The Grassroots of Business Success

Many of us are unable to move forward with our lives because we refuse to let go of what no longer exist: YESTERDAY. The portal to yesterday is permanently closed; gone out of business. It is non-existent; a mere idea of what once was.

It is disconcerting that so many, many people are stuck in the unyielding grip of what happened to them in yesteryears. They experience great difficulty living in the present. Yes, their bodies are here, but their minds and souls float around lost in the non-existent twilight of yesterday.

Perhaps this misfortune is made even more tragic by the fact that many of these folks are just carrying around a lot of old trash that’s stale and stinky and need to be disposed of. The reason many of us cannot climb to higher heights is because the garbage we cling to weighs us down.

You know people and I know people who still carry grudges and hostility and resentment in their hearts over something some man or woman did to them yesterday. Some of us cannot maintain a decent relationship with our parents because of something they did to us or did not do for us years ago that we still carry around with us. Many a friendship has been sacrificed because one or both of the individuals cannot move beyond what happened yesterday.

It was Shakespeare who said, “What is gone and past help should be past grief” We cannot grow and enjoy our ever-so-fleeting present because we are regular visitors to that non-existent place of yesterday where we lick our wounds and feel sorry for our “mistreated” selves. Thus, we cannot change with the times or gather new stars. We can’t move on to newer discoveries and experience new things. We have found a resting place in our sad little non-existent twilight of yesterday. But until we are able to say good-bye to yesterday, we cannot say hello to today and all the wonderful joys of living today will be forfeited.

When we make the decision to give up living in the “then-and-there,” we will experience the great joys of living in the “here-and-now.” We cannot progress as long as we keep shifting our self development gear into reverse. We keep going backwards into time gone by. We cannot live and enjoy our “now” because we are fixated in the past. Unresolved experiences of the past are the cause of many obstructions and destructions in the present. And as someone said, “No army can march forward on a retreating mind.”

A lack of desire to move forward leads to a steady phasing out of existence. Changing times will leave you in the wind of decay. We must make a conscious decision to let go of the past, to release that which no longer serves our growth, and to rebuild upon a new foundation. We must accept and admit the past is over, done, finished, complete and no longer a reality. Yesterday’s issues have no room in your today.

Open yourself to the divine power that is available to you today. God’s power can neutralize those phantoms of the past and release a healing power within that pervades every aspect of your being. Then, after having been cleansed of all past debris, you can truly live in the present and look forward to the future. The “then-and-there” will lose its control over you. You will be able to say, goodbye yesterday, hello today. Rejoice in your today experience!

HONEY, THAT WAS THEN

No, I don’t hold any grudges dear
I still consider you a friend.
Life goes on you know, time is short
This is now, and honey, that was then.

We all from time to time, I am afraid
Utter hurting words that we don’t really mean.
But as we grow and learn about ourselves
We know others aren’t as bad as they once seemed.

You see, my dear, we cannot afford to linger
On past pains and hurts and things that we regret.
The life we’ve yet to live is still before us
A destiny demanding it be met.

So lets’ give each other a great forgiving hug
And let our mutual love fuse and blend.
The mistakes we made we will no longer dwell,
For this is now, and honey, that was then.

From “Room Beneath the Snow.”

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: A Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

“How was your day today, sweetheart?” “Fine.” What did you do at school?” “Stuff.” “Is there anything you’d like to talk about?” “No.” “Okay. See you at dinner time.”

This is an actual transcript of a conversation between one poor mom and her elementary school-aged son. Okay, I admit it: it was a conversation I had with my own son. It was one of those one-way only/dead-end conversations that petered out before it even began. It was anything but informative and it left us both feeling cold.

Does this sound familiar? I hear many parents lament the fact that their kids just don’t talk to them and they feel like they don’t know anything about their children’s lives. This is a real problem. Every childhood expert agrees that having a strong emotional/social connection with your children is absolutely key to growing strong, healthy people.

