Gardening in Containers
July 31, 2008
Every Garden can benefit from the addition of container gardens. They add interst and variety, plus are easily moved around. If you live in an apartment or have a small area to work with this may be the only solution for you.
Your Container
Your container can be pretty much anything and is only limited to your imagination. Just make sure there is adequate drainage for your plants. I love old buckets, discarded kitchen pots and baskets for a rustic feel. For a formal garden choose a more traditional container.
Regardless of your choice of container, make sure it’s not to big or too small for your planting.
Your Soil
Do not use garden soil for your container plants. Garden soil is too heavy, dries out too quickly and will not provide the needed nutrients your container plants need. You can find good potting soil at your local garden center or you can mix your own.
To mix your own make sure you include soil, peat, sand and a slow release fertilizer.
Maintenance
Orthopedic Dog Beds
July 31, 2008
Many people consider their dog to be part of their family, and want to ensure his happiness and comfort. As dogs get older, they experience the same problems in their canine bodies as humans do. Arthritis in older dogs, especially males, is quite common, though sometimes hard to detect since your dog can’t complain about the aches and pains he’s experiencing. He’ll slow down when walking and running, he won’t leap for that dog treat as quickly as he used to, he’ll shorten those evening walks and he simply won’t sleep as well on the same bed he’s been using for years.
There are, however, many ways you can help him. The first step is to consult with your veterinarian, who will probably make adjustments to his diet and perhaps even prescribe some medication to be mixed into his food. Your vet may then suggest that you invest a few dollars and buy him one of many orthopedic dog beds to help him sleep better. The more comfort you can give to your dog with this problem, the more he’ll enjoy his declining years.
Oh My Aching Head! Can Music Really Make You Feel Better?
July 31, 2008
We all know, if only instinctively, that music has a profound effect on us. If we didn’t believe that music affects us then singing lullabies to calm children and help them sleep wouldn’t be universