Dog gets into water garden when owner is at work

Dear Mr. Katz,

I've read your book and it's been interesting as well as helpful - it's taught me to teach my dog some new behaviors and discipline.

However, I wouldn't be writing if I still didn't have a lingering problem.

The water garden is obviously too much fun to ignore. And there's birds landing in there to take a bath! I'm nearly convinced it's the birds tempting her, but I could be wrong. I don't think she really sees the fish.

In any case, I have tried the Snappy Trainers - the devices that work like a mouse trap but just make a big noise when tripped. She does not like them at all. But either I don't have enough of them or something else is getting her attention to the point that they don't matter. I have also tried leaving her in the house - that works too, but in the long run, I'd rather have her outdoors. As a side note, my fiancй's Malamute was here for a week and also thinks the pond is the cat's meow - and she's the last dog we thought would venture into that much water. Help.

Thanks,

Sue

Dear Sue:

It's the same as house-proofing your dog, garden-proofing, etc...

You need to keep the dog confined to a dog run when you cannot supervise him.

Only allow him to run free in the yard when you can spy on him. This may take a couple of months or more, but the benefits will be a lifetime of reliability.

This is really the type of behavior where an electronic collar makes life easy. Instead of running outside to correct the dog, the dog instead things that the correction came from the water garden itself. This makes the training process A LOT FASTER. (Ever notice how quickly dogs learn not to play around in thorny rose bushes???)

If you don't want to get an e-collar, then leave the training collar on the dog, and do the "No, no, no" routine that I outlined in the book. This will work just the same.

That's all for now, folks!

Adam

Dna profiling its uses in court

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Stronger evidence in courtrooms—it’s what every attorney, defendant, and plaintiff dreams of. Beginning in the last 1980s, this is exactly what began to surface through DNA profiling.

In addition to the one-of-a-kind pattern engraved on our fingers, each of us possesses a unique identifier that is built within our bodies. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic blueprint that determines our biological characteristics. DNA is a long molecule located in almost every cell in the human body. When we are conceived, we inherit half of our DNA from our mother and half from our father. Although every human’s DNA is 99.9% identical, the remaining 0.1% is enough to uniquely identify an individual. Our DNA is made up of about 3 billion base pairs, the building blocks of DNA composed mainly of carbon and sugar. The 0.1% (3 million) base pairs that make us unique are what constitute our DNA fingerprint.

Over the past 20 years, courts have been able to rely upon the consistent accuracy of DNA profiling, also known as DNA fingerprinting, to solve crimes. DNA profiling has even been used to solve crimes that are more than 30 years old.

Here’s how DNA profiling is done:

Specimens are collected from the crime scene. Anything can be used to extract DNA: Hair, blood, bodily fluids, etc. In some cases, victims may have scratched their attackers, in which case skin cells can be extracted from underneath the victim’s fingernails in order to identify the criminal

The DNA needs to be isolated and cut so that it can be matched against other samples. Special enzymes recognize patterns in the DNA and cut the strand

In a process called electrophoresis, the strands are then placed on a gel where they are separated an electric current passed through it.

The resulting fragments are compared against samples of all suspects and a match is determined.

DNA profiling is mostly used in sexual offences (60%), homicide (20%), assaults (7%), robbery (7%), criminal damage (1%), and other cases (5%).

DNA profiling narrows the list of suspects that authorities need to work through. The FBI commented that DNA profiling allows them to dismiss one-third of rape suspects because the DNA samples do not match. Authorities recognize the possibility of specimens being planted at crime scenes, and therefore continue to investigate the crime based on motive, weapon, testimony, and other clues in order to more accurately solve the case.

Poker online etiquette

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In a game that has a reputation for being associated with drinking, smoking, lying (as in “bluffing”), and swearing -- not to mention, of course, gambling -- it might be difficult to believe that there are actual mores and ethics that each player is expected to follow, but it’s true. Poker, like any other social activity, requires that everyone involved abide by the same basic tenets of courtesy and order. Here are some of the most common.

When you’re sitting at the poker table, it’s considered rude and improper to offer advice to another player with their hand. At all costs, you should refrain from making suggestions, comments, opinions, etc. on what’s happening in a hand, especially one you’ve already folded out of. Likewise you should also refrain from requesting aid on a hand from another player at the table, whether they’ve already folded their cards or not. In live play, you can also extend this advice to dealers and onlookers. Don’t give anyone an unfair advantage, and don’t seek out an unfair advantage for yourself.

Oftentimes, once the cards have been dealt, you’ll know immediately the action you plan to take (for example, if you get 2 Aces, you’re probably staying in, to say the least, whereas if you get 2-7 unsuited, you’re probably going to fold, unless of course you plan to bluff). Whatever the situation, it’s imperative that you wait your turn before taking any action.

Folding, checking, calling, or raising out of turn reveals too much information to the other players at the table, and in an awfully unfair manner at that. The players who’ve already acted before you’ve made your premature move lose out on using that extra tidbit of knowledge in deciding how they’re going to act, whereas the players who get to act after you’ve made your fumble now get the benefit of basing their decision on that valuable insight. Acting out of turn is more than just clumsy -- it’s downright unfair, and will quickly turn you into a pariah at the poker table faster than you can say “All In”.

Fortunately, most online poker rooms now utilize software that prevents premature actions from being instituted, even if you “preset” your next action prior to your actual turn. For your own benefit, however, we don’t recommend availing the poker room of this seemingly convenient function as you’ll often cheat yourself of learning all the information you possibly can about the other players in that hand before deciding how to act yourself.

Another poorly thought-out behavior that’s frowned upon at the poker table is revealing the cards in your hand to one (or some) player(s) without revealing them to all. Whether you’ve already folded out of the hand and want to show your buddy why or you’ve won a huge pot on a total bluff and want to rub the reality of the situation in your losing opponent’s face, you’ve either got to show those cards to everyone at the table, or no one at all. Anything in between will find you sitting at the poker table all by your lonesome (if not ejected from the online poker room altogether).

Poker etiquette also involves treating the people who serve you right. Granted, this is more applicable in live games than in online games, but it’s relevant to online play nonetheless. Whether you’re playing in a Live Dealer game or not, abusing the dealer for the cards you’ve been dealt screams “Sore Loser”. If you suspect foul play, sure, report it to the poker room, but don’t turn into the little poker player who cried “Wolf” either.

An honest dealer has no control over what cards are dealt, and most of the dealers you’ll come across are honest. Whether it’s a human being or a random number generator, the dealer is just doing his/her/its job. Think about it -- what reason do they have to cheat you rather than the other players at the table? They don’t care who wins or loses. Don’t blame them for your losing streak. Don’t cry foul play every time you get a lousy pitch.

Lastly, and this goes along with the previous advice, watch your mouth -- or in the realm of online poker, watch your attitude. The chat feature is a convenient and fun way to make online poker more personable, but it’s not intended to be used for braggadocio, picking fights, bullying weaker players, talking “smack” about other players, or any other form of monologue or dialogue that detracts from the actual game at hand.

It’s called “coffeehousing” -- discussing the hand that’s currently being played. When it’s used for friendly banter, it’s usually forgiven. When it’s used for bluffing, it’s considered sly at worst, masterful at best. But anything more than that is irritating, annoying, and out of line. Abusing the chat feature in an online poker game is definitely adequate reason enough for being ejected from the game. It’s just another fantastic reason to control your emotions at the poker table which, in the long run, will only make you a better and more successful player overall.

Arthritis relief

If it is not confined to arthritis relief specifically, it is definitely relevant, and it will help because it gives us good and relevant complementary info on the subject. I hope very much that it's interesting to you and all the others looking for information concerning arthritis relief.

Spine arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, infectious arthritis, and/or juvenile arthritis may be caused by years of harmful movements. Harmful movements lead to abnormal joint pressure and cause painful gout arthritis, arthritis in hands, neck arthritis, and/or foot arthritis for example. Fortunately, arthritis diets, arthritis exercise, and/or arthritis medication have been effective in arthritis relief. Arthritis research, arthritis societies, and arthritis doctors have contributed scores of arthritis information to support this claim.

Retrained arthritis movements, natural diets for arthritis, arthritis information, and/or exercises for arthritis allow arthritis sufferers to monitor arthritis pain. Monitoring arthritis pain is recommended by arthritis associations as a way to learn more about arthritis, and provide some sort of arthritis help, arthritis pain relief, and/or arthritis treatment.

Arthritis Cure

There Is Much You Can Do While Waiting on an Arthritis Cure

Unfortunately, there is no known arthritis cure. However, there is much you can do to manage your arthritis. Research has shown that patients of any disease have less pain and are able to cope better when they take an active role in fighting off the ravages of their illness.

The most important thing you can do is to try and keep a positive outlook. You should never give up hope that an arthritis cure will be found. You should always stay educated on the latest research and reports. You can subscribe to many newsletters which will give you the newest updates on the search for an arthritis cure. It is easy to get down emotionally when you have arthritis. When you do not feel well, it can affect every aspect of your life. It is important you recognize when you are having a bad day and you do things which lift your spirits.

Kick your ego to the curb and pick up an assistive device if you need one. There is nothing wrong with having a cane around when you need one. Canes can help take the pressure and stress off of an inflamed knee or foot.

