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Political parties perform important roles in European societies. Parties are institutions in which citizens with similar political views organise, develop political programmes and actively participate in the political process. They are vital for democracy because parties offer the most clear-cut political choices that are put to the electorate. Parties are also recruitment organisations, through which parliamentarians and members of government are sourced. Even though the latter functions are important, the general effectiveness of parties is closely linked to the first characteristic: their societal embeddedness – the main channel between a party and citizens. And in this respect, political parties have been declining dramatically.

The demise of political parties is not a new phenomenon. Since at least the 1980s, parties in all established European democracies have suffered massive membership losses to the point where they only retain a very limited capacity to engage citizens. The societal anchor of political parties is seriously threatened. Vernon Bogdanor wrote in 2006 that ‘the story of the rise and fall of the mass political party is one of the great unwritten books of our time’. So why do I pick this rather old problem up again in 2009? Not because I want to write the obituary of the mass political party but because we can now see where the development of political parties might lead us. This potential new future became apparent during the US Presidential campaign.

Additionally to his remarkable personal qualities, Barack Obama – during the Democratic primaries, the Presidential campaign and now even as sitting President – has been extremely successful in using new communication technologies to connect directly with citizens. Through the use of social networking tools, online video messaging and almost real time updates on what was happening on the campaign trail – and by making many of these tools available to his supporters too – he was able to create a community that was not only prepared to vote for him but willing to organise and campaign on the local level. He was able to create a political movement he can now build upon.

The construction of this movement was above all possible because new communication techniques offered a way of being actively involved in the campaign for change. But if you look behind the technical tools you notice that Barack Obama’s campaign was able to recreate old – rather than create new – characteristics that traditional European parties, especially left-of-centre parties, have lost over the years: a sense of community and belonging.

Let us take the oldest social democratic party in the world as an example: the German SPD. When the party was founded in 1863, its backbone was educational leagues founded to educate workers. The cultural and community aspect was therefore not just a by-product but very much the founding principle of the party. Being a social democrat was not a question of membership in an organisation but rather a way of life. The identity of the party was reinforced by the large variety of social democratic newspapers and publications that contributed to this distinct culture. The cultural underpinnings of political parties were also evident elsewhere and it seems that it has been especially this attribute, that used to provide the closest link to society, that has declined most dramatically in recent decades.

It was argued that because of social and ideological changes in societies in the second half of the twentieth century, mass parties – rather homogenous constructs – developed into catch-all parties that attempted to integrate the diversifying political views and social backgrounds of citizens under the umbrella of the same party. Today, many parties look like what political scientists call ‘professional-electoral parties’. Such parties are organisations that have a highly centralised leadership and are focussed on winning votes and offices. They have largely abandoned the cultural heritage of traditional political parties. ‘Professional-electoral party’ is also the closest typology for US political parties, which are practically committees to fight elections without much activity between ballots. They are very candidate centred and lack organisational leadership.

So what is new that could show the way political parties could go from here? What has changed during the Obama campaign? In a nutshell, Barack Obama has managed to recreate the community aspects of old mass parties and integrate them into a professional-electoral party. In the contemporary context, however, culture does not mean a certain way of living but rather being part of a community based on a charismatic political leader, new political ideas and a desire for grassroots activism. The creation of this new culture in the Obama campaign has only been possible by the use of new media. So after it has transformed the economy and the way we communicate with each other, is the information, communication and technology (ICT) revolution now fundamentally changing the political process too? I think there are strong arguments in favour of this and Barack Obama’s success is evidence.

What does this mean for European parties? The socio-economic circumstances and ideological believes of citizens have indeed changed dramatically since the foundation of early European parties, political activism has however not disappeared. The success of single-issue movements such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International and the Globalisation critics of Attac clearly shows the enduring desire for political activism. Some of these movements have even grown into political parties in their own right, for instance the German Greens or – with a rather different political agenda – the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

So the first ingredient – desire for political activism – is still there. But how can it be used? European parties have tried for decades to open their structures to social movements and to use societal activism for their party purposes. They have all been largely unsuccessful so far because their strategies were unclear and their own structures often too rigid. Waking up to the potential of new technologies and the experience of the Obama campaign however makes it a necessity to try again – and to try harder. After all, the only alternative seems to be further decline. Initial steps to use new technologies have been taken but more needs to be done. Europe in general is clearly behind the US in terms of internet integration in everyday life including politics. But this can also be an opportunity for the party that comes up first with a successful mix of technologies for the European context.

The second ingredient is political ideas that can capture and motivate people. The current economic crisis has opened a window of opportunity for a new politics. There is a vacuum of ideas since the promise of prosperity facilitated by unfettered markets collapsed with the international banking sector. This void has not been filled yet. In Barack Obama’s case the simple promise for change was enough to create his movement. This was however only possible in the narrow window of opportunity at the beginning of the economic crisis and in the specific context of US politics. If his movement is to become sustainable he needs to bring in new positive ideas. President Obama has understood this and has kept the close link to his followers even after assuming office. The way in which he encouraged living room discussions about his economic stimulus package across the US was a remarkable move and combined the desire for activism with political content. The sense of belonging and potential for activism created by a ‘I received an email from the President’ moment should not be underestimated.

The last ingredient in the mix is charismatic leadership. Early attempts of online campaigning in Europe have shown that it is very difficult to build mass participation in a political online campaign if there is not an appealing political figure at the top. Parties as such seem to be rather inappropriate vehicles for such campaigns. Identification becomes much easier if people are involved. So if the European political culture develops in the direction set out in the United States, it is likely that politics becomes more personalised and centred around political ideas represented by certain politicians.

Political parties have been declining for decades without finding a way to stop their downfall. The ICT revolution is here to stay and has already transformed many areas of our lives. The Obama campaign in the US has broken new ground and is certainly an important example to watch. But the question is how these developments can be worked into European party politics. A simple ‘copy and paste’ will not work. But the revitalisation of political culture and activism using new technologies is the most promising opportunity on offer to change the fate of political parties. Given the alternative, it is certainly worth trying.

Discuss this article here: http://www.social-europe.eu/2009/04/where-now-for-european-political-parties

The secret to getting a great deal when buying a used tractor is to be armed with information. Start by knowing how to quickly determine the age, condition and average selling price for any brand and model of used tractor. Then know what problem areas to take a close look at. The final step is to know the seven negotiating statements that will drastically lower the asking price of any tractor — including the one sound that you can utter that will knock 10% off the price of any tractor.

Let’s start at the beginning. The first step to getting a great deal on a used tractor is to do a little research and be an informed buyer. Let’s start at the beginning. When you’re looking to buy a used tractor don’t worry that it may be older than you are. Buying a used tractor is not like buying a used car. Tractors are made to last forever and you can still get parts for almost any tractor regardless of how old it is. Also, unlike your car, tractors are relatively easy to fix. Keep these facts in mind when you’re looking for a used tractor.

When buying a used tractor, one of the most important things to look for is a hydraulic system or three-point hitch as it is commonly called. The power-take-off or PTO is part of this system. Ford introduced the three-point hitch on their 9N tractor back in 1939. Farmall and John Deere waited a little later before they came out with a three-point hitch, but still most tractors you look at will have the three-point hitch, but be sure to check.

The three-point hitch and PTO system is very important because without it you will be limited in what you can do with your tractor.  So my advice is to only look at tractors with a three-point hitch. The next step is to determine the age of the tractor you’re considering. The best way to determine the age is to find the serial number and look it up on the Internet. Cars change designs every year, but tractors only make changes every decade or two, so you can’t tell much about how old a tractor is by just looking at it.

The Internet has a wealth of information about tractors. A good website where you can use the serial number and find the date a tractor was manufactured is Yesterday’s Tractors at YesterdaysTractors.com.  When you get to this site, click on “Tractor Registry” in the left Nav. panel to find information on any tractor. You can also use this site to see how much a particular type tractor has sold for recently.

The condition of a used is more important than the age. To determine the condition of a used tractor check to see if it has a tachometer that includes an hour meter. A lot of older tractors won’t have an hour meter. You can tell a lot about the condition of a used tractor by how much the petals are worn, how much play is in the steering and checking to see if there are any oil leaks. All of these factors will help you estimate the condition of a tractor.

Don’t be fooled by a new paint job. It could be covering up things. Also look at the tires. Just because the tires have good tread, it doesn’t mean that they’re in good condition. Check for dry rot and cracks. A good set of tires could cost you from $500 to well over $1,000.

Of course, check to see how the tractor starts and how it runs. If someone is trying to sell a tractor and they can’t make it start easily, there could be problem. You may want to have a mechanic look at the tractor with you. If the tractor is hard to start in warm weather, it will be even harder to start in colder weather. After you start the tractor, check to see if there is excessive smoke from the exhaust.

After you have checked all of the above points, you will probably know more about the tractor than the owner knows.

The next step is to check prices:

Two good places to check prices (other than Yesterday’s Tractors) are TractorHouse dot com and eBay. On eBay be sure to check completed auctions to see what tractors like the one you’re looking for really sold for. You can use this information in your negotiating.

One final point: How much equipment (if any) comes with a used tractor can be a big factor in determining the value of the tractor. Also, factor in how you will get the tractor home. If you can get a trailer in the deal, that’s that’s always a big plus.

When you’re armed with all of the above information, your final step is to “Negotiate like a Pro.” Here’s how to do it.

Seven negotiating techniques for people who don’t like to negotiate:

1.    Offer way less than you expect to have to pay.  Some people say, “I don’t want to negotiate and play games with you. I will give you $5,000 for the tractor and that’s it.”  These people almost always end up negotiating and paying a lot more.

2.    Always gasp and act shocked and surprised at the other side’s first price. Without saying a word, this lets the owner know that you think their price is totally unreasonable.

3.    Never, ever say yes to the first price they quote you –  even if the price is less than you expected to have to pay. If you say yes too quickly the other side will know that they priced the tractor too low. Then they may say something like, “Well let me clear this with my partner.”  Then he will come back and say that his partner would not agree with the offer.

4.    “You’ve got to do better than that.”  Always use this expression sometime during the negotiations.  This will almost always get you a lower price.

5.    Use the “good cop/bad cop” technique.  For example, say, “I would love to buy your tractor at that price, but my wife would kill me.  She’s dead set on me not paying more than $3,500 for a used tractor.”

6.    Arm yourself with information.  The more you’re prepared with facts and information, the better deal you can negotiate.  For example, say, “I have checked eBay and other Internet sources, and tractors like this one never sell for more than $35,000.”

7.    Never agree to split the difference.  The other side is almost always willing to split the difference, so offer less than half of the difference. You’ll usually get it.

Use these techniques and you will come out with the best deal possible on a used tractor. Don’t forget that there are a lot of good used tractors out there, so always be willing to walk away from any negotiation. 

About the Author

Jerry Minchey is an engineer, author and researcher. He cuts through the hype and gets down to the bare facts to reveal secrets that are easy to understand using non-technical terms. He has written several books and produced DVD’s as a results of his research.

