1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning.  The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.
2. Prepare for the morning the evening before.  Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.
3. Don’t rely on your memory.  Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc.
4. Do nothing which, after being done, leads you to tell a lie.
5. Make duplicates of all keys.  Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden and carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.
6. Practice preventive maintenance.  Your car, appliances, home, and relationships will be less likely to break down/fall apart “at the worst possible moment.”
7. Be prepared to wait.  A paperback can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.
8. Procrastination is stressful.  Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
9. Plan ahead.  Don’t let the gas tank get below one-quarter full; keep a well-stocked “emergency shelf” of home staples; don’t wait until you’re down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more; etc.
10. Don’t put up with something that doesn’t work right.  If your alarm clock, wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers - whatever- are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.
11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments.  Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.
12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.
13. Always set up contingency plans, “just in case.” (”If for some reason either of us is delayed, here’s what we’ll do. . .” kind of thing.  Or, “If we get split up in the shopping center, here’s where we’ll meet.”)
14. Relax your standards.  The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend.
15. Pollyanna-Power!  For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings.  Count ‘em!
16. Ask questions.  Taking a few moments to repeat back directions, what someone expects of you, etc., can save hours.  (The old “the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get,” idea.)
17. Say “No!”  Saying “no” to extra projects, social activities, and invitations you know you don’t have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect, and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and be alone.
18. Unplug your phone.  Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep, or read without interruption?  Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect.  (The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.)  Or use an answering machine.
19. Turn “needs” into preferences.  Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm.  Everything else is a preference. Don’t get attached to preferences.
20. Simplify, simplify, simplify. . .
21. Make friends with non-worriers.  Nothing can get you into the habit of worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.
22. Get up and stretch periodically if your job requires that you sit for extended periods.
23. Wear earplugs.  If you need to find quiet at home, pop in some earplugs.
24. Get enough sleep.  If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.
25. Create order out of chaos.  Organize your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are.  Put things away where they belong and you won’t have to go through the stress of losing things.
26. When feeling stressed, most people tend to breathe short, shallow breaths.  When you breathe like this, stale air is not expelled, oxidation of the tissues is incomplete, and muscle tension frequently results.  Check your breathing throughout the day,  and before, during, and after high-pressure situations.  If you find your stomach muscles knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax all your muscles and take several deep, slow breaths. 
27. Writing your thoughts and feelings down (in a journal, or on paper to  be thrown away) can help you clarify things and can give you a renewed perspective
28. Try the following yoga technique whenever you feel the need to relax. Inhale deeply through your nose to the count of eight.  Then, with lips puckered, exhale very slowly through your mouth to the count of 16, or for as long as you can.  Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve.  Repeat 10 times.
29. Inoculate yourself against a feared event.  Example:  before speaking in public, take time to go over every part of the experience in your mind.  Imagine what you’ll wear, what the audience will look like, how you will present your talk, what the questions will be and how you will answer them, etc.  Visualize the experience the way you would have it be.  You’ll likely find that when the time comes to make the actual presentation, it will be “old hat” and much of your anxiety will have fled.
30. When the stress of having to get a job done gets in the way of getting the job done, diversion - a voluntary change in activity and/or environment - may be just what you need.
31. Talk it out.  Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help clear your mind of confusion so you can concentrate on problem solving.
32. One of the most obvious ways to avoid unnecessary stress is to select an environment (work, home, leisure) which is in line with your personal needs and desires.  If you hate desk jobs, don’t accept a job which requires that you sit at a desk all day.  If you hate to talk politics, don’t associate with people who love to talk politics, etc.
33. Learn to live one day at a time.
34. Every day, do something you really enjoy.
35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.
36. Take a hot bath or shower (or a cool one in summertime) to relieve tension.
37. Do something for somebody else.
38. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.
39. Do something that will improve your appearance.  Looking better can help you feel better.
40. Schedule a realistic day.  Avoid the tendency to schedule back-to-back appointments; allow time between appointments for a breathing spell.
41. Become more flexible.  Some things are worth not doing perfectly and some issues are fine to compromise upon.
42. Eliminate destructive self-talk:  “I’m too old to. . .,”  “I’m too fat to. . .,” etc.
43. Use your weekend time for a change of pace.  If your work week is slow and patterned, make sure there is action and time for spontaneity built into your weekends.  If your work week is fast-paced and full of people and deadlines, seek peace and solitude during your days off.  Feel as if you aren’t accomplishing anything at work?  Tackle a job on the weekend which you can finish to your satisfaction.
44. “Worry about the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.”  That’s another way of saying:  take care of the todays as best you can and the yesterdays and the tomorrows will take care of themselves.
45. Do one thing at a time.  When you are with someone, be with that person and with no one or nothing else.  When you are busy with a project, concentrate on doing that project and forget about everything else you have to do.
46. Allow yourself time - everyday - for privacy, quiet, and introspection.
47. If an especially unpleasant task faces you, do it early in the day and get it over with, then the rest of your day will be free of anxiety.
48. Learn to delegate responsibility to capable others.
49. Don’t forget to take a lunch break.  Try to get away from your desk or work area in body and mind, even if it’s just for 15 or 20 minutes.
50. Forget about counting to 10.  Count to 1,000 before doing something or saying anything that could make matters worse.
51. Have a forgiving view of events and people.  Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world.
52. Have an optimistic view of the world.  Believe that most people are doing the best they can.