Try to maintain good posture when you can. While good posture may be the last thing on your mind when you have arthritis, it can go far in keeping your ligaments and muscles healthy. Who wants to have a pulled back when they are coping with arthritis?

You may want to explore alternative therapy and/or natural dietary supplements. While these should never be looked upon as an arthritis cure, they can do much to help you maintain your health. You can do them in conjunction with your prescription medication. You should also tell your doctor when you are trying new methods for arthritis treatment.

One of the most important things you can do is to rest when you need to. You know when you have reached your limit. There is nothing wrong with sitting down and relaxing. Do not push yourself beyond your limits. If you do, it will only aggravate your joints.

While you wait for an arthritis cure try to keep a positive outlook, kick your ego to the curb and stay educated. You can explore other treatment options for arthritis and incorporate them into the health regimen your doctor has dictated. If you do these things, you will be surprised at how much better you feel, both physically and mentally.

Wedding greeting cards - wedded bliss

Undoubtedly the biggest news in the wedding calendar since 1995 Marriage Act which allowed wedding to take place in any licensed venue, is the Civil Partnership Act. It is clear that the number of gay weddings only represents a tiny piece of 'wedding' cake; however the effect on greeting card design trends and the whole feel of cards and stationery for entire wedding market has had a much more significant impact.

Although many greeting card publishers are happily producing overtly gay cards, it is arguably the subtler changes the Civil Partnership Act has had on the straight wedding card scene that is more interesting. On the design front, there appears to be more room for manoeuvre when it comes to the tone of wedding cards for gay couples, who are considered more likely to appreciate a light-hearted approach.

To play it safe, many greeting card companies are opting to use simple words to spell out the recipient’s relationship, for example, ‘Mr and Mr’ or ‘Mrs and Mrs’. On another hand, some greeting card publishers has avoided producing designs with obvious same-sex connotations, and are instead steering its entire wedding portfolio along more generic lines that are not gender specific (such as two hearts or two champagne flutes).

This move towards more generic wedding designs has been a long time coming and it can be argued that the groundbreaking nature of the recent law change is actually just the catalyst for wholesale change in the situation that has been quietly bubbling away for some years. For example, the move away from the church as the top venue of choice for wedding in recent years has sounded the disappearance of traditional icons sach as churches, bells and crucifixes.

One trend that seems to be really influencing the wedding scene (no matter what the sex, age or previous married status of the newlyweds) is the demand on higher priced wedding cards. There is nothing like a wedding to make people to spend more on a greeting card! Firstly, people tend to keep their wedding cards to look back on their years, so you would like to think you’d send a card worth keeping. Also there is a chance that your card will be read out on the top table so you really want it to be just right because a wedding card is seen as a joint gift for two people.

All-in-all, it’s been a great year for weddings - the floodgates have opened to a new dimensions of wedding card sending occasion and this has really injected a new feeling of vigour and enthusiasm for this high-value market.

Ways to diagnose a gambling problem and what to do about it

Like so many vices and hobbies across the world, gambling is no different. Many people learn to control their urges to spend and gamble everything they have, but some do not and we are going to take a look at some of the symptoms and what to do about pathological gambling problems.

First of all we should look at some of the more typical symptoms of a gambling problem: The term problem gambling includes and can include a condition know as compulsive and or pathological gambling, which is a progressive addiction formed or characterized by an increased preoccupation with offline and online gambling. Also found under this terminology is the need to bet more frequently with more money, and the irritability when attempting to stop gambling at a certain time, as well as the chronic attempts to chase your losses plus a loss of self control as part of the gambling behavior in spite of serious negative consequences present and future.

A gambling problem is a serious situation in which the person with the problem usually does not see the problem and will continue down a path of destruction toward a total loss of everything in that persons name unless brought to their attention generally with an intervention.

Now this is not always the best way to approach a person with a chronic gambling problem or with a pathological gambling problem, searching for national centers on the internet will also show you more statistics and more places to check where to go and what to do in situations like these. Located around our country are many centers for the rehabilitation and early diagnosis for affected individuals.

It is best to check with a major institution if you think you know someone with a problem and do not hesitate, a gambling problem can not only hurt the person with the problem, but most likely many of the people that surround him/her and can have consequences for years to come if the problem is not corrected.

Best friend birthday gift ideas

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Whatever your age, you want to give your best friend something really special for his or her birthday to show that you appreciate their friendship. Sometimes we feel at a loss because we think that they have everything they could possibly want or use. Not so! There's always something that will have a special meaning because you gave it. Here are some best friend birthday gift ideas that you may have never considered before.

1. For the art lover. Looking for something unusual for those folks who have everything? Instead of jumping in the car and heading for the mall, keep your computer powered up and let your fingers do the shopping at the online stores of American museums and other sites that specialize in replicas of ancient and modern art.

2.For the wine lover. A gift of wine is an excellent expression of how you feel. Now, at many wine online merchants, you can have wine bottles personalized to show how much you care. It doesn't matter whether this is your friend's first time experiencing the wonders of the fruit of the vine, or if he is a serious collector with a large wine cellar. Or, consider a personalized engraved bottle of champagne and toasting glasses.

3. For the environmentalist: Eco-friendly doesn't have to mean drab. There are many, many products that are made from recycled materials of all kind – beer cans that have been made into mugs, tumblers made from recycled glass, sets of bamboo plates, etc. There are many online sites featuring wonderful gifts made from recycled things. Just browse through them and you'll come up with some great best friend birthday gift ideas!

4. For the music lover. Here's one that will top the list of best friend birthday gift ideas:
Make up a CD of #1 songs from the year they were born up to now — you can even theme it: #1 Disco Songs, #1 Heavy Metal Songs, etc. Add in a gift certificate to an online music-downloading site, and they're sure to do a little dance!

5. For the book lover. Buy a gift-card from your local bookstore (or online merchant) and make your own bookmark so your friend will never forget your thoughtfulness. Get on your computer and type up your favorite poem or memorable song lyrics, add some graphics and get it laminated at most office-supply stores. Every time your friend opens a book, he or she will remember you with a smile.

6. For the person who never has any time to herself. Create your own coupon booklet offering your services to help out the one that's always been there for you. Include "a day of gardening", "baby-sit the kids", "clean the house" and "organize the closets". Use your imagination and fit the coupons to the needs of your friend. This thoughtful gesture will be considered by the recipient as one of the best friend birthday gift ideas ever!

7. For the nurturer. Who doesn't deserve a day at the spa? Purchase a sturdy cosmetic bag and add all the fixings for a do-it-yourself spa — hand cream, body lotion, scented oils, face mask, manicure set. Make a relaxing CD to put inside and top it off with a gift certificate at the local spa for a massage on you!

8. For the sentimentalist. Look back into your photo albums and take copies of all your memories over the years. Create a "Memory Lane" scrapbook highlighting your friendship and events you've attended together. As an added touch, get other friends to write special birthday messages throughout the book.

9. For the nature-lover. Make a day of it and go for a hike at your nearest conservation area; bring along a blanket and a picnic basket and you're set an afternoon of fun and reminiscing.

10. For the golfer. Reserve a tee time at a country club that's hard to get into and make a foursome of it by inviting a couple of friends. Start the birthday off right and treat them to a special breakfast at their favorite restaurant.

11. For the movie buff. Get a year's free subscription to Netflix so they'll be able to have DVD's delivered right to their door. All they'll have to do is supply their own popcorn. Or, you can do that too by ordering (online, of course) a selection of premium gourmet popcorn.

12. For the animal lover. Forget about getting a gift designed for your friend; instead get a gift for their pet. There are many fantastic things available online for all types of pets—from jeweled dog collars to fancy bird cages and everything in between. If your friend really loves his or her pet, this could quite possibly rank at the very top of the best friend birthday gift ideas. Of course, you could get your friend a super duper pooper scooper to make the job of cleaning up after Fido much easier. This, too, you can find at the many online sites featuring pet supplies.

13. For the philanthropist. Donate to their favorite cause in their name. In this time of need for so many, this is a gift that truly will be appreciated by all those who care for humanity and/or nature.

14. For the saver. Buy a share of an up and coming stock in your friend's name. You never know—maybe in a few years you'll be getting thanks for starting someone on the road to their first million!

15. For the sports fan. Buy a pair of tickets to a local sporting event in your area (perhaps when your friend's favorite team is playing) and spend an afternoon or evening together.

Four ideas you can take to the bank

If only you could snap your fingers and find that you have increased your income! It may not be that easy, but it is easier than you think to increase your income! Here are a few ideas to help you increase your income.

But if you’re reading this while you’re on a website that highlights secured loans, you’re probably wondering what increasing your income has to do with a secured loan. There are actually many reasons, so you’ll have to read on.

But first, one of the ways you may want to increase your income is by finding a part time job to do in your spare time from the comfort of your own home. For example, you may increase your income by selling things on eBay or by working over the Internet to design websites for people. This way, you can keep your current job but build up some additional income. Who knows? You may eventually end up becoming so busy that you have to quit your day job!

The second thing you can do to increase your income is to invest in the stock market. This is not as scary as you might think and it involves the same principle that you know from owning a home. When you bought a house, how did you think you would make money on it? Simple: Just by hanging onto it for some time, many homes rise in value over time. It’s the same with the stock market. Sure, not all homes (and not all stocks) rise in value. But if you give even half the thought choosing stocks that you gave to choosing a house, you should find one that should generally rise. But the key is to hang onto it. You don’t sell your house every time the market fluctuates! In fact, you probably don’t know or care how much your house is worth until you’re ready to sell it. It should be the same with the stocks you buy… and sell.