See the latest used tractor information (updated hourly) at Used Tractor Reviews. At this site you can find the best prices for all types of used tractors. At the John Deere Reviews site you will find information about all models of used John Deere Tractors including information about where to get the lowest prices and best deals on John Deere tractors.

Although most people have a television in their living room or family room, a television isn’t always the most attractive feature in the room. Wall mounted flat screen televisions are more attractive than many older styles of televisions, but they still can become a rather ugly focal point within the room. In fact, because they are large and are usually hung on the wall in a prominent location, they can sometimes even be harder to blend attractively into the overall room decor than other types of televisions. Although some people try to hide their wall-mounted televisions behind custom cabinet units with doors, or use a curtain, blind or other device to pull over the television when it is not in use, one way of blending a large wall-mounted television stylishly into the room is to make it look like wall art.

Create a Wall Art Grouping that Includes the Television

One effective method of blending a wall-mounted into the room is to treat it as part of an overall wall grouping. Instead of hanging the television alone on the wall, try surrounding it with other smaller pieces of art. Using abstract types of art is often the most effective, since they are less visually distracting in close proximity to the television when you are watching it. Groupings of smaller sized art are also more effective than using larger pieces, because the larger art pieces can compete with the large size of the television. By grouping a number of small simple pieces of art around the television, it will simply blend in with the others.

Display the Television on a Shelf

Although you will still mount the actual television directly onto the wall for proper support, you can help avoid the “floating” look by installing a shelf directly under the bottom edge of the television screen. This has the advantage of anchoring the television visually, and allows you to display other items, such as framed photos or even books or plants, on either side of the television. This method can be extremely effective when trying to blend a television into the overall decorating theme of a room, because the shelf method really helps make the television appear to be part of the overall decor, as opposed to just a large flat screen affixed to the wall.

Blend the Television into the Room’s Architectural Features

Instead of simply hanging the television on a plain wall, try designing some interesting architectural features on the wall. This can help to visually anchor the television, making it stand out in a more interesting fashion. For example, try installing a sheet of decorative wainscoting on the wall directly behind where the television is to be mounted, edging the wainscoting with an interesting trim. Or try using wood molding to actually frame the television, which can create an interesting effect, especially if wood is also used on the area behind the television. Wallpaper and other decorative borders can also be used effectively on the wall area surrounding the television to give it the appearance of art.

Jessica Ackerman from WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, has skills in all areas of garden wall art paying special attention to tree branch wall decor.

Are you taking it up to the next level – are you moving beyond house bowling balls in favor of your own, custom bowling ball? Well, before you go out and make the all-important choice as to which bowling ball you should get, you need to consider a few things:

· It is best to have at least two bowling balls – one for oily lanes and one for dry lanes. And you want a strike ball — one with a lot of hook potential and power — and a spare ball, a ball that will roll straight and true.

· Make sure you pick out the right weight – bowling balls range from 6 pounds to 16 pounds. When you have a bowling ball that fits your hand, you can actually use a heavier ball than whatever house bowling ball you were used to using.

· Make sure that you get a bowling ball that fits – get the finger holes custom drilled to fit your hand.

· In general, the more expensive the ball, the better the ball! Of course, that being said, this is genearlly just in terms of price ranges. For instance, a ball that falls in the $100-200 price range most likely will not be as good as a ball that is in the $200+ range. Of course, within those ranges, some bowling balls are definitely better deals than others! And you want to be sure that you are not paying extra money for something that you do not care about (like a glow in the dark ball, for instance).

· Before up and buying your first bowling balls, make sure that you spend the time to carefully decide what material you want your bowling balls made out of.

While bowling balls have been made out of rubber and even wood in the past, today’s bowling balls are made from different materials:

· Plastic bowling balls – this is generally the most inexpensive type of bowling ball, and it is actually usually made out of polyester. If you are used to using house balls, then you are used to using plastic balls. They are very durable. They also skid more (making them harder to control) and are less likely to hook – they are good for dry lane conditions.

· Urethane bowling balls – these balls have softer coverstocks that give the balls more hook potential. These bowling balls can hook more because they have a higher friction surface than your basic polyester balls. To increase or decrease the amount of hook potential, you can sand or buff the ball.

· Reactive resin bowling balls – these are a relatively new type of bowling ball. Only in the 1990s did bowling ball manufacturers started to add resin particles to the urethane coverstocks. What did this resin do? Well, resin is sticky/tacky, and therefore increases the ball’s grip on the lane. It made the balls have even more hook potential. Reactive resin bowling balls skid on oil (giving them great speed) and hook strongly on dry boards. Experienced players can make reactive resin bowling balls work for them with many different lane conditions.

· Particle bowling balls – this type of bowling ball is perfect for anyone (especially experienced bowlers) who want great power potential in their balls. These bowling balls have textured particles like glass and ceramics to resin enhanced balls. This texture give the ball a whole lot of grip in oil, a controllable hook style, and a whole lot of power. Particle bowling balls generally have the greatest hook potential of any balls. Many professional bowlers use particle bowling balls – they like how controllable they are in terms of hook and spin.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and sports. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on bowling, please visit Bowling Balls and More.

Have you ever dreamed of living with a bobcat or having a pet tiger? You’re not alone, and many people share their lives responsibly and safely with such animals. My beloved companion is a African Serval, a very affectionate 33-pound spotted feline. However, this dream come true brings with it some very real challenges and responsibilities far beyond those facing the average pet owner.

A huge number of visitors to my exotic feline site are trying to make very important decisions. Should I get a exotic cat? Is this species the right fit for my family? Can I provide for one properly?

There are a number of things to take into consideration when deciding if exotic cat ownership is for you, and if the answer is yes, which species of exotic cat is suitable for your situation. They include:

• Your ability to make a lifetime committment to an animal who may cause you considerable headaches
• Your ability to be a responsible owner
• Local and Federal Laws
• Your financial ability to provide proper care and housing for the cat
• Your level of experience in working with animals
• Size of the cat
• Disposition of the cat
• Endangered Species Status

Owning an exotic cat requires a lifetime committment to a cat who may live to be 20 years old. If your circumstances change, the cat develops behaviors that are unacceptable to you, or you simply grow tired of caring for it, an exotic cat cannot simply be given over to your local humane society. Being placed in a new home is much more traumatic to an exotic cat than to most domestic animals and can cause a major change in their personality. In some cases, they may never accept a new owner. Qualified people willing to take in an adult exotic cat are hard to find, and no, the local zoo will not accept your cat. Large cats such as cougars and tigers are especially hard to place.

Everyone gets an animal with a certain dream in their minds about how that animal will behave, and some people cannot handle it if things turn out differently. For instance, if you want to own a tiger, you probably imagine being able to play with it and cuddle with it. That may happen; but if you undertake this responsibility you have to be prepared for the fact that you might not be able to so much as enter the cat’s enclosure safely, even if you raise him from a cub.

If you are interested in getting a small cat like a bobcat or a serval, you probably imagine sharing your household with it, as many people do. But what if that cat grows up to spray everything in sight?

If you’ve been researching the idea of owning an exotic cat, you’ve probably discovered how much conflicting information there is. Some sources seem to indicate that living with an exotic cat is no more challenging than feeding your pet goldfish. At the other end of the extreme spectrum, many sanctuaries and animal rights activists paint them as unmanageable creatures that no ordinary mortal could hope to deal with successfully. As is usually the case, the truth lies in a rational world between the two extremes. This site exists to provide realistic and balanced information.

Like all creatures, exotic cats are all individuals, and nobody can tell you exactly how your future cat will act. Generalizations can be made about the behavior of different species, but individual personalities and behavior traits vary widely. As a dog trainer, I have seen puppies with the perfect upbringing turn out dangerously aggressive, and severely abused dogs who were stable and friendly. I have met dangerous Golden Retrievers and unprovokable Pit Bulls. It’s the same with cats; you can generalize to a certain extent, but never count on those generalizations.

If you decide that you are serious about getting an exotic feline, one of the first things you need to do is learn the federal, state, county, and city laws regulating the ownership of the species you are considering in your area. Contarary to popular myth, exotic animal ownership is pretty heavily regulated. Laws and permit requirements vary widely from area to area, and owning exotic cats is banned altogether in many places.

The legal issues will become vastly more complicated if you are interested in owning a cat that is endangered. While it is not impossible, the additional laws and permits that you have to contend with makes owning an endangered cat an unrealistic goal for most people.

Owning an exotic cat means having to remain constantly aware of changing laws and of proposed legislation, and being prepared to fight for the continued right to own your beloved pet.

Owning an exotic cat can be quite expensive. You will need to take into consideration the cost of building a secure and spacious enclosure, feeding costs, veterinary costs, the initial purchase of the kitten, and incidental expenses which seem to crop up on a continual basis. The cost of owning a smaller cat such as a serval or bobcat is more likely to be affordable than that of owning a tiger or other large cat. When you get into the large cats you will find that your feeding and enclosure costs escalate dramatically.

A major consideration is the size of the cat. Some species are smaller than a domestic cat, while others reach 500 pounds. The most common species to find in a pet household is the serval, which ranges fron roughly 18-40 pounds.

Owning a small cat is a more realistic goal for most people than a large cat such as a tiger. Large cats are very expensive to feed and house, heavily regulated by the federal government, and of course much more dangerous. Often keepers are unable to safely enter the enclosures of big cats once they mature. This does not mean that these animals are malicious, but a tiger or other big cat can easily injure you even in play. If you see yourself with a “pet” cat, start thinking small.

Cougars are an interesting compromise in size and temperament. They are actually classified as “small cats” even though most people think of them as a big cat. They are large cats and come with all of the duties, responsibilities, and cost of owning a big cat. However, they often have very gentle and affectionate natures; of all the large felines, they are probably the species that you are most likely to be able to have a “pet-like” relationship with after they mature. For those determined to own a big cat, I would reccommend a cougar over any other species, especially over a tiger.

Owning an exotic feline is not for someone who spends their time in fantasyland. If you are one of those pet owners who think their dog is soooo sweet that he could never, ever harm anyone, that all animals love you because you have a “special touch” with them, or that no animal will be dangerous as an adult if you “love it enough” or “raise it right,” you have no business owning an exotic cat.

You have to be able to objectively assess the safety of any decision you make, whether it involves handling your own cat, letting a family member or member of the public have contact with the cat, etc. You have to be able to say “I love Tigger with all of my heart and he loves me back, but I can tell from the playful look in his eye that if I walk into his enclosure now he might hurt me, so I choose not to.”

It is important to locate a good veterinarian who is willing to treat your exotic cat before you get one. It can sometimes be difficult to find a good, experienced vet who will be willing to treat exotics. Often, vets are uncomfortable around them or dissaprove of keeping them as pets and will therefore refuse to treat them. Many clinics also lack large enough equipment to handle larger felines like cougars or tigers. Veterinary costs for an exotic cat can be higher than those for a domestic animal, especially if your cat develops a serious problem and you are referred to a specialty clinic or university.

