaker, one needs to be proficient in the subject.

Even the most seasoned public speaker will get butterflies in their stomach just before their appearance. No one is immune to this. It does not matter if you are speaking to a group of a thousand or a group of ten that little knot in your stomach is the fear that you will freeze at the podium or worse.

Studies have shown that the fear of public speaking is not an isolated event. One study showed that forty percent of people were so afraid to speak in public, that they could safely say that they would never consider a position where it was necessary.

There are many studies on this subject. One such study done was a study of fear. When the group in the study were asked question related to public speaking, seventy percent of them agreed that they would only speak in public in a panic situation.

In still another study, eighty percent of those asked responded that they would rather face eminent death before speaking in front of large crowds of people.

It takes a special kind of person to become a public speaker. It not only requires you to have knowledge on a specific subject, you also need to be strong and confident as well as skilled at the art of public speaking.

There are several things that you can do to perfect your public speaking skills if you choose to add this to your career. A good public speaker will create a lasting impression when they speak in front of a large crowd.

When you are a public speaker, you need to be confident enough to deliver a speech that is compelling and convincing whether the audience is large or small. A well-delivered speech does not only make the audience respond favorably, it also make the person delivering the speech feel like they are on top of the world.

Fear is a normal part of life. It is our defense mechanism that warns us upon impending danger. While in most cases of public speaking the danger does not apply, fear of looking foolish in front of great crowds is a normal reaction. Nobody is perfect, and a fear of making mistakes is what keeps millions of people from becoming public speakers.

No one who is a successful public speaker was born that way. Even the most seasoned speaker has had years of practice. There are many places where you can practice speaking; you can practice in front of a mirror, in your car on your way to work, or even in the shower. When you are ready to try your hand at speaking in front of people, use your family as the audience. Practice is the most powerful tool that can use to improve your public speaking skills.

In order to be a successful public speaker, you have to have confidence. This is something that is gained over time. When you practice, you are also building confidence. It is important that you overcome any fear of public speaking. If you give in to fear, it will take away any chance you have of becoming a public speaker. When you overcome your fear, you are effectively eliminating any limitations you may have.

Nobody in this world is perfect. The majority of people who have a fear of public speaking have that fear because they see flaws within themselves. They are afraid that they will fail; therefore they do not even try.

The power of the mind is an incredible thing. If you can convince yourself that you can succeed at public speaking, you are taking the necessary steps to improve your life. Having a positive attitude will only aid in your quest for a successful public speaking career.

Leon Edward helps people improve IQ, focus, public speaking, memory, concentration, creativity, speed reading, time management and reducing stress. Download his IQ Mind Brain Memory Self-Help library at his website http://www.IQMindBrainLibrary.com

Leon Edward helps people improve in Goal Setting, Success, Leadership, Motivation, Self-Improvement, Happiness, Memory Improvement, Stress Reduction and more through his articles, blogs, reports and self-help success roladex-on-line. Visit his Success-Leadership Library, Articles and blog at http://www.AwesomeSuccess.org

Leon Edward Helps people to start, grow and maximize online business income with training articles, reviews, marketing log… ideas and opportunities. Download his FREE Report – How to Find A Solid Home Business Opportunity without Getting Scammed! – Find online business training articles, an internet business in a box, FREE Content , starting a business free ideas, residual internet income opportunities and top network marketing home based businesses… all at http://www.HomeBusinessIT.com

Most people in the United States have heard that if a black cat crosses your path, bad luck will follow. Most people who respond to such an event by saying something like “uh-oh” don’t follow up and blame the cat for the fact that a few days later they are, say, fired from their job or trip over the dog and sprain an ankle. But the notion persists, as do many other folk beliefs about cats-as-trouble. Most of these notions arose (in the West) during the late Middle Ages, persisting well into the seventeenth and even the eighteenth centuries. They come down to us today, happily, for the most part filtered by time and reason into paler, less scary versions. In fact, in England it is good luck if a black cat crosses your path. But Europeans in earlier times found plenty of reasons to be truly horrible to cats, especially black ones.

Black cats were not only nocturnal like all cats, skulking around in the dark as if guilty of something, and they were often indifferent to humans, even haughty, but also they had the misfortune of being black. For Europeans in early times, black was-simply-bad. It was associated with the underworld, with night (when bad things like werewolves were on the prowl), with the dark forests where dangerous spirits and crazy people bent on mayhem lurked. It was a scary world, where Satan himself was a constant threat. He and his dark minions practiced the black arts and were always looking to traduce innocent souls into evil.* The world, back in late medieval times, was also full of somewhat attenuated beliefs based on ancient times. Rome’s Diana the Huntress was associated with cats and later in her career morphed a little bit into Hecate, goddess of the underworld and given to dark doings. Also she was associated with the moon, that unreliable and protean body in the night sky. Cats were awarded these attributes.