The third thing you can do to increase your income is to get a secured home improvement loan. As you already know, your house is an investment and if you can do something to increase its value, you should! Getting a home improvement loan is an easy and affordable way to increase the value of your home so that when it comes time to sell your home, it will be worth more.

The fourth way to increase your income will surprise you. Consolidate your debts! Get a debt consolidation loan to pull all of your outstanding debts together and put them in one secured loan. The interest rate will be less, the monthly payment will be less, and the monthly payment will be fixed. A lower rate and payment will mean more money for you and a fixed payment will mean it will be easier to budget!

Wow! There’s four easy ways to increase your income today. What are you waiting for?

Utilizing resources

Many parents are very excited to begin home schooling their child. At the same time, however, they are also very scared. They worry about how to keep their child interested in the material, how they are going to fit everything in, and, of course, they worry about their child being happy. There are many resources for the home-schooled child. If parents utilize all the resources they have available to their child, they can guarantee their child’s home school success.

Parents of home-schooled children will find many resources available to them. Many public libraries have reading programs set up for young children and a home-schooled child able to benefit from them. Your local library will also have the variety of books your child needs to research subjects, as well as reading for enjoyment. Audio books, videotapes, and computer games are also available at many of them. The local library may be the resource you use the most to ensure your child’s home school success.

Other resources may be available in your community, as well. Many parents of home-schooled children have started up support groups. Often, these groups will plan activities for the children, such as field trips to museums. This will allow your child to interact with others, as well as give you support from others that have the same goals for their children. If there is no such group in your community, consider starting one up yourself. This will allow you to plan further for your child’s accomplishments.

There are also many online resources you and your child may use for their home school education. Many online education resources have material that you may use for helping your child to learn certain material. You’ll also find online classes are available for your child to take. Online classes are available in many subjects, such as English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Business. Materials will be provided to your child and your child will be able to learn at their pace and receive assistance, as needed. These online classes are very helpful in teaching subjects to the child that the parent is not confident in and can guarantee your child receiving a full education.

The fact is there are many resources available to the home schooled child and their parents. Your community may provide a wide variety of resources, as well as enrichment classes for your child to enhance their education. By utilizing the available resources, you are securing your child’s home school success.

Erp software in the multichannel world

Multichannel business managers frequently voice the desire to have one system or software package that is capable of managing the entire enterprise, encompassing all functional areas. Enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems have been available for years. Because the multichannel phenomenon—traditional brick-and-mortar businesses reaching into direct marketing, and traditional direct-to-customer companies developing brick-and-mortar stores as well as a Web presence—is so recent, it has in many cases outstripped the ability of software vendors to keep pace.

Having a single computer system control all functional areas in a business and use a common customer, inventory, order, and item database makes perfect sense, and the potential synergy between channels and the ability to maximize the customer experience are clear opportunities. Unfortunately, the search for and implementation of such a solution has frequently proved difficult.

The push to provide an overall multichannel solution has generally manifested itself in two ways. Traditional ERP vendors, whose genesis was in manufacturing, have tried to develop functionality geared to the specific needs of multichannel companies. Existing niche vendors in the direct-to-customer or retail worlds are trying to broaden their offerings to include more functional areas and look more like true ERPs. Both approaches have met with limited success so far. In general, niche or best-of-breed solutions fit more complex environments, while the ERP solutions better fit the very broad but less complex environments.

Size matters

There are many interpretations and definitions of “ERP” floating around. One of the clearest is that an ERP is a business management system that integrates all facets of the business, including planning (merchandise, staff, growth), manufacturing, sales, marketing, inventory control, fulfillment and replenishment, customer service, finance, and human resources. The system attempts to integrate all departments and functions across a company into a single computer system that serves independent departments’ needs.

Many existing ERP packages are geared to larger businesses with multinational or broad business control needs. Many ERP systems have come from the manufacturing world and are now being developed to handle the very different operational requirements of the multichannel retail world. The relatively unique and complex nature of multichannel retail, combined with the large numbers of small and medium-sized multichannel businesses, has helped to create a void between traditional, deeply functional niche systems vendors and the functionality provided by ERP vendors. Finding an ERP solution with deep niche functionality geared to a medium-sized multichannel business can be an enormous challenge. But conversely, finding a niche player with deep functionality that can manage an entire multichannel enterprise is an equally difficult proposition.

Recent ERP market trends

ERP vendors face several obstacles in their effort to address the opportunities seemingly presented by the multichannel business market. The focus of ERP marketing has traditionally been on large companies willing to invest significant funds.

ERP vendors trying to enter mid-tier markets in retailing have been met with resistance from potential customers concerned about the level of service attention they will receive after implementation and about the lack of industry expertise on the part of the ERP vendors. There are many examples of ERP implementations failing—for many reasons. Considerations of scale, cost, and the time required for implementation have led to customer resistance to ERP vendors. Companies commonly fail to realize the level of discipline required to implement and use an ERP successfully. Most ERP installations follow a “Big Bang” approach, since the functionality is usually far reaching and encompasses many functional areas. Another drawback is that the installation time for major systems can be 12 to 18 months or even longer. (For example, two recent installations of ERPs in the food industry were so difficult that the businesses missed major selling seasons and product sales were months behind schedule.)

A good fit for an ERP would be in a far-reaching company with somewhat basic requirements desirous of having a single system to fully integrate all company information and data. Many ERPs are developing features that acknowledge the need for niche software by making it easier to integrate the two.

What about the competition? The sheer pace of recent acquisitions and consolidations in the software industry have made it difficult for niche systems vendors to effectively integrate suites of products into one unified approach with a clearly defined target market. Niche vendors who have deep, specialized functionality are beginning to compete successfully against the larger, more all-encompassing ERPs in the mid-market arena. And a recent trend in the systems market is for multichannel businesses to combine the niche, best-of-breed approach with an overall ERP solution.

Enterprise solutions

SAP

SAP, the world’ largest business software company, has an ERP Retail solution that incorporates e-commerce with its customer relationship management (CRM) solution that allows users to analyze sales by channel. For direct marketers who also utilize catalog as a sales channel, however, SAP seems to have a disconnect related to specific functionality that is needed for catalogs. The solution lacks the list segmentation, source coding, catalog, drop, merchandise, square inch, contribution to profit functions required to analyze the success of mailing files, house and rented, and catalog promotions.

There are multichannel retailers, including ones that sell through a catalog, that are using SAP but they are also using specific direct-to-customer (DTC) software to set up, manage customer orders, fulfill, and analyze catalog promotions.

SAP also has an integration product, NetWeaver, with many different types of functionality, including the ability to link disparate systems. This would be one way to integrate sales from another application, such as catalog, and have this data flow into the SAP Retail solution for merchandise analysis. However, NetWeaver does not address a key element that catalogers measure, which is demand. As SAP and other ERP systems continue to evolve, in order to be true multichannel solutions they will need to adapt their software to include the functionality that is needed by those multichannel retailers who have a catalog sales channel.

SAP has another ERP software offering, Business One, for small to mid-sized companies. With SAP’s acquisition of Triversity point-of-sale (POS) software and its integration to Business One, which also includes an e-commerce module, a small to mid-sized company has a real solution to explore. Once again, however, if your company has a catalog sales channel there is no specific functionality to support this sales channel. Since Business One integration with Triversity is relatively new, it will be interesting to see how its catalog functionality progresses as new clients embrace this software.

Datavantage/CommercialWare

These two companies, along with their parent company, MICROS Systems, are taking a unified, integrated approach to bringing together all of their many retail and direct applications. In 2006 CommercialWare, one of the leading direct-to-customer software providers, was acquired by Datavantage. Datavantage is an industry leader in retail and point-of-sale applications. Between these companies the objective is to fully integrate their application suites (CWSerenade, cross-channel and direct; Xstore, JAVA-based, open standard, database-agnostic; Enterprise JAVA Merchandising, Web-based merchandise management solution with merchandise planning, purchasing, and distribution; Relate Retail, with CRM functionality for marketing and loyalty clubs; XBR Analytics). Implementation will involve a pre-planned set of parameters that will allow the user company to install an integrated set of applications more quickly than best-of-breed applications have been installed in the past. The company expects to have its first user live this summer. In the fall, all of the related companies will adopt the MICROS name.

Escalate

Escalate Retail’s vision is to continue to develop specialized applications with a focus on direct businesses, e-commerce, retail management, and point of sale that can be implemented either as stand-alone applications or fully integrated. Continued development of service-oriented-architecture (SOA) will allow Escalate Retail to develop functionality, such as payment processing, shipping, pricing and promotions, that can be utilized by any or all of Escalate’s suite of products. The aim is not to be a broad-based ERP application, but to be a best-in-class application for multichannel businesses with direct (Ecometry), retail (GERS), and e-commerce (Blue Martini) channels that wish to enhance their customer relationship and experience. Customers looking for an application that can support all aspects of the business with a single system need to understand that some functionality, such as financials, will still require a third-party application for AP and GL when they deploy the Escalate Retail Ecometry Commerce Suite.