If you choose to own an exotic cat, you owe it to your cat and everyone else who owns exotics to be a responsible owner. What constitutes responsible ownership? Some of the criteria, in no particular order:

• Provides a ample, nutritious diet suitable to the species
• Provides ample housing for the cat to live in happily
• Provides shelter and protection from the elements
• Provides veterinary care as needed
• Purchases animals from an ethical and responsible breeder
• Does not neglect or abuse the animal
• Provides generally pleasant living conditions and has the cat’s feelings and best interests in mind
• Makes a good-faith effort to comply with all applicable laws
• Takes stringent precautions to prevent the escape of the cat
• Protects the cat from unauthorized contact or harrassment from members of the public
• Protects the safety of the public and visitors
• Makes a lifetime committment to caring for the cat

This article is written and copyrighted by Jessi Clark-White of www.exoticcatz.com. This article may be reproduced in its entirety only; permission is NOT granted to display editied versions. This article may not be used to support the ending of private ownership of exotic pets.

For more comprehensive information on exotic pets and their ownership, visit my website, http://www.exoticcatz.com. You can ask the author and other exotic pet owners questions at our online forum.

While there are those who prefer to stick to traditional methods of cooking and traditional food, there are also a class of people who are always willing to experiment with new culinary delights! The French cuisine consists of traditional and regional dishes, as well as continental food flavored with the French ethnic touch. It is because of this that French food has become so popular in the rest of Europe, USA, and many other countries. This popularity has therefore led to the initiation of the French Cooking School USA.

The French Cooking School USA, an association of different schools, was inaugurated with the idea of imparting knowledge about French recipes and French delicacies to people wishing to qualify as professionals in the art of French cooking. Development of teaching skills is also a part of the program. In addition, the advancement of science and technology and schools under this association being placed at varied locations has ensured that distance poses no problem to learning.

Having earned the distinction of being the most exploratory international institution where the culinary arts and cooking are concerned, the French Cooking School USA uses varied cooking techniques unique to France and innovative recipes to provide an extraordinary learning experience for its students. The School is run by people thoroughly acquainted with French gourmet cooking as well as the essence of France?s culture. Is it any wonder then that superb masterpieces like Souffles and Bisques have come from the French Cooking School USA?

Two of the more popular schools associated with the French Cooking School USA are the Ecole Dijon Cooking School and the Cook Street School of Fine Cooking.

The Ecole Dijon Cooking School conducts classes at Chef Drew Holladay Home. There are small groups of students who are scheduled to attend eight sessions of teaching. This school basically caters to cooking in the home. So people who wish to confine their culinary skills to their own homes or bring a change in their regular menus take admission here. Trained cooks demonstrate newer ways of cooking routine food to bring about variety.

The students at Cook Street School of Fine Cooking in Colorado learn specialized French cooking and how to prepare wine. Certificates are awarded at the end of the course. Though the fees demanded are quite affordable, the students get thorough training in the science of good eating. They can therefore opt for careers in culinary art. The course program imparts knowledge about the heritage of French cuisine, how a menu has to be prepared, knowledge about wines, and how an appetite for good food is to be developed.

Another school of mention associated with the French Cooking School USA, is the New School of Cooking. An amateur takes admission and departs as a professional cook! There is the flexibility of taking up part-time, or full-time baking courses of one-year duration. Training is given by professional chefs. There is also the option of learning Italian and Asian cooking in addition to French cooking.

Thus, the French Cooking School USA provides an ideal atmosphere and learning experience for anyone desiring to master French cooking!

Abhishek is really passionate about Cooking and he has got some great Cooking Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 88 Pages Ebook, “Cooking Mastery!” from his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com/770/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

You’ve probably read the previous piece on North Indian breads. This article focuses on North Indian cooking, which includes cooking style, spices used, terminology and some common foods.

North Indian cooking is nearly always quite spicy and uses a large number of spices in any given dish. The terms used for various dishes are normally descriptive of the food itself like Jeera Aloo for instance, which literally translates to ‘Cumin seed Potatoes’. Like most cultures there are also some misleading names like ‘Butter Chicken’, which is actually marinated chicken cooked in a tandoor and served in smooth, tomato gravy and doesn’t contain any butter. There are also terms which aren’t related to the food in question, like Pulao, which is rice cooked with spices and vegetables. The term sabzi (sub-zee) is used quite liberally when describing nearly any dry, vegetable preparation. The same applies to the term dal, which is used for most types of lentils. The term tari (tuh-ree) denotes gravy and is suffixed to the name of a dish when it has gravy.

In these days of fusion food, it is difficult to pin down a set of spices that a given region can claim. However, traditionally, north Indian cooking uses the following spices and herbs:

• Cumin seed (Jeera)
• Ajowan or (Ajwain)
• Red Chili Powder I – Flavor over color (Lal Mirch)
• Red Chili Powder II – Color over flavor (Degi Mirch or Kashmiri Mirch)
• Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
• Dried Mango Powder (Aamchur)
• Coriander Seeds (Sabat Dhania)
• Coriander Powder (Dhania)
• Fresh Coriander Leaves (Hara Dhania)
• Green Cardamom (Choti Elaichi)
• Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)
• Cinnamon (Dalchini)
• Garam Masala – A set mixture of spices – roasted cumin, cinnamon, cloves, caraway seeds, nutmeg (and/or mace) and green cardamom seed or black cardamom pods. The composition of Garam Masala changes from region to region.
• Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
• Black Mustard Seeds (Rai)

This list is by no means complete – there are many more spices used in every day North Indian cooking – the purpose of this article however is to provide a feel for North Indian cooking.

Different spices are used in different situations, in different ways. The flavor and characteristics of spices change if you’re dry roasting them, frying them, adding them before simmering to cook or after cooking.

Our first foray into traditional North Indian cooking could start with a simple vegetable preparation, which we could either call Aloo ki Sabzi (‘Vegetable Preparation of Potatoes’) or Jeera Aloo (Cumin seed Flavored Potatoes).

Cumin Seed Potatoes / Jeera Aloo

Ingredients

- 3 Large Baking Potatoes

-One onion, chopped fine

-1 tsp Cumin seed

-1 tsp Turmeric Powder

-1 tsp Chili Powder

-1 tsp Coriander Powder

-1 tsp Dried Mango Powder

-Salt to taste

-Chopped fresh coriander for garnishing

-Oil for frying

Method

First peel your potatoes, dice and then boil in lightly salted water. Then drain and let cool. Heat oil in your pan and add the cumin seed. After 2 – 3 seconds of crackling, add the onions and fry, stirring lightly for about a minute on low heat. Now add all the spices, except the dried mango powder and mix well. Throw in the potatoes, which should be nice and firm now and toss well, so the onion-spice mixture coats the potatoes all over. Simmer for about 5 – 7 minutes. Finally, add the dried mango powder and toss the potatoes on high heat, till there’s a thick, spicy sludge adhering to the potatoes. Garnish with the fresh, chopped coriander prior to serving.

These can be served with Rotis, filled in toasted sandwiches or just eaten as is for a snack.

As you can see, this everyday dish uses 5 different spices and one herb. There are some traditional dishes that use up to 30 different spices! These are now (in most part) a thing of the past and cooked only on very special occasions.

As an example, let’s say we’d like to try our hand at cooking a simple north Indian dish without a recipe, simply going by the style. Obviously we’ll need some north Indian spices, the most common of which are Jeera (cumin seed), Haldi (turmeric powder), Namak (salt) and Mirch (chili powder). The first step, in nearly every dish is to fry onions as it is a staple in north Indian cooking. When pink/transparent, we add some spices and fry some more. This gives us a thick sauce to which we can add a little water if we wish. This sauce will coat the vegetables or meat we’ll add later. Here’s a simple example.

Onion and Tomato Sabzi / Pyaaz Tamatar ki Sabzi

Ingredients

-3 Large tomatoes, chopped roughly

-Two Onions, chopped roughly

-2 large cloves of garlic, finely sliced

-1 tsp Cumin seed

-1 tsp Turmeric Powder

-1 tsp Dried Mango Powder

-1 tsp Chili Powder

-Salt to taste

-Oil for frying

Method

The process is really quite simple – we heat a little oil, add the onions, fry a little, add the garlic and continue frying till the onions are pink or translucent. Then we add the rest of the spices except the dried mango powder, mix well and finally toss in the tomatoes. The dried mango powder goes in at the end.

One major feature of Indian cooking is that vegetables are rarely left crisp or crunchy. They’re nearly always cooked till they’re very soft. This isn’t very good for the nutrition content of the veggies and I’d recommend cooking them till they’re just done and still have a bit of bite left.

The pan will be kept on a simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, till the tomatoes are cooked through. Finally we stir in the dried mango powder and it’s ready to eat! This dish is usually eaten with Rotis.

As you can see, the pattern is similar – fry onions (if using), spices, toss in vegetables, nuke them (or not) and serve. Now that we have an idea of the basics involved, let’s get on to the secrets!

The Cooking Methods (by Naheed)

Secret 1: Bhuno well.

This is an extremely important process and involves frying spices to extract most of their flavor. Remember not to overheat the oil (unless it is mustard oil, which has to be heated till it emits some smoke & does not froth when something is put in it). If dry powdered masala is being used, the oil should not be hot as the dry spices will burn. Some amount of water must be added if you feel the spices may burn. When making the masala, use onion paste along with ginger & garlic to which you will add other spices as required.

For meat however, the method is quite different. This is the last process for cooking meat in quite a few cases, or the process just before adding water to make the gravy. It is believed the real flavor of meat develops only if you devote upward of 10 minutes to this process. Meat releases some of its own fat which mixes with the spices and then the oil cooks the meat and helps the meat absorb the mixed flavors of the spices. How long to do so, is a question that has no fixed answer. As a guideline, stop when either the meat becomes too tender or the gravy becomes completely dry, or your guests start to get very restless. You will also notice that the meat & gravy tend to stick to the vessel if you do not stir them constantly. If they do, scrape it off; and if the gravy gets too dry, add yoghurt or water.

Secret 2: Bagharna

This is a simple process and is called Chaukna in Hindi. Here dry spices are added to hot oil and this concoction is added to a dish (e.g. Dal). Although a simple process, do not burn the spices. In fact it is advised that once you have added the spices, remove the vessel from the fire.

Secret 3: Dum Cooking

This is the art of slow cooking. It enables individual flavors to intermingle properly. This is also the method used for the last few minutes when cooking rice or biryani. In the old days, when food was cooked on coal or wood, the only way was to raise the distance between the flame & the vessel, or put the vessel in the dying embers, seal the lid of the dish with flour & put a few embers of coal on top of the lid. In dum cooking, it is essential the fire be at its lowest and the food will therefore take a while before it’s done. Rest assured that your patience will be amply rewarded. Thankfully modern cooking presents us with newer methods and one of the easiest is to put the whole vessel in an oven. If you do not have one, put a griddle (tawa) on the flame & then put the vessel on it. Also note that dum cooking meat will make the ingredients (meat, vegetables) exude the moisture or water within. A word of caution here: Try not to use a pressure cooker or the meat will not turn out right.