If you aren’t talking with your kids and teens - real, important, connection with a genuine exchange of ideas - you are running the risk of losing out on one of the greatest joys of being a parent. In order to really know your children, you must have an open line of communication; and the earlier you start the better. Recent studies show that the toddler who feels heard and connected grows up to be a teen who is willing to open up and communicate more. This is important work.
Below, you will find some ideas about how to get that connection started and how to keep it nurtured. I’ve broken them down into age groups, but reading through them all may spark some ideas for you.

Toddler & Preschool:
This age group can be a real challenge when it comes to communicating, but there are definitely ways to get these guys to open up.
• Choose your timing. A preschooler who has been with 15 other children for several hours will probably feel over-stimulated and overwhelmed. Don’t start interrogating him in the car on the way home! Let him decompress and relax back into the energy of his home. Maybe dinner time or bath time is a better choice.
• Toddlers and preschoolers are physical beings. Believe it or not, they actually listen and process better when they’re on the move. Take a walk, do some yoga (preschoolers LOVE yoga!) or just sit and kick your feet together. You may be surprised at how quickly she will open up emotionally and mentally when she’s physically engaged, too.
• Ask leading questions. “How was your day?” isn’t going to elicit much of a response from a toddler. Instead, ask his teacher about his favorite activities and people and make sure that you have a basic understanding of how he spends his time at school. Then you will be armed with the information you need to start a great conversation. “Did you play with Sarah today?” “I heard that you were working on a new puzzle today. Tell me about it.” “Who sat beside you at circle time today?” “How did you feel when the butterflies were let loose today?” These are all leading questions and statements and they are a great way to get your preschooler going.
• Listen for and validate the feelings behind the words. Preschoolers have amazing imaginations and they don’t yet understand the line between fact and fiction. You may want to talk about her day, but she might be more interested in telling you a story. This is a common tool that children use to process experiences in their own lives. Listen to her story and try to find the emotions that lay beneath the surface. Her story may just be the key you need to unlock the mystery of her day.

Elementary Ages:
Around the age of eight, children begin to do the dance of separation from their families. Two steps forward, one step back and often a few side steps to keep us all on our toes. Keeping the emotional connection as they physically separate is so important, both in terms of today’s emotional health and tomorrow’s ability to feel and process emotions in appropriate ways. Here are some ideas:
• Just like the preschoolers, asking leading questions can help these guys to open up - especially a question that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. It can be a simple matter to email your child’s teacher and find out what’s going on in the classroom each week. Keeping in touch with his teacher can also be an important signal to him that even though he may be more independent these days, he still has parents who will hold him accountable for his actions - and celebrate his successes!
• Make the time, every day, to talk. Even if it’s just a few minutes, she knows when the connection is there and that helps her to feel safe and empowered. Don’t let a day go by without having a few minutes of one-on-one time.
• Never shut down a topic of conversation. You might need to reschedule a topic that he brings up, like when he asks about Santa Clause in line at the grocery store with other kids right behind him. But make sure that if you can’t talk about something, you reschedule the conversation and follow through with it. Having hard or emotional conversations now will make him feel like it’s safe for him to bring up difficult topics later. I know that I particularly want my children to know that they can talk to their parents about absolutely anything.
• Listen for the feelings behind the conversation and validate, validate, validate. Learning how to handle their emotions can be difficult at this age as they step out of the safety of the home environment and meet challenges with peers, school work, sports and other activities. It can be so hard to watch the struggle from the sidelines; but, listening for and validating her feelings will let her know that home is still a safe place to explore. “It sounds like you were really mad when Julie took your place in line.” “How did you feel when the teacher snapped at you in front of the whole class?” “How does it make you feel to know that your picture was chosen for the hallway display?” Not judging. Just asking.