Best of both worlds

A long-standing subject of debate is whether to try and combine best-of-breed niche software solutions or to employ an enterprise solution. At the moment, it appears that a blurring of industry definitions in the multichannel arena is occurring as some best-of-breed vendors try to expand their traditionally deep functionality to broader areas, while ERP vendors are deepening their traditionally broader offerings.

It will always be easier to match specific or unique requirements with a niche solution, but the integration of several of these packages is an issue. Attempts are being made to ease the burden with middleware development. In addition, some ERP vendors are now acknowledging the requirement for niche software and are facilitating integration with their solutions.

The search, selection, and implementation of an ERP for a multichannel company is a complex and difficult task. Since the welfare of a business depends on an effective system to control the business, the risk of making the wrong decision is significant.

We believe that ultimately ERPs will become more commonplace in the direct-to-customer, multichannel industry. The good news is, assuming that newer versions of ERPs are affordable, this increased competition will give companies more system product choices.

Here are a few suggestions for anyone considering the purchase of an ERP solution:

1.Make sure you do all of the homework required.

2.Keep in mind that the “Devil is in the details”

3.More options are rapidly being developed, so keep an open mind.

4.Strong training and discipline are required for successful implementation.

5.Insure that the ERP is flexible enough to meet future, as-yet-unknown requirements

6.Have a well–thought-out five-year plan to minimize future surprises

The battle rages on but the options are changing. To read more of this article, including expanded examples of what was discussed above, we encourage you to visit our blog at: fcbco-blog. com .

Discover paseo colorado in pasadena california

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Just a few short blocks from famous Old Town Pasadena, California is the urban village of Paseo Colorado, a self contained residential apartment complex and shopping mall. According to Paseo Colorado's web site paseocoloradopasadena. com this development is "One of the largest concepts of its kind in the country, Paseo Colorado is an urban village featuring a unique collection of retail stores, fine and casual dining, luxury apartment homes, and garden promenades that restore vital links to the historic core of Pasadena’s Civic Center and Old Pasadena."


"Paseo Colorado features Mediterranean architecture, heavily landscaped pedestrian promenades, courtyards, towers and terraces. The property features a variety of artistic detail from well-known and respected artists, including a fountain featuring hand-made custom-glazed ceramic tile created by artist Anne Marie Karlsen, a second fountain embellished with an Italian glass mosaic by artist Margaret Nielsen, and intricate iron grills and rails created by artist Michael Amescua." There are 391 luxury residential apartments and lofts, an upscale Gelson's Supermarket, a Macy's Department Store, over sixty five specialty and botique shops, including Coach, Ann Taylor, Tony Bahama, Hugo Boss, Bombay Company and Sam Goody, a Pacific Theatre with fourteen screens, seventeen (17) dining establishments, a fitness club, a day spa and much more.


This is an excellent place to spend time shopping and / or just relaxing. There is ample validated parking. There are plenty of places to sit and relax in the promenades, courtyards and restaurant patios, while watching people or listening to a live summer jazz concert. The shopkeepers and their employees are polite and helpful but not pushy. Everybody appears to be fairly laid back and nobody seems to be rushing you.



For more information about the city of Pasadena, California see pasadena. usacitydirectories. com, a directory of links to city of Pasadena, California guides and directories listing hotels, restaurants, churches, physicians, attorneys, information, resources, services, things to do, places to go, art galleries, service organizations, auto dealers, nursing homes, convalescent hospitals, antique dealers and more.

Seo tip how do search engines choose page-one sites

You may be wondering how search engines arrange the top pages from millions of others. There are calculations involved and you have to work with these to put your site in page one.

How Do Search Engines Work?

There are three important elements that make up the database and finding of relevant material by search engines. From the inputting of words, the search until the hierarchy of results, there is a process that is mathematically formulated and produces the links and sites that suit best.

1. The web crawler. This is also known as a “spider” or “robot” which roams the web. It is a program that translates web pages and any existing links relevant to the page. The web crawler begins by looking through the web addresses that are available in its database or index. Any other page on the internet is added to the database should the web crawler consider it relevant to its existing index. Thus, the database continually grows and the web crawler also goes back to the index to check for updates and again search for new available links.

2. The index. The index holds all information of websites and pages that the web crawler has discovered during its frequent web roaming. Whenever any website or page is updated by the owner, the index also updates its stored information thus it continually grows over time.

3. The search engine. A search engine is a software that goes through all the information stored in the index whenever a search is done by a web browser. An algorithm supports the final results according to how relevant the websites found are to the search. The hierarchy of page results is determined by shutting on or off categories that the search engine feels is relevant to the search.

The Goal of Search Engines

The ultimate goal of a search engine is to provide the most relevant and informative web pages to the web browser. The effectiveness of search engines may be tested through search engine optimization. Page results for different search engines may vary depending on the algorithm that they are using. Thus, website owners aim to improve their rank based on the algorithm.

How Can I Get on Page-On of Search Engines?

1. Links. Links are small routes leading to your website thus a lot of these will increase your visibility in search engines. When typing in a search, it is possible for your URL to be exposed even if the engine may be revealing another website housing your link.

2. Page Summary. Make your page summary more effective by using meta tag names and using keywords in a balanced manner. Be more flexible in your website’s description so that it can stand out even if the search is bound for a different category. This prevents your website from being completely shut out by the search engine.

3. Title. Although the true nature of the fixed algorithm used by search engines is not fully known, it might help to start with titles that begin with the letters A to E. Engines arrange equal scoring websites in alphabetical order.

4. Keywords. Wisely input keywords in your web pages. More is not better when it comes to key words since engines will decrease your value with too much repetition. Four to five keywords per page is the most you may be using to help boost your visibility.

5. URL. Share your URL as much as you can in multi and single-database services to increase your value. You may also put it in blogs, your friends’ linking addresss and emails.

Silk sheets do you know what to look for

In recent years silk sheets and bedding sets have grown in popularity and are more commonplace on the shelves of retailers than ever before. This is mostly due to advances in bedding manufacturing techniques borrowed largely from the modern cotton and polyester trade.

With more and more retailers stocking silk bedding sets alongside the more traditional cotton and polyester sets, we have noticed some wildly varying pricing schemes. Some silk bedding sets can be Ѕ the price of others, but yet they look almost identical. So how do we know we are getting a good deal or purchasing inferior silk that won’t last?

There are three main things to look for in a silk bedding set. They are:

1. 100% mulberry silk – Mulberry silk is made up of one continuous strand of silk and is the best possible silk for bedding. Many bedding sets are made up of Tussah or wild silk. This silk is not continuous, but rather made up of broken strands of silk. Only 100% mulberry silk can offer the continued durability and uniformity required in a silk bedding set.

2. Momme weight – Momme is the measurement used to weigh silk. The higher the momme number the more silk has physically gone into the item and therefore the more durable the silk will be. 12-19 momme weight is ideal for silk bedding. Momme weights of lower than 12 are mostly reserved for clothing and silk ties. The higher the momme number the more silk you literally get for your money.

3. 400+ thread count – Although not as important as the first two points, thread count is still important when choosing silk bed linen. A thread count lower than 400 will directly effect the durability of the bedding set. Generally the closer the weave the longer your bedding set will last.

Take a look at silksleep (dot) com for a good example of silk bedding that meets all the above requirements.

It is worth pointing out that with silk you get what you pay for. Cheap silk bedding sets will almost always not be able to live up to one if not all three of the above requirements. Purchasing a cheap silk bedding set is a false economy, as the items will not last. Silk that has met these three basic requirements and is properly cared for will outlast cotton and polyester sheets, proving to be both a luxurious and cost effective investment.

To summarise: When looking for a silk bedding set always insist on 100% mulberry silk, a momme weight of 12-19 (19 being preferable) and a thread count of 400 or higher. Silk bedding sets that meet these requirements are true examples of the best silk bedding sets have to offer – pure luxury.

Personal goals that inspire and motivate

Are you feeling motivated to set some strong goals for this year? Write down those New Year’s resolutions and get going, right? Most people write down lofty resolutions that they think they should want and rarely stick to them, losing motivation and focus within three weeks of their "good intentions."

This is a brand new year of limitless possibilities. Do you want to:

Increase your income?

Write a book?

Attract a relationship?

Start a new business?

Become a professional speaker?

Have more personal time?

Take a really great vacation?

I’ve got a gut feeling it’s going to be a GREAT year, a BIG SUCCESS year. So, forget writing down resolutions. They don’t work. In fact, the whole idea doesn’t really inspire action. So, let’s change that.

Start thinking about 3-5 things you want, really want for yourself this year. Not what you should want, or what you think would please others. Dream a little. Think big. What are you passionate about? Entertain several ideas that make you smile, excite you, make you giggle, make you feel really good inside, no holds barred. Remove all mental barriers to holding these ideas clearly in your mind.

Now, put your attention fully on one of the things you want for yourself this year. Visualize and see yourself already there, living it! Creative visialization is a powerful tool of attraction. Our minds cannot tell the difference between something real and something intensely imagined. Hold that picture in your mind. (Do this daily!)

Does this picture excite you - make you want to have it?

How would your life change if you got (achieved) this one thing you really want?

What would you have in your life that you don’t have now?

Now, the next step is very important. You must decide to go for it. Choose to have what you really want NOW, not someday or tomorrow. NOW. Say YES to yourself instead of saying no. Making the decision fuels your intent to take action.

