Dog house building and buying guide

Dog owners have to consider several factors when buying or building a house for their pets. As a true member of your own family, providing your pet with the best home possible is of the utmost importance.

i. Size

A German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler and other large dogs should have large houses, while the Chihuahua and smaller breeds will need smaller houses. The door of the house does not need to be based on the height of the dog from the ground to the top of its head, or even taller, as it will lower its head to be able to enter the house. The width of the door should be just enough to accommodate the dog. These height and width measurements can be adjusted if there is a physical requirement to do so. The house should also be large enough for the dog to stand at full height inside, move around and lie down. Owners should remember that a larger-than-needed home will compromise the dog's retention of body heat during the winter or colder months.

ii. Weather Conditions

Some dog houses are made with hinged roofs, a feature that allows owners to raise the roof during hot and humid weather. This flexibility provides adequate air flow to flush out warm air and allow fresh or cool air to enter. In some cases, these roofs can also be lowered, creating a smaller space for the dog and enhancing its ability to retain heat during rainy or cold weather. Asphalt shingles should be used only if there is an adequate insulation barrier separating the roof from the main area of the house. Many house models also come with slanted roofs, ensuring that water drains away during rainy days. Owners should avoid building or buying houses with barn-type or peak-style roofs, as these would attract hornets, wasps and other insects and prevent heat retention. Another option is wind walls, which can be inserted into the dog house to break the wind and keep the house warmer. The house should also be a reasonable distance off the ground to keep it dry. For owners with bigger budgets, some house manufacturers offer provisions for heaters and air-conditioners. These climate control systems help ensure comfort for the dog regardless of weather conditions.

iii. Doors

The front door of the dog house should be located to one side instead of in the middle. This will prevent the dog from being directly exposed to extreme weather conditions and other harsh environmental elements. Some models are designed with removable doors, or with no doors at all. Using a door will help keep the dog house warmer during cold months. An awning type cover can also be used over the opening for added shade and protection.

iv. Easy To Clean And Maintain

- Removable or adjustable roofs

- Doors, partitions

- Wind walls

- Flexibility in cleaning

- Restrict use of paint, stains, or water sealers for the outside of the house

v. Use Wood

Plastic and metal houses are not a good idea, as they are either too hot during summertime or too cold during the winter. Some market experts say that houses made from natural western red cedar wood offer the best insulation for dogs during winter while making them cooler during summer. Red cedar wood oils are also natural repellants of ticks, fleas and termites. Houses made from this material are also maintenance-free on the outside, although owners have a choice of finishing it to complement their property. Sprinkling red cedar wood chips or shavings in the bedding also helps prevent infestation. Owners should also remember that wooden roofs help cut down heat build-up from the sun while helping to maintain reasonable heat retention levels.

vi. Keep The Dog House Elevated

For legless houses, the owner must remember that having it directly on the ground increases the likelihood that the pet would be exposed to cold and wet weather. This also raises the possibility of infestation from flea eggs that hatch in the soil. The owner can use bricks, rocks or stones arranged in a level and stable manner to elevate the house. The elevation will allow air to flow beneath the house and prevent moisture from forming at the bottom.

Five things to understand about ecommerce business

When you start a new ecommerce business there are so many unknowns. Just the mere fact that you don’t know what to expect can cause some anxiety. Add the fact that it is a new business and you are not sure of your competitions hold on the market, you can get overwhelmed rather quickly. But there are a few facts that if you have them in your arsenal of understanding, can help you tremendously. Unfortunately if you do not have a mentor or someone that can tell you these things you have to experience them on your own.

1.Finding Products is not always easy. Finding products to stock your site with can be a challenge. Oh sure there are plenty of so called “wholesalers” out there that are willing to drop ship for you, but they are not always the best option. First of all, I have to test each potential wholesaler or drop ship partner because I am putting my name on their service. This normally goes against my belief of counting on someone else for your success. But it has to be done. Then there is price. Finding a good margin that makes it worth your while is another task that has to be done. If you are going to go to all the trouble of building a great site and spending time linking it and building its reputation, you might as well make a decent living at it. I spend a lot of time looking at my competition and try to offer something that they do not carry. Sometimes you have to reach into your bag of tricks and figure out which products you can bundle to make your offerings more unique. This takes time, and there is not anyone out there that tells you this bit of information. Its always a good idea to fully explore importing your products from the very beginning. Using the drop shippers to explore the sales potential and then import for a better margin is a good planning tactic.

2.Starting on a shoestring does not work. We are bombarded with so many ads about people starting their businesses on a shoestring and how easy it was for them to get success. Truthfully that is one of the most irritating mindsets that is promoted today. If you are thinking about going into the ecommerce business world, make a budget and make it so there is enough cash to do some things that rob you of your precious time. Starting websites on a shoestring does not work and you will just drive yourself crazy. Maybe you can do it on eBay, but it does not work well in the ecommerce world if you want to be a long term player. Just the linking strategy that it takes today to be a player can take up a large part of your budget.

