While your resume lists your skills and qualifications, how you conduct yourself in the interview is the deciding factor whether you get the job or not. Like an individual in the sales profession, you are selling yourself to people you have just met. To make the interview as effective as possible, you must prepare yourself by using the following tips.

Prepare.

Learn as much as you can about the company. Understand the job description and skills and qualifications needed for the job. By knowing these you can compare the skills of your current job with this new position and demonstrate how they tie in together.

Practice

Think of possible questions your interviewer may ask. Write down answers to each question. Talk in front of a mirror and watch your facial expressions. This way you can watch for signs of doubt and adjust your actions.

Evaluate Past Interviews.

If you recently had an interview for another job, this can help you get this position. First of all, list what went good during that interview. Then evaluate what could have been better. Maybe there were some questions that were hard to answer. Think about those questions and practice answering them.

Dress Appropriately.

Pretend that you have the job already and know what the dress code is. Wear similar attire to the interview. For example, if the job requires a suit and tie, wear these and not jeans and a T-shirt.

Be On Time.

When you find out where the interview is going to take place, see how long it will take you to get there. Add an additional fifteen minutes to the commute. It is better to be early. Your future employer will see that as a commitment to you career.

Show Confidence.

By practicing and planning ahead of time for the interview, you will feel more comfortable during the interview. However, it is natural to feel nervous. Practice little tricks to help you stay calm. One trick is taking deep breaths to help you relax. Another trick is to visualize kicking yourself when you feel nervous. Always remember to keep eye contact with the interviewer.

If Unsure, Ask.
If the interviewer asks a complicated question, do not be afraid to ask for clarification. By trying to second guess what the interviewer is asking, you may waste time giving him unnecessary information. By having him restate a question, shows the interviewer that you are a careful listener.

Keep Things Positive.

It is best not to show any negative feelings about past job experiences. For example, if you are looking for a job because of personality conflicts in your current place of employment, do not express this. The interviewer may see this as a negative attitude. It is better to state that you are looking for a change.

Show Interest of the Company

Ask questions and have the interviewer share information about the company. Ask about long-term objectives, problems and issues the company is facing, and changes the organization may face in the future. The interviewer, as long as the information is not confidential, will be willing to share this.

For further consideration, go to: http://jobsearch.about.com/ad/interviewquestionsanswers/a/interview.quest.html

This website lists the most popular questions asked during interviews and appropriate responses to each questions.

Good luck during your interview.


 

Just like speaking, listening is one of the most important interpersonal skills to master. Effective listening skills have major impacts on your job and family and can improve the quality of your relationships with other individuals. You have to hear what an individual is telling you, understand what you have heard and be able to make a judgment on the information you just processed. These following tips will help improve your listening skills. Listening is one of the most important skills you can have.

Look directly at the individual or group of people speaking to you. Maintain eye contact. Do not look around the room or at other people. This gives the individual the impression that you are not listening.

Keep your mind focused on the individual doing the talking. Do not think about who is going to get voted off next on American Idol. If you feel that your mind is wandering, adjust your body position and concentrate on the speaker.

Do not interrupt the speaker. If you are unclear about something or have a question, wait until the individual is done speaking.Do not allow distractions to prevent you from listening. If the individual is speaking to you in a noisy environment, suggest that the conversation be moved to a quieter location for privacy and communication.

Pay attention to the speaker. Do not hear what is being said, watch for nonverbal clues. In addition to listening to the tone of voice, watch body language, such as hand gestures, is understand how the individual is feeling. For example, an individual may be talking calmly. However, his body language may be suggesting that he is angry.

Put yourself into the shoes of the speaker. This allows you to more understand his position. Show that you understand by nodding and leaning towards the speaker.

If you know beforehand that the individual wants to talk to you, find out what the subject is about. That way you can anticipate what may be said and may be able to ask question and make comments.

Listen for key points that speaker is stressing. For example, he may be making a suggestion how to improve a situation at work. Jot these down for further consideration.

When the individual is finished speaking, repeat what you have just heard in your own words. This shows the individual that you were listening and if you correctly understood what was being said.

It may be difficult at first. However, by practicing, you will become an effective listener. By using these tips, the individual will walk away from the conversation knowing that you not only heard what he had to say but understood the major points of the conversation.

 

On a day-by-day basis, the cost of living is constantly increasing. This includes increased gasoline, electric, medical and housing costs. However, for the majority of us, our wages are staying the same and not increasing with the changing times.

For the past several years, my husband and I have been struggling financially. One of the reasons is because we have too much debt, which we are slowly whittling down. However, the main root cause is the inability to agree on how much to pay on each expense.
After a recent illness, my husband was out of work on disability. After struggling on one income for a month, I decided that enough was enough. We had to get a budget going and keep on track of it. This is my idea, if we can work together, as a team, on our budget, our financial situation will improve by 100 percent within the next year. Not only will this topic help my husband and me, it will help any on line consumer. It is obvious that consumers are looking to purchase some type of product or service. They would be interested in searching for any topic that shows them how to manage and save money in a more efficient manner.

While, it looks simple on paper, a budget is difficult to do if your spouse is not willing to follow along. This requires teamwork if this is going to work. On line consumers would be interested in finding money management products and services that are geared towards couples.

It is very tempting to buy unnecessary products when you have the money in your checking account. I do not know how many times I saw something that I liked and used money meant for a bill to buy it. I now have two on line money market accounts where I put my household expenses in. I withdraw the money when I make a payment. The compulsive buying is reduced because I do not see that money.

After talking over the budget with my husband, we put together one that will work for us. While this will work for us, it may not work for others. There are many sample budgets on line that consumers can find that will fit their lifestyles. Our is listed below:

Housing 20%
Car 20%
Electric/Oil 10%
Personal Debt 10%
Savings 5%
Cable/Phone/Internet 5%
Groceries 5%
Medical 5%
Clothing 5%
Gas 5%
Spending 5%
Entertainment 5%

The final rule of thumb is the budget must be flexible. For example, as shown above, I allow 5% of my budget for clothing. I do not buy clothes every week. I used that money and paid of my Fashion Bug credit card. Not only did I stay within my budget, I also reduced my debt.

 

There are so many resolutions I can make for the 2010 New Year. With my husband's and my financial situation, I believe that building up a savings is the most important. While working two jobs, we have not been able to save money. One of the reasons why this is the case is because of our debt-we are paying a monthly mortgage, car payments, utillity bills, medical bills and other debt. Another reason is because of the rises in living costs. For example, when the gas prices rose to over $4.00 a gallon, this put a hole in our pockets. A third reason is due to unwise spending. For example, when I get gas, I tend to buy other things such as scratch-off lottery tickets. My goal for 2009 is to take $50 a week out of my paycheck and put it into my savings. I have listed five methods help me keep this goal throughout the year.

Tip # 1 Canceling Club Memberships.

The first method, I have already started. I was paying $59 a month for a family YMCA membership. My younger daughter and I were using this membership. However, we stopped going because my work schedule became hectic and I was not motivated to lift weights after getting homw from work. Since my husband and my older daughter were not going, I was not getting my money's worth with the membership. I decided to cancel my membership. We have enough exercise equipment at home that my younger daughter and I can use to work out at home.

Tip #2 Brown Bag It

For the convenience, I tend to use the vending machines at work to buy my lunch. However, a sub can cost up to $3.00 and a 20 ounce bottle of Diet Pepsi costs $1.50. I can save money by making my own lunch and bringing it to work. While I may not have the time to make my lunch every day, I can plan ahead. For example, I can get a family sized macaroni and cheese for less than $10.00. I can cook it up and divide it into small containers and freeze them. This can last me for the entire work week. In addition, I can save money buy buying a six pack of soda at the grocery store and also purchase snacks to keep me going.

Tip #3 Take advantage of lowering gas prices.
I have a long commute every day. With gas prices lower than $2.00 a gallon, I am paying less in gas each week. My method is to take the money I would have spent in gas when it was over $4.00 a gallon and put that money in the savings.