3 Tips to Get on Track

1. On paper, clearly describe the 3-5 things you really want. I suggest using statements beginning with the phrase " I intend to" vs. I want, I hope for, I wish to, I’d like, I desire etc. (too wishy-washy). Taking a stand with strong definitive statements reflects your commitment to succeed. (This first step is important in creating your road map to achieving your goals. If you don’t define the results you want, how do you know where you’re going?). Feel like being creative? Make a collage or dream board for a visual aid in keeping your focus.

2. Moving forward, break down your action steps into smaller steps over a shorter time period like 30 days. For example: your goal is to increase your income, your first step may be to explore options to generate more money. Another step may be to look at your skills and talents for further ideas. A third step may be choosing something you have always wanted to do, something that you love that has the potential for additional income. Maybe it’s a total change of career. The first month may be devoted to doing research and personal exploration.

3. Identify potential obstacles and struggles that could prevent you from reaching your goals. Develop strategies to keep yourself motivated and focused such as reading and listening to positive materials, surrounding yourself with encouraging, uplifting people, joining a mastermind group. HIRE A COACH! Note: let go of using the "money excuse" that you can’t afford to get what you want. Invest in your success. It costs money to make money. How much do you think NO is costing you to stay where you are?

5 Tips to Stay on Track

1. Resolve unfinished business. Either clear the past ( make apolgies, speak your mind, forgive someone or yourself) and let it go.

2. Stay strong if you’re feeling FEAR. Bring your attention back to the present. Fear creates uncertainty, worrisome and anxiety producing thoughts. ("What if" thinking, Am I going to be okay?) Fear looks at the future and worse case scenarios. Focus on past successes for confidence.

3. Eliminate negativity. Notice the chatter in your head. How do your emotions speak to you inside? What you think affects how you view a situation. Ever heard the phrase self-fulfilling prophecy? Your viewpoint affects your decisions and actions; therefore your attitude directly affects the outcome. Take a look at the people you associate with. Are they uplifting or do they bring you down? Be selective about who you’re with, being around consistently negative or fearful people is draining and disheartening.

4. Keep up your self-care. Taking good care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually is a key factor in staying strong and focused under pressure.

5. Celebrate along the way. Taking the time to recognize measurable successes motivates continual commitment to your goals.

"The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit." Jim Rohn

Investing in bulgarian property - the fast track to huge capital gains

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There are amazing profits to be made in the Bulgarian property market. Careful research can even uncover properties that offer instant equity and guaranteed returns.

Bulgaria is currently the EU investment hotspot. The prospect of capital gains of 30% per annum, and the cheapest property in Europe is attracting investors from across the globe.

Millions of euros are being spent each and every month by investors eager to cash in and this is set to continue unabated, with the prospect of full EU accession in 2007. Entry into the European Community always prompts massive price increases, with 100% capital gains in a single year, quite commonplace.

All property types in Bulgaria offer incredible value for money and are experiencing good capital gains across the board. However, with careful research, unbelievable opportunities are to be found in this booming market.

The sheer volume of properties can offer a bewildering choice and in any region or resort the asking price of the properties on sale can vary massively. It is vital to accurately gauge the market value of each particular area.

In the off plan market especially, developers will launch their new projects with introductory discounts to stimulate sales. Properties are available with discounts of up to 20%.

The property for sale in Bulgaria is primarily designed for the holiday trade and corporate letting market. Forward thinking developers, have already begun to sign agreements with major holiday companies and corporations for letting the properties they are building. The income generated is then passed to the purchaser, as a further inducement to stimulate sales.

There are currently deals available which will offer anything between 2% to 15% as a guaranteed rental.

Bulgaria offers the best investment opportunity around today. The low cost of entry, consistent prices rises and the expected capital gains surge from EU accession next year, provide an irresistible mix for the property novice and seasoned investor alike.

investmentpropertybg. com/"> investmentpropertybg. com offer a free service to locate either resale or off plan properties, with prices that range from under Ј10,000. With offices both in the UK and Bulgaria they have a wealth of local knowledge and a massive portfolio to choose from.

Go karts are fun but are they safe

Go karts are fast, exciting and easy to handle, and there are tracks all over the country catering to every age range from kids to teens to adults. Gokarts are generally easy to drive, easy to control and are how you can experience the excitement of Formula One racing without as much of the danger.

Go-karts are just beginning to come into their own and are geared toward beginners in either off road or paved track go kart racing. They are built to withstand years of use and abuse and are terrific when it comes to performance, styling and low maintenance.

There are many types of vehicles that are built for fun. These include ATVs, dirt bikes, scooters, mopeds, mini bikes and go karts. If you are looking to find some excitement with 4 wheels then you have to discard the dirt bike, scooter, moped and mini bike. And the all terrain vehicles are typically made for traveling off road. That leaves the go kart. If you want to go racing like the big boys, with a mighty gasoline powered engine and relative safety, go karts are what you will want to be racing.

Whether you just want some cheap racing fun or would like to someday become a professional race car driver, the go-kart is a great way to begin. Many NASCAR drivers today got their start by racing go karts when they were as young as five years old.

Carts have been around for a lot of years, but have increased in popularity only recently. Back in the olden days, carts were only available at the neighborhood Family Fun Center or Amusement Park. And these gokarts only had two speeds, slow and slower. But were they safe? Let’s just say it wasn’t easy to get hurt traveling at just 5 mph.

But even at the slower speeds they were still loads of fun. Imagine the thrill you can experience now with the faster speeds and the bigger and better track selections. Great go-cart tracks have been sprouting up all over. But have the increased karting speeds made the go carts unsafe?

They used to be so terribly slow that no helmets were even required. But with the speeds attained today helmets are required at tracks everywhere, even the kiddie’s tracks. But don’t let that scare you, they are still extremely safe and there is never any need to go faster than your own comfort dictates.

You can control, for the most part, the amount of danger you experience in a go kart. Your decisions, from the go kart you buy, to the safety equipment you use, to your level of caution expressed on the track, determine how safe you will be. The faster you go the more chance of sustaining a substantial injury. So taking every safety precaution is always a smart idea.

Carting is generally very safe if you follow a few simple rules. The number one rule is “always wear a helmet.” In the event of a crash it can spare you from a serious head injury. Also, never forget to fasten your safety harness. This will prevent you from being tossed out during a roll. Never race at speeds that you don’t feel comfortable with. If speed is not your thing you should remain in the lesser levels of racing groups.

If you decide to race, even in a kid’s competition, you should be wearing a fire safety suit, racing shoes and protective gloves. The shoes and gloves should also be fire retardant. There is not much gas in a gocart, but if it should happen to catch on fire the fire-safe equipment you use could save you a lot of pain and discomfort.

Gocarts today all have roll bars that rise above the driver’s head. In the event that you lose control, causing your go kart to flip over, the roll bars and safety harness can keep you from harm’s way. You may think that it could not happen to you because you are such a great driver, but the other racers on the track may not be so great. This is the reason why a gokart has side bars that will protect you in the event that another racer loses control and rams your kart.

With all of these precautions how can anyone get injured? It’s possible, but the chances of experiencing a serious injury are severely limited by simply following a few safety rules. Go karts are just about as safe as you want to make them.

An introduction to quilting

"The art of quilting integrated the European and African cultures in America during the slave period. The African folk-tradition was considered inferior, and the European superior. In spite of this gap, quilting brought about the unity of these two traditions and cultures.

It brought the values of both the African and European American women together in a way no folk art tradition did before. Both of them deeply rely on the traditions of storytelling and folklore. Uniting women to sew and pass the traditions to new generations are the common characteristics of both traditions.

Not only did both African and European Americans make quilts to provide warm blankets for their families, but also to show their creativity and gain status, record family history, and to represent various themes and beliefs. Women considered it to be the best way to spend time together and display their skills.

Despite the fact that quilting is a process with individual interpretations, it is also a cultural process that came into being from the exchange and merging of both African and European traditions. The emergence of American quilting was one of the products of this process. The quilting styles of both traditions are highly symbolic. Both of them deeply rely on the traditions of storytelling and folklore. Uniting women to sew and pass the traditions to new generations are the common characteristics of both traditions."

I make no apology for quoting these extracts, if you like, from my e-Book - The Essential Guide to Quilting. The book is basically about learning how to quilt, but firstly I felt that it was important to have a look at the history of quilting - like a lot of you reading this, I had no idea about how important this craft was to our history, indeed for much of the world.

I go into more detail on the History in the e-Book, so, as I said in my Autobiography, when I started Quilting several years ago, there was not that much good information about how to start thus I took a break from quilting to write the e-Book - The Essential Guide to Quilting - to put my readers on the right road without the hit & miss ride that I had, when I might have given up at times.

Most important to start out is to learn the main quilting terms, here are just a few:

1. Applique - Appliques are pieces of fabric applied to other pieces of fabric, using fusible webbing or stitching. The stitching can be done by hand or with a machine. Buttonhole, satin or blind stitches are the usual methods used.

2. Basting - Spray basting, thread basting and pin basting are common methods of basting. This process involves holding the quilt top, batting (the middle layer between quilts - usually cotton, wool or polyester) and backing together to finally sew it all together.