Secret 4: Frying

Simple you’d say. Well, yes it is. However, there are two types of frying. One is frying to cook and the other one to brown. For deep frying it is essential that there be sufficient oil to cover the item. For browning, the oil can be less but must be at a low temperature.

Secret 5: Using earthenware

Not only is earthenware cheap in India but it was also the first form of disposable crockery. Most desserts in India were traditionally served either on banana leaves or in earthenware crockery. Some of the better known five star restaurants in India still use earthenware. If you’ve noticed, tea at Indian railway stations is still served in earthenware glasses. Not only is it environmentally friendly, a special earthy flavor permeates the tea, which no cooking method can simulate.

Secret 6: Kewda Water

Kewda is the derivative of a desert plant with very fragrant leaves. The essential oil of this is heavily diluted in water which is used as a perfuming agent for food. Typically used in Firni and Zarda among other desserts and has no parallel.

The Ingredients

Secret 1: Dahi or Yoghurt

This is a wonder ingredient. Yoghurt lends a light buttery flavor to the creation as well as a light creamy consistency. For example, it is the base for some dishes like Rizala where the original flavor of yoghurt is completely transformed. Yoghurt when cooked transforms in taste to lightly sour and gives the gravy a creamy texture. All in all, it is an essential item. In a few dishes, it may be substituted by tomato puree but then the final result will be slightly different. Did you know vegetables cooked in yoghurt retain their shape? In fact in Dumpukth Fish, it is the yoghurt that preserves the shape of the fish. Also, at times if you have mistakenly added extra salt, add a splash of whisked yoghurt and cook for a while.

Secret 2: Onions

This is an essential ingredient in a lot of dishes and is commonly used for salads. A handy tip on handling onions is to remove the outer dry skin, cut in half and wash thoroughly to prevent your eyes from watering. Onions lend a sweetish flavor to cooking and are a common masala base. However when fried then mixed, the taste is totally different. So when the recipe says “fry onions”, you’d better fry them.

Secret 3: Cumin

There are two types of cumin seeds. The common white cumin seeds which are cheap are used mainly in vegetarian dishes. They are more often than not fried to get their flavor out. Sometimes as in a raita, they are dry roasted on a tawa and then ground. However, the more expensive black cumin seeds or Shah Jeera as they are commonly known as, are quite different in taste and flavor. The two are rarely substituted. Most restaurants substitute them in rice preparations, but then, what you get is something totally different.

Final Recipe

Now that we have quite a good idea of what’s involved in North Indian cooking, perhaps a slightly complex recipe is in order – Nihari. This is definitely not one of the dishes that one finds on the menu of five star restaurants. This is one of the dishes eaten with a lot of passion by all. In fact to have Nihari one must have the zest to wake up before dawn because it is a very hot meal and in most places where it is served, the service is over by 9am. It is a delectable broth of meat, cooked over a slow fire, mostly overnight and eaten in the early hours of the morning with a tandoori roti and an assortment of fresh herbs accompanied by loads of lemon. The meat is fulfilling and the broth is had as a refreshing and a rather hot soup. The other reason why one has it as a breakfast meal and that too only in winter is because it makes you feel very thirsty and rather warm. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.

Nihari

Ingredients

• 1 kg Nihari meat (or any other meat that’s available)
• 250 grams Onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup Ghee
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp dry roasted chickpea flour
• 1/2 – 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Spice mixture

Grind together the following:1/4 tsp. dried ginger, 1/4 tsp. mace, 1/2 tsp. fennel, 1/2 tsp. white cumin seeds, 2 large cardamom, 4 small cardamoms, 4 cloves, 6 black pepper seeds

Preparation

Preparation time 30 minutes | Cooking time 2-3 hours

• Add 2/3rd of the onions in moderately hot oil and when the onion goes soft add ginger & garlic paste along with ground coriander and turmeric powder and let it fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the oil comes on top again.
• Add the meat and cook over slow fire. The meat will let out its own water.
• When it is semi cooked, add the chick pea flour to 2 cups of water and leave the broth to cook over very slow fire for at least 45 minutes.
• The slower you cook the more flavors you will draw out.
• Keep the pot covered but no pressure cookers please.
• When the meat is as tender as it can get, add the spice mixture along with the leftover onions.

On a parting note, while cooking methods remain largely consistent and typical, knowing the spices will help tremendously. So while you’re cooking go on and add that sprinkle of black mustard seeds to hot oil and watch them crackle or throw in some curry leaves and savor the change in flavors!

Sid Khullar has written nearly 400 articles on food, cooking and other related subjects on Chef at Large. He welcomes recipe and photo contributions and is always looking to meet people passionate about the culinary arts.

To learn the gourmet cooking terms seems to be a must in the field of cooking. The gourmet cooking terms are of very much importance especially if you are currently enrolled in a gourmet cooking school, of course. But then again, the importance of learning these also goes the same for people who want to know more about it. This is despite of the fact the the application is much more important than in memorizing the terms. But to perfect the method, you should be familiar enough.

Learning What you Need to Learn

Throughout the internet, you can find a lot of sources on gourmet cooking terms. You may be able to be familiar with the term related to gourmet cooking but nothing beats the familiarity that comes with the practical application of those concepts. Below are some of the things that you need to do besides learning the gourmet cooking terms:

1. Get enrolled in a culinary arts school. If you are planning to be a professional chef, it would be a must to be in right process of your career. But if you are just seeking for some additional expertise but not a degree, these schools can be of great help in providing you the training and knowledge that you need.

2. Engage in culinary arts training and workshops. Training materials and workshops would really make a great help in the learning process. The terms and skills are all incorporated in training materials that you can get from gourmet cooking trainings and workshops. In addition, there are a lot of programs which could help you in acquiring the skills that you need. These programs can be learned right at your home. This is interesting since you do not have to leave your home to learn something.

3. Invest in your television. Aside from enrolling in schools and attending workshops on gourmet cooking, Interestingly, a lot of cooking terms can be learned right in your own television. A number of cooking shows often provide cooking terms that would also be helpful for you. Aside from the cooking terms, cooking shows also provide the procedures of gourmet cooking and some tips on handling the needed utensils and how to get the desired results in cooking your product. This, in a way, gives you a learning avenue at the comfort of your home.

With no doubt, the gourmet cooking terms can be searched easily using the internet. You can also find some useful tutorial on gourmet cooking over the internet. But then again, the fact remains that learning the terms of gourmet cooking is not enough. It is always the application that matters.

Abhishek is really passionate about Cooking and he has got some great Cooking Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 88 Pages Ebook, “Cooking Mastery!” from his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com/770/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

The average American eats one meal, six days a week, outside of the home. Almost one half of their food budget is used for dining out. Because food portions have increased substantially, so has our weight. Our entrees and desserts have gotten larger and larger, fooling us into thinking that it’s ok to clean our plates. If they gave us this food, it’s ok to eat it, right? It’s not surprising to see that eight out of ten people over the age of 25 are overweight in America. It’s reported that about seventy-five percent of people who dine out are looking for healthier alternatives.

Many restaurants supply calorie and nutritional information in their menus. Some even offer smaller portions of their regular meals or will allow adults to purchase meals from their kiddy menu. Dining out doesn’t have to be difficult if you’re trying to eat healthy. Before going to a restaurant, visit its web site, if it has one, and look at the menu. Choose meals that work with your diet. See if items can be substituted if you need to change anything. Look at portion sizes and determine what you can and can’t eat.

If you’re going out for dinner, eat a lighter lunch. That way you won’t be adding a lot of extra calories. Don’t go to the restaurant feeling starved. Eat a piece of fruit or a low calorie English muffin that’s high in fiber an hour before you go to the restaurant. It should help you eat fewer calories when you’re dining out. You can also try a small handful of nuts to get the same results. Never start with the bread before the main meal arrives. Bread can add too many extra calories.

Make the right choices from the beginning when you’re dining out. When you order a salad ask for the dressing on the side. If you’re choosing pasta, pick one with red sauce instead of white. Choose baked potato without sour cream, you can use salsa on it instead. It’s lower in calories. Pick steamed vegetables without adding butter or sauce. They’re healthier. Sandwiches should be ordered on whole grain or wheat bread. Avoid mayonnaise and cheese on your sandwich and top it with mustard and a lot of vegetables instead. If you order an appetizer instead of a full meal, you’ll eat less. Ask for a doggie bag at the beginning of the meal and place half of it to go, so you’re not tempted to eat it. If you really want dessert, share it with another person, that way you won’t feel deprived.

For dining out guide, visit JP Pepperdine now.

Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.

Individuals, couples and families enjoy dining out from time to time to enjoy different food and also the different atmospheres that restaurants have to offer. People would probably dine out a lot more if it weren’t so expensive. It is much cheaper to prepare meals from home but it’s also great to get a break from time to time.

Dine out frequently at places that offer some kind of membership card or other perks. Some places will have membership cards that will allow you to earn points or free items once you accumulate enough you can trade the points in for food items.

If you have a credit card that offers rewards or cash back at certain restaurants be sure to use it every time you dine out. While it may not seem like much at first you’d be surprised how much money you can save by using a credit card that offers rewards.

To save money on the actual meals consider sharing a meal with another person. The serving sizes at most restaurants is huge and usually plenty of food for two people. This way you won’t have to worry about taking home leftovers and trying to eat them reheated. They just don’t ever taste as good as they did when the food was fresh.

If you can order from the children’s menu that would also be a good option. Their meals are always cheaper but some places don’t have a children’s menu or may not allow you to order from it but it’s always worth a try if it can save you a few bucks.

Another way to save money on dining is to watch out for coupons in your local paper. Each week you’re likely to find coupons for at least one restaurant. If you aren’t noticing any real good coupons you could also check online. The restaurant’s website may offer special deals and printable coupons that you can bring with you when dining out.

If the restaurants you visit have some sort of e-club or e-newsletter to sign up for you can get some really great savings this way that other people won’t have access to. They’ll periodically send out special offers only to their current subscribers.

Saving money while dining out really is pretty easy especially if you have restaurants nearby that offer memberships, reward cards, coupons and/or newsletters. And don’t forget that you can cut the cost of any dinner in half by sharing a meal with another person.

For Singapore Dining guide, visit JP Pepperdine now.

Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.

Food

Dry food has been a recommended staple diet for cats by many experts for a number of years. It is an easy option to leave a bowl of dry food out constantly; something that cannot be done with tinned food. Unfortunately though, it’s not a natural food source and has been developed by humans using many additives and un-natural products. Cats, like humans, will eat until they fill themselves up. However, dry food has many more calories and carbohydrates than a natural food source, which leads to the cat taking in far more than necessary just to feel full-up. Many owners assume that their cat is just greedy, but in many cases it is not the quantity of food being eaten, it is the quality.