Pre-Teens and Teens:
Hopefully, by the time your kids are pre-teens, you’ve set the groundwork for great communication and they know that you are a safe sounding board for anything they need to talk about. Even if this state of Utopia really does exist in your home, you may still experience some bumps along the way. Check out these ideas:
• Respect his space, emotionally and physically. If he doesn’t want to talk, there’s no forcing it. Let him know that you’re there and that he’s loved and appreciated. At the same time, trust yourself. If you really feel like he needs a push, push it. You have to learn when to give and when to push. Ah, the paradoxes of parenting!
• Eavesdrop on conversations that she has with her friends in front of you - and even join in sometimes. Becoming “one of the gang” is a great way for your child and her friends to learn to trust your judgment and discretion. I had a friend in high school whose mom would sit around the kitchen table with us and talk about boys and school for hours. She was the one we went to with our problems. Become the parent that your child wants to talk to.
• Keep your agreements. It’s so easy to loose the respect and trust that we’ve gained over the years of parenting our children. He is much more likely to remember and act on the one betrayal than the hundreds of supportive moments. Keep his respect by keeping your word. He will be much more open to your advice when he respects you.
• Unconditional love and acceptance is key. Your teen is not going to come to you with her problems if she’s afraid you will judge her. Let her know that she is loved and accepted for who she is and she will be much more likely to share her struggles with you.
• If you want him to be open about his process, be open with yours. Trust him with your story and he’ll be much more likely to share his with you. The best way to gain trust is to put your trust in others.

Remember to keep talking with your child. Practice makes perfect and communication is definitely an art that requires practice and patience. You will reap the rewards many times in the years to come.

Straight talk from the mom who’s been where you are and knows how to help your family: Shelly Walker is the mother of two beautiful children and the author of Awakened Power and the upcoming book Parenting Keys. Shelly is passionate about children and believes that every child deserves healthy, happy parents. For more information, go to http://www.parentingkeys.com.

Yours is the eyes of innocence the goat which bounds on rocks,
it is free, it has no master,

When I wake up in the morning and Aurora greets me with a warm
embrace and the birds, egress I remember the smile in your
eyes, as the dews drip from the sky.

(Excerpted from “Without a Name” a collection of poems by Val
.K., coming soon.)

Val .K. is a poet, and a nature lover. A collection of his poems
“Without a Name” will soon be published by AuthorHouse, U.S.A.
For personal contact, send mails to:
leviathandepthsreturns@yahoo.com

Simply ensuring your website is accessible to screen reader users is unfortunately not enough to ensure these users can find what they’re looking for in a reasonably quick and efficient manner. Even if your site is accessible to screen reader users, its usability could be so incredibly poor that they needn’t have bothered coming to your site.

Fortunately, there are plenty of simple-to-implement guidelines you can follow, which not only drastically improve usability for screen reader users, but for all web users:

1. Descriptive headings

The use of on-page headings is one of the most important usability features for screen reader users, as it helps them more easily understand the page structure. Although text on the page may appear to be a heading for sighted users, it must be labelled as a heading within the HTML code for screen reader users to know it is a heading.

Screen readers don’t look at web pages - they read through the HTML code. If a piece of text is called a heading within the HTML code then the screen reader will announce that it’s a heading. If not, screen reader users won’t actually know if something that visually appears to be a heading is actually a heading.

Another usability benefit of using headings for screen reader users, is that these users can call up a list of on-page headings and jump to the section of the page in which they’re most interested. This works in much the same way as sighted web users scanning through web pages by glancing at headings. If headings are descriptive of the content contained beneath them it becomes far easier for screen reader users to find the information which they’re after.

2. Descriptive link text

Screen reader users can browse through web pages by calling up a list of on-page links, and activating the link in which they’re most interested. As such, non-descriptive link text such as ‘click here’ should be avoided at all costs as it makes no sense whatsoever out of context.

The good news is that the use of descriptive link texts represents a usability benefit for everyone. When we scan through web pages, one of the items that stands out to us is link text. ‘Click here’ is totally meaningless to web users scanning through pages and forces users to hunt through surrounding text to discover the link destination.

3. Lists

Using lists within the HTML code is extremely useful for screen reader users, as screen readers announce the number of items in each list before reading out the list items. This helps these users know what to expect when hearing a list of items (such as site navigation).