3. Bearding - the process of pulling the batting fibers through the tops and bottoms of the quilt, through the holes created during sewing, to produce a whiskered effect.

4. Cheater's Panel/Cloth - They are pieces of fabric printed with quilt block designs. They are made to resemble a pieced or appliqued quilt top.

Here I have selected some of the less obvious terms in quilting with a quick description to draw attention to the need to learn them in order to get the most out of this fascinating craft. There are lots of terms to learn - believe me when I say I am not trying to put you off, merely to help you on your way.

(Article by Rose visit at aquiltingbee. com)

Cardio may be a waste of time without this knowledge

The most important factor for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (cardio or CR) is the intensity of the workout. Changes in CR fitness are directly related to how "hard" an aerobic exercise is performed. The more energy expended per unit of time, the greater the intensity of the exercise, the greater the effect on cardiorespiratory fitness.

You have to know how hard is "hard" to determine if an aerobic exercise like running is producing a CR training effect or if it's just burning a few calories. The heart rate during work or exercise is an excellent indicator of how much effort you are exerting. Only by keeping track of your heart rate during a workout can you be sure that the intensity is enough to improve your CR fitness level. In other words, your ability to monitor your heart rate is the single most important key to success in CR training.

Training Heart Rate (THR) = Desired Intensity of the Workout

THR is the heart rate at which you need to exercise to get a training effect. The U. S. Army fitness gurus have given us two methods to determine THR. The first method, percent maximum heart rate (%MHR) is simpler to use, while the second method, percent heart rate reserve (%HRR) is more accurate.

%MHR Method

With this method the THR is figured using the estimated maximal heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. Thus, a 20 year old would have an estimated maximum heart rate (MHR) of 200 beats per minute (220 - 20 = 200).

A person who is in poor shape should exercise at 70 percent of his MHR; if he is in relatively good shape, at 80 percent MHR; and, if he is in excellent shape, at 90 percent MHR.

Examples:

A 20 year old in good physical condition would have a THR of 160 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 20 = 200 * .80 = 160 BPM.

A 30 year old in good physical condition would have a THR of 152 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 30 = 190 * .80 = 152 BPM.

A 40 year old in poor physical condition would have a THR of 126 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 40 = 180 * .70 = 126 BPM.

%HRR Method

A more accurate way to calculate THR is the %HRR method. The range from 60 to 90 %HRR is the THR range in which people should exercise to improve their CR fitness levels. If you know your general level of CR fitness, you can determine which percentage of HRR is a good starting point

for you. For example, a person in excellent physical condition could start at 85 percent of his HRR; if he is in reasonably good shape, at 70 percent HRR; and, if he is in poor shape, at 60 percent HRR.

Most CR workouts should be conducted with the heart rate between 70 to 75 percent HRR to attain, or maintain, an adequate level of fitness. A person who has reached a high level of fitness may derive more benefit from working at a higher percentage of HRR, particularly if he cannot find more than 20 minutes for CR exercise.

Exercising at any lower percentage of HRR than 60 does not give the heart, muscles, and lungs an adequate training stimulus. Exercising at more than 90 percent can be dangerous. Before anyone begins aerobic training, he should know his THR (the heart rate at which he needs to exercise to get a training effect).

The example below shows how to figure the THR by using the resting heart rate (RHR) and age to estimate heart rate reserve (HRR). A 20 year old in reasonably good physical shape is the example.

STEP 1: Determine the MHR by subtracting your age from 220. i. e. MHR = 220 - 20 = 200.

STEP 2: Determine the resting heart rate (RHR) in beats per minute (BPM) by counting the resting pulse for 30 seconds, and multiply the count by two. A shorter period can be used, but a 30 second count is more accurate. This count should be taken while you are completely relaxed and rested. For this example we use a RHR of 69 BPM.

STEP 3: Determine the heart rate reserve (HRR) by subtracting the RHR from the estimate MHR. i. e. HRR = 200 - 69 = 131 BPM

STEP 4: Calculate THR by (1) multiplying HRR by the relative fitness level as a percentage and (2) adding the result to the HRR. For example, our 20 year old in good physical condition will exercise at 70% HRR.

(1) .70 * 131 = 91.7

(2) 91.7 + 69 = 160.7

In summary, a reasonably fit 20-year-old with a resting heart rate (RHR) of 69 BPM has a training heart rate (THR) goal of 161 BPM.

During aerobic exercise, the body will usually have reached a "Steady State" after five minutes of exercise, and the heart rate will have leveled off. At this time and, immediately after exercising, is when you should monitor your heart rate to see if you are within your desired THR range.

If your pulse rate is below the THR, you must exercise harder to increase your pulse to the THR. If your pulse is above the THR, you should reduce the intensity to reduce the pulse rate to the THR goal.

Pregnancy and what to expect

There are no two pregnancies that are alike so, while it is difficult to say exactly how each will progress, there are certain factors that are common among all women going through pregnancy. Quite often, early symptoms of pregnancy will appear and prompt the soon-to-be mom to purchase a home pregnancy test. These can be found at virtually every retail and/or grocery store. It is important to remember that pregnancy tests, while designed to be accurate, are sometimes wrong. Regardless of the result, it is recommended that women experiencing pregnancy symptoms should schedule an appointment with a health care professional who will accurately test for pregnancy.

Among the pregnancy symptoms that most women experience are heightened sensitivity to certain smells and/or food, exhaustion, recurring morning sickness and mood swings. During the entire pregnancy, it is very important that the woman participate in a healthy lifestyle. Among other things, this would include not smoking or being near secondhand smoke, avoid drinking alcohol, etc. In addition, the mom-to-be should drink plenty of milk and eat healthy foods. This will help to promote good development for the child and will be a healthy start for him/her.

Once a woman is confirmed with pregnancy, the next step is shopping for maternity clothes. There is generally a maternity section of every store, but many women simply wear oversized shirts and comfortable elastic waist pants. Preparing for a new baby will include shopping for nursery items, including a rocking chair, bassinet, baby blankets, clothes and toys. If there are plans to convert any room in the house into a nursery, it’s best to start early. It’s also very important that the mom-to-be not be near any paint or harmful products that may cause her, or her unborn child, any problems.

During the nine months of pregnancy, women will go through a lot of changes - both physically and mentally. Mood swings will become more intense and there may be frequent trips to the bathroom as the pregnancy progresses and the growing child begins to press more heavily on the bladder. After the baby is born, the woman will likely have a desire to lose her pregnancy weight. Immediately following birth, it may be a good idea to rest before starting on any exercise program. A licensed medical doctor will be able to prescribe a timeline for such things as physical activity, which will greatly be determined by the mom’s overall health.

This article is to be used for informational purposes only. It is not designed to be used in conjunction with, or in place of, professional medical advice. Any woman who believes she may be experiencing pregnancy symptoms, or has reason to believe that she may be pregnant, should consult a licensed medical physician for proper testing and determination.

Credit option spreads

What is a credit spread?

Investopedia says… "An options strategy where a high premium option is sold and a low premium option is bought on the same underlying security."

OK I know that is very vague, so lets see if I can do better.

It is a trading strategy in which you buy an out of the money option at a certain strike price and then you sell an out of the money option at a different strike price of the same month. As time goes on the options will decay in value and as long as the price of the stock does not go past the sold strike price at the end of expiration you will receive a full credit winning trade.

For example, it is January and XYZ stock is currently at $54 and it looks as if it is bullish or will increase in price over the next month and you firmly believe that the stock will not go below $50. You would trade a Bull Put Credit Spread on a Feb expiration. You would buy the Feb 45 put for $.25 and you would sell the Feb 50 put for $1.00. This leaves you with a credit of $.75 in your account or actually $75 per contract you trade. The risk of the trade or the amount of money per contract you need in your account is $425 per contract. This gives you a return on investment of 17.5% in how ever many days till Feb expiration.

Lets take it out like a real trade - It is January 13 and Febuary expiration is in 35 days. You place the trade for 5 contracts. So you now buy 5 FEB XYZ 45 PUTs for $.25 or $125 total and you sell 5 FEB XYZ 50 PUTs for $1.00 or $500 giving you a credit of $375 in your account. Now to back the trade up with collateral in case the trade goes wrong you need to have $2125 in your account for just this trade. If XYZ closes above $50 in 35 days you will have received $375 which is a 17.6% gain. There is a break even price of $49.25 that if the stock closes at this number you will neither gain or lose money. If the stock closes between $49.25 and $45 you will lose some money and if it closes below $45 you will lose $2125.

If you like the idea of knowing exactly what your profit will be, exactly when the trade is closed, and exactly how much money you will risk then credit option spread trading is for you. Your profit margins will be between 10 and 20% on each trade - on some of the aggressive credit spreads you can make over 50% - and there are techniques for changing your trade if it becomes a losing trade to help you recover some of the loss and in some cases even make it a winning trade again even though you were wrong on the direction of the movement of the stock.

Piling on the pounds over the festive season will affect more than your health

Why does being overweight raise my life insurance premiums?

There are plenty of statistics to show that people are getting heavier in the UK.

The Government estimates around one in four Britons are clinically obese. Peoples waistlines keep expanding.

A report published in October 2006 by the World Health Organisation shows 76% of British men aged between 30 and 69 are overweight, compared with 65% 10 years ago. Sixty-nine per cent of women are overweight, compared with 55 per cent in 1995.