Tip #4 Look for bargains whenever possible.

If there is something I absoluletly must have, I can save money by comparison shopping. If I am patient, I can find something at the lowest cost possible. I usually save money by looking for a product on http://www.ebay.com. The only thing I have to remember is to take into consideration are the shipping costs.

Tip #5 Make more money

By being a content producer for Associated Content, I have the potential to make more money. By doing several calls a week, I can make enough money to keep my savings going.

Why do I want to save $50 a week? It will come in handy if I need to get something fixed on the car, for example. However, the real goal is to build up the savings so I have enough money to cover three months living expenses. This way if something happens, such as my husband or I losing a job, we have an emergency savings to see us through.

 

A SWOT analysis is a company's evaluation of its internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats. It provides key information that helps managers match the company's capabilities and resources to the competing environment. Many businesses - from major
corporations to a single-person, home-based business - conduct a SWOT analysis to keep up with changes in the market place and competition. This very important tool is a must in forming the strategic plan, setting goals and creating objectives for the business. Without properly conducting a SWOT analysis, the company is doomed to failure.

However, organizations are not the only ones that should perform this task. It is also an essential key in your day-to-day decision making in your personal life. Before you decide to buy that car or new piece of technology, evaluate the impact of what can happen when you make that decision. You may find out that you will prevent yourself from making the wrong choice.

Let's assume that you are looking to buy a sports utility vehicle. Here is how a SWOT analysis can help you with your decision. You have decided that you want to purchase a specific make and model because of positive feedback from other consumers. You are also looking for something that handles well on snow. These both would be considered major strengths. However, a weakness may be that the gas mileage is not as good as cars. Since you drive a long distance to work, you would have to take that into consideration.

The threats are from the external environment. The economy is not good and you do not know where whether you will be at your job within the next few years. You have to decide if you are able to afford the payments of a new vehicle. You do not want to get a loan and then, down the road, have your car reposed because you can not afford the payments.

You decide that it might be less expensive by looking into used SUVs. You find one that will fit into your budget, even if you lose your job. However, there are safety concerns since the SUV you are looking at has several recalls. You also find out that this SUV has a reputation for rollovers.
Preview of Using a SWOT Analysis to Help You Make Decisions in Your Personal Life - Page 2
You may decide to look at the opportunities while you are car shopping. You find a car that handles very good on snow. With the increases in technology, this car is a hybrid, one that uses gas more effectively. You balance out what the monthly payment is and how much you are saving in gas expenses. You decide that this is the car for you because in the long run, you will be paying less money. Performing the SWOT analysis helped you make the wisest decision.

 

Sun Poisoning: Its Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
When you are exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun for a long period of time, you may be the victim of sun poisoning. During the summer months, with the sun rays at its strongest, sun poisoning is the most common time of the year to get this condition. If you have light skin, even if you are in the sun for a short period of time, you can get it. Also, if you use certain drugs, medications for diabetes, for example, and cosmetics, you can fall victim to the sun.

Symptoms of sun poisoning can be mild or severe. The mild symptoms can be red skin, soreness and itching. More severe symptoms include blistering of the skin, painful burning in the affected area, fever, dizziness and vomiting. When the symptoms are severe, the skin may become scarred and wrinkle prematurely.

If you have mild symptoms of sun poisoning, you must protect your skin from further exposure to the sun. The best thing to do is to stay indoors until the symptoms disappear. This may take three to five days. However, if you need to go out in the sun, wear a wide brim hat and apply SPF 50 sunscreen to your exposed skin.

If blisters start to form on your burnt skin, you will notice that they are filled with water. Do not try to pop them. They are there to protect your skin from further damage. They will eventually break on their own.
Most symptoms of sun poisoning can be treated at home. They will help relieve the pain, itching and swelling.

1. Place damp rags over the burnt skin. These will draw out the heat.

2. Fill a bathtub of cool water. Add a cup of baking soda. Soak for approximately twenty minutes. When you are done, pat yourself dry with a towel.