3.Build a system. If you are starting from scratch, build your site around a system. Think about how people are going to navigate around your site. What kind of paperwork are you going to need? What kind of software do you need to stay organized? How often do you need the bookkeeper to come? Do you need help with some manual labor? How does product get shipped out in a timely manner when its ordered? These are all things you need to consider and build before you open the doors. What happens if you don’t? You will be the fireman that runs around putting out all of the fires that pop up in day to day operation. This will steal you from the things that enable you to work “on” your business instead of working “in” it. You want to build a business that does not hold you hostage. It should be organized so that anyone could come in an learn what you are doing and how you do it.

4.When shipping product, plan for the worse case scenario. If you are planning on using a drop shipper, find out what the system is for problems before you start. What is their return policy? How do you handle a part that is broken? How is the tracking numbers handled? What if a customer has a question you cannot answer? You can either be a hero in this area or the villain. Again this is the scenario that someone could control your reputation. Another reality to plan for is to fully understand that shipping damage is a reality. At some point in time, your products will get lost, and damaged and stolen. You have to know this is going to happen or it will cause a lot of anxiety. Pre plan this into your budget, assign it a number. Figure out what percentage you will have to replace or refund from the very start and it will never surprise you. It is a fact of life. When you use notable shippers, its good to understand the shipping process. When you ship something chances are that you packed the item or had it packed. Then it gets picked up by the driver and taken to the local sort. Then the product either gets trucked (ground) or flown to a sort facility. It is then sorted and put on the appropriate truck or plane to go to the destination town, sorted again, put on a truck and delivered to your customer. The point is, there a lot of hands touching your product and a lot of opportunities for damage. The more people involved the greater the chance of damage opportunities. Most of this happens at night, labor turnover at the sort facility is very very high. I have seen many packages with the fragile stickers on them being tossed to workers trying to make a sort deadline. Get the picture?

5.Your business can be an emotional roller coaster. If you let it and fail to plan, it can drive you crazy with trying to wear all the hats. Just knowing that nothing goes smooth all the time is somewhat calming. It took me a long time to realize that “it’s not just me”. Problem’s are common and no one business is problem free. I have a few tools that really help me when I start to feel like I am not getting anything done.

• Sometimes my creativity is just not there, and that’s ok.

• Certain activities are not “high value”

• The more money I spend getting help or automating is that much more money I save in time further down the road.

• Link building is just as important that sales

• I need to pay myself first

• Statistics help me focus

• There are certain things I can do with my time that are excellent for my business, do those first.

• Lists help me stay organized.

Hopefully these five things will help you when planning your new venture or continuing a current project. Taking the unknown out of the equation is always the most helpful of tips.

College football betting and nfl betting are not the same thing

There are at least a half-dozen factors that separate college football betting from NFL betting. For starters, action on college football is much more likely to come from sophisticated bettors, known as "sharps" or "wiseguys", who often possess some insight or kernel of information that may provide them with an edge against the house. Experienced bet takers know not to treat heavy activity on an obscure game, such as East Carolina versus Wake Forest, as casually as they might deal with increased wagering interest on a marquee NFL game such as a Redskins-Cowboys confrontation. For that reason, bookmakers usually move college football betting lines quickly, often one full point at a time. In general, it takes more money to move an NFL betting line and, when it is moved, usually it is by only half a point.

Largely because of a lack of proficiency in the kicking game, key numbers such as 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 13 and 14 are not nearly as sacrosanct in college football betting as they are in the NFL. College football games just do not fall on those numbers as often as they do in NFL contests.

We may never again see a three-touchdown favorite in the NFL but lines of -30, -40, or even -50 are not that uncommon in the college gridiron game. Oddsmakers and bookmakers also find college totals more difficult to gauge because some coaches try to impress those who have a vote in the polls by running up the score. Others, such as Penn State's Joe Paterno, feel that a third-string player's reward for practicing all week is to get to play in a blowout. It’s just these types of unique uncertainties that compel bookmakers to shift college “over/under” numbers more quickly than they move NFL totals.

It's also the nature of college football that personnel change every year. This makes early season evaluation more difficult and leads bet takers to move lines and totals more quickly, especially in September and early October when the season is still young. There is personnel movement in the NFL too, of course, but mostly it involves players of established ability moving from team to team. In college football, you're always dealing with fresh faces.

By collective bargaining agreement, each week, the NFL publishes a comprehensive list of injured players and their status. Sure, there are mistakes and abuses and players who have been listed as "doubtful" have played while those regarded as "probable" have not but overall, the list is accurate. On the other hand, colleges are under no obligation to announce the status of injured or disciplined football players. This vagueness over availability sometimes can create opportunities in college football betting. Consequently, bookmakers are wary if too much wagering attention is paid to one team.

When it comes to parlay card numbers, you are much more apt to see a slight gap between those prices printed on cards and those posted on the board in the NFL than you are in college football. The key element is that bookmakers can more accurately predict the public inclination for an NFL game than they can for a college football game. It’s not unusual then for traditionally popular team such as Dallas or a "hot" team such as Cincinnati, to be listed as a 7 1/2-point favorite on a parlay card but just a 6 1/2 or 7-point choice on the board. Through experience, bookmakers know that "public" teams such as the Cowboys, as well as "now" teams such as the Bengals, will be more aggressively played on parlay cards than they are straight up.

Clearly, understanding the differences between college football betting and NFL betting is essential to winning.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLEGE AND PRO FOOTBALL

College Football:

‘Wiseguys’ frequently supply the action

College football betting lines often are moved by a full point at a time

Key numbers are not as important

Personnel changes can make early season analysis difficult

Information on injuries is not always accessible

There’s usually not a disparity between parlay card and board numbers

NFL:

Money from public is prevalent

Betting lines are usually moved by a half-point at a time

Key numbers are VERY important

Personnel changes are less volatile and easier to evaluate

Information on injuries usually is accessible

Parlay card numbers sometimes are intentionally different than prices on the board.

Myanmar casinos

Located in Southeast Asia is the country of Myanmar. Myanmar is frequently referred to as Burma, the language in Myanmar is Burmese, and the capital of this diverse region is Naypyidaw. The country has over 50,000,000 inhabitants, many which enjoy the fine pastime of gambling. To serve the needs of gambling residents and tourists that are gambling enthusiasts, there are four Myanmar casinos available. Each casino has an adjacent hotel, thereby offering both accommodations and entertainment to the fine people of Myanmar and the people that visit there.

Myanmar Casinos are located in two cities in Myanmar, Techilik and Thahtay Kyun. In Thahtay Kyun visitors can find the Andaman Club and Casino as well as the Treasure Island Casino. Meanwhile, situated in Techilik, one can easily visit the Allure Resort Casino or the Regina Entertainment Resort. All four Myanmar casinos offer the finest in gambling entertainment.

The Allure Resort in Techilik is located at Baydar Street in the Ponghtoon Quarter. It holds 133 slot machines for gambling enjoyment and 16 table games. Visitors can enjoy dining at the Maesai Cafй where Thai cuisine is served. After a strenuous day of gambling and relaxation, visitors can return to a one of the 90 luxurious rooms at the Allure resort!

As an alternative to the Allure Resort in Techilik, visitors are bound to enjoy the Regina Entertainment Resort, also in Techilik. While the Regina Entertainment Resort's gambling offerings are bit smaller, they are nonetheless enjoyable: the Regina Entertainment Resort in Myanmar offers 30 slot machines and 12 table games and the site is open 24 hours a day.

Tourists and residents in Thahtay Kyun Myanmar are often seen enjoying gambling endeavors at the Andaman Club and Casino. The Anadaman Club and Casino hosts some typical gambling favorites including Bacarrat, Blackjack, and Roulette, and holds 25 gaming tables for gambling enthusiasts to taste the thrill and excitement of their favorite pastime. One of the finest Myanmar casinos, the Andaman Club is also a hotel, so every need is taken care of for the guests of the club.

The Treasure Island in Thahtay Kyun is by far the largest casino in Maynamer. Fitted with 130 slot machines and 22 gaming tables, tourists and residents frequent the Treasure Island Casino for the exciting atmosphere it exudes. Also, some 52 rooms are available and visitors thoroughly love the amenities offered at the Treasure Island.

How to train your brain to keep you healthy and happy

When you are unhappy what do you do? Do you go out for a meal? Go to the cinema? The theatre, perhaps? Do you go shopping? Perhaps you like a drink to overcome your unhappiness. Or do you get a buzz from jogging or going to the gym?

Whatever it is scientist are in the process of proving that internal change is the only thing that can give you health and happiness. Everything else is an illusion.

What does this mean?

Your brain is the only thing that can keep you healthy and happy.

Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin and Jon Kabat-Zinn from the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre have just completed some interesting research that can actually be of benefit to you and me and the way we run our lives.

They took a group of 41 stressed, but otherwise healthy, individuals working in a biotechnology firm in Wisconsin. 25 were taught meditation. In this case: mindfulness meditation. The group met for a 2.5 to 3 hour meditation class each week. After six weeks they all attended a seven hour meditation retreat. In addition each member was asked to meditate, at home, for one hour a day using a guided meditation tape.

The other 16 were held as a control group and did not receive meditation training until the study was completed.