• 0 Comments

1. Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning.  The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.
2. Prepare for the morning the evening before.  Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.
3. Don’t rely on your memory.  Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc.
4. Do nothing which, after being done, leads you to tell a lie.
5. Make duplicates of all keys.  Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden and carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.
6. Practice preventive maintenance.  Your car, appliances, home, and relationships will be less likely to break down/fall apart “at the worst possible moment.”
7. Be prepared to wait.  A paperback can make a wait in a post office line almost pleasant.
8. Procrastination is stressful.  Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do it now.
9. Plan ahead.  Don’t let the gas tank get below one-quarter full; keep a well-stocked “emergency shelf” of home staples; don’t wait until you’re down to your last bus token or postage stamp to buy more; etc.
10. Don’t put up with something that doesn’t work right.  If your alarm clock, wallet, shoe laces, windshield wipers - whatever- are a constant aggravation, get them fixed or get new ones.
11. Allow 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments.  Plan to arrive at an airport one hour before domestic departures.
12. Eliminate (or restrict) the amount of caffeine in your diet.
13. Always set up contingency plans, “just in case.” (”If for some reason either of us is delayed, here’s what we’ll do. . .” kind of thing.  Or, “If we get split up in the shopping center, here’s where we’ll meet.”)
14. Relax your standards.  The world will not end if the grass doesn’t get mowed this weekend.
15. Pollyanna-Power!  For every one thing that goes wrong, there are probably 10 or 50 or 100 blessings.  Count ‘em!
16. Ask questions.  Taking a few moments to repeat back directions, what someone expects of you, etc., can save hours.  (The old “the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get,” idea.)
17. Say “No!”  Saying “no” to extra projects, social activities, and invitations you know you don’t have the time or energy for takes practice, self-respect, and a belief that everyone, everyday, needs quiet time to relax and be alone.
18. Unplug your phone.  Want to take a long bath, meditate, sleep, or read without interruption?  Drum up the courage to temporarily disconnect.  (The possibility of there being a terrible emergency in the next hour or so is almost nil.)  Or use an answering machine.
19. Turn “needs” into preferences.  Our basic physical needs translate into food, water, and keeping warm.  Everything else is a preference. Don’t get attached to preferences.
20. Simplify, simplify, simplify. . .
21. Make friends with non-worriers.  Nothing can get you into the habit of worrying faster than associating with chronic worrywarts.
22. Get up and stretch periodically if your job requires that you sit for extended periods.
23. Wear earplugs.  If you need to find quiet at home, pop in some earplugs.
24. Get enough sleep.  If necessary, use an alarm clock to remind you to go to bed.
25. Create order out of chaos.  Organize your home and workspace so that you always know exactly where things are.  Put things away where they belong and you won’t have to go through the stress of losing things.
26. When feeling stressed, most people tend to breathe short, shallow breaths.  When you breathe like this, stale air is not expelled, oxidation of the tissues is incomplete, and muscle tension frequently results.  Check your breathing throughout the day,  and before, during, and after high-pressure situations.  If you find your stomach muscles knotted and your breathing is shallow, relax all your muscles and take several deep, slow breaths. 
27. Writing your thoughts and feelings down (in a journal, or on paper to  be thrown away) can help you clarify things and can give you a renewed perspective