This works in mush the same way as an answer phone telling you how many messages you have, before listening to them. By informing you of how many messages you have, you instantly know what to expect. If there’s only one or two messages you can probably remember them; much more and you’ll probably want to get a pen and paper and make notes.

The use of lists is really just a behind-the-scenes change to the code and needn’t affect the visual appearance of the website.

4. Logical linearization

Screen reader users generally have to listen to web pages from start to finish, top to bottom, left to right. Sighted web users on the other hand can glance through a web page almost randomly, spotting important information wherever it may appear on the page. Because of this, important information should always be placed towards the top of the page.

One example of how not to do this is to place instructions for a form at the bottom of the page.

Placing important information towards the top of the page actually benefits everyone, as the important information is now in the place where sighted users look first - the top of the page.

5. Short, succinct ALT text

ALT text is the alternative text for images that gets read out to screen reader users. Any website offering even basic accessibility will provide this alternative text. Some websites try to over-explain the information conveyed by images, forcing screen reader users to have to listen to a lot of unnecessary and irrelevant information.

Screen reader users often take longer than sighted web users to work through websites, so help make their surfing time easier with succinct ALT text.

6. Short, front-loaded paragraphs

Front-loading means placing the conclusion first, followed by the what, why, when, where and how. By placing the conclusion first, screen reader users can instantly gain an understanding of what the paragraph’s about. They can then decide whether they want to keep on listening or if they want to skip to the next paragraph (which they can easily do with the screen reader). If the paragraphs are short, they can do this safe in the knowledge that they won’t be missing extra information.

Front-loading content obviously benefits everyone, as web users no longer have to search around for the main point of each paragraph.

7. Descriptive page title

The page title is the very first thing that screen reader users hear when arriving at any web page, so it’s truly essential that it’s descriptive of the page. Again, this benefits everyone as users can use the page title to orientate themselves and confirm that they’re on the page they think they’re on. This is especially true for web users on dial-up connections where the page title displays a number of seconds before the rest of the page.

Conclusion

There are a number of relatively simple and painless things that can be done to improve usability for screen reader users. Fortunately, nearly all of them improve usability for all web users, meaning everyone benefits - which is never a bad thing.

This article was written by Trenton Moss. He’s crazy about web usability and accessibility - so crazy that he went and started his own web usability and accessibility consultancy (Webcredible - www.webcredible.co.uk) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone.

The 10 Biggest Mistakes Brides Make with DJs
By Sean Thomas (DJ Kazmere)

Yes it’s that time of your wedding planning to find a DJ for your special day, and for most brides this can be an adventure in itself. Contacting different Djs, getting prices, choosing prices, consultations, and the list goes on and on. In this article you will learn the 10 biggest mistakes brides make when choosing a DJ for the big day, hopefully after this you can avoid the pitfalls of choosing the “wrong” DJ for your wedding. Here’s a little quote that my partner always tells the brides she works with, “Your wedding day is like Broadway, you only get one take, and you only get one chance to get it right”

1. Not taking “First Impressions” into consideration
More than likely your first with a DJ will be either on the telephone or through E-mail. If the first contact is by telephone, listen to how the DJ talks on the telephone, can you understand him or her, or the MC which will do the announcements during your wedding? When you meet the DJ (and sometimes MC also) are they dressed professionally? If a DJ carries themselves professionally during your consultation, more than likely they will be professional on your big day.

2. Thinking that all Djs are the same
This couldn’t be further from the truth, every DJ has there own style, different skill level, different rates, and vary a lot in their “arsenal” which is this musical library which is the heart of their versatility. If a DJ only has Rock music, but no R&B, a DJ which has both types of music and much more is more “versatile”. Remember your favorite DJ that spins Alternative music all night may be perfect for the club, but more than likely your grandmother doesn’t want hear Good Charlotte all night during your reception.