3. Use lotion that has Aloe Vera. This both cools and heals the skin.

4. Take Ibuprofen for pain. Read the manufacturer's label for the recommended dosage.

5. Lemon has excellent anti-bacterial properties. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to a cup of water. Apply the mixture to the burnt skin.

6. Drink water to replace lost electrolytes.
These remedies in most cases will help and reduce the discomforts you get when you have sun poisoning. However, if you get a fever, are dizzy or vomiting, seek immediate medical attention. Sun poisoning also causes you to become dehydrated because you lose fluids and electrolytes. You may be a victim of more serious conditions called heatstroke and sunstroke.

Reference:

http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/...home/home-remedies-for-suntan-sunburn-an...

 

Performing a SWOT Analysis when You Are Looking to Buy a House
October 22, 2009 by LoisRyan LoisRyan Published Content: 188 Total Views: 21,166 Fans: 4 View Profile | Follow | Add to Favorites Recommend Single page Font SizeRead comments Share So you are looking into buying a house? There may be many reasons why you want to do this. You may be looking for a place that you can call home, one where you plan to live in for the rest of your life. You may be relocating and want a convenient place near your place of work. You mayAdvertisement be living in an apartment and are looking for something bigger, where you do not want to pay rent or you are looking for a smaller house, to save on costs. Chances are, unless if you won the state lottery or have already saved up the money, you will need to get a loan for your new residence. The question is how do you know if you are making the wisest decision? Not used only in business anymore, you can weight the strengths against the weaknesses and the opportunities against the threats in your house buying decisions.

Let's assume that you have been thinking about buying a house that costs $100,000. You have been doing the wise thing by putting aside 10% of your weekly paycheck into your savings account and have built up enough cash where you can make a $10,000 down payment. This is a major strength. However, a few years ago, you fell behind on several credit card payments and medical bills. Even though you eventually did get these caught up and paid off, these negative marks will be on your credit report for seven years. This is a weakness, because you may not get the best interest rate on a mortgage. You may be paying more for your house than a person who has perfect credit.


Preview of Performing a SWOT Analysis when You Are Looking to Buy a House - Page 2
There are external factors that affect whether you get the loan. Even if you have bad credit, as long as you have not filed for bankruptcy, your chances of getting a home loan are good. There is equity in the house and lenders use that as collateral. Plus with different durations ofAdvertisement bank loans, the lenders make the house shopping affordable for you. These are both excellent opportunities in the housing market. However, along with the opportunities, there are threats. You may not be the only one looking at the same house. The other potential buyer is your main competition and he may offer a better offer on the house. Another threat is the economy. With constant rises in inflation, you have to ask yourself if you will be able to make the monthly payments five or ten years down the line.

Buy using the SWOT analysis you now know what strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are. However, it does not end here. You can use it to change the weaknesses to strengths and threats to opportunities.

Since you do not have perfect credit, you can decide to wait for another six months to go house shopping to see if you can get a better interest rate. Another thing you can do is to get a flexible mortgage. This is where you have a set mortgage rate for two years. Then after that, if you make your monthly payments on time and keep up with your other bills, your interest rate will be lower.

You cannot predict what the future will hold for you. You may get a mortgage where the monthly payments fit into your budget. However, things may happen such as you losing your job or inflation. These best things to do to turn this threat into an opportunity are to figure your monthly bills, including the mortgage and other living expenses. Keep three months of living expenses in your savings account and do not touch this. Also, if you buy that dream house, pay extra on the monthly payment. Even by paying an extra $10.00 a month will help you save thousands in the long run.

 

Performing a SWOT Analysis when You Are Job Hunting
Whether you are looking for your first job, switching jobs or are looking at getting a promotion, you must perform the SWOT analysis to weight your strengths against your weaknesses.

The first thing before you fill out the job application or send in the resume, is find out what are the requirements of the job. Usually, a small ad in the help wanted section of your local newspaper may read something like "college diploma required" or "sales experience needed."

However, that is not saying much of what you would be required to do at the job. You can get a detailed job description by calling the company or going to the company's website, provided they have one. By having this, you can evaluate yourself to see if you are the right candidate for the job.