Naturally, cats are obligate carnivores; meaning they only feed on other animals. The cats prey however, are generally herbivorous and have various vegetable and plant matter in their guts. All of which, will be consumed by the cat. Domestic cats have been shown to have longer intestines than wild cats; proving they have evolved over hundreds of years to cope with more plant and vegetable matter (carbohydrates). Still, this is no excuse to turn a carnivore into an omnivore. Rather, supplementing the diet with small amounts of carbohydrates is acceptable.

Many consumers believe that dried food is actually better for cats. The manufacturers have implemented the belief that all these additives such as corn and grains are an important part of a cat’s diet, implying ‘the more the better’ approach. Although very small quantities of these may benefit the cat, too much will be detrimental to their health.

Kidney disease is one of, if not the biggest killer in cats. Kidney disease is usually a result of lack of water and unfortunately, cats have a very low thirst drive. Although they may drink when eating dry food, they will generally only take in half of the liquid necessary for their health. A cat’s prey item consists of around 75% water, canned and raw foods have a similar amount. Dry foods on the other hand usually have a maximum of 10% water content. It is obvious therefore, that canned or raw foods are an absolute must to maintain a healthy cat.

Cats need a high level of protein in their diet which must come from animals. Plant protein differs from meat protein, and should not be substituted. When protein is calculated in canned food, the moisture content must be subtracted from 100 and the protein percentage worked out from the result. For instance, a canned food with 8% protein and 75% water means that the true protein value should be worked out like so:

Non-Moisture Content = 25% so: 8 ÷ 25 x 100 = 32

Therefore: True Protein Value = 32% which is ideal.

The amino acid ‘taurine’ is also an essential part of a cat’s diet, and can only be found in meat products. It is recommended that a quantity of 2000mg/kg or 0.2% should be available in canned food. Other vitamins and minerals should also be included. Preservatives, colouring and added flavours are used more for the customers benefit rather than the cats. If it looks and smells nice to a human, there is a higher chance of them buying it.

There are very few foods on the market which actually have an ideal amount of everything included. Many diets have concentrated on having high a protein and moisture diet with low carbohydrates, but lack in having enough taurine or vitamin B. If this is the case, offering other canned foods on occasion that are better in these areas should be considered. This will also help stop the cat becoming addicted to any 1 food type. Inter-changing the various meats such as beef, chicken and fish will also benefit by offering varying amounts of vitamins, minerals and oils.

Buy quality, not quantity. Most cheap cat foods are cheap for a reason. Avoid buying canned foods that say ‘meat’, ‘by-products’, ‘bone meal’ or ‘animal digest’. Chemical preservatives such as ‘BHA’, ‘BHT’, ‘ethoxyquin’ and ‘propyl gallate’ have been seriously questioned as being detrimental to the health of cats, and should also be avoided. Canned foods are a must for adding much needed calcium into the diet, which is essential for building healthy bones and teeth.

High energy food has been designed for cats with high energy levels. This food will not benefit a cat which sits around all day, in fact in will make the situation worse. High energy foods will not make a less active cat become energetic.

There is a common misconception that canned food is bad for your cat’s teeth, and dry food is good. Unfortunately neither statement is completely true. Neither food types are actually good for the health of teeth. Dry food is hard and crunchy, completely the opposite of what a cat’s teeth are designed to do, which is tear away at meat. I recommend you brush and rinse your cat’s teeth on a regular occasion.

There are two methods to feeding a cat. The first is to leave a bowl of food out all the time. This is obviously done with dry food and not meat. Since we recommend feeding a diet of canned or raw meat, this method is not acceptable and you should opt for the second method. This is to have a feeding regime of 2 to 4 times per day. Feeding this way allows a more controlled amount of food being eaten. You need to decide how many times per day you will feed your cat. The more often the better, but if you are an owner which is out during the day several times a week, it may be better to opt for a twice a day routine. Alternatively, cat feeding dishes which are set on a timer can be purchased and are a good option if you only go out on occasions.

The total amount of canned food your cat should is listed below. It is important to divide this total amount of food up equally among all of its feeds. The chart below is appropriate to cats that are getting their appropriate amount of calorie intake per day, which is approximately 25 calories per pound in weight. This chart is for healthy adult cats weighing approximately 8-10lbs. Not overweight or obese cats.

Type / Age of Cat Weight of Canned Food

2 – 10 Years 200g

Geriatric (10 Years +) 160g

Neutered or Spayed 160g

Inactive or Indoor 160g

Treats

Treats are given to cats for different reasons depending on the owner. Surveys have shown that overweight humans are more likely to have overweight pets. They show that overweight people are unable to control their own weight properly due to lack of will power. They have the same lack of will power when their pets are ‘begging’ for treats.

Treats are often given because it is a way of making the pet feel more welcome. If the owner is out of the house all day, they often make up for it by giving treats. This is the easy way of doing things and totally unhealthy. Rather, making up for it by spending just 5 quality minutes with the pet is far more rewarding. You may decide to simply brush the cat, or you could play with it by throwing a small toy mouse or ball around. Either way, the cat will enjoy being with you more than it will eating a treat, and exercise will aid its health.

Some owners offer treats because they think the cat doesn’t eat enough dinner. The treats are designed and flavoured to be ‘irresistible’ to the cat, and they will eat it whether they are hungry or not. Treats should not be offered for this reason. Providing your cat looks healthy and is the appropriate weight, it will be feeding just fine. If your cat is a poor feeder, they should be tempted by other feeding methods, not with treats.

Higher Risk Cats

Neutered or Spayed

I would like to point out before anything, that the act of neutering or spaying your cat will not make it overweight. Rather, it is how you care for it afterwards that will affect its weight.

A neutered cat loses its desire to ‘roam’ like an ‘intact’ cat would do. They are not as inquisitive and generally get less exercise than intact cats. Because of this, their metabolism is slower than normal by around 20-25%. With a slower metabolism, comes a lower need for calories. A neutered or spayed cat should intake approximately 20% less calories.

Breed

Some breeds of cat are naturally slimmer than other breeds; such as the Siamese and Ornamental Short Hair. These breeds are far better at maintaining a good body condition than larger breeds. Pedigree cats are also generally fitter than non-pedigree individuals.

Age

Cats are most likely to become overweight from about 2 to 12 years of age. Younger cats have a much higher metabolism and are more energetic than older individuals. Older cats often eat far less, and it is more common for geriatric cats to become skinnier rather than heavier.

Indoor Cats

Indoor cats have many factors weighing them down. To start with, the most obvious factor is being indoors all the time. There is little stimulation inside, and they will not get the exercise that an outdoor cat will be able to. Many static toys that are offered to indoor cats become boring. They will soon lose interest in scratching posts and similar toys. Repetitive electronic toys can also become predictable and boring. The most enjoyable form of playing for the cat is to interact with the owner. Waving string around or rolling a small ball around will keep the cat amused for far longer.

Being inside all the time also means more contact with the owner is likely. This usually means more treats are given.

The temperature is an important factor too. An outdoor cat will use more energy and have a higher metabolism simply to maintain its body temperature. Cats living in centrally heated houses don’t have to use much energy to get their body temperature controlled.

Social Environment

This is an area where you just can’t win. There are advantages and disadvantages of having one cat or having multiple cats.

Only cats do not have the same competition for food that a multi-cat household may have. Therefore they may not be as eager to eat as much food and as quickly as a cat in competition with other cats will do. However, only cats are more likely to become bored and have less stimulation around them compared to a cat living with others. Cats have been known to take on habits like humans, such as eating when bored like an only cat may do. They may also eat more when they are stressed, like a cat living in a multi-cat household may do.

A household with more humans is far more likely to inflict extra weight onto a cat. It means more people offering treats, and more people to feed the cat dinner. It is common for many households to become confused as to whether or not the cat has been fed, and if in doubt they will feed it again.

Disabilities

This applies to humans and pets alike. Humans with physical disabilities are less likely to play and exercise their pets. The situation becomes worse if the cat is an indoor cat.

Disabled cats are often ‘over-protected’ by their owners. Most are automatically turned into indoor cats if they get a disability, and become an excuse for more treats to be offered. Most cats can still exercise and have their mind stimulated with various disabilities. In fact many cats with disabilities will deteriorate quicker if they are not exercised and the mind stimulated properly.

Neighbours

Do you have cat friendly neighbours? Do you know if your cat has gone into other people’s houses before? It is common for other cat lovers to feed a cat that has wondered into their house.

If you think this happens, place a tag onto the cat which is clearly visible and ask politely not to feed the cat. Some people will ignore this, thinking it will not do any harm. To get around this, state that you cat has ‘Special Dietary Needs’. They are more likely to pay attention when they think feeding them the wrong food could potentially harm them.

By Chris Jones
Director of Pet Club UK Ltd.
http://www.petclubuk.com

Fast car on open roads. It is a perfect picture for any car enthusiast. But you have to go to your work and also drop your kids to school. This is the real picture for most of us. We need to save time when we don’t have any. A typical individual has so many odd jobs to complete that a car can, without doubt, facilitate their accomplishment. Financing your car doesn’t fit your idea of the way of buying your car; then probably you are still stuck with traditional car buying methods. Shed your inhibitions with regard for car financing because it undoubtedly keeps in mind your financial caliber before furnishing you with a car finance loan.

Car financing has taken a new spin with regard to providing investment for buying a car. So, how do you finance a car? If this question leaves you baffled, then you have to go a long way in the process of buying a car. The term ‘financing’ in relation to buying a car connotes either rendering loan to buy the car or lease the car to you. You are probably concentrating on the former meaning. Many people are in favour of talking car finance from dealership for it seems like a convenient option. It seems easy; you select a car, fill out a credit application, and drive away with your car – all in a day’s work. Car finance through dealership will give you car finance on weekends and even at nights when other banks and credit unions are closed.

Seems convenient, isn’t it? But there is a catch. The dealer will be certainly charging you more for your car finance. Usually car buyers are overcharged by 3% on their car finance. A great number of complaints about car financing are related to dealers. 0% APR is not only attractive but lures the buyers to acquire up car finance not meditating if it is feasible for them. There are very few people who can actually get a 0% APR. Thus car finance deals usually fall midway thereby making car finance experience an extremely distressing one. You are buying a new car and probably for the first time, you certainly want it to compliment your enthusiasm. There are few elementary things that need to be kept in mind before taking that crucial primeval step in car buying.

First and foremost in car buying and financing is checking your credit score before you apply for a car loan. Many people are unaware of the fact that they even have a credit score. You can expediently check your credit score online. So, if you have bad credit history then probably you will be paying more interest rate for your car finance. If your credit score drops below 550, then probably apply for new car finance is not such a good idea. First repair you credit score. Repairing credit score requires little effort, helps you repay your debt and retain your credit report. Online car finance companies can get you car finance loan even if your credit score is lower than required. Your car finance loan can get approved in minutes. Online car finance companies have revolutionized car finance procedure. With lowest online car finance rates, no application fees, or down payments car finance companies provide a formidable competition to car dealers. Car finance companies have set a standard for providing car finance that is worth opting for.

70% of cars are obtained by some kind of financing. You can even finance a used car. The process is as effortless and undemanding as financing a new car. The essence to finding the right car finance is doing to research about your kind of car. Knowledge is power; you must be awake to this age old logic. When so much information frequently exists, then why not make use of it. Find out how much your car costs by comparing rates with local dealers. Very decisive, is cognizing how much, you can afford. Calculate, you monthly income and deduct your usual monthly expenditure to find out how much you can afford on a monthly basis. Compute carefully, otherwise you will find difficulty in repaying your car finance loan. And you definitely don’t want to fool around with your repayment plan because a lot is at stake. You can seek free advice for your own car finance online through credit unions and loan institutions.

You are a car enthusiast, a car consumer, a just a person who needs a car you ought to drive the best car. And why not drive the best car, when you have access to the best car finance plans. Car financing is a transparent route that leads you to become a car owner. Car finance loans are usually short term loans ranging from 36 to 72 months. Shorter loan term imply, lower interest rates and will prove to be cheaper. You have been working hard to select the car you want; there is a fairly good chance that you would not have to work so hard for car finance. So, sit back relax and enjoy the ride.

After having herself gone through the ordeal of loan borrowing, Natasha Anderson understands the need for good quality loan advice. Her articles endeavor to provide you the wise counsel in the most elementary way for the benefit of the readers. She hopes that this will help them to locate the loan that beseems their expectations. She works for the UK secured loan web site [http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk.To] find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

Wedding Rings
Celebrity Wedding Rings To Die For!

Are you in the market for a dog trainer? Do you want your dog to learn from a top notch certified dog trainer? You may have dreams of seeing your dog in professional dog competitions and shows. Therefore, you need to have your dog trained by a certified dog trainer to ensure the best results.

Why should you hire a certified dog trainer instead of a basic dog trainer? A certified dog trainer is one that takes their dog training career seriously enough to become certified. You can feel comfortable in the fact that they have met high dog training standards and passed certification exams and tests. You don’t want a fly-by-night dog trainer, but a certified dog trainer that is in it for the long haul.

How do you find a certified dog trainer? There are numerous dog trainers available in the market place today. Dog trainers range in age, skill level, and experience. Your neighbor might tell you that they are a dog trainer because they have read a few books on the subject and taught their dog to fetch the newspaper. This is not sufficient dog training experience.

You should consult a variety of resources. Try asking your dog breeder, groomer, and veterinarian. They can direct you to local dog training schools that have certified dog trainers on their faculty. Various pet supply stores have dog training programs that train and certify their dog trainers. Example pet supply stores include PETCO.

However, research what they mean by “certification”. Is the certification by PETCO standards only or by a universal certification? Find out what the requirements are for their certified dog trainers. Only then can you determine if their dog trainers will supply the skill level and experience you desire.

You need to find a dog trainer that has had comprehensive training and can proudly demonstrate that they are a certified dog trainer. Be aware, though, that there are many “certified dog training” schools and home correspondence courses available. Not all of these schools are credible nor do they provide proper instruction. You need to find a dog trainer that has certification as described by the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers.

The Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers is a well respected organization that provides testing and certification services for dog trainers. They administer specific dog training tests in various states around the country approximately twice per year. These intensive tests root out the professional dog trainer from the average dog trainer. Check out their website at: http://www.ccpdt.org/.

The Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers also provides a listing of certified dog trainers. You can search through this listing to find a certified dog trainer in your area. This roster of certified dog trainers comprises certified dog trainers all over the world. The certified dog trainer list will give you their contact information including name, city, phone number, and e-mail address. Another great feature is that they list the date the dog trainer became certified. This will let you know how many years they have been in the dog training business. Peruse the list at: [http://ccpdt.org/rstr/index.html].

Certified pet trainers do not only need to pass a certification exam and testing, they must also continue their education through workshops, conferences, and other means. When selecting a certified dog trainer ask them about the extent of their continuing education. You want a certified dog trainer that continues to hone their craft. They should actively learning about various dog training methods. This demonstrates that they are committed to providing the best dog training.

A certified dog trainer should have at least three to five years of dog training experience. This is especially true if they charge higher fees. You can take the plunge with a newly certified dog trainer if cost is an issue. Newly certified dog trainers may charge lower rates in order to establish a list of clients and garner experience. “Master” certified dog trainers are those that have twenty to thirty years of experience. They may have great skill and in depth background experience, but may come at a higher price.

You have the beginning knowledge regarding finding a certified dog trainer. Spend time searching resources available through your dog breeder, veterinarian, and pet supply store. Scour the book store, library, and Internet for detailed information. You can find a certified dog trainer in your area as well.

You wouldn’t go to an unlicensed doctor would you? So why would go to a trainer that is not certified? Certified dog trainers are out there and ready to help you and your pooch learn valuable skills. They are committed to your dog, their career, and learning everything they can about becoming a top notch dog trainer. Who knows, your certified dog trainer may help your dog win the Westminster dog show. Not only would your dog be trained well and achieve glory, but the expense would be well worth it.

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

Planning a thru-hike of many weeks or months on one of the major trails adds some extra challenges to ultralight hiking. Physical conditioning and resupplying are key ingredients to a successful lightweight hike.

Even before you start putting together your resupply packages, you need to start conditioning your body. If your feet and legs are in good shape, your chances of success are much higher. Remember that about 40% of thru hikers stop before they complete their planned trip, so do your best to eliminate the common causes for not staying on the trail. The best way to prepare for hiking is to hike. Seems simple, but while you’re busy with everyday life, carving out enough time to get in trail shape will be difficult.

You can do cardio and the stair master at a health club, but that’s not the total answer. You need to hike and hike a lot in the shoes you’ll be using for your long-distance hike. If you plan on hiking the full length of one of the major trails, remember you may need to break in two or three pairs of shoes. When moisture drips down into your shoes, it’s the same as if you forded a creek, so it’s good to get your feet in shape by hiking when they’re wet. Start your hike with socks that give you plenty of padding because your feet will tend to swell and even lengthen on long trips.

It’s bad planning to think you’ll get in shape as you start hiking. Since you won’t have a lot of recovery time as you begin your long-distance hike, you need to be in shape when you start. Hiking shorter mileage days at the beginning of your trip may be more reasonable, but it’s not the easy answer. Before you start your long hike, your training hikes can prepare you better if they have lots of ups and downs. Older hikers are in danger of having knee problems especially on steep descents.

Staying hydrated and well fed is probably more important than you think as you begin your hike. If you’re like most hikers, you’ll lose weight anyway, so eat well and drink well from the beginning. Drinking a lot will tend to keep joints lubricated and your muscles won’t be as sore. Start out with extra ibuprofen and hope you won’t have to use too much as the days progress.

If you’re planning this hike with a partner, remember that they might drop out while you want to continue. Make sure you take all the equipment you need and don’t rely on anyone else. Your pace may be faster or slower than a partner, so being independent will give you peace of mind if you’re behind or ahead on the trail.

Your training hikes are a good time to test all your equipment. Desert hiking at the beginning of the Pacific Crest Trail will require different gear than the Sierras or Northern Cascades. Test everything that you’ll use. You may enjoy not using a tent in the desert. Know how much room a bear canister will take in your pack if you’re hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Be comfortable with your rain gear on the Appalachian Trail. Sharpen your map using skills on the Continental Divide Trail since it’s not as well defined. If you use permethrin to keep insects off your clothes, remember to treat all the clothes you’ll have your support person send during the hike.

Have access to your money, and remember that nothing will cost less than you expect, but there will be lots to spend your money on, especially in trail towns. When you get to a town, you’ll probably want to treat yourself to restaurant meals, a warm bed, and other things that drain your budget. If you’re lucky, you’ll be enjoying the rhythm and feel of the trail, and want to get out of town as soon as possible. Most thru hikers carry a paid-up credit card or debit card, or both. Remember that paying your credit card is something your support person should be able to help with, so leave a few signed checks behind. Most hikers carry a phone card with plenty of minutes. And it’s always good to have some cash for times when a credit card won’t work.

You may wish to carry a camera or journal even though you don’t normally take them on shorter hikes. Both can be great for recording one of your life’s great adventures. One of the great preparation tools for your hike can be the journals of other hikers. You’ll get fired up for your hike and gain valuable insights at the same time.

Resupply points and how to use them will be one of the most important parts of your planning. This is a good place to learn from others. If you Google the name of your trail, you’ll find a list of resupply points and the ins and outs of using each one. You may wish to skip some resupply stations that are too far off the trail. Some are post offices while others are post offices in stores or resorts. Others are resorts or businesses that have agreed to be resupply points. Post offices will be closed on weekends and holidays. Some small towns will have very few services. Always include your approximate date of arrival and a return address on the packages you send.

It may seem very difficult to hitchhike into some towns, but asking for rides at the trail heads or campgrounds might be easier than you think. People like to hear about the adventures of long-distance hikers, especially other hikers. At times like this, it’s good to clean up as much as possible and have a bit of deodorant in your pack. Asking for a ride while you’re still near the trail gives female hikers a chance to be more selective in choosing rides

Many long-distance hikers don’t like to send all their food to resupply stations. You may like the taste of something at the beginning of your hike and grow tired of it. Freeze dried food is expensive. Learning good alternatives could pay for much of your adventure. It’s very expensive to mail heavy packages to each resupply point. With the amount you pay for priority mail, you could buy much of your food. That’s another reason to experiment a lot with food before your hike. Become an expert of what you can buy even in small and medium-size grocery stores. Read more on what other hikers have done. You may carry a little more weight, but you can leave each resupply point with exactly what you have chosen at the time, and not be locked into what you planned months ago. You need to be realistic. You may be in that group that doesn’t hike the full length of the trail. Your mind may be strong, but your knees may be weak. If you’re carrying a credit or debit card, you’re sure of being able to buy food. If you mail a number of resupply packages, some may not be waiting for you, even if you or your support person does a perfect job of mailing them.

You can choose to eat the things that are heaviest and most perishable first after you resupply to balance your diet and keep your pack light. Some hikers like to have cereal and powdered milk for breakfast so they can get hiking quickly in the morning. You may choose to have zip lock bags as one of the items mailed ahead in your “bounce ahead” box. That way, you can measure your individual meals. Some hikers don’t like to stop for lunch, so they have snacks or energy bars. Some people use energy bars for other meals to save cooking time although these meals aren’t as nutritious and balanced as you might think.