People are getting heavier at a younger, age too, which bodes badly for the future.

The problem for insurers is that if you are overweight, the more likely you are to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, strokes, high blood pressure and even chronic depression.

The WHO report, for example, estimated that by 2015 diabetes would kill 8,000 more people a year in the UK than the current 33,000. This increases the chances of insurers having to pay out upon your death, so they have to cover themselves by raising premiums.

How do I know whether the insurers think I am overweight?

There can be many ways of determining what is overweight. It is entirely up to the life insurer what criteria they use to measure whether you are a healthy weight, overweight or obese.

The most common measure among insurers though is the Body Mass Index (BMI).

This is a weight to height measure, irrespective of the individuals sex. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilos (2.2lb equals one kilo) by your height in metres squared (one foot equals 30 centimetres, one inch equals 2.5cm).

If your index is between 19 and 25, you are generally considered to be normal. A ratio between 26 to 30 is overweight, 30 to 40 is obese and anything above that and you are seriously heavy.

This can be an imprecise science given people have different body structures, not least between the sexes. Some top rugby players would be labelled obese under this criteria.

But given it is what the insurers mostly use, you should be aware of where you stand. Incidentally, having a below-normal BMI can also raise your premiums.

What can I do to get the best rate for my weight?

Insurers will usually want to know your weight and height so they can work out your BMI when you apply for life insurance.

While premiums generally have been falling steadily, the premiums for heavier people have tended to rise.

Some insurers offer very high rates to heavier people to deter them, while some insurers are happy to offer lower premiums. The point is that rates vary widely so it is important to search the whole market for the best deal, no matter what your weight.

MoneyExpert. com can help you do this by comparing Life Insurance suppliers and getting the best policy for your circumstances.

Will insurers reduce my premiums if I lose weight?

Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. The best option can sometimes be to change your policy. It is always worthwhile checking to see if you can get cheaper life insurance from another provider anyway. Find the best Life Insurance policy online now. Go to: moneyexpert. com/Insurance/LifeInsurance. aspx

Fundraising for youth groups

Youth Groups are almost always in need of funds. Holding fundraisers to finance important trips like tournaments, museums, and musical events are just some of the needs that have to be met through fundraising. Others include the need for uniforms, sports equipment, art supplies, musical instruments, and more.

There are a lot of different ways your youth group can raise the funds they need. In this article, I will explore some of those with you and try to help you avoid some of the pitfalls. I will let you benefit from my experience and I will help you avoid some of my mistakes.

Let’s start right off with candy. I have tried to use candy as a fundraising tool on more than one occasion for more than one youth group.

Pros and Cons of using candy as a youth group fundraiser.

Pros: Candy is cheap and can be sold for a great profit for your youth group. Everyone likes candy, so it’s a fairly easy sale, especially if you go with name brand candy. The candy is cheap enough that most people have enough money in their pocket to purchase it.

Cons: Candy melts. Trust me on this. Candy melts and when it does, your profits melt with it as you try to clean whatever it melted all over. The members of your youth group eat Candy and when the parents have to pay for all the candy YOU let their child eat, you get phone calls. Trust me on this. You get a lot of phone calls. Candy smells. Trust me on this. Wherever you store the candy will smell like candy forever. Bigger children steal candy from smaller children and again parents end up paying for the candy and you get the phone calls.

Coupon Books are another commonly used Youth Group Fundraiser.

Pros: Some coupon books are filled with free stuff and everyone loves free stuff! Your youth group can raise as much as $10 per coupon book so they need to make less sales to reach their goals.

Cons: Everyone still has last year’s coupon book. None of the coupons have been used. They never have it with them whenever they go somewhere they might have been able to use it for. I have been to a door to sell coupon books and had a guy hand me 7 unused coupon books as his donation. He said if I resold those, I would be able to raise more money than if he just bought one again this year. Coupons expire. They usually have a cost of about $10 to $15 per book, but of course the children in YOUR youth group will never lose any of them and their parents won’t be calling YOU, like with the candy.

Basically, every fundraiser your youth group takes on will come with responsibility and they all have their pros and cons. However, if you look for a product that has the following features, I believe you will have a more successful fundraising opportunity for your youth group.

1. Choose products that do not melt, expire, rot, or otherwise perish.

2. Choose products that do not have a large cost per unit, no matter what the profit.

3. Choose products that everyone uses and will get a lot of uses from. Something they will remember being very useful will get them to continue supporting your youth group.

4. Choose products that do not require a lot of storage space.

5. Choose products that are popular like things with the donor’s favorite major league baseball or football team logo on them.

If you follow those simple rules, your youth group fundraiser will be easy to manage, you won’t end up stuck with a lot of leftover product to store, your storage area won’t smell, you won’t need to clean up messes, and best of all, the parents of your youth group participants won’t be calling you.

Budget planning for youngsters

What would we do without our societal stereotypes? Wherever we look we form yet another stereotype. Take the case of the relationship between students and their credit cards. One common stereotype that we all seem to believe in is that no student has the capability of taking care of his own finances. We assume that just because someone is still a teenager (s)he will lack the prudence to curb her/his spending. Now, is that an accurate picture of the millions of students populating our world? I would say not. In my experiences with younger people I have found that many of them are very well-grounded and are quite prepared to take care of their expenses quite efficiently.

Of course, not all youngsters may be ready for the world of credit cards. That certainly takes a little getting used to. There is so much jargon that has to be deciphered. There are so many rules that have to be followed. There are so many monthly bills that have to be paid. In addition to all that, there is the immense ease with which a credit card allows you to make your purchases and pay your bills. Once you have left the safety of your home and are living on campus, the freedom that you have can feel wonderful. However, this new-found freedom can also lead one to lead an entirely different lifestyle and spend like crazy.

College is an entirely different experience. It can be quite a shock if you are unprepared for it. And credit cards are one of the factors that are part of this newness. That is why more and more colleges are taking it upon themselves to teach their students about the pros and cons of credit. And colleges are not alone. Credit card providers have also decided to stop being labeled as being opportunistic. They too have come up with courses (some of them certified courses) to enlighten young people about the various aspects of using credit.

Many youngsters behave as though credit cards provide access to free money. Several financial education courses teach teenagers about the various aspects of using credit cards. A college-goer might avail of some great credit card rewards by simply using her/his card sensibly. Reckless usage of credit cards can result in credit card debts. Students should be aware of this danger before they routinely go over budget. A credit history can haunt one for years to come. The trick is in using the credit cards wisely.

Pack your bags for the 66th annual sturgis motorcycle rally

Whether you will be making your inaugural trip to the 66th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, SD on Aug. 7th – 13th or you are a long time veteran of the event, this article will be a useful document providing a wealth of information including a brief history of the event, lodging information, schedule of events and safety tips and travel tips.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was organized by Clarence “Pappy” Hoel and members of the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club. The first ever Sturgis Rally was held on Aug. 14, 1938 featuring the Black Hills Classic, an event which featured 9 participants and a few spectators. It was determined that the event would be held annually on the first week after the first full weekend in August to avoid conflicts with other nearby events. By 1961 it had expanded to include Hill Climb and Motocross races and in 1963 the event expanded to three days. The Sturgis rally continued to grow in leaps and bounds and by 1975 it included a seven day event and by the year 2000 the event was attracting over half a million visitors annually with the 2000 rally attracting in excess of 600,000 visitors.

The small town of Sturgis, SD has a population of less than 7,000 so it is understandable that an event attracting over half a million travelers would create logistical problems with lodging concerns. If you are planning to attend, it is wise to make reservations for accommodations well in advance of your trip to ensure you can secure a room close to the site. More information on lodging for the Rally can be found at the following web address: sturgismotorcyclerally. com/lodging. html.

Camping is a popular option for those attending the rally. Nearby campgrounds include the following:

* Big Rig RV Park: - features wireless Internet access and spacious lots of 60’ and 100’ close to the rally site.

* Bulldog Campground: – features RV camping as well as cabins which accommodate 2-8 guests. This campground is located five miles from Sturgis and features nightly entertainment and happy hour as well as an onsite restaurant.

* Creekside Campground: – located 4 miles from Sturgis, this campground features RV camping, tent camping as well as cabins. Highlights of the campground include an onsite store selling food and beverages and easy highway access.

* Glencoe Camp Resort: – has been catering to Sturgis participants for over 20 years. This campground has over 160 acres of camping with ample shade. In 2006 they will unveil a 34 acre outdoor amphitheater which will feature live music all week long. A 24 hour restaurant is also onsite for the convenience of campers.

* Hog Heaven Campground: - with over 150 acres of camping, this campground situated in the Black Hills is an ideal location for Sturgis participants. The campground is open from July 31st through Aug. 13th this year and will host live bands providing entertainment for guests.

* Katmandu Campground: - features 250 RV sites, cabins and 50 acres of camping. Located just two miles from Sturgis, this location is convenient for participants. Highlighted amenities include laundry facilities and wireless Internet access.

* Sturgis View Campground: - located only 1.5 miles from downtown Sturgis. This campground is famous for its spectacular views. Other highlights include RV camping, cabins and ample acreage for tent camping.