28. Try the following yoga technique whenever you feel the need to relax. Inhale deeply through your nose to the count of eight.  Then, with lips puckered, exhale very slowly through your mouth to the count of 16, or for as long as you can.  Concentrate on the long sighing sound and feel the tension dissolve.  Repeat 10 times.
29. Inoculate yourself against a feared event.  Example:  before speaking in public, take time to go over every part of the experience in your mind.  Imagine what you’ll wear, what the audience will look like, how you will present your talk, what the questions will be and how you will answer them, etc.  Visualize the experience the way you would have it be.  You’ll likely find that when the time comes to make the actual presentation, it will be “old hat” and much of your anxiety will have fled.
30. When the stress of having to get a job done gets in the way of getting the job done, diversion - a voluntary change in activity and/or environment - may be just what you need.
31. Talk it out.  Discussing your problems with a trusted friend can help clear your mind of confusion so you can concentrate on problem solving.
32. One of the most obvious ways to avoid unnecessary stress is to select an environment (work, home, leisure) which is in line with your personal needs and desires.  If you hate desk jobs, don’t accept a job which requires that you sit at a desk all day.  If you hate to talk politics, don’t associate with people who love to talk politics, etc.
33. Learn to live one day at a time.
34. Every day, do something you really enjoy.
35. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.
36. Take a hot bath or shower (or a cool one in summertime) to relieve tension.
37. Do something for somebody else.
38. Focus on understanding rather than on being understood; on loving rather than on being loved.
39. Do something that will improve your appearance.  Looking better can help you feel better.
40. Schedule a realistic day.  Avoid the tendency to schedule back-to-back appointments; allow time between appointments for a breathing spell.
41. Become more flexible.  Some things are worth not doing perfectly and some issues are fine to compromise upon.
42. Eliminate destructive self-talk:  “I’m too old to. . .,”  “I’m too fat to. . .,” etc.
43. Use your weekend time for a change of pace.  If your work week is slow and patterned, make sure there is action and time for spontaneity built into your weekends.  If your work week is fast-paced and full of people and deadlines, seek peace and solitude during your days off.  Feel as if you aren’t accomplishing anything at work?  Tackle a job on the weekend which you can finish to your satisfaction.
44. “Worry about the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.”  That’s another way of saying:  take care of the todays as best you can and the yesterdays and the tomorrows will take care of themselves.
45. Do one thing at a time.  When you are with someone, be with that person and with no one or nothing else.  When you are busy with a project, concentrate on doing that project and forget about everything else you have to do.
46. Allow yourself time - everyday - for privacy, quiet, and introspection.
47. If an especially unpleasant task faces you, do it early in the day and get it over with, then the rest of your day will be free of anxiety.
48. Learn to delegate responsibility to capable others.
49. Don’t forget to take a lunch break.  Try to get away from your desk or work area in body and mind, even if it’s just for 15 or 20 minutes.
50. Forget about counting to 10.  Count to 1,000 before doing something or saying anything that could make matters worse.
51. Have a forgiving view of events and people.  Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world.
52. Have an optimistic view of the world.  Believe that most people are doing the best they can.