3. Hiring the cheapest DJ you can find.
The phrase “You get what you pay for” holds a lot of water in the case of hiring a DJ…especially for a wedding. Let’s use the Washington DC metro as an example to better explain what I mean. There are Djs which can cost as little as $300, or as much as $2,500 for a five hour wedding. Is the DJ that is only charging $300 no good at all? Who knows he might do a decent job, but there is one thing that is certain, either the DJ doesn’t have the experience, or just has bad business skills altogether to charge only $300. Any DJ that has done a ton of weddings (100 or more) knows that they put too much into a wedding to only charge peanuts. On the other side, remember that just because a DJ is the most expensive in town, doesn’t mean they’re the best for you, sometimes they are, sometimes they’re not. The entertainment for your reception is what you, your family and friends will remember, it’s worth more than the cost of invitations. Your DJ is an investment that you your guests will enjoy the entire “time frame” of your reception, not half of it. Believe me, if half of your guests leave after dinner because loud rap music was playing during the main course, the venue isn’t going to give you a refund…

4. Not communicating with your DJ
Besides hiring the wrong DJ altogether, this is probably the biggest mistake some brides do when dealing with Djs, not COMMUNICATING. There is nothing worse for a DJ (and for you also) than a “rush job” especially a wedding. An seasoned professional can get through the event without “noticeable incidents” but I believe I speak for all wedding Djs when I say it is “nerve-racking” even if we don’t show it. Keep your DJ informed of your plans, your special songs, any changes, your timeline, or anything else he may need to know, don’t wait until the week, or even a month before the big day to start communicating. This is the only way your DJ will know exactly what you want, and don’t want.

5. Not having a written contract
Simply put…no contract, you very well may have NO DJ! Every year I get a few phone calls from a bride (or her mother) saying that they hired a DJ and they didn’t show up. The first thing that I ask is did they have a contract…80% of the time it’s “no”. If a DJ doesn’t have a contract, run out front door, and don’t look back.

6. Not making sure the DJ has liability insurance
More and more venues and hotels across the U.S. are requiring that Djs have liability insurance, and most are asking to see “papers”. A true professional is going to have insurance for his business, and you should ask to at least see a copy of the policy. Insurance for Djs is generally not expensive, and there are a few major DJ organizations which offer a nice discount on insurance for joining. There’s really no excuse for your DJ not to have it.

7. Taking complete control of the music selection from your DJ
You want to hear what you want to hear…That’s fine, but remember your not alone on your special day, you, your family (and your new family), your friends all have different tastes. Some brides want to choose every song that gets played for the entire night, and I can honestly say that I have only seen 2 song lists created by brides out of hundreds upon hundreds that actually worked for the majority of the night. JUST TWO. Let the DJ do his job, which primarily making sure that right songs get played at the right time. Also remember giving your DJ 200 songs to play for the night isn’t going to work either…unless your reception is over 10 hours long. And last but not least make sure you clarify which artist you want to hear for certain songs…Take the song “Three times a Lady”, the Commodores, Kenny Rogers, Conway Twitty (and probably other artists) all sing this song, if you want the Commodores version for your first dance, make sure you don’t end up Conway Twitty instead.

8. Not making sure the DJ you want is “guaranteed” to be your DJ
This is probably the biggest complaint from brides all over the country about Djs. You went to a DJ company that has more than one DJ, you requested a specific DJ, and another DJ shows up in his/her place. Any time you deal with a big DJ company, make sure you get in writing that the DJ you want is the one that will show up.

9. Not going over back-up plans with your DJ
In life “things happen” which you or nobody else has control over, even on your wedding day! Find out from your DJ about his plans for back-up transportation, equipment, and personnel. If one of these three areas is “out of commission” so will the music for your reception. If they don’t have any plans, start running.

10. Not hiring a DJ quickly
Finding the DJ you want is hard enough work, as long as you don’t believe they’re all the same. Don’t go through all the work of finding the DJ you want and then procrastinate on booking with that DJ. Most wedding Djs that have good reputations in the business will get booked at least a year in advance, especially for the Saturdays in the summer. If you’ve found DJ “Benz” don’t wait hire him. Remember if you wait a month or two before the big day, you choices are limited and you might end up with DJ “Yugo”.