A complete event schedule for this year’s event can be found at the following web address: sturgismotorcyclerally. com/06Oeventschedule. pdf. This website provides the time, event name and location for each of the scheduled events. One way to fuel up for the extensive list of planned events is to partake in the daily pancake breakfast sponsored by the Marine Corps JROTC. They can be found daily serving breakfast from 6:00 am until 11:00 am in the Sturgis Brown High School. Most days also feature alternate breakfast events by other clubs, including Alcoholics Anonymous who also hosts meetings throughout the event, ensuring a variety of dining options for the most important meal of the day.

Once breakfast is out of the way, participants are ready to enjoy the rest of the festivities. Live music is one of the undeniable highlights of the event. Although there are a variety of talented musicians scheduled to perform at this year’s event, the Buffalo Chip Campground has a lineup of headline performers scheduled for 2006 including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, Alice in Chains and David Lee Roth.

There are also plenty of motorcycle related events to keep participants occupied. Boss Hoss demo rides are featured throughout the event. Burnout competitions are also popular with spectators and are offered a few times during the tournament at the Full Throttle Saloon. Another highlight is the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build Off featuring Detroit Bros. vs. Jason Kangas. In addition, there are demos and exhibits throughout the day each day of the event and shows featuring custom bikes from around the country. There are also going to be many vendors on hand offering everything from motorcycle related merchandise to tattoos as well as food and beverages.

An unfortunate aspect of Sturgis is the frequent occurrence of the disappearance of motorcycles during the event. Estimates indicate approximately $250,000 worth of motorcycles are stolen each year during the course of the event. Motorcycles on the higher end of the price spectrum as well as custom bikes and show models are those most likely to be stolen, but all participants should take precautions to avoid becoming a victim. Care should be taken to park in well lit, high traffic locations as opposed to dark areas with few passersby. Additionally, participants should avoid leaving valuables such as cameras, leathers and souvenirs on their bike. Those who will be attending the event should also invest in a high quality lock to secure their bike. Even higher quality locks are not fool-proof to experienced thieves but they are a definite deterrent. Lower quality locks are not considered adequate protection because they can easily be broken or cut.

Participants who will be traveling long distances to the event on their motorcycle should also be aware of safety issues while traveling. Even those experienced with long distance rides should take safety precautions to ensure a smooth trip. One precaution is to create a copy of your detailed itinerary to leave in the possession of a friend or relative who will not be traveling with you. Travelers are also warned against traveling alone. Whenever possible, travelers should have at least one other rider accompany them on their trip. Taking frequent stops to rest and retiring for the night before fatigue sets in is also advisable.

What s your passion

Okay, you've decided you want to make money with Affiliate Marketing. So, you join some affiliate programs and start submitting free ads to newsletters and free advertising classifieds sites. You're going to make BIG money now -- right?

Nope! Sorry! Just sending out a few ads is not going to do it. Not if you want to be a real success.

You must first determine your passion. I mean other than making the money! What is your hobby? What do you know how to do REALLY well? What is your job? Everyone has something that is their own special talent. Find yours.

You probably have more than one thing that you are very interested in and do well. See if you can find five (ten if you're really ambitious). Write them down in a list. Remember, you are going to be spending a lot of time working with this subject. Make sure you enjoy it!

Go down each item on your list. Start writing a rough outline of everything you know about the topic. It doesn't have to be elaborate. This is just to give you an idea of how much information is available for a given subject.

Try mind mapping. Write down the main subject of your idea. Draw a circle around it. Now, start thinking of sub-categories that are related to your main category. Draw a line from your main category and end it with a circle. Put the sub-category title inside this circle. Find as many sub-categories (and sub-sub-categories) as you can.

Go through each of your interests with this procedure. Choose the one that you know the most about and that you can write about comfortably.

What if you "think" you don't know enough about your topic? Then, do some research. Read books and magazines. Do some searches on the Internet. Who knows? You might find an area, a niche, that is just waiting for you to fill it with useful information.

There's a lot more to affiliate marketing, of course. But the first step is to find your passion. Your "passion" doesn't have to be making money on the Internet. It can be cooking, sewing, billiards, or whatever. In fact, it's better if you find a niche that isn't in the online marketing arena because that's what nearly everyone else is doing.

Make your topic unique. Make it yours. And make it your passion. It will pay you well.

Growing tropical plants in non-tropical reqions

Tropical Paradise. We often see commercials of Tropical Vacations and dream of better days sitting under the sun with a drink in our hands. What is it about the tropics we so enduring? What lures us to these places? In colder climates during the winter months plants have acclimated to the climate. They can take freezing temperatures and months of snow and ice. However tropical plants are not capable of surviving these climates. But we still long for that Tropical fruit we buy in the store for outrageous prices. What if we could go over to a tropical tree, select a ripe fruit and eat it right then and there, while outside a blizzard is taking place? Our own tropical paradise, right inside out own home. Many tropical plants will grow with the right care and conditions in areas that normally would not permit them. These same plants that grow in abundance in Asia, South America, Africa, can grow right in your own living room, ready to pluck the ripe, sweet fruit grown specifically by you.

Potting

There are many different types of pots available and each has its benefits and drawbacks. There is plastic with can heat up or freeze quickly, Metal, same as plastic,

Clay and wood dry quicker, ceramic that can be heavy and many others that you can buy at local garden centers. For the most part all can be used quite successfully with tropical plants. Choose one based on your own preferences.

These pots should have holes in the bottom for adequate drainage. When you buy your pot, and before you put in soil, cover these holes with a mesh of some sort to help retain the soil, it is also good to put down an inch or two of gravel to insure good drainage. With tropical plants drainage is essential to healthy plants.

Potting soil from the local garden center will suffice; however a much better solution would be 1 part Perlite or Vermiculite, 1 part course sand, and 1 part Peat. This gives good drainage as well as sufficient nutrients. Make sure your soil is not packed down heavy to allow good drainage but not excessive drainage.

Remove your plant from its original container; look carefully at the root system. It they are heavily packed in and there is more root then dirt, we want to prune these roots before we plant. Take some of these roots and loosen them up and then carefully clip the ends to stimulate the plant to root more in its new container. If pruning is not needed, then just loosen the root ball before planting.

Place the plant in the new container making sure you have filled it halve way with the new planting material. You want to make sure that when you fill the rest of the container with soil, the soil line is the same as the original plant when you pulled it out. The soil like should be about 1-4 inches below the rim of the pot when you are all finished.

Important key: Make sure your fully grown plant will be proportional to your pot. Don’t put an 8 foot tall tree in a 10 inch pot. Allow the roots to be able to grow, the larger the pot the more fruit it will bear.

Light

Tropical plants usually require lots of sunlight, anywhere you can place them to receive full sunlight is beneficial to them. Search on the internet for your species to find out their light requirements. Some tropicals do well in partial shade however most need to receive the maximum sunlight available.

Tropical plants, when you receive them are most likely used to full sunlight, when you are going to bring them indoors, or for winter times, when bringing them indoors, you must acclimate them to your indoor area. Make sure to put them near a good light source and if possible add additional light

Water

Tropical plants are used to lots of water, however they are also used to well drained soil, so their water requirements are different for potted plants. These dependencies are based on size of the pot, size of the plant, type of plant, temperature where you keep the plant, the humidity and the type of soil you have. You are usually safe to water, when the upper surface of the soil is dry before you water your plant. Slowly fill the container watching for runoff at the bottom holes. Remember that wood or clay pots dry faster, making watering more frequent, and cooler weather slows down the growth of the plant, thus reducing the need to water as much.

Temperature

This is probably the key ingredient to successful tropical plant keeping. NO FREEZING WEATHER. Tropical plants cannot take cold temperatures, so you will need to find a way to bring these indoors. Cold temperatures will lead to root damage, and leave damage. Again it depends on the species of tropical plant you have to the extent it can take cold weather. Some plants you can just cover overnight and then remove each morning, others will need to be brought indoors. If you bring them indoors make sure you keep them away from drafts from doors or windows to freeze, and out of the heating vent areas so not to dry out too fast.

Fertilizer

Too much fertilizer is very bad for tropical plants. The best type of fertilizer to use are water soluble types, any local garden center can help you pick out a good fertilizer that will meet the plants requirements. Read the directions completely. After spending good money on a beautiful tropical plant, you would hate to kill it by over fertilizing it. Usually with a tropical plant the mature foliage will show deep green indicating that you are fertilizing on the correct scale. Make sure your fertilizer has a complete balanced diet of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Lesser amounts of Magnesium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, again Read the label.

Pruning

With most container tropical plants little or no pruning is needed. However if the plant becomes “leggy” due to poor light conditions then cut it back greatly to force it to bush out. If the top becomes too large for the root structure, again a large pruning spree is needed. Also when you start to get leaf shed and twig die back this is an indication that the root structure is not large enough for the top foliage and pruning is needed.

Fruitfulness

Will I get fruit? This is the question we all ask. Is it worth the time and effort? Ask anyone that has a fruit tree planted in a pot, as they pick tropical fruit on a blizzard day of 10 below zero, and they will always tell you “Yes!” For the most part container tropic plants are dependant on the light source and size of the pot to how much fruit they will have. Most fruit trees will fruit in pots as long as we keep all of the requirements alive in our head. The larger the tree the larger the pot that is needed. Fruit will bear proportional to the size of the pot and plant. Please keep in mind that some fruit will need a presence of another cultivator to be able to fruit. Again check the specifics of your plant before you decide to buy it.