• 0 Comments

Recently Rand Fishkin of Seomoz.org brought together 37 of the world’s Top SEO experts to tackle Google’s Algorithm, the complex formula and methods Google uses to rank web pages. This ranking formula is extremely important to webmasters because finding which factors Google uses to rank their index is often considered the Holy Grail of site optimization.

Google’s ranking factors affect how and where you are listed in their search engine results or SERPs. Since obtaining top positions for your targeted keywords often spells success for your site, knowing Google’s ranking factors can be very beneficial.

Every experienced webmaster will know Google is the main supplier of search engine traffic on the web, getting listed on the first page or anywhere in the top 10 positions for popular keywords will result in plenty of free quality targeted traffic.

Briefly listed below are some of the main ranking factors you should be optimizing your web pages for in your marketing. The majority of these ranking factors will be very familiar to most webmasters who take full advantage of any and every SEO tactic which will give their site an edge over their competition.

Here are some of the main ranking factors to consider:

1. Keywords In Your Title And On Your Page

Place your keyword or keyword phrase in the title of your page and also in your copy. Many webmasters use variations of their keywords on this page and also include it in the H1 headline.

2. Keywords In Your URL

Keep your page on topic and place your keyword in the URL. Use your keyword in the H2, H3… headlines. Place it in the description and meta tags, place it in bold/strong tags, but keep your content readable and useful. Be aware of the text surrounding your keywords, search engines will become more semantic in the coming years so context is important.

3. Create High Quality Relevant Content

Have high quality relevant content on your pages. Your content should be related to the topic of your site and updated regularly depending on the nature of your site.

4. Internal Onsite Linking

Internal linking is important to your overall ranking. Make sure your linking structure is easy for the spiders to crawl. Most suggest a simple hierarchy with links no more than three clicks away from your home/index page.

Creating traffic modes or clusters of related links within a section on your site has proven very effective for many webmasters, including this one. For example, creating a simple online guide on a subject related to your site’s topic can prove very beneficial. Keep all the links connected and closely related in subject matter and don’t forget to have occasional external ‘anchor keyworded’ links coming to these internal links on your site instead of to your homepage. Deep build your links.

5. Only Linking To High Quality Related Sites

Don’t forget to link to high quality PR related sites. Linking to high quality sites shows the search engines your site is very useful to your visitors. Build relationships within communities on the topic of your site. Be extremely careful not to link to bad neighborhoods, link farms and spam sites… when in doubt, don’t link out!

• 0 Comments

Fitness boot camps are fast becoming the latest craze in the health-conscious modern world. More and more people prefer fitness boot camps to exercising in the gyms or at home and this is converting fitness boot camps into a money-raking business.

Fitness boot camps provide a power-packed workout in the span of an hour. It is this economical usage of time that drives people to fitness boot camps. These boot camps may meet several times a week, for an hour’s duration each.

Classes begin with a simple warm-up exercise like squatting or sit-ups or walking on the treadmill. Usually people perform these exercises in groups and then alternate their exercises. This helps to break the monotony. As the class progresses, the exercises become more and more difficult. There is just no letting go till the class is complete.

Many people who join such fitness boot camps find it very taxing at first. But when they realize the benefits, they change their minds. Some just aren’t physically able to keep up, so health experts recommend potential clients get a checkup before joining a fitness boot camp.

Fitness boot camps are not for the faint of heart. The instructor is often harsh, yelling at his people and reprimanding them in no uncertain terms for failing to maintain standards. There are punishments for being late, which could be more exercise. At the end of the day, the instructor’s mission is to give people the maximum workout possible.

Mostly, retired army or navy personnel run fitness boot camps. They may have their own camp or they may utilize open-air places like parks or beaches. Being surrounded by nature gives more value to the exercise. There are fitness boot camps designed specially for women, older people and children. They are also a bit costlier than gyms. A 20-hour class would cost roughly from $200 to $250, prices being subjective of the location and the reputation of the class. There is also variation in the time for which the classes are conducted and the number of days.

The majority of people who have joined fitness boot camps are quite satisfied with the end product, though they may have problems earlier due to the harsh methods employed. They believe that in these times of hectic schedules a fitness boot camp may be the only answer to getting a high-value workout.

• 0 Comments

Arizona truck insurance quotes are readily available to anyone with a computer. Just by going online one can get a quote for truck insurance for those based in Arizona. Each company will provide their own unique quote depending on how much of a risk factor they deem you and your truck or trucks to be. High risk drivers are charged higher premiums than lower risk drivers. The quote will also vary depending on the extent of coverage you choose.

What Kind of Choices Are There?

There are various insurance covers available to those seeking to insure their trucks in Arizona. As with any insurance policy it’s a good idea to know what you will be asking for before you go online for a quote. It just makes for a less frustrating time if you know what you want before looking for a comprehensive quote. Some of the choices to consider include the following options.

1. Physical Damage Insurance. This insurance, otherwise known as collision coverage, pays to fix and/or replace damaged trucks and truck parts. Options within the physical damage insurance package may include coverage for extended towing, downtime, providing a loan gap, emergency expense reimbursement, truck rental reimbursement, contents coverage, deductible pay-back and coverage on tarps, chains and binders.

2. Non-Trucking Liability Insurance. Also known as bobtail liability insurance this is a limited liability protection for when the vehicle is being operated for personal or non work related use.

3. Occupation Accident Insurance. This provides the owner a source of indemnification for work related accident injuries.