Early on, the Catholic Church tried to dispel any such pagan notions, discouraging belief in the witchcraft that appears to have always been part of life in most preliterate societies. But late in the Middle Ages when universal satisfaction with the teachings and workings of the Church began to decay, scapegoats were needed. In 1233, Pope Gregory IX explained that black cats were satanic and suddenly the Christian world was overrun with witches and their “familiars,” which is to say the black cats that the witches sent forth to do harm to people. Indeed, witches often turned into black cats. And witches of course were agents of the devil. Thousands of people, mostly women, were burned at the stake along with their cats. Putative witches were typically tortured, and they readily admitted their guilt to stop the torture, even repeating various totally made-up incantations. Thus the virulence of witchcraft was proved, leading to a kind of mass hysteria in which yet more witches were put to the torch. Meanwhile, with such a bad rap, cats of all colors were persecuted.

In one common event, they were hung in bags that avid medieval sportsmen would attack with lances. Indeed, killing cats by one means or another was a highly popular pastime. In these exercises, there was no special emphasis on black cats-any cat would do. From this era comes the old saying “no room to swing a cat,” another sportsmen’s amusement. Possibly harking back to the Egyptian belief that cats were associated with fecundity, some medieval European farmers would bury a cat-alive- near each field they planted, to ensure the growth of the crops. In one macabre case, English archaeologists in the nineteenth century found the remains of thousands of cats buried by the adoring ancient Egyptians, and shipped them back to Albion to be ground up and used as fertilizer.

Mistreatment of cats in this era took many forms. As James Serpell of the University of Pennsylvania describes it, On feast days as a symbolic means of driving out the Devil, cats, especially black ones, were captured, tortured, thrown onto bonfires, set alight and chased through the streets, impaled on spits and roasted alive, burned at the stake, plunged into boiling water, whipped to death, and hurled from the tops of tall buildings; and all, it seems, in an atmosphere of extreme festive merriment.

Europe was not alone in the world in its distaste for all that cats stood for. Evil cats were common features of some Oriental folklore. In Japan, huge vampire cats took the form of human females and sucked the blood and strength from unwitting men. The Japanese used to cut off cats’ tails, believing the tail to be the seat of their malevolence. On the other hand, cats were looked upon with great favor in many Japanese monasteries, where bobtail cats called temple cats or kimono cats were thought to exemplify much of the wisdom passed on by the Buddha. And today, the Japanese have given the world the manekineko or beckoning cat, which can be found in many Asian restaurants and homes in this country as well as Japan and the rest of Asia.

The ceramic figure, something like a children’s illustration, recalls a cat that legendarily stood at the entrance of a famous temple beckoning a feudal lord to come inside. A lightning bolt struck where the lord had been standing and thereafter the beckoning cat was taken to be an incarnation of the goddess of mercy. It is also said to be good for businesses, beckoning customers, and for happiness and harmony-a long way from the cat vampires of old. Today in the West the association of cats with witches is memorialized in Hallowe’en costumery and iconography wherein witches on broomsticks ride across the disc of the full moon, while cartoonish black cats with malevolently arched backs spit and hiss in the foreground. On the last day of October, diminutive witches with black pointy hats will now turn up on doorsteps cheerfully calling for tricks or treats. And, of course, at least 278 zillion people have read about Harry Potter whose witch-filled world is also populated by kneazles, catlike creatures with spots and big ears, that appear to be mostly benevolent. In Islamic countries, cats are and were much admired, especially since the prophet Mohammed was particularly fond-and respectful-of cats, once cutting off his sleeve rather than awakening the cat who was sleeping on it. On the other hand, most Muslims find dogs objectionable. Dogs are eaten in many Asian restaurants, but I know of no place where cats are part of the normal diet.

The idea that a black cat crossing your path is bad luck is a southern European and Irish superstition, exported to the Americas. The English, as noted earlier, consider such an event good luck, and here and there local superstitions suggest that the appearance of a black cat in the presence of a pregnant woman assures a healthy offspring. Cats, and especially black ones, seem to have enjoyed a remarkable power: to be (in one place or another or at one time or another) all things to all people. Even at the height of cat persecution, plenty of cats lived comfortably with families who valued them for their help in vermin control. Indeed, in some places in England, if someone killed your cat, he would be forced to provide you with a pile of grain as high as the cat was long.

I myself had a black cat for several years. I did not seek him out. Instead, two women in the office where I worked at the time thought it would be funny (I suppose) or somehow fitting for them to present me with a large carton at the end of one October day-it was a few days before Hallowe’en-in which there sat a lanky young black cat with a look in his eyes of what seemed low-level outrage. The carton itself was decorated with various kinds of feline graffiti. I was unable to think of a graceful, or even ungraceful, way to refuse this gift, but the thought of schlepping the elaborately decorated carton to Grand Central Terminal in New York City and boarding a crowded train for the hour’s ride to my town, then arriving at my door and trying to explain to my then wife how we had come to have a cat and then introducing the cat to our dog while our three young daughters enthusiastically mauled it… well, it was not an auspicious beginning.