Avoid these ten major mistakes (there are a few more) and you will be better able to “connect” with your DJ, and know what to look for while hiring a DJ. Keep in communication with your professional DJ, and your reception will more than likely be worry free..

Article is the copyright of Starr Productions 2005

About the Author

Sean Thomas aka DJ Kazmere has been a professional wedding DJ for over 15 years mostly serving clients in the Mid-Atlantic area.

One of the things you may, or may not, be prepared for when getting a new puppy is its desire to chew. Often this can be quite destructive depending on exactly how you handle this situation.

Instinctively puppies often chew because they need to- not because they want to destroy your personal items. As puppies begin to loose their “milk teeth” and get their 42 adult teeth they chew to help alleviate some of the discomfort they are experiencing. Overall, the best thing you can do is protect your puppy from potentially harmful situations and help set him up to be successful.

Below you’ll find several ideas to help your puppy from being “bad” and to help it through this stage of development.

• Give plenty of exercise and attention to relieve boredom which often leads to chewing
• Crate the puppy if you cannot watch it
• Use commercial sprays to alleviate chewing of household items- Listerine is also good
• Do not give the puppy old shoes or socks to chew on- it cannot differentiate old ones from your brand new ones
• Give your puppy toys of its own to chew on- it is also good to give these to your pup when he begins to teeth on you
• Give your puppy one of its toys when it acts as though it may chew something it should not
• Move items you do not want the puppy to get out of its reach- cover all power cords, remove pens/ pencils, plants (many are poisonous), books, etc.

With a little bit of planning, patience and caring, you can help your puppy through this stage.

Article written and reprinted with permission of: http://www.pedigreedpups.com/

Purebred Dogs, Puppies and Dog Breeders - “Your New Best Friend”

Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Debbie Ray

http://www.pedigreedpups.com is a website offering the best purebred dog breed information, online resources and high-quality dog content for all dog owners, dog lovers and those considering dog ownership. Debbie is the owner of pedigreedpups.com, a dog lover, owner and dog breeder of many years.

So, you want to make your own Civil War shirt.
You have so many decisions to make - one or two-piece body,
type of front, buttons, material, colors, collars! Wow.

A common pattern is a one-piece body with gussets under the sleeves with or without a collar using the same pattern.

You can vary the widths of the cuffs to copy original photographs. There is no standard pattern - even issued shirts were made off civilian patterns of the day. The
variation of shirts is mind-boggling. You will see everything.

The most common shirt has a placket front with about 3 buttons. But you will see shirts that button all the way down. There is everything from A to Z.

If you see a shirt in an original photo and you want to copy it, do it. The red, white, blue on this shirt was a copy. Patriotic shirts were a common theme.

All topstitching should be by hand.

If you don’t have enough material to do a 1-piece body, you can do 2 and piece them together using a shoulder strap.

It depended on how much material they had. You can only tell if it is a 2-piece body if you turn the shirt inside out. Yes, the 2-piece body was common during Civil War
times.

There were many civilian shirts during the war and they varied greatly because many of them were sent from home.

All my shirts have glass buttons on them, but that is no rule either.

By Paula and Coach McCoach
http://www.civilwaruniforms.net

Coach McCoach invites you to join the Civil War Uniforms Newsletter and receive weekly updates on shirts, jackets, haversacks and more! Let us do the research for you, so you can enjoy your Civil War Reenacting Hobby. Get quick information with time and money saving tips in each issue. Free Civil War Uniforms course with your subscription. Go to http://www.civilwaruniforms.net to join!

2005 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on your website so long as the paragraph above is included and the contact information is included to coach@civilwaruniforms.net and http://www.civilwaruniforms.net

As the top dog of top dog shows was announced last Sunday, we can be fairly sure that the owners of Caitland Isle Take a Chance were not “taking a chance” on dog pet insurance. While we enjoyed watching the most pampered pooches in the Kingdom
strut their stuff, we can also be sure that they are all likely to be fully covered. Yet, whether your pet is a champion
pedigree, or a Heinz 57 mongrel, being prepared for sickness, accident or loss should be top priority. From exotic pet insurance & Cheapest pet insurance, getting your furry companion insured must be important no matter what the circumstances.