4. Workers Compensation Insurance. Required by law in most states this is available to owners who have drivers working for them.

5. Passenger Accident Insurance. This is pretty self explanatory just by reading its title. Passenger accident insurance covers passengers, whether they be friends of family that are in the truck at the time of an accident.

• 0 Comments

Peer to Peer technology (P2P) first came into focus through companies like Napster and Kazza, who developed file sharing applications that would allow users to share their own files, as well as search for and download files of other users on the network. Instead of relying on a centralized client server relationship, a peer to peer network gets its strength from each individual node, adding bandwidth and processing power with each new member for the good of the many.

Much like the Borg of the later Star Trek episodes, peer to peer can scale indefinately without the use of expensive central servers, and from a cost standpoint -resistance is futile!

Peer to peer Internet Telephony is, like Napster, a software application that you download on to your computer from a peer to peer VoIP service provider. The softeware, or soft phone as it is called, is free to download and calls to or from anyone on the network are free. The only hardware you need is a headset, or a microphone and speakers. Internet telephony headsets are cheap and come in USB or can plug directly into your sound cards.

For those with web cams, many providers allow you to make video calls to others on the network for free. Services offered with this technology go above and beyond the Telcos, with conference calls, call forwarding, instant messaging and chat - peer to peer Internet telephony literaly turns your computer into a telephone/vidiophone communications center.

Like the traditional VoIP providers, calls within the network are free worldwide, but calls to a PSTN number will usualy cost you if it is an option. You can in some cases, have different numbers in other locations so that people can call you from a land line even from other counties toll free. Even if you do have to pay to get on the PSTN, the rates are so much cheaper than a telco.

Just like the other forms of VoIP, developers have had some technological hurdles to overcome. Quality of Service, NATed firewalls, and centralized directories of members using a dynamic IP address are just a few. Also, as calls and instant messages are routed through the public Internet, encryption is a must for any user.

Internet Telephony in Ecommerce

Probably the best known company and indeed a pioneer of peer-to peer Internet telephony is Skype. Originaly founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, two of the innovators behind the P2P network Kazaa, Skype was bought by eBay in late 2005 for 2.6 billion dollars. With over 100 million users according to eBay, its safe to say that Skype is the industry leader in peer to peer Internet telephony. Ebay would like Skype to evolve into a customer service application, allowing potential buyers to communicate directly to Ecommerce enabled web sites online and in real time.

Peer to Peer and the Gaming Comunity

Another area where the peer to peer idea has taken off is the online gaming community. PeerMe is a peer to peer internet telephony company that caters to gamers, offering PC-to-PC and PC-to handheld voice communications, instant messaging, and peer-to-peer file transfer over public Internet connections. They have recently partnered with game distributor Boonty, offering a broad selection of downloadable games in many languages. Gamers can form communities, evaluate and purchase games, and communicate with friends via voice and text online in real time.

P2P Internet Telephony for Small Businesses

The cost effectiveness of a decentalized peer to peer voip solution has not been overlooked in the business community. Market leader Avaya has developed the one-X Quick Edition line of SIP telephones that is a non server based IP PBX system. Connected to your LAN, each phone contains the software necessary maintain the PBX, and knows about every other phone on the network. An ideal solution for small businesses with many branch offices, the stay at home telecomuter, call centers and customer service centers.

Over at the Gizmo Project they have developed a business software solution that supports the open source Asterik PBX software, and has free calling to anyone on the Gizmo peer to peer network. Under the All Calls Free plan.employees make free calls to the landlines and mobile phones of co-workers in 60 countries.

The biggest advantage of a peer to peer internet telephony solution is the economical start up costs (usualy the price of a headset), and the ability to turn your computer into a world wide communications center. While a Soft Phone and a headset is the norm for most providers, hand helds and IP desk phones are rapidly gaining ground in P2P internet telephony. Peer to peer networking for online communication - a technology coming of age for web sites, gamers and the small business community.

• 0 Comments

Even if you have had years of experience with adult cats, taking care of a kitten is a whole new world. Kittens eat differently, sleep differently, and need time to adjust to changes both inside their bodies and in the outside world. Learn about a kitten’s basic needs and how to help your kitten grow into a happy, healthy adult cat.

Make Your Home Kitten-Proof

What, exactly, does kitten-proofing entail? Particularly if you already have older cats, what more do you need to do?