I was aware that black cats had a reputation for bringing bad luck, but as a science editor I was not going to worry about such nonsense. We found it difficult for reasons I don’t recall to come up with a name for this interloper, so finally, in a burst of paternal authority (this was the late 1960s) and stunning imagination I unilaterally named him Cat. Science or no, I was tempted to look up a few superstitions about black cats and found, of course, that I should be careful about him crossing my path, and if he did the antidote was something like walking around the point where I had seen him twelve times, then heading off backwards in my original direction. I pronounced myself grateful for my exposure to science, thinking how time-consuming it would be for me to feel I needed the antidote, what with Cat strolling though the house day in and day out. Imagine the superstitious life: you would have hardly any time for anything else.

Anyway, I came to know Cat and to be very fond of him, admiring all the things about cats that all cat people admire, though if he ever caught a mouse and dispatched it (or a bird, for that matter), I was unaware of it. I did not consider this a failing-just Cat’s amiable and, I thought, admirable approach to life. He took things easy and stayed out of trouble. Like most people, I have experienced plenty of misfortunes, mostly minor ones, but it has never occurred to me to blame any of them on Cat, who was a really good guy. One day, in his late teens, with out having shown much by way of signs of aging, he simply stopped being alive.

I have since learned that nowadays it is not always easy to obtain a black cat from an animal shelter in the days near Halloween. This is because some of the good people who devote themselves to such places do not want to run the risk of someone taking a black cat off to some horrid altar and performing lethal satanic rituals with it. This, in the twenty-first century!

It is a sad commentary to think that such a precious and complicated organ as the human brain, capable of designing a laser, or a symphony, or a democratic constitution, or of divining the common molecular basis for all of life on this planet, can still be so foully and stupidly misused.

Not all superstitions about cats that persist today are malevolent, of course; most of them are positive and harmless, if a bit silly. Upon reflection, it does seem strange for an animal whose evolutionary history is so steadfastly catlike-you have to go back many millions of years to find a cat ancestor that doesn’t look and act unmistakably like a cat-to be assigned so variegated an array of meanings. The human propensity to imagine the supernatural or the anthropocentric and pin it on perfectly innocent animals is astonishing. Snakes have, as noted, gotten an especially bad rap (aside from the fact that some are poisonous) for conning Eve, and other offenses. Most American Indian cultures believe the presence of an owl, and especially the hooting of an owl, presages a death. Who doesn’t-deep down-believe that the bluebird brings happiness? Dogs have both suffered and been esteemed in their symbolic essences. Horses come off pretty well in this regard: malevolent horses are rarely seen in human folklore or in the tribunals of people of faith.

Cats and dogs are considered either contemptible or splendid in a kaleidoscope of ways and for a host of reasons. The Church of Rome, for example, found dogs to be despicable because of their licentiousness but also heroic for their loyalty. The Church held cats in some contempt (not only were they licentious but they were noisy about it) until a papal successor to Pope Gregory IX began raising them. Then attitudes toward cats slowly changed to mostly positive. Today, in the United States, more cats are pets than dogs.

We have been talking about cats as seen in the mirror that many people carry around, imagining that their own reflections project some truth about the rest of nature. These are what Michael Sims, the scholar of the remarkable tales of archy and mehitabel, calls “symbolic delusions.” It seems to me that all such notions-complimentary ones as well as utterly insulting ones, none of which has been solicited by cats themselves-are, if anything useful at all, a version of a Rorschach test, those ink blot examinations that humans use to try to figure out other humans. But this is a book about real cats, so the rest of it will endeavor to tell the story of cats largely from their own point of view, as best we can perceive that.

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Georgia health insurance offers medical benefits that cover the cost of treatment incurred in a hospital. The coverage provided is comprehensive which includes doctor visits, hospital stays, emergency, prescription, dental care, and mental health care. It serves families, students, kids, employees, workers, self employed, small and large businesses, and retirees.

For the citizens of Georgia, a wide variety of health insurance plans are available to choose from. Each one varies significantly based on the size of deductible and the benefits covered. Individual health insurance, family health insurance, group health insurance, student health insurance, affordable health insurance, health insurance for children only, and temporary health insurance are some of the insurance plans available in Georgia.

In Georgia, health insurance laws and regulations regarding individual health insurance is different from other US states. The law allows insurers to deny the request for individual health insurance based on pre-existing medical condition and current health conditions.

The state of Georgia has moderate insurance regulation which protects both insurance consumers as well as the insurance company. According to “guaranteed renewability provision”, a health insurance policy regulation, an insurance owner is allowed to renew a policy without considering his/her health status.

In Georgia there is no limit on the premiums that the companies can charge for a health plan. Also, the law restricts that an insurer cannot cancel one?s insurance policy based on their health condition or age. In certain states, children of unemployed parents are denied from getting health insurance policy. Through a plan called Peach Care, Georgia State provides opportunity for such children to be insured.

Before purchasing health insurance, it is necessary to compare the different health insurance quotes. An insurance agent or an insurance broker is the right person to help you in finding a health insurance policy that best suits your requirement. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia, Kaiser Permanente, Assurant Health, Celtic Insurance Company, Time Insurance Company, and United Healthcare of Georgia are some of the leading companies that provide excellent health insurance coverage for the citizens of Georgia.