One of the job requirements asks for a person who has excellent leadership skills, somebody who is a people-person and dedicated. By looking at your strengths, you know what you are good at. Let's assume that you were an officer in the Army. Therefore you have good leadership skills. You also have good oral and written communication skills. You are a very dedicated individual, who pays strict attention to detail. These are you strength which gives you the advantage in getting that job.

Now you have to evaluate your weaknesses. Do not make the mistake in the interview and say "I do not have any weaknesses." The one question that most likely will be asked is "What are your weaknesses?" The person who thinks that he is perfect will most likely not get that job. Think about things that you can improve. For example, your computer skills may not be up-to-par. You may know how to surf the net, but never had any experience with Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint. You can offer to take computer classes to hone on your skills. By learning how to do something that you are not good at, you are in the process of turning your weaknesses into strengths.

Now that you know your personal strengths and weaknesses, you have to look at the external forces that can affect you in your job hunting. The opportunities and threats are things on the outside that you have no control over. However, they still impact you.
The biggest opportunity is innovations in technology. If you have been working in an organization for over ten years, you will notice how new computers and machines are adapted to make the process run more smoothly. The best way you can gain the competitive advantage in job hunting is to be aware of new technology and have knowledge of how these help different companies.

When you are job hunting, unemployment is a major external threat. With more people out of work, they too will be looking for work. When you have over a hundred people trying to land the same job that you are trying to get, the odds are slim that you will get the position. This is true when you are looking to get a promotion at your current company. You need to know how else is trying to get the same type of promotion. These people are your main competition. This is another major threat.

To gain the advantage over the other job hunters, you need to evaluate the threats and turn them into opportunities. As mentioned before, being aware of new technology will help you stand out. Read up on the company you are looking at applying. By finding some interesting facts or history, it will show the interviewer that you are highly enthused about the company and that you are just not looking at getting a paycheck.

 

Your veterinarian gave the grim diagnosis about your cat: F. A. T. You did what he suggested by changing your cat's diet, making sure he was getting enough protein and oil in his food. After a few rocky days and an angry kitty, he is now used to eating at scheduled feedings with smaller meals. He is content, but you think you need to do more for him. You notice that he mostly eats and sleeps. He is not getting enough exercise. You realize that if he exercises more, he will get rid of those unwanted pounds more quickly. You do not have to make him try out for the New York City Marathon, but try these ideas with your pet.
You cat needs to exercise, especially if your pet stays indoors. Just a few minutes a day works wonders. He will not be bored, which causes boredom eating.
Play with your cat. This is an excellent form of exercise. Go to the pet store and buy several cat toys. The ones that cats can chase, such as a ball or a windup mouse, are excellent ones. Buy toys that you can put catnip in.
Cats are natural born climbers and jumpers. Many pet stores sell cat trees and scratching posts. Since cats are curious, put the tree by the window. They can climb and watch what is happening in the world.
If you only have one cat, think about getting a second one. If you are away from the house, your cat will have a friend to play with. Just by chasing each other around the house, both of the cats will be getting plenty of exercise. Your cat will not be bored.
If your cat is begging for food and it is not his scheduled feeding time, try this trick. I will help satisfy his taste buds and helps him exercise at the same time. Throw a cat treat and let him run after it.
Buy a pen that has a laser pointer. Shine the light over the room and let your cat chase the red dot.
Take a piece of paper and roll it up in a ball. Watch your kitty when he chases the ball in delight.
A piece of string or a ball of yarn also works wonders. Pretend that you are fishing and that you are fishing for catfish. The curious paws always try to catch that string. Even hang the string over your cats head and he will jump to catch his prey.
These are several handy tips to help your overweight cat lose weight. He will enjoy playing with you. He will not have the same view that humans have about exercise. He will not think of it as work. The thing that you must remember is to start out slowly. Like humans, cats can overdo it when they are exercising for the first time. Start out just a few minutes a day and work it up.
Reference:
Cat owner for ten years

 