Try to have a well-rounded diet when you’re thru-hiking. Your body will not be as strong if you’re not getting a complete diet. If your endurance is low, your positive outlook can be affected. You may feel like ice cream when you reach a trail town, but if you’ve been missing your vegetables, it may be time for a salad or veggie platter. On weekend hikes it’s not as important to have a balanced diet. You can adjust when you get home. It may be good to make your weekend hike a bit of a diet and consume less calories than you burn. But on a long-distance hike, you need to adjust and consume plenty of good, natural foods that are dense in nutritious calories. Of course, you’ll burn far more calories than normal. As always, you’ll want to drink lots of water, and remember to drink before you’re thirsty.

Plan to send the personal items you need that might not be on your regular backpacking gear list. For instance, you’ll want a pair of nail clippers so your socks don’t get worn out. In this box that always gets sent ahead to your next resupply station, you’ll want to include tape, a felt pen, and postage for all the times you need to forward the bounce ahead box. If you mail a package using priority mail and don’t open it, you can forward it for free. If you need to open a package or your “bounce” package, it’s fairly inexpensive to mail it forward since you will always mailing it within the same zone.

Here are some specific pieces of gear that may change as you hike, or need to be resupplied. You may need to change sleeping bags if you’re hiking north or getting into the fall season. A sleeping bag liner may give enough extra warmth, and you could just send it to one of your first cooler-weather stops. Some people change stoves as they get into colder weather. It’s always easier to find denatured alcohol than it is to find butane/propane cartridges. The cartridges can’t be mailed. You may use different water purification methods as your hike progresses. You may start with a water filter on the southern end of the Pacific Crest Trail and use iodine tablets or nothing at all as you get farther north.

You’ll want to treat yourself to new socks at intervals along the trail. You may start out with a pair of water repellent shoes on the Appalachian Trail and switch to breathable shoes as the days get warmer. You’ll want to add more cold-weather clothing if you’re hiking north. Your rain gear needs may diminish in mid-summer and then return in fall. You may want to send an umbrella ahead or send it home. There may be parts of the trail that require a mosquito head net.

For your first aid kit, you may find that only band aids and moleskin need to be sent to resupply points. Insect repellent, soap, and sunscreen can be sent in small containers. Small amounts of tooth powder and deodorant can be included.

Flashlight batteries and bulbs can be bounced ahead. Don’t forget camera film and batteries. If you forward the various sections of the guidebook that describes your trail, you never have to carry more than a few ounces for a very complete map.

Careful planning can keep your pack light for your entire trip. Plan ahead. Have more fun every day of your hike by hiking light.

About the author: Steve Green of http://www.hikelight.com is an avid hiker who has enjoyed trimming his backpack weight for over 40 years.

People often dine out in groups. Whether it’s family, a group of friends, or a cluster of office workers, eating out is often as much a social experience as it is one to try out new flavors and dishes.

Nonetheless, there are many reasons one may eschew the group experience and dine alone. Perhaps you are single and your friends are busy. You might be on a business trip and tire of room service food. Perhaps you have some paperwork or computing to accomplish and tire of sitting in your office / cubicle. Or, you might have the day off and just want to relax without having to worry about cooking and cleaning up.

While restaurants should serve everyone, in many instances larger groups are preferred. Busy restaurants don’t like to offer tables for four to just one person while making a party of three wait. Servers naturally will flock to larger throngs as these usually result in higher tips, and in some cases these are automatically added to the bill! Plus, restaurants located near areas of high foot traffic may want to place larger groups closest to the doors and windows to make it look busier from the outside, knowing that busy restaurants do tend to attract more diners. However, by following the below advice you should have a more pleasurable dining experience when there is no company joining you.

* Avoid Peak Times

Though not always possible due to your schedule or dietary needs, consider dining out at restaurants during off-peak times. If restaurants are not packed with tons of customers, you are more likely to receive a desired table. Plus, this increases the chances of keeping a server’s attention, as during peak times they will most likely gravitate towards the larger parties due to tips.

Of course, there are potential downsides. Restaurants may plan around having fewer customers by hiring fewer servers. If you eat late, the food may not be as fresh. And you don’t want to eat too late – ordering dinner a quarter hour before a restaurant closes will not make you too popular with the cooks.

* Don’t be Too Disappointed with Your Seat

Don’t expect a primo seat during peak times. However, if a restaurant has plenty of open tables it should be OK to ask for a better location, especially if you are placed next to the restroom or kitchen doors (high traffic areas). Unless the restaurant is almost barren, however, please don’t ask to be moved to a big table as those will be reserved for larger groups.

* Look to the Bar

Even if you don’t plan on having a cocktail or other alcoholic refreshment, consider eating at the bar area as long as the entire menu is available. Not only may this result in quicker service, but you may receive extra attention such as quicker refills, more napkins when asking, extra sauce, etc. Plus, there’s a chance for some socialization, and perhaps a fellow patron may leave a newspaper to read (they still exist).

Note that in some municipalities, non-smokers may want to stay away from the bar area to avoid second-hand smoke. However, many areas have rules preventing smoking in restaurants or other public places (even bars inside restaurants), making the bar area an acceptable place for them to eat.

* Be Personable

Smile when talking to your host / hostess / waiter / waitress / bartender. Start up a conversation unless they are extremely busy. Look up when they talk to you and don’t keep your face down in a newspaper, cell phone, or iPad. Don’t treat restaurant workers as servants but as real people working and trying to get through the day. Good manners, good cheer, and respect can be contagious.

* Tip Well

If the food is good, the service at least acceptable, and you plan on returning to a restaurant often, tip well. This doesn’t mean you have to tip a whopping 30% each time, but don’t skimp and tip 10% or even exactly 15% at every meal. Trust me, bartenders and servers do remember faces and names. Stories of bad tips are shared, and conversely at some locales, you may be surprised at how much better you get treated if you are known for tipping generously or even fairly. Being known as a “regular” could result in fringe benefits such as having a drink removed from your bill or an occasional free appetizer.

If you want the best service at a restaurant when dining alone, be friendly and flexible. Dining at off-peak times may result in more attention from servers. Be willing to sit near high traffic areas, but don’t be afraid to speak up for a change of seating if a restaurant is not too busy. Consider the bar for faster service and even more attention. Sport a smile and a friendly personality. And probably the most important for repeat customers, tip well. If you stand out as a friendly customer that treats the staff with respect, you will more likely have better experiences when dining alone.

Copyright 2011 Andrew Malek.

Andrew Malek is the creator and owner of myFaveFood, a social network for “foodies, gourmets, gastronomes, and anyone who enjoys a good meal”. Members can discuss their favorite foods when dining out, vote on others’ choices, and discuss their experiences dining out in the forums. Membership is free and includes a profile page with the ability to “Fellow Foodie” diners with like-minded interests. To sign up, visit http://myfavefood.com.

Although children are supposed to be our greatest commodity; little care and concern is actually focused on the childcare providers who care for and nurture our children on a daily basis. Recently, there has been a new focus on the extensive burnout syndrome plaguing childcare workers. Efforts are now being made to implement policies and add helpful changes, to provide some relief to these self-less care givers.

Epidemic Burn Out

Anyone who has ever worked around children in an early childhood educational classroom or daycare setting can attest to the rapid rate of burn out among the adult care givers. It is expected that children continually place unrealistic demands on their care givers on a daily basis. Additionally, parents and administration also continue to make demands on these same individuals without providing a support system. It is no wonder that the childcare industry experiences such continual and rapid rates of turnover among staff.

Poor Rewards

An individual can quickly become dissatisfied with their job if they feel slighted or underpaid. Sadly, childcare workers continue to earn some of the lowest wages. This is despite the fact that well over 50% of them hold a bachelors degree or higher in early childhood education. Many childcare workers complain that much of their free time and energies are put into curriculum planning. This goes unpaid and their efforts and dedication to the children are unappreciated.

Patience is a Virtue

Children are loving and enthusiastic by nature and are best dealt with in a manner similar to their own. Unfortunately, when early childhood care providers are constantly subjected to interactions with unruly and disrespectful children, their patience is quickly replaced with a loss of control. These negative feelings serve to further disconnect the provider until they are no longer interested in a job they once loved. To prevent this for becoming an issue, early childhood care providers should be provided more break opportunities in which to renew themselves and refocus their energies.

No More Red Tape

Another hindrance too many childcare workers in early childhood education involves all of the unrealistic expectations and red tape they have to deal with. Childcare workers all agree that children would be better served with less autocratic bureaucracy and rigid structural requirements. Children are common sense creatures and would be better taught if childcare teachers were allowed to take on a more natural approach to teaching. Childcare workers agree that inclusion in policy-making decisions would also improve their job satisfaction as well.

Improvements

While improvements can be made in virtually any profession, nowhere are these improvements more needed than in early childhood development centers. More money is desperately needed to upgrade ailing facilities and provide better pay and incentives to childcare workers. Turnover among childcare workers is extremely high. However, many childcare providers agree that better facilities and higher wages would greatly increase their overall job satisfaction.

There are many causes of burnout among childcare providers. However, by paying closer attention to the needs of their employees and allowing room for policy-making decisions, early childhood facilities could greatly improve staff morale. Finally being attentive to the providers needs as well as the children’s would encourage higher employee retention rates and ultimately improve the parent/teacher/administration relationship at the childcare facility.

Angela Walker has a passion for children, and her and her staff at Next Generation Children’s Center in Reno, NV are dedicated to helping foster your child’s early childhood development.

To see what else Angela is writing about visit Angela’s Blog.

Contemplating taking an existing or new product / service into a

new market? A systematic analysis of 14 critical market segment

attributes should be considered before any additional company

resources are applied to any new market pursuit.

Sometimes it is obvious that entering a new market is a “no

brainer” or it is perceived as the “right thing to do” because

a competitor has taken the plunge or a handful of existing

product or service users, within that market segment, are

asking for your market participation.

Taking on a new market is an integrative decision process,

cutting across a broad number of competitive issues, internal

company functions and various targeted organizational entities.

A decision of this magnitude should not be taken lightly

because of the overall affect it can have on the total direction

of your company and prudent use of limited resources.

The cost of making a wrong decision here can be significant

both in actual capital outlays and the opportunity costs

realized of NOT pursuing another, “better” market alternative.

In Al Ries and Jack Trout’s, “The 22 Immutable Laws of

Marketing”, being FIRST in a new market is everything, first is

best! Sometimes deciding to venture into a new market segment

just because a competitor did only makes the same decision one

of duplicate failure.

Anyone who has ever been involved in sales management knows that

sales personnel have a tendency to sell what they don’t have …

always trying to solve all of every customer’s problems no

matter whether it makes financial sense for the company they

represent or not. Marketing managers also have to learn to

systematically justify entering a new market not because a

handful of existing market participants have asked them to

enter their market.