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

If you decide not to do a car insurance comparison and simply renew your insurance at the same rate, you could be paying away needless amounts of your hard-earned money. By doing a car insurance comparison, you could get a cheaper rate than what you are presently paying.

A car insurance comparison rate is quite easy to do from home on your computer. This way you don’t have to spend time during the day contacting the various insurance companies during their business hours. You can sit down at any time of the night and do the car insurance comparison yourself by requesting free quotes from the various online car insurance companies.

Most of the online insurance sites will return a free quote as to the rate they charge for your insurance needs within 24 hours. It is best to request at least three quotes so you can do a car insurance comparison when you get them. If you print them off, then you can sit back with your coffee and do a car insurance comparison of the rates. Take your time and make sure you are actually doing a comparison of the same types of coverage.

Another way you can get the car insurance comparison you need without spending too much time on the computer is to contact an online car insurance broker. Using a broker takes all the work out of car insurance comparison. Rates vary from company to company and some of them give discounts for certain things.

You may find when doing a car insurance comparison that some companies give a discount if you are over age 50. Others might have a discount if you have a perfect driving record and still others may offer a discount if you work in a certain industry or if you do not drive your car to work. It does pay to shop around for a car insurance comparison rate.

The type of car you have will affect the quote you get with a car insurance comparison rate. A sports car will cost you more in insurance, as will city driving as opposed to all rural driving where there is less traffic and therefore less chance of having an accident. There are some companies that will give you a break if you have had accidents in the past. If you have several vehicles, you need to do a car insurance comparison to find a company that will give you a lower rate when you insure all the vehicles under the same policy. Shop around and don’t be afraid to ask questions about the company and its system of rates that it charges. Although some people say knowledge can be dangerous, it will save you money when it comes to getting car insurance.

Do a car insurance comparison, you may be surprised.

For a website totally devoted to Car Insurance visit Peter’s Website Car Insurance Answers and find out about Auto Insurance Comparisons as well as Auto Insurance Rates and more, including UK Car Insurance, online Car Insurance and Car Insurance Quotes.

Institutions of education, and the system of which they are a part, face a host of unprecedented challenges from forces in society that affect and are influenced by these very institutions and their communities of learners and educators. Among these forces are sweeping demographic changes, shrinking provincial budgets, revolutionary advances in information and telecommunication technologies, globalization, competition from new educational providers, market pressures to shape educational and scholarly practices toward profit-driven ends, and increasing demands and pressures for fundamental changes in public policy and public accountability relative to the role of higher education in addressing pressing issues of communities and the society at large. Anyone of these challenges would be significant on their own, but collectively they increase the complexity and difficulty for education to sustain or advance the fundamental work of serving the public good.

Through a forum on education, we can agree to: Strengthening the relationship between higher education and society will require a broad-based effort that encompasses all of education, not just individual institutions, departments and associations.

Piecemeal solutions can only go so far; strategies for change must be informed by a shared vision and a set of common objectives. A “movement” approach for change holds greater promise for transforming academic culture than the prevailing “organizational” approach.

Mobilizing change will require strategic alliances, networks, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders within and beyond education.

The Common Agenda is specifically designed to support a “movement” approach to change by encouraging the emergence of strategic alliances among individuals and organizations who care about the role of higher education in advancing the ideals of a diverse democratic system through education practices, relationships and service to society.

A Common Agenda

The Common Agenda is intended to be a “living” document and an open process that guides collective action and learning among committed partners within and outside of higher education. As a living document, the Common Agenda is a collection of focused activity aimed at advancing civic, social, and cultural roles in society. This collaboratively created, implemented, and focused Common Agenda respects the diversity of activity and programmatic foci of individuals, institutions, and networks, as well as recognizes the common interests of the whole. As an open process, the Common Agenda is a structure for connecting work and relationships around common interests focusing on the academic role in serving society. Various modes of aliening and amplifying the common work within and beyond education will be provided within the Common Agenda process.

This approach is understandably ambitious and unique in its purpose and application. Ultimately, the Common Agenda challenges the system of higher education, and those who view education as vital to addressing society’s pressing issues, to act deliberately, collectively, and clearly on an evolving and significant set of commitments to society. Currently, four broad issue areas are shaping the focus of the Common Agenda: 1) Building public understanding and support for our civic mission and actions; 2) Cultivating networks and partnerships; 3) Infusing and reinforcing the value of civic responsibility into the culture of higher education institutions; and 4) Embedding civic engagement and social responsibility in the structure of the education system

VISION We have a vision of higher education that nurtures individual prosperity, institutional responsiveness and inclusivity, and societal health by promoting and practicing learning, scholarship, and engagement that respects public needs. Our universities are proactive and responsive to pressing social, ethical, and economic problems facing our communities and greater society. Our students are people of integrity who embrace diversity and are socially responsible and civilly engaged throughout their lives.