At the end of the eight week programme, in November, they also gave all the participants a flu jab. And guess what. “The members of the meditation group had a significant increase in antibody titers” in other words they have less chance of catching flu.

The bottom line appears to be. If you want to have good health and overcome the day by day blues and maintain happiness learn to meditate. When you meditate you change the way your brain operates.

In addition, they found, the more you practice meditation the better your daily performance.

''What we found is that the long time practitioners showed brain activation

on a scale we have never seen before. 'Their mental practice is having

an effect on the brain in the same way golf or tennis practice will enhance performance.'' It demonstrates, that the brain is capable of being

trained and physically modified in ways few people can imagine.

(Richard Davidson)

So give yourself the space each day to train your brain. It works.

Good Luck

Graham and Julie

desktop-meditation. com

Is it a good idea to pay points on a mortgage

When you go to closing on a mortgage, you have a number of options available to you. One of these is to pay points so that the interest rate can be reduced. Here is what you need to know to help you determine if you should pay points on your mortgage.

A mortgage point is equal to 1% of the total cost of the mortgage. So, if you are getting a mortgage for $150,000, then it will cost you $1,500 per point. For each 1% of interest, there are 8 points. In other words, it will take 8 points to bring down the interest rate one full percent. Each point paid will reduce the interest percentage by 0.125%. Usually, you can see some savings if you bring it down even one point.

Paying points at closing can reduce your interest and bring you savings, but not everyone can benefit from it. Generally, you would need to stay in your house for a number of years - it really will not help if you are not going to stay long.

The reason for this can be seen in the following example. This will show you how to determine how long it will take to break even. If you buy a house for $100,000 at 7.5% interest, then you would be paying around $700 per month. If you spend $1,000 to buy one point, this will reduce your interest to $7.375%, and now you will have a payment of about $691. The difference in your payments is now around $9. By taking the $1,000 that you paid, and dividing it by your amount saved ($1,000 / $9), that will give you an answer of 111, which is the number of months you need to live there in order to break even.

In the above example, you would need to live in that house for 9 years and three months to break even. This is why it is necessary that you want to live in your home for a while before you begin to realize any savings.

If you plan on staying for a shorter time period, then you may want to reduce your costs other ways. This can be done through paying a larger down payment, making sure your total indebtedness is low and your credit score high, or by simply paying more each month. In order to know which approach would be more beneficial, be sure to go online and find some good mortgage calculators to help you find out.

Also, when you go to get your mortgage, get a number of quotes from different lenders and find out which one offers the best deal. All you need to do is to compare them carefully in terms of interest rates, fees, total cost, and what options you have. Before long, you will find that choosing the best of the offers will enable you to save possibly thousands of dollars over the lifetime of the mortgage.

Five reasons why you should have a company blog

When the internet was still “new” - when it was just beginning to catch on and companies decided to go online – it was enough to have a web site. A page about your company, another to announce your products and a contact page were all you needed.

Now though, things are changing. The more that businesses have taken to the online arena, the more that each company – whether a small home-based business, a slightly larger small business or even a major corporation – needs to do in order to set itself apart from the competition.

A company blog is an effective tool for doing just that: and that's the first reason why you should have a company blog. A company blog enables you to reach out to current and prospective clients, to add content to your website on a daily basis and to open up a dialog with your customers.

This dialog allows you to be genuine, to just talk with your current and prospective clients about what your company does, what it has to offer and why your products or services would benefit them. In a company blog, you're able to show your personality, interact with those people who will use your products or services.

With your company blog, you'll be able to establish a trust based relationship – and that's the second reason why you should have a company blog. By explaining the benefits of a product or service – real benefits that customers can see for themselves by reading your posts – you won't just be selling. Instead, you'll be able to offer them something that they need.

When they recognize this need within their lives – either business or personal lives – your company blog will have served its third purpose: establishing credibility. When you are able to use your company blog to explain the benefits of a product or service, and your readers recognize that they can count on your information. If they can count on your information, they'll know that they can count on your business, your products and the services that you offer.

Once your customers have read your company blog and know that they can count on you, you'll come to the fourth reason why you should have a company blog: it enables your clients or customers to provide feedback. Every business can benefit from unsolicited testimonials.

When you've made a company blog post about a product and service that delivers even more than you promise, you'll find that your regular readers and customers will comment on your blog. Others who are reading your blog, then, will be able to find even more details, more information and more reasons to purchase your products and services.

This sense of community is the fifth reason why your company ought to have a blog. All over the world, online communities form around products and services. You'll find sites dedicated to particular sports cars, computer brands, antiques, hobbies or vacation spots: shouldn't your company be able to benefit from this type of community?

With a well-written blog to support your company, your products and your services, you'll find that you have an effective marketing tool: community support. Your company blog will enable you to communicate, to connect and to inform and your customers will have a place where they can interact, ask questions, get answers and find additional products or services to meet their needs.