The first step in evaluating the overall merit of entering a new

market should be to discuss and determine the applicability of

these 14 market segment attributes:

14 Critical Market Segment Attributes

1) The number of products/ services required to effectively

compete:

* Ideally the more “full service” you can be the better your

chances of success

* Customers prefer “one-stop shopping”, if you cannot provide

the complete customer solution package, they have little

reason to switch suppliers

2) Capital required to effectively compete:

* Understand your costs to enter a new market before you assume

your revenues

* Sales projections are typically too high and cost estimates

too low in new business ventures

3) Long term sales potential:

* Accelerating advances in technology reduces long term customer

retention possibilities. In many markets customer needs are

constantly changing.

* Priority should always be give to retention of existing, short

term revenue streams, ultimately the best means to fund

potential long term growth

4) Relative Profitability:

* Is return on investment greater via a new product or pursuing

another market?

* It is always less costly to grow profits from existing

customers in existing markets than to pursue new customers in

new markets

5) Ease of product distribution:

* New markets are often best penetrated with non traditional

distribution/ sales representation

* Does this potential market “fit” with your current

distribution structures?

6) Post sale service requirements:

* Product/ service information demands of new market customers

can require more and new forms of post sale customer service

* Technical support for state-of-the-art product/ service

offerings can be in limited supply and very costly, difficult

to staff

7) Degree of customer loyalty:

* Every market has a varying degree of customer loyalty

depending on number and quality of competitive product/

service offerings

* Do key targeted users within the new market buy on product/

service value or well established relationships with existing

suppliers?

Time required to get into the market:

* Product/ service “life cycles” in some industries last only a

couple of months

* Can your company develop, test, certify and fill distribution

channels of a short life cycle product/ service within the

time frame required?

9) Anticipated competitive response:

* New market entrants are greeted with new competitive marketing

tactics upon entry by established suppliers who seek retention

of existing market share

* Will existing pricing levels remain once you have entered the

market?

* How will market pricing degradation eventually affect your

margins and ROI?

10) Number of viable competitors:

* If there are a relatively few number of viable competitors

participating within the targeted market, it may more than

justify your market entry

* Sometimes it is less expensive to acquire an existing,

resource limited, market participant than try to take market

share with a new approach

11) Ability to maintain a technical advantage:

* Can you protect your technology within the time frame required

to cover your new market entry investment?

* Maintaining technical advantages requires quality, technical

talent. If your current technical staff is over burdened or

limited you will not compete

12) Fit with existing company resources:

* Can your company absorb the financial, emotional and physical

changes required to effectively compete in the new market?

* New markets often require new, certainly more, talent and

personnel

13) Fit with established customer perceptions:

* How will your existing customers be affected by your pursuit

of a new market and new customer base?

* It is critical to define and evaluate your existing customer’s

perceptions of all your major strategic moves

14) Financial status of key targeted customers and market share

mix:

* Are key targeted customers financially stable?

* Is there a diverse mix of new market participant market

shares?

The justification of entry into a new market segment involves

effectively identifying viable competitors, relevant target

market attributes, competitor and key customer market shares

while correctly defining your company’s current financial,

technical and human resources.

For marketing and sales management this 14 market attribute

checklist is more intuitive than measurable. However, it is an

excellent means to initially come to a “pass or fail” decision

before any additional resources are applied to any market

expansion effort. If you want to further quantify this analysis

you can numerically weight each market attribute with your own

specific market attribute priorities and give numerical

“grades” to any or all new market entry candidates to calculate

a weighted value for any new market.

Like trying to address any noteworthy marketing challenge,

whatever you can do to quantify and measure your potential

marketing alternatives, the more relevant your analysis, the

better your management decisions will be.

About the Author:

Mark Smock is President of http://www.business-buyer-directory.com, the FIRST international business buyer directory of its kind. Business Buyer Directory provides a non-traditional means for proactive business buyers to locate businesses for sale worldwide that meet their exact registered purchase criteria.

The secret to getting a great deal when buying a used tractor is to be armed with information. Start by knowing how to quickly determine the age, condition and average selling price for any brand and model of used tractor. Then know what problem areas to take a close look at. The final step is to know the seven negotiating statements that will drastically lower the asking price of any tractor — including the one sound that you can utter that will knock 10% off the price of any tractor.

Let’s start at the beginning. The first step to getting a great deal on a used tractor is to do a little research and be an informed buyer. Let’s start at the beginning. When you’re looking to buy a used tractor don’t worry that it may be older than you are. Buying a used tractor is not like buying a used car. Tractors are made to last forever and you can still get parts for almost any tractor regardless of how old it is. Also, unlike your car, tractors are relatively easy to fix. Keep these facts in mind when you’re looking for a used tractor.

When buying a used tractor, one of the most important things to look for is a hydraulic system or three-point hitch as it is commonly called. The power-take-off or PTO is part of this system. Ford introduced the three-point hitch on their 9N tractor back in 1939. Farmall and John Deere waited a little later before they came out with a three-point hitch, but still most tractors you look at will have the three-point hitch, but be sure to check.

The three-point hitch and PTO system is very important because without it you will be limited in what you can do with your tractor.  So my advice is to only look at tractors with a three-point hitch. The next step is to determine the age of the tractor you’re considering. The best way to determine the age is to find the serial number and look it up on the Internet. Cars change designs every year, but tractors only make changes every decade or two, so you can’t tell much about how old a tractor is by just looking at it.

The Internet has a wealth of information about tractors. A good website where you can use the serial number and find the date a tractor was manufactured is Yesterday’s Tractors at YesterdaysTractors.com.  When you get to this site, click on “Tractor Registry” in the left Nav. panel to find information on any tractor. You can also use this site to see how much a particular type tractor has sold for recently.

The condition of a used is more important than the age. To determine the condition of a used tractor check to see if it has a tachometer that includes an hour meter. A lot of older tractors won’t have an hour meter. You can tell a lot about the condition of a used tractor by how much the petals are worn, how much play is in the steering and checking to see if there are any oil leaks. All of these factors will help you estimate the condition of a tractor.

Don’t be fooled by a new paint job. It could be covering up things. Also look at the tires. Just because the tires have good tread, it doesn’t mean that they’re in good condition. Check for dry rot and cracks. A good set of tires could cost you from $500 to well over $1,000.

Of course, check to see how the tractor starts and how it runs. If someone is trying to sell a tractor and they can’t make it start easily, there could be problem. You may want to have a mechanic look at the tractor with you. If the tractor is hard to start in warm weather, it will be even harder to start in colder weather. After you start the tractor, check to see if there is excessive smoke from the exhaust.

After you have checked all of the above points, you will probably know more about the tractor than the owner knows.

The next step is to check prices:

Two good places to check prices (other than Yesterday’s Tractors) are TractorHouse dot com and eBay. On eBay be sure to check completed auctions to see what tractors like the one you’re looking for really sold for. You can use this information in your negotiating.

One final point: How much equipment (if any) comes with a used tractor can be a big factor in determining the value of the tractor. Also, factor in how you will get the tractor home. If you can get a trailer in the deal, that’s that’s always a big plus.

When you’re armed with all of the above information, your final step is to “Negotiate like a Pro.” Here’s how to do it.

Seven negotiating techniques for people who don’t like to negotiate:

1.    Offer way less than you expect to have to pay.  Some people say, “I don’t want to negotiate and play games with you. I will give you $5,000 for the tractor and that’s it.”  These people almost always end up negotiating and paying a lot more.

2.    Always gasp and act shocked and surprised at the other side’s first price. Without saying a word, this lets the owner know that you think their price is totally unreasonable.

3.    Never, ever say yes to the first price they quote you –  even if the price is less than you expected to have to pay. If you say yes too quickly the other side will know that they priced the tractor too low. Then they may say something like, “Well let me clear this with my partner.”  Then he will come back and say that his partner would not agree with the offer.

4.    “You’ve got to do better than that.”  Always use this expression sometime during the negotiations.  This will almost always get you a lower price.

5.    Use the “good cop/bad cop” technique.  For example, say, “I would love to buy your tractor at that price, but my wife would kill me.  She’s dead set on me not paying more than $3,500 for a used tractor.”

6.    Arm yourself with information.  The more you’re prepared with facts and information, the better deal you can negotiate.  For example, say, “I have checked eBay and other Internet sources, and tractors like this one never sell for more than $35,000.”

7.    Never agree to split the difference.  The other side is almost always willing to split the difference, so offer less than half of the difference. You’ll usually get it.

Use these techniques and you will come out with the best deal possible on a used tractor. Don’t forget that there are a lot of good used tractors out there, so always be willing to walk away from any negotiation. 

About the Author

Jerry Minchey is an engineer, author and researcher. He cuts through the hype and gets down to the bare facts to reveal secrets that are easy to understand using non-technical terms. He has written several books and produced DVD’s as a results of his research.

See the latest used tractor information (updated hourly) at Used Tractor Reviews. At this site you can find the best prices for all types of used tractors. At the John Deere Reviews site you will find information about all models of used John Deere Tractors including information about where to get the lowest prices and best deals on John Deere tractors.

Childcare Decisions

Most parents find themselves perplexed and anxious when it comes to making the best choice for the care of their children. Leaving a child in a childcare facility for the first time can be nerve-wrecking experience, both for parents and the child. However, keeping in view the busy lifestyles of most parents, this does seem like the most sensible and inevitable option. Choosing a childcare facility about which the parents feel most confident and can trust with the welfare of their child, along with mentally preparing themselves and the child about the incursion of a childcare facility in their daily lives should be used to decrease the anxiety that props up during this transition phase. Some parents and children have such extreme reactions about a childcare environment that they need counselling from a psychologist!!

Positive Childcare Transition

One of the most-commonly used methods of making the transition easy is by mentally preparing the child. Before the childcare schedule actually begins, the parents have to make the child used to the reality that he/she would be away from the similarity of a home or the presence of parents for some hours, every day. Parents should begin talking to the child about the various kinds of activities that would be a part of childcare schedule. The child should be familiarized with the rules/regulations that are a part of a usual childcare environment. Parents should try and distance themselves for the child a bit – just to an extent that the child becomes familiar with the idea of not being in the company of parents.

Another important aspect of this childcare transition is recognising the child’s special requirements and making sure that these would be satisfied in the childcare/preschool set-up. When it comes to choosing the best-suited childcare center, try out for the best possible and nearest location. This would reduce the scheduling/transport problems that are associated with the childcare format.

Childcare Options:

• Child care centers are where the child is provided a group setting. He is made to socialize with other children, usually of the same age group, and there is supervision under the presence of numerous qualified or non-qualified childcare providers.
• Family childcare centers have the provision of the child staying in the carer’s home. The children may or may not be of the same age group but benefit from home-like environment.
• Some neighborhoods have facilities called In-home child care facilities. Here a childcare provider is provided and he/she visits the parent’s/child’s home to take care of the child.
• Most popular choice is the nursery schools/pre-schools/playschools. These are professionally-managed childcare centers. Here the child is inducted in a properly-structured, core curriculum that is backed with the presence of qualified preschooling educators.

Author: Suchita Sehni has contributed a lot in Child Education and Parenting. At present she is an active member of Education Hub.

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