MISSION The purpose of the Common Agenda is to provide a framework for organizing, guiding and communicating the values and practices of education relative to its civic, social and economic commitments to a diverse democratic system.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

I believe social justice, ethics, educational equity, and societal change for positive effects are fundamental to the work of higher education. We consider the relationship between communities and education institutions to be based on the values of equally, respect and reciprocity, and the work in education to be interdependent with the other institutions and individuals in society.

We will seek and rely on extensive partnerships with all types of institutions and devoted individuals inside and outside of higher education.

We realize the interconnection of politics, power and privilege. The Common Agenda is not for higher education to self-serve, but to “walk the talk” relative to espoused public goals. We understand the Common Agenda as a dynamic living document, and expect the activities it encompasses to change over time.

THE COMMON AGENDA FRAMEWORK The general framework for the common agenda is represented in the following diagram. It is clear that while goals and action items are organized and aliened within certain issues areas, there is considerable overlap and complimentarity among the issues, goals and action items. Also, following each action item are names of individuals who committed to serve as “point persons” for that particular item. A list of “point persons,” with their organizational affiliation(s) is included with the common agenda.

ISSUES

ISSUE 1: MISSION AND ACTIONS

Public understanding more and more equates higher education benefits with acquiring a “good job” and receiving “higher salaries.” To understand and support the full benefits of higher education the public and higher education leaders need to engage in critical and honest discussions about the role of higher education in society. Goal: Develop a common language that resonates both inside and outside the institution. Action Items: Develop a common language and themes about our academic role and responsibility to the public good, through discussions with a broader public.

Collect scholarship on public good, examine themes and identify remaining questions. Develop a national awareness of the importance of higher education for the public good through the development of marketing efforts.

Goal: Promote effective and broader discourse. Action Items: Raise public awareness about the institutional diversity within and between higher education institutions.

Identify strategies for engaging alumni associations for articulating public good and building bridges between higher education and the various private and public sector companies. Develop guidelines of discourse to improve the quality of dialogue on every level of society. Organize a series of civil dialogues with various public sectors about higher education and the public good.

ISSUE 2: DEVELOPING NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Approaching complex issues such as the role of higher education in society that requires a broad mix of partners to create strategies and actions that encompass multiple valued perspectives and experiences.

Broad partnerships to strengthen the relationship between higher education and society involves working strategically with those within and outside of higher education to achieve mutual goals on behalf of the public good.

Goal: Create broad and dispersed communication systems and processes.

Action Items:

Create an information and resource network across higher education associations Create information processes that announce relevant conferences, recruit presenters and encourage presentations in appropriate national conferences Develop opportunities for information sharing and learning within and between various types of postsecondary institutions (e.g. research-centered communities).

Goal: Create and support strategic alliances and diverse collaborations.

Action Items: Establish and support on-going partnerships and collaborations between higher education associations and the external community (e.g. civic organizations, legislators, community members) Explore with the public how to employ the role of arts in advancing higher education for the public good Promote collaboration between higher education and to address access, retention, and graduation concerns

ISSUE 3: INSTILLING AND REINFORCING THE VALUE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY INTO THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Education should attend to the implicit and explicit consequences of its work, and reexamine “what counts” to integrate research, teaching and service for the public good to the core working of the institution.

Goal: Emphasize civic skills and leadership development in the curriculum and co-curriculum.

Action Items: Develop and implement a curriculum in colleges and universities that promote civic engagement of students Create co-curricular student and community programs for leadership and civic engagement development Develop learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom, that promote liberty, democratic responsibility, social justice and knowledge of the economic system Develop student leadership and service opportunities that focus on ethical behavior Teach graduate students organizing and networking skills, and encourage student leadership and Diversity education

Goal: Foster a deeper commitment to the public good.

Action Items: Work with faculty on communication skills and languages to describe their engagement with the public, and educate faculty for the common good Identify models for promotion and tenure standards Identify models for faculty development

Goal: Identify, recognize, and support engaged scholarship.

Action Items: Identify and disseminate models and exemplars of scholarship on the public good Encourage the participation in community research Help institutions call attention to exemplary outreach. Establish a capacity building effort for institutions

Goal: Bring graduate education into alignment with the civic mission.

Action Items: Work with disciplinary associations to hold dialogues on ways graduate student training can incorporate public engagement, involvement and service Promote “civic engagement” within academic and professional disciplines according to the disciplines’ definition of “civic engagement” Incorporate the concept of higher education for the public good into current graduate education reform efforts

ISSUE 4: EMBEDDING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

Promoting the public benefits of higher education requires system efforts beyond institutions to intentionally embed values of civic engagement and social responsibility in governance practices, policy decisions, and educational processes.

Goal: Align governing structures and administrative strategies.

Action Items: Develop ways to improve student and the community involvement in the governance and decision making process of educational institutions. Identify and promote ways for institutions to improve involvement with the public and the practice of democracy within their own institution. Establish public good/civic engagement units that orchestrate this work throughout institutions.

Goal: Publicly recognize and support valuable engagement work.

Action Items: Offer public awards that reward institutions with demonstrable track record in serving the public good in order to encourage institutionalization of performance around the public good and civic engagement.