Obesity is the same for cats as it is for humans. While a small amount of fat is good for your cat-where his bones and vital organs are protected, an excessive amount can cause health problems such as diabetes and heart problems. Also, when cats are too fat, they cannot groom themselves as well as the cat who is at a healthy weight. You cat does not look cute any longer now that he has matted fur and dirty legs.
Obesity in cats is a growing problem. "40 percent of cats are considered to be obese! Only 5 to 10 percent of all cats can be classified as only slightly overweight. In recent years Feline Diabetes Mellitus (diabetes) has become almost a daily diagnosis in animal hospitals all across America...And the 40 percent obesity figure seems to be growing" (petcenter.com).
Depending on the breed of your cat, he should weigh between nine and eleven pounds. Some of the larger breeds can weigh up to fifteen pounds. While in most cases, an obese kitty is obviously noticeable, you sometimes cannot tell if you cat is carrying the extra pounds. He might be a long haired Persian where his bulge is well hidden.
If your cat is consuming more than seven ounces of food a day, you most likely are overfeeding him. If he is the type of cat that likes to lie around and sleep and is not active, the chances are that he will gain weight are high. While your veterinarian can tell you if your cat is fat, there are some things that you can do at home to see if you have a chubby kitty.
Place your hands on your cat's ribs. You should be able to feel the ribs under his fur.
You should also be able to feel your cat's pelvic bones, spine and shoulder blades. There should only be a light padding of fat in these areas.
Stand above your cat and look down at him. He should have a waistline. If the waist is wider than the ribs, then your cat has a weight problem.
If you have determined that your cat is too fat for his health, you have to determine how he got that way in the first place. You may believe that you are feeding him right. However, there are many reasons why a cat is overweight. Once you determine the root cause of his weight problem, you can work on helping your cat lose his extra baggage.
Reference:
http//:www.thepetcenter.com/article.aspx?id=3401

 

Even if your cat is perfectly litter trained, you may notice that she is in urinating in differ rent parts of the house. Since she can not talk, this may be her telling you that something is wrong. Instead of scolding her for her accident, check the area where she urinated in. If youAdvertisement notice there are drops of blood, she most likely is bleeding when she urinates. This is something serious and must call your vet as soon as possible. You would not put off calling the pediatrician if your son or daughter got sick, would you?

Blood in your cat's urine is a sign of a serious condition called hematuria. This is not normal and if untreated can cause serious health issues for you beloved pet.
There are many reasons why cats get hematuria. These include:

1. Stones in the urinary tract-When cats get a urinary tract infection, the stones can cause a total blockage in the Urethra. If this is let untreated, you cat will not be able to pass urine. She can experience symptoms such as vomiting and not wanting to eat. Since she is getting poisoned by her own toxins, she may even die from this.

2. Cancer-There is also, even though this is rare, that your cat may have bladder cancer.

3. Trauma from an accident-When you cat has any type of accident, even if she seems to be fine, you must bring her to the vet. By doing an e-ray, you vet can determine the health of your cat and know what treatments your cat may need.

4. Medicines-When you make that appointment with the vet, have a list of medicines and vitamins that you cat takes. By knowing this, he may be able to identify the root cause immediately.

Depending of the severity of the hematuria, the treatments vary from cat to cat. The vet can take an x-ray or analyze the urine to find the root cause of the infection and give the proper treatment. For example, if this is because of a bacterial infection, he would prescribe antibiotics. If your cat has stones, you may have to adjust her diet and increase the amount of water she drinks.

If you cat is suffering from stones in the Urethra and is not able to pas urine at all, you vet may have to perform a cauterization on her. This may require your cat to stay at the vet hospital for several days.

Reference:

http//:www.petplace.com/cats/hematuria-in-cats/page1.aspx

 

Obesity is the same for cats as it is for humans. While a small amount of fat is good for your cat-where his bones and vital organs are protected, an excessive amount can cause health problems such as diabetes and heart problems. Also, when cats are too fat, they cannot groom themselvesAdvertisement as well as the cat who is at a healthy weight. You cat does not look cute any longer now that he has matted fur and dirty legs.

