The Grave of Gelert
September 28, 2006
Just south of Snowdon, in the grey-stoned village of Beddgelert set among the wild mountains of Wales, is the Grave of Gelert. Here, in a beautiful meadow below Cerrig Llan, is a large stone slab lying on its side with two upright slabs which owes its fame to the legend of Prince Llewelyn ap Iorwerth and his faithful hound.
Llewelyn (1173-1240 CE) was very fond of hunting and in the summer he lived in a hunting lodge at the foot of Mt.Snowdon. Although he had many dogs, his favourite was the brave Gelert, his great Irish Wolfhound, not only a dog fearless in the hunt, but a loyal friend and companion at the fireside.
One fateful day on the hunt, Gelert refused to accompany his master further, but instead he ran howling back to the Lodge. When Llewellyn returned he was met by his dog, bounding to meet him, but splashed with blood around his muzzle. On entering his living quarters, Llewellyn found a scene of confusion with rooms disordered and articles scattered in heaps. Now Llewelyn had a son, barely a year old, and as the prince recalled how Gelert and his little boy used to play together, a terrible thought came to his mind !
The Difference Between Large and Small Ponds
September 28, 2006
If you think that a large pond is simply a small pond that “grew up”, you’re in for some pond maintenance problems. Let’s start off my defining the terms that we’ll be using here. A large pond is anything over 1,000 gallons (5,000 liters). A pond that holds over 4,000 gallons (20,000 liters) is a very large pond.
Large ponds require a whole different level of financial and time committment than small ponds do. You’ll need larger and more efficient pumps and filters as well as the additional plumbing that those devices require. You’ll probably also spend a lot more for plants and fish as well as higher maintenance costs for those plants and fish.
Your building and maintenance costs are dependant, to a great extent, on how deep your pond is. A 6′ deep pond, for example, calls for a large and highly-specialized biofilter which uses a lot of electricity and requires a pretty hefty chunk of space for installation. You’ll need extra UV power and some sophisticated plumbing including bottom drains, skimmers, valves, and the like.
Ways to Make Extra Income Using the Internet
September 27, 2006
To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can (and should) use the Internet for test marketing:
(a) To establish demand for your extra income idea.
(b) To prepare yourself to take advantage of other ways to make extra income i.e. developing a residual income stream.
Unless your first work is of outstanding merit and focused on an equally exceptional topic you will almost certainly require to cool your heels for a spell while your proposal for publication is being assessed for viability.
It could be several months before you receive a decision and with good reason; publishers assume 100% of the financial risk involved and so need to be 100% convinced that your writing-for-profit text is sellable before committing to the first round of expenditure.
Cooling your heels however does not mean to imply that you sit around doing nothing - not if you want to make money writing from the outset.
In this fallow period you ought to be concentrating your energies on some test marketing for your extra income idea book and there is no smarter or efficient way of accomplishing this than using the Internet. Do some engine searching (use google.com for fast results) to locate online publishers specializing in niche non-fiction.
5 Sure Fire Ways to Get Radio Play for Your ?Independent? Music!
September 27, 2006
You have to find radio airplay time if you’re going to be heard and we’re not just talking the local college campus. The trick is called promotion. Now that doesn’t mean you just put your press kit in an envelope with a demo and hope they take pity on you. Perhaps you call a station and they give you the standard pitch of, "Send it and if we like it we’ll put you in rotation." After a few months of never hearing your music, you automatically think you’re not worthy.
First, don’t buy that. You’re one of hundreds, maybe even thousands depending on your city. Your disc will probably end up in the trash or, for more enterprising DJ’s, on Ebay in a one-cent CD sale. If you want to be heard and make potential sales, you have to stand out from the crowd, and in this jewel of an article, I’ll show you Five(5) Knock ‘em Dead Ways to Do Just That!:
Coin Collecting ? A Fun Hobby
September 27, 2006
Over the years, collecting coins has grown from being just a hobby to becoming a full-blown enterprise with numerous Internet sites devoted to coins. Over the next several weeks, I will give you a little background about coin collecting to help those who want to pursue this as a hobby and maybe even make some money in the process.
People have been collecting coins for centuries, because of their beauty, their value, and their history. When you hold an old coin in your hand, it allows you to take a step back in history to the time of the coinage. For over 2,500 years, man’s history has been reflected in coins. From the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the British Empire, the California Gold Rush, and US coins, man’s achievements have been depicted in coins.
Coin collecting, called numismatics, has become one of the most rewarding and popular hobbies in the world today. Over a period of time as you begin to add more coins to your collection, you will be pleasantly surprised at the hours of enjoyment your collection will bring. If you have taken time and care with your collection, not only will it be of value to you and those you pass it on to, but could also be an investment for the future.