Develop a comprehensive inventory of funding sources, association activities, initiatives, and exemplary practices that advance the public good. Identify, recognize, and support early career scholars who choose to do research on higher education and its public role in society.

Goal: Ensure that assessment and accreditation processes include civic engagement and social responsibility.

Action Items: Identify service for the public good as a key component in provincial and federal educational plans (e.g. Master Plans, provincial budgets, and professional associations).

Bring higher education associations and legislators together to broaden current definition of student outcomes and achievement, and develop a plan for assessment.

Develop strategies and processes to refocus system-wide planning, accreditation and evaluation agendas to consider criteria assessing the social, public benefits of education.

Goal: Cultivate stronger ties between the university, federal and provincial government.

Action Items: Develop a 2-year implementation plan that joins the university rector / Pro-rector and Director with provincial legislators to engage in an assessment of the needs of the public by province Host a series of dialogues between trustees and provincial legislators to discuss the role of universities and public policy in advancing public good at a local, provincial, and national level.

Ms. Afshan Saleem
Senior Lecturer
Bahria University
Karachi

It is very convenient to pick out and purchase your children clothing or baby clothing online but it can sometimes be costly. In fact, a lot of parents are spending more than they expected for their childrens clothing. What they should recognize is the presence of various online stores that offer good quality kids clothes at affordable prices.

Online stores that offer children’s clothing and clothing for babies have become increasingly famous since they serve as alternatives to acquiring the same goods that you usually buy at children’s boutiques and shops. With online shopping, it makes it convenient for you since all you have to do is navigate and click. It saves you time and effort. Moreover, you will be presented with a wide array of clothes to choose from. Boys shirts, girls dresses, baby clothes, accessories and other kids clothes and accessories are available for certain ages and sizes, you will surely find what you’re looking for. It makes it easier for you to compare prices, colors and styles too. Also, you won’t have to deal with salespeople who keep pressuring you while you’re looking around.

It is important that you know of good quality brands for your childrens clothing. A shirt that is manufactured by a well-known and trusted company lasts longer and does not have stain problems. It can even appear like new after your kid wear it several times already and after many washings. When your child no longer needs the clothing, probably because your kids have grown taller and bigger, you may resell them at online children stores for lower prices. Brands such as tadpole and lilypad, anavini, babynotag, paris chere and fun bath are perceived to be of good quality by most parents.

It is easy to find quality clothes for children websites online. But first, make sure to use a reliable search engines such as Google, Yahoo, AOL, MSN or Altavista. Then, all you have to perform is standard internet search by inputting keywords or terms in search engines such as “clothes for babies” or “children’s clothing” or “Quality todler clothing” and hitting the search button. To find local kid clothing websites, include your city or state along with the keywords for instance “NJ kids clothing”, “quality clothing for kids in NJ” or “toddler clothes in NJ”. In seconds, you will find a list of websites. From your visited sites, carefully look at images of kids clothing and their corresponding prices. Then compare similar items with their respective prices and select the best website for your childs clothes.

When you have finally selected the items you want to purchase, you will have to fill out an order form. Verify the site is secure when ordering. You can tell because you will see https instead of just http in the address bar. There are some indications that a site guarantees a secure and safe ordering place for its customers. Some sites allow their customers to return the items they purchased from them, especially clothes, at anytime and for any reason. The site must only ask relevant information from you such as your address for dropping your order package, credit card number for your payment, or an email address for you to check the status of your order and nothing more. Any information asked of you should be necessary, timely and appropriate for the purpose of processing your order and delivery.

Searching Ebay can help you find good quality children clothing. They have a lot of wonderful items for little boys and girls. It is user-friendly and trusted by most parents in providing good quality kid clothing at reasonable prices. Ebay also updates its posted items regularly so that you will always be provided with new and trendy clothes for kids.

Buying your kids clothes should not be costly. Visit online stores and check the quality of their products and how much they cost. Be careful when giving out any of your confidential and financial information to protect yourself from online threats.

This article was written by Joe Trzepla, a website designer that helps promote companies on the web. Bellamelissa is a quality childrens clothes [http://www.bellamelissa.com] company that sells quality clothing for children and clothes for babies.

Pregnant women who are less than 5’4″ look out for petite maternity clothes that seem to be so hard to find! At one point there was not much of a market for clothes in their size and they had to make do with over-sized, ill fitting clothes. Women these days still find it hard to get petite maternity clothes or stylish maternity cloths in the local stores but they can find a great selection online.

Many stores offer a huge variety in petite maternity clothes at easy affordable prices making it possible for the elfin Venuses amongst us to look their best too! Expectant petite women need not worry about shopping for maternity clothes during the first trimester. They can wear pants and skirts that have adjustable elastic bands as well as their regular clothing initially. It is usually during the second trimester that their growing body requires clothes that are soft, stretchable and comfortable to wear. Most often clothes that are designed for pregnant women are made of 90% cotton and 10% Lycra as such clothes grow with the body i.e. are stretchable.