Obesity in cats is a growing problem. "40 percent of cats are considered to be obese! Only 5 to 10 percent of all cats can be classified as only slightly overweight. In recent years Feline Diabetes Mellitus (diabetes) has become almost a daily diagnosis in animal hospitals all across America...And the 40 percent obesity figure seems to be growing" (petcenter.com).
Depending on the breed of your cat, he should weigh between nine and eleven pounds. Some of the larger breeds can weigh up to fifteen pounds. While in most cases, an obese kitty is obviously noticeable, you sometimes cannot tell if you cat is carrying the extra pounds. He might be a long haired Persian where his bulge is well hidden.

If your cat is consuming more than seven ounces of food a day, you most likely are overfeeding him. If he is the type of cat that likes to lie around and sleep and is not active, the chances are that he will gain weight are high. While your veterinarian can tell you if your cat is fat, there are some things that you can do at home to see if you have a chubby kitty.
Place your hands on your cat's ribs. You should be able to feel the ribs under his fur.

You should also be able to feel your cat's pelvic bones, spine and shoulder blades. There should only be a light padding of fat in these areas.
Stand above your cat and look down at him. He should have a waistline. If the waist is wider than the ribs, then your cat has a weight problem.

If you have determined that your cat is too fat for his health, you have to determine how he got that way in the first place. You may believe that you are feeding him right. However, there are many reasons why a cat is overweight. Once you determine the root cause of his weight problem, you can work on helping your cat lose his extra baggage.
 

This article shows the pros and cons of self-publishing and traditional publishing. Whatever, your needs are as a writer, you have to weight the pros and cons of each to see which fits your needs better.

“Self-publishing is the publishing of books and other media by the authors of those works, rather than by established, third-party publishers” (Wikipedia.org). A small part of the publishing market, it has been around since traditional publishing. The self-publishing market involves traditional books and eBooks.

Pros:

1. Allows you to control how many books you want to print out. For example you many want to give a copy of a book to family members and friends.

2. You keep all the rights

3. You do not have to make changes to his book.

4. The author can set his price and keep all the profits.

5. It is faster to publish a book

6. You do not have to make a commitment to write more books

7. You can produce second editions faster than traditional publishing

8. It may be easier for you to go through a traditional publisher once you have self-published several books

Cons:

1. It can be expensive if you are trying to reach a large market.

2. You have to do all the marketing of the book himself.

3. You may have to hire a free-lance editor.

4. You may fall victim to a fraudulent self-publishing company. Check a potential company out to see if there have been any complaints about it.

5. It may be hard to get your book into a traditional bookstore.

Traditional Publishing is when the author goes through a publishing house to get a book published. When authors think about advances, royalty checks and more bonuses, they tend to try to send the book to well-known publishers.

Pros:

1. Publishing companies promote your book for you. You do not have to go store-to-store.

2. If your book is accepted, most likely you will receive an advance for your book.

3. Potential royalty checks, depending on how you book sells

Cons:

1. Most publishing companies require authors to get an agent.

2. An agent gets a percentage of your profits.

3. Rejection letters. Be prepared for these if you are trying to publish your first book.

4. It can take at least a year before your book, once it has been accepted, is finally on the bookshelf.

5. The publishing company will most likely make changes to your book.

6. You may have to agree to a long-term contract.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-publishing

 