For one thing, kittens are much more active and curious than older cats. Like human babies, they often satisfy their curiosity by chewing everything in site. For this reason, you should purchase all-natural cat litter and not the clumping clay variety that is commonly used with older cats.

Another element of kitten-proofing your home is giving the kitten a safe place to be. This need not be an entire room, but it does need to be quiet and closed off from other animals. After a few days, give the kitten and the other animals some closely supervised time to get acquainted. If your new kitten has not been to the vet, keep it quarantined from other animals until you can be certain he does not have any infectious diseases. Give the animals a few weeks to get used to each other and do not push too hard; before you know it, the safe room will be a thing of the past!

The First Visit to the Vet

The first visit to the vet should take place shortly after you have gotten your kitten, particularly if it was a stray and you do not know its medical history. This is particularly important if you have other household pets that could be infected if the kitten has any communicable diseases. Until you take the new kitten to the vet, you will need to keep him away from the other pets.

At the veterinarian’s office, your kitten will undergo a detailed physical exam. This will include looking at baby teeth to determine age, measuring temperature, palpating organs, listening to the heart, brushing fur for signs of fleas, and checking eyes and ears. After the physical examination is complete, the vet will perform several tests, such as:

Fecal float checks for worms

Blood Tests check for FeLV and FIV viruses

Depending on your kitten’s age when you first take her to the vet, she may be vaccinated. Vaccinations take place at 9 to 10 weeks of age. Kittens are given a booster shot at 12 and 14 weeks and possibly a Rabies vaccine, depending on local laws or if your cat is considered at risk.

Two procedures that may be taken care of at different times are spaying/neutering and declawing. Some vets prefer to spay/neuter at a younger age, as it may be better for the cat. You need to make a separate appointment for this. Unlike spaying and neutering, declawing is a more debatable procedure. You should aim to understand more about the benefits and disadvantages of this procedure before you make a final decision.

Social Growth

In his first month and a half of growth, a new kitten experiences tremendous changes. Typically, new cat owners will not bring home a kitten until week 6, when it has been weaned off its mother’s milk. For this reason, typically new kitten owners will be more involved in the social growth than physical growth.

If the mother was comfortable with humans, the kittens will usually learn that behavior and learn to socialize easily with people. However, if your kitten has not become accustomed to being handled by humans by the age of six weeks, it will be difficult to train this behavior later, and the cat may always be somewhat more skittish than others.

Be sure to teach your kitten at a young age that hands are not toys, they feed, pet and hold the kittens.

Introducing Canned Food

Kittens need many more nutrients than adult cats. However; with smaller stomachs they must each more regularly. A six-week-old kitten should have four daily feedings until he reaches 12 weeks of age. From 12 weeks to six months, she can take three daily feedings. After that point, feed your kitten once daily, like other adult cats.

When choosing food, keep your kitten’s health top priority. Do not feed your kitten:

table scraps or milk

dog food

adult cat food

All of these may be easy options for you, the pet owner, but the kitten will not receive the nutrients she needs. Instead, feed her a well-balanced diet of food made specifically for developing kittens. Begin with canned food, which is more calorie-laden for energetic kittens. Later on, you can start supplementing with dry food.

Now that you have learned the basics of kitten care, bring home your new kitten and enjoy the time you spend together. She will be an adult cat before you know it!

• 0 Comments

Prepaid prepaid phone cards allow the user to purchase a specific dollar value of calling time and to have the cost of each call deducted from the account balance. Sold at many retail locations as well as on the Internet, you can buy them at relatively cheap prices and use them from almost from anywhere.

But are these phone cards really a great deal?

Have you seen calling cards at your local convenience store or gas station and wondered how they work? Maybe you have heard about the great long distance rates that calling cards offer, and are curious about how they can offer such great prices?

Are you really getting any minutes with such a deal?

If you want a prepaid phone card, be sure to get the best card for your needs. Calling cards from different companies have a wide range of fees and restrictions. By comparing phone cards before you buy, you can make certain to get the most bang for your buck.

Don’t get cheated on your phone card. With calling card companies, as with any product or service, there are good deals, bad deals, and outright frauds. Learning what precautions to take when buying a prepaid phone card could save you money and trouble. Learn how to select a good prepaid card, and what to do if you get cheated.