Select Trendy, Petite Maternity Clothes

Are you also petite and pregnant? Well, you can be fashionable, petite and pregnant at the same time by wearing trendy maternity clothes in petite sizes. There are boot cut maternity jeans, twill pants, capris, smart short maternity skirts, tops, shirts, halter neck, tank and tune tops and many such attractive casual and formal wear outfits available in petite sizes too. You can make those days when you feel queasy more bearable by looking your best, dressed in bright or soft colored clothes.

If you search hard you may get cheap maternity clothes of good quality in petite sizes too. If you are shopping online be sure to get the right size and if you are still in doubt contact customer service section of the stores as most of them offer excellent customer service.

Funny maternity clothes in petite sizes are also available in some stores. There are also maternity swim and active wear available in petite sizes. Some fashionable evening and part wear in clingy, breathable fabrics to stylish and formal petite maternity clothes are available too. In case you need a petite maternity wedding gown a search online can make your shopping much easier and more cost effective. Affordable maternity clothes are a reality thanks to the sales offered by various stores as well as the variety available at the discount stores.

Petite maternity clothes are available in wide variety to suit all budgets from exclusive designer wear to affordable off the rack clothes. Make sure you stick to a planned budget as you get to wear these clothes only for a short duration. Small is beautiful especially if you are pregnant! You can also look adorable wearing attractive and stylish petite maternity clothes.

Availability of different types of maternity clothes has made the life of pregnant women very convenient. You can opt from the large range of petite maternity clothes, funky maternity cloths, trendy maternity cloths and stylish maternity cloths as well. Visit Pregnancy Clothes to know more about related topics like breastfeeding cloths, nursing pajamas, and special occasion maternity dress.

If you have a car then you must know that keeping it in perfect condition is a hard task as your car requires constant maintenance right after you have bought it. The car engine and the various other parts of your car can start wearing down within a few months of using it, so you need to stick to a proper schedule of maintenance and servicing for your car engine and motors. The question about replacing or repairing worn out engines would depend upon the actual circumstances and the condition of your car.

Automotive motor repair and engine replacement can be very expensive, so you need to understand the various parts of your car and educate yourself about the engine requirements to avoid untimely repair and engine replacement of your car. The car engine, brakes and brake liners suffer innumerable wear and tear and generally break down easily, so you need to look out for their maintenance regularly and keep yourself updated about your car health.

You should regularly put your car for engine tune up and examine the ignition system and emission controls of your car, so that the motors of your car remains in healthy condition and your car engine runs smoothly for a longer time. However, sooner or later, problems would arise and you would certainly need to replace certain parts of the ignition system such as the contact breaker and distributor cap or rotor button. Adjustments in the cylinder head bolts and the replacement of filters and spark plugs may also be necessary, so you need to check with your car mechanic to find out more about your car engine and regularly replace parts that are worn out. New vehicles do not need regular engine tune-ups and can run smoothly for years without replacement or repairing, however, you must not take any chances and regularly send your car for servicing.

At times, even with proper engine tune ups, you would find that your car engine is wearing down and may even breakdown eventually. When this happens, you would have to decide about either replacing your car engine or repairing it to drag on for a few more years. Of course, you need to understand that engine repair is only possible if your car engine is still repairable, otherwise you would have to replace your motor engine. Motor repair is possible for cars that produce strange noises and have locked up engines, but for engines that have totally broken down, it is recommended that you go in for engine replacement.

You can replace your car engine with a branded engine or you may try out the affordable used up engines that are available in the markets. Though most servicing mechanics would ask you to buy brand new engines, however, if you are low on your budget, then you may also try out the revamped engines that come in for much cheaper prices. However, whatever may be your choice, ultimately it is the life of your car and your motors that has to be kept in mind while deciding on whether to replace or repair your car engine.

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Building your resume, based on a resume outline will give it structure and flow… it provides an outline of all the things you should include in your resume.

A resume is one of the most important documents you will ever create

First you have to decide on a particular format for your resume. The two main formats in use today are chronological and functional format. Which one is best to use will depend greatly on your situation.

To build your resume you can use free resume forms located on the web. This can provide you with directions if you are having trouble building your resume.

A sample resume outline would include the following sections:

The Heading

Your resume should start with the heading. You can list your basic details so the employer can contact you. You can include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.

NAME

ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBER

EMAIL ADDRESS

Job Objective

This is an optional section of your resume outline. Here you can tell readers what the objective of your resume is and what you are looking for.

Example:

Entry-level accounting position with medium to large public accounting firm.

The “Body” is the largest section of your resume outline

This is where you can enter details about your education, work experience and additional information. The body contains:

Education

Here you can list your educational background.

Educational Background Format: College, Degree, Major, Honors, Relevant Courses

Sample Education Section: Drexel University

BA Educational Leadership, May 2000

If you have a college education, do not list your high school information. You can also list any honors for academic excellence in this section of your resume outline.

If you are a graduating senior or looking for an internship, you can add a relevant courses section to your resume outline.

Employment History

This is an important part of the resume. Here you can list your previous employment history. If you are using a chronological resume format, you should list the most recent job positions first on your resume outline.