"What do you want for dinner?" I always ask my husband.
"I do not care," he always answers.
Oh! I just want to strangle him most times! Here is a guy who is Type Two Diabetic, allergic to sea food and ham and does not like chicken. So I go to the grocery store, hoping that I can find something that both my husband and my two girls like. They too can be picky eaters.
My oldest girl, I can not seem to please her at all. Whenever I cook something, she always turns up her nose and grabs a bowl of cereal. At least my younger girl is not as picky as she used to be. The only problem is that she likes meat dishes but not casseroles. Then when I make pastas, she cannot have tomato sauce on it. She is not allergic to it, but insists that it cannot have anything on it, just butter.
So it is a guessing game when I go to the store to get something for dinner. I just am sick and tired of beef and potatoes all the time.
I have decided to try different recipes. I have numerous cook books around the house that are collecting dust. I pick out one that looks good and go on my adventure, taking the book along with me. Looking at the book, I see the recipe calls for mushrooms. I have to omit that since I am the only one in the house who likes those. Oh no! This is a recipe for chicken something or another! I forgot that my husband does not like chicken! Oh well, since he did not tell me what he wanted, we are having chicken tonight. This recipe also calls for a bunch of spices. Our shelves are full of jars. Whatever we do not have at home, I can always substitute.
I browse the magazine racks and pick out a Suduko magazine. Then I go to the baking section. Maybe I will make a cake or brownies tonight. I pay for my items and head home.
I carry the bags of groceries into the house. My husband is playing of the computer. It is so sweet of him to offer to take the bags from my hands. (Not!)
He looks at me and says, “I forgot to tell you that we need more milk.”
Oh! How I want to strangle him!

 

First let me explain what an eBook is. Ha! Ha! Most people who are on the Internet already know what one is, but here goes. They are electronic books based either on traditional books or are written by people like you and me to provide readers with information for a profit. For example, somebody might write an eBook on some of his grandmother’s favorite recipes. The eBooks I am talking about are the ones people read for pleasure, such as Stephen King.
Will eBooks ever supersede real books? That is an interesting question. I am forty-four years old and have been an avid reader since I was ten years old. When I was not in class or running for the track team, I always had a book in my hand. Whether it was "Nancy Drew" or "Judy Blume" I was always reading, even when I went on long car trips with my parents. When I was younger, I averaged a book a day. Today, I do not read as often as I can because I work full-time, am married and have two teenaged daughters. Still, I like to sit down with a good book once in a while.
The problem I have is I tended to go to different stores, garage sales and flea markets and buy books. While some of them I would read and pass on to somebody else, there were some that I wanted to keep. The problem is, our house is small and eventually my collection of books would continue to grow and force us to move.
With the rising sales of handheld devices, I decided that I should invest in one to read eBooks. While I could sit at my computer and read an online novel, this did not cut it. I wanted a more portable device, one that I can carry around with me.
I finally decided on a Palm Tungsten E2, which fit into my budget. Now I can carry an entire library in the palm of my hand. This is an excellent piece of technology.
Advantages:
1. Excellent memory-if my battery dies, I will not lose information. This is great because I tend to forget to put it one the charger.
2. Memory slot-You can buy memory cards for the Tungsten E2. I have a 100meg card, but there is also a 1gig card. So basically, I can have at least 80 books on one card.
3. Very user friendly-once I knew what I was doing, it is very easy to use.
Disadvantages:
1. I have a tendency to forget to put the Palm on the charger. Sometimes, I am in the middle of a good book and all of a sudden, the Palm shuts down
2. My Palm only takes eBooks in PDF or eBook reader format. Each handheld device has a different type of format. Therefore, I might have to search the Internet for a while until I find an eBook in my format.
3. EBooks still cost money. I have to shop around looking for the best price. For convenience, I go to
http://fictionwise.com. However, their prices are almost what I would pay if I purchased a real book. They do offer discounts and free books if you join their book saver club. You can go on websites that have file sharing such as http://limewire.com. However, many of those eBooks may not be legally shared.
4. Cats-I have to mention this. My Palm has a hot sync cable which allows me to transfer books that I download to my Palm. One of my kittens chewed the wire in half. There were no local stores that have this. So I had to order a new one online and have to wait a few days until I get it.
While I love my Palm and find it convenient and easy to carry, I personally do not see eBooks superseding real books. There are more readers in the world than people who have the latest technology. I even like sitting down with a book with my cat on my lap. I love browsing the public library and Barnes and Nobel. It is a habit of mine to buy a book and then to sit down and get a cup of Starbucks. There is something very nostalgic about that.

 

This is an exclusive article I wrote for Associated Content. Therefore, I cannot post it here. The link is below, the word count for this article is 500 words.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/.../home_remedies_for_your_sunburned_horse.html...