How to become Top Dog - A Dog Owners Guide to Sanity
September 27, 2006
Peeing on the carpet, knocking you down, or stealing dinner off the counter are all signs that your dog doesn’t respect your rules. In other words, you are not the Alpha Dog.
If you ever want to have a peaceful and happy relationship with your dog, you need to learn how to become top dog.
It’s not just a silly phrase. Dogs have a heirarchial ranking system. In simple reality, the only two ranks you need to know of are top dog , and not top dog…. The Ruler, and the Rule Follower. Naturally you don’t want to be caught in the trap of being subject to your dog.
You want your dog to respect you and obey you. Don’t confuse the two. A dog may obey you out of fear, but not respect you. That is a dangerous situation to be in. Have you ever seen the movie Iron Will? If not, watch it. It gives some great insight.
There’s a dog sled driver who beats his dogs into submission and treats them terribly. They respond to his beatings and he has a winning team, but at the first sign of weakness, they turn on him and… well it wasn’t pretty.
Where to Look for Your Next Project when You?re Writing for Profit
September 26, 2006
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published way back in 1995, I thought that was it. I reckoned I’d never write another one. But I was wrong. It has enjoyed many reprints, multiple editions, and proceeded over the years to generate another seven disparate titles from the same topic.
Towards the end of last year I completed the first draft manuscript for a commemorative fourth edition marking a decade in print. This has been accepted by the publisher and is due on world wide bookshelves in the autumn of 2005. The content has been updated, several topical new chapters have been added, and all in all it should start the ball rolling all over again by attracting a new breed of readers.
With that project out of the way, I was stumped where to look for the next.
I dug deep within myself and asked what else do I know about? I know how to start, manage and expand small businesses; I know about advising anyone on how to run an internet business from home, shop or office; I know how to instruct others on the subject of writing for profit, but what else do I know?
A Dog Day Care Franchise - Is It Really Worth It?
September 26, 2006
When you take into account that there are over 68,000,000 dogs in the United States alone, you can see why many people consider taking advantage of a dog day care franchise.
However, before you even think about a dog day care franchise, please do a self evaluation and make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.
A dog day care franchise is a tremendous responsibility. It requires a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of resources.
Now, please understand that I am not implying that a dog day care franchise is not a wise choice for you. I am only trying to help provide you with some useful dog day care franchise information.
Here are some general questions to ask yourself before starting a dog day care franchise:
- Do I really love dogs enough to start a dog day care franchise?
Yes, I realize like many opportunities in life, you have the potential to make good profits with a dog day care franchise regardless of whether you really care for the dogs or not.
However, if you don’t have a love and passion for dogs, your success with a dog day care franchise will more than likely be limited.
My Grannio
September 26, 2006
I never thought I would have to say GOODBYE to my best friend? But that’s what I had to do today I had to let go of her forever ?
There was no other way For me to face reality Or pretend to be okay I had no concept ?
Of how hard it would be To actually let go Of this huge part of me? Not tomorrow or ever ?
Will my life be the same Without my Grannio here Life seems to be a game ? Of chance and questions?
Questions that never end And have no answers That can begin to mend The gaping hole inside of me
Nor come close to healing My heart and soul that Seem to be feeling Lost, numb and empty-
Completely hollow? Like I have nobody left To really follow ? Through life with respect
She was so much more Than my Grandmother I knew that before She left this earth
And I told her so More than once or twice Because she had to know Just how very special ?
And truly blessed I felt to have her as my friend She was the best Without a doubt ?
Introducting KOI-Cam!
September 26, 2006
This is a project I’ve had on the back burner for many months now, but now it’s finally ready!
We rigged up a wireless camera and aimed it at the KOI pond here, directly where my KOI get their daily feedings. To check it out right now, visit www.koi-cam.com.
Right now, it’s just a snapshot that can be updated by hitting your ‘refresh’ button on your browser - but soon we’ll have it available as a streaming video feed.
The KOI get regular feedings at the times listed on the website. check out my new auto-feeder called ‘Koi-Cafe’ also shows at www.koi-cam.com. This feeder is run by battery, and also comes with a solar panel for re-charging the battery! It’s not hooked up yet, but it’s still pretty amazing.
The feeder makes sure that my hungry little underwater pigs get all the food they need to grow large and healthy. Plus, we’ve just added some new fish recently, right out of Charles Lewis’ (President of The Tropical Koi Club of South Florida) personal collection. We’ll be having a photo tour of Charles’ pond very soon - he’s got some beautiful show koi in his 10,000 gallon pond.