Example:

Drug Emporium, Wayne, PA

Cashier, June to September, 2001

Supervised customer check out

Handled the cash register

Managed and stocked merchandise

You can also list relevant volunteer activities or work experience programs if you do not have much job experience.

Achievements

If you have any special achievements you would like to announce, you can use this section. Maybe you made a suggestion that saved your previous boss a ton of money. You can list it in this section of your resume outline.

Special Skills

The remaining sections of the resume can include additional skills such as fluency in a foreign language.

References

You should leave this section out altogether. References are not required at this stage and stating that ‘References are available upon request’ is assumed anyway… so you just end up wasting valuable space!

Additional Optional Sections

You can add additional sections to your resume outline such as volunteer work, community involvement or honors. You also have to decide on the layout of your resume.

Choose a common font and medium range font-size, such as 12. Decide how you want to highlight the headings of the different sections. You can use bold, italics or underline to highlight section headings. Some people use bold and a larger font size to highlight their name on the resume.

The last part of your resume will probably receive little focus, so if you have a marketable skill or outstanding honor you should try to incorporate them in earlier sections of your resume.

You can find a lot of resources on the web that can provide you with free outlines and sample resume layouts. Usually an outline will differ if the resume is for a recent college graduate or a long time professional. Choose a resume outline that is specific to your career field and you can build your resume around that outline.

Roger Clark has an excellent selection of articles with templates for resumes posted on his blog and if you need some free resume templates [http://www.studentsforasecurefuture.org/ready-for-a-career-change/] then this is an article you should not miss.

It may be hard to believe but a fish tank will require a lot of care and management. If you have had problems in keeping your fish alive even for a few months, you will need to take a closer look at your fish tank. It may sound simple but it’s anything but simple. Taking care of the aquarium will require some effort on your part and you will need to plan in advance in order to get the techniques right. The normal life spans of the archetypal tanks are measured in years and not in months, but the life of the fishes vary from species to species. These fish have the potential to live anywhere between 3 to 7 years, and the goldfish can survive for almost 20 years.

If you are taking the care of your fish tank, the right way, the life span of your fish will increase dramatically and they will be able to live out their whole life span. One of the major requirements you will need to pay attention to are the food supplies. The food supply tends to vary with the change of season and guess what, so does the feed amount. Hence, you should try to serve your fish with less food during winter and more during summer. You may already be aware of the fact that small fishes are under constant threat of an attack from the bigger ones, so it may be a good idea to keep the small fishes separately in a tank all on their own. Usually the fish don’t become old and die, but get eaten by others when they grow weak. As macabre as that may seem, that’s a fact when it comes to fishes, of course, the tank could always do them in first especially if you haven’t taken care of it.

Fish tanks can become breeding grounds for various kinds of diseases, so you will need to sanitize the tank when cleaning it in order to protect your fishes from these diseases. The fish can get various types of illnesses, so you’ll need to do all you can to prevent them from becoming sick in the first place. If you’re a hands on sort of person and would prefer to treat the fish on your own, you would be better off hitting the books in the quest of getting information on fish diseases. You’ll need to learn about the various diseases and the effective methods of treatment for the same. In such cases, prevention is much better than cure, and you should clean the tank regularly to avoid these problems. The fish tank should have good-quality water and the fishes should be provided with a balanced diet. Poor quality water can stress out the fish so you’ll need to take care that the water is of good quality and aerated properly. Generally their immune systems are strong enough to protect them from a few disease-causing organisms, but if you prefer not to leave anything to chance, you’ll need to start cleaning the tank on a regular basis. You should check the tank regularly to ensure that the fishes are in good health, and do not end up falling prey to some disease. You can generally make this out form observing any changes in their physical appearance or in their activities. If you do notice the same, then it’s time to start cleaning the filter, the tank and change at least one third of the water in the aquarium.

Medication can be added to the water in the fish tank but it needs to be done carefully. If the fishes are sick then it is better to opt for treating the fish than just dunking them in medicated water. There are a few fish medications that are not effective and can actually cause more harm to the sick fishes. As the physical condition of fishes start to improve, you can start changing the tank water on a regular basis again. You will need to remember that fishes require constant care and you can do so by cleaning the aquarium first. The water in the tank is the main source of survival for the fishes, and carelessness here would result in loss of their lives.

Remember that certain kind of fish require special modifications to be carried out to the tank in order to ensure that they remain healthy. It could be the ambient water temperature, so you will need to check the water temp every now and then, to ensure that there are no accidents. Other than the temperature, you’ll need to ensure that the water is aerated; you will be able to get all you need at any of top of the line pet supply stores. Maintaining a fish tank can take quite a bit of effort on your part but once you have done it a couple of times, it will seem easy. The hard part lies in actually putting your thoughts to action and getting to clean up that tank.

There are some wonderful resources out there like this site on fish tanks [http://bubblyfishtanks.com]. Alternatively, for more information on setting up a fish tank or fish tank accessories in general have a look at this site full of great information regarding fish tank filters [http://bubblyfishtanks.com/11/fish-tank-filters/].