Most dog owners, whatever the breed or pedigree of their pet, can not have failed to be aware that the most prestigious dog
show of all, Crufts, was taking place at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre last weekend. This event has been running
for 115 years and each year draws the crowds. Watching the show on television, it is quite obvious that the dogs love it
just as much as the owners.

The Australian Shepherd’s owner, Ms Nancy Resetar from California, USA, was “overwhelmed” when the five year old dog, whose pet name is “Chance”, won Best in Show at Crufts, and his handler, Larry Fenner, was “overjoyed” and “speechless”. In
reserve was the wire haired Fox Terrier El-Rays Snowtaire Iceni Payback, whose owner comes from Swansea.

The seven categories specified by the Kennel Club, who organise and run the Crufts events, are gundogs, hounds, pastoral,
terriers, toys, utility and working dogs. Chance and Payback had each won best in their group of pastoral and terriers
respectively. Other winners of each group were a Welsh Springer Spaniel, Ferndel Maverick Spaniel (Gundogs), a Norwegian Elkhound, Kestos I Spy at Graythor (Hounds), a Pomeranian, Finch’s Ovations for Me (Toys), a Miniature Poodle, Minavers Secret Assignment (Utility) and a Bouvier des Flandres, Gijs Santos from the Dogs Farm (Working).

The first Crufts show was in 1891 at the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, and it was founded by Charles Cruft, who ran
the show until his death in 1938. Cruft had had no desire to join the family jewellery trade, and he became a salesman for a
brand of ‘dog cakes’. His job took him to Europe, and it was in Paris that he was asked to organise the canine section of
the Paris Exhibition. In England he set up the Annual Terrier Club Show in Westminster and it was soon after this that
Crufts officially began. After his death, his widow handed over the responsibility to the Kennel Club in 1942 and it has
increased in popularity year by year since the first show under the Kennel Club in 1948. It was in 1991 that the show moved
from its London home to the Birmingham NEC. This year, over 22,200 dogs took part, and owners come to the UK from 32
countries to show their dogs here.

Breed showing is the main part of the show, but there are plenty of other fun and exciting events that now are part of the Crufts experience. Events include Agility, Flyball and Obedience, but there are many more events - and the dogs love the team games. The atmosphere is exciting and exhilarating and for a four-day event, it is packed full of things to do, not forgetting the hundreds of trade stalls with every possible doggy need catered for.

Yet Crufts is for the privileged few. There are 1.6 million mongrels in Britain alone, and none of them could be considered
for showing at Crufts, which is the show for pedigrees. However, that does not mean that you cannot show your dog; the
Kennel Club also organise one of the most popular crossbreed competitions in the country: Scruffts. Heats take place
throughout the year and winners from each heat are invited to a Grand Final. Dogs have a chance to win in four classes,
including Most Handsome Dog, Prettiest Bitch, and Golden Oldie.

It also does not mean that you don’t need pet insurance. Vets’ bills can be huge, but insurance costs do not have to be. The vast majority of dog owners would say that they love their dogs, whether they are a pedigree, cross-breed, mongrel, stray, rescue dog or just plain mutt. All dogs make faithful and friendly companions, so we should return what they give to
us by giving them the best life possible. Most owners would be heartbroken if they were unable to afford a life-saving operation for their pet, so insuring your dog is a must for all - not just for champion owners!

Diane Newsom writes for the UK search portal UseWho. Please visit them for more information on exotic pet insurance & Cheapest pet insurance.