Don’t leave home without it. Whether you use them to make sure you can always use a phone booth in an emergency or to keep in touch with your loved ones on the road, prepaid calling cards can be extremely handy. This is just one idea for how prepaid phone cards could be useful for you and save you in a tight spot.

Prepaid phone cards are an excellent way to save on international calls. By buying minutes in bulk, calling cards can offer rates at a fraction of the price of regular carriers, without complicated calling plans.

Keep in mind that you can donate calling cards to the military. Calling cards are an excellent way to show your support for our troops and to help a lonely soldier overseas stay in contact with his friends and loved ones.

Also, many of the credit card companies offer cards that have all of the usefulness of having a prepaid phone card on hand in case of emergencies, without many of the hidden fees and inconveniences.

It’s only by comparing each of the plans that you will find the best one for you.

• 0 Comments

Fluffy is using your new chair for a scratching post…again!

Its a very natural thing for a cat to sharpen it’s claws. After all, they are used for climbing, catching “food” (when necessary), climbing, perching and defending themeselves. Of course, let’s not forget another very important trait that cat’s need claws for…”kneading your leg” when contentedly curled up on your lap. So, what’s a human to do?

Get a scratching post!

It’s relatively easy to teach a cat to use a scratching post instead of your own furniture (and in some cases…you!). Even a “slow” cat will catch on to the idea fairly quickly. Many pet stores sell scratching posts and furniture in all shapes and sizes to keep your frolicing feline happy and content.

You can also make your own scratching post out of simple materials lying around your home. For example, take a 4″ diameter branch about 2 feet long. Wrap it snuggly and securly with some rope. Voila…simple scratching post. Another option is to cover a 2X4 board with old carpeting.

Once you have a scratching post (either purchased or home- made), place it near the area that your cat spends the most time or next to his favorite “scratching” place. Now comes the hard part…waiting and watching.

As soon as your cat begins to scratch an inappropriate item (from your point of view…not his), quickly say “no” in a deep voice and pick him up. Take him to the new scratching post and rub his paws gently over the post, simulating scratching. You will have to be deligent about this.

Whenever you see your cat using the scratching post on his own, immediately praise him, perhaps even giving him a treat the first few times to reenforce the behavior. A cat learns quickly and it shouldn’t take long for him to “readjust” his habits.

• 0 Comments

I remember the first day of training well. It had been an interesting experience (read euphemism for painful) as I limped into the shower afterwards. My feet were killing me, it was that simple.

All the more worrying for me afterwards was that I was committed to driving round to pick up my girl friend and anxious to make a good impression I was sure the sight of me hobbling and limping up to the front door was going to go down extremely well!

Add to the above physical pain the fact that her father who was twice my age and had already completed several marathons (I had yet to complete one) and I was potentially in for an evening of ritual humiliation that would remain with me for a long time.

As it turned out, things went better than expected, I actually got a mega load of sympathy, lots of hugs and kisses for at least trying (and that was from the dad – only joking folks) and ended up almost a hero but the real benefit of the entire evening came with some gentle constructive advice from the father whilst the girlfriend was getting ready (why do they always take so long?)

The advice came along the lines of it was pretty damn obvious to disguise the fact that I was in no small amount of pain and that it was either bucket loads of TLC, lots of alcohol or a hefty shot of painkillers was going to be what it took to get me through the night (possibly a nice combination of all three who knows?) Having established this fact and the cause of my discomfort my girlfriends’ father took me aside and showed me where he kept all his training gear.

Now this guy was serious about his running, he had a physique that was lean and mean, all the hallmarks of a “fully paid up mountain goat” and had a degree of fitness that I could only have fantasised about at the time.

His most revealing words were: “Look after your feet and do not, repeat do not, go running in shoes that are not designed for the job.” Sounds pretty obvious I know but as advice goes (and isn’t it strange how all the best advice is simple at the end of the day) it was right up there with some of the best I have ever had.

If there is one area of your running gear (and if you are going to survive out there on the roads then you have to be serious) that you cannot treat in a cavalier fashion it is with your running shoes. If you are about to set out and run hundreds of miles then the correct shoes is not only a must, it is essential.

I have a colleague, the husband of a friend of mine who is competing in this years London Marathon (2007) and he works his way through one pair of running shoes every four weeks. Now imagine when you are running that sort of distance how much damage you would do to your feet if you don’t have the right shoes?

• 0 Comments