An adventure 65 million years in the making… such is the tagline for Jurassic Park, the onscreen adaptation of Michael Crichton’s wildly successful novel about the human-aided return of dinosaurs to planet Earth. One of Steven Spielberg’s greatest achievements, Jurassic Park was, and remains, a special effects masterpiece unrivaled by its peers. Dinosaurs roam the plains and scour the forests against the backdrop of conductor John Williams’s original score (some of the best music of his career, which is saying a lot). Unlike the Godzilla movies of years past, you can’t see human hands or construction paper props in the background of this movie. The computer generated creatures are so amazingly animated, that you’ll finish the film believing that Jurassic Park is a real life destination…

Dr. Alan Grant’s (Sam Neill) life is dinosaur bones and the study of the various ancient reptiles that once dominated the Earth. He and his colleague Dr. Elli Sattler (Laura Dern) spend their days excavating the barren hills of South Dakota and loving every minute of it. But when Dr. Grant is approached by the eccentric multimillionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) in regard to touring “something of great interest,” the man’s world of dinosaurs becomes more realistic than he ever thought possible.

Hammond’s creation is an isolated island called “Jurassic Park” where his company uses dinosaur DNA extracted from mosquitoes encased in amber during the Jurassic period many millennia before to clone dinosaurs. Prior to opening his park to the public, Hammond wants to take a number of experts on a tour of the facilities, among them are Grant and Sattler, a lawyer named Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero), and a mathametican/philosopher - Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). When everyone but the lawyer expresses great reservations about the very idea of cloning dinosaurs (especially the carnivores), not to mention the safety concerns for an aspiring theme park, Hammond insists on putting their fears to rest personally.

But John Hammond’s dream goes terribly awry when a disgruntled computer programmer, Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight of Seinfeld fame), compromises the island’s security systems in order to smuggle some dinosaur embryos off the island, where a competing corporation has offered him a handsome monetary reward. Nedry’s death, and the inadequate security systems of Jurassic Park, put the dangerous T-Rex and the lightning fast raptors on level ground with the island’s human inhabitants. Now, Hammond and his guests no longer spend their idle time assessing the merits of Jurassic Park, but instead spend every waking minute fighting for their survival…

You’ll be hard pressed to find a film which rivals the brilliant special effects of Jurassic Park. The Star Wars films are the only movies even in the same league. But Jurassic Park also offers an interesting and compelling story, lots of action, and reams of suspense. Even an occasional lawyer joke helps to break up the intensity… Jurassic Park has it all. A summer blockbuster by a director who almost single-handedly invented summer blockbusters, Jurassic Park is a definite must-see movie. If you shy away from excessively commercial films, then make an exception for this one. I promise, you won’t be disappointed…

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Jurassic Park (DVD).

Purchasing a home is no longer a difficult task for most of us.
There are a number of creditors in the market who provide cheap
mortgage loans for the purpose of buying a house. But, the
difficulty occurs when you are facing the problem of bad credit
record. Lenders hesitate to provide mortgages to people with bad
credit history.

Bad credit record essentially means that you have been unable to
pay back your loans, you might have credit card dues on you, you
might have arrears dues, you might have faced Country Court
Judgements (CCJs) or you might have declared bankrupt. In such
cases it becomes very difficult to get a mortgage loan. But you
do not need to lose your heart despite of all this because there
are still many creditors who provide mortgage to bad credit
borrowers.

Since a BAD CREDIT MORTGAGE is a kind of secured loan, the rate
of interest charged on such a loan is comparatively low. Rather
the rates of interest are competitive and the monthly
installments are small. It depends a lot on the creditor as to
what plan he has offered you. Some creditors have flexible
repayment options for bad credit borrowers also.

Even in a bad
credit mortgage you have two options available before you.
You can either choose a fixed rate mortgage or a variable
rate mortgage. The difference between the two is that in the
fixed rate mortgage the interest rate once fixed is permanent
for the whole life span of the loan. On the other hand in a
variable rate mortgage the rate of interest fluctuates with the
variations in the base rate of Bank of England.

So, if you are facing a bad credit problem and planning to buy a
house, just find a suitable deal on the Internet. By filling an
online loan application form you can start the process of
procuring the mortgage loan. These days lenders are quite fast
in providing loans as some of them give you the loan amount in
less than a week’s time.

For further reference visit:
http://www.first-mortgage-from-c4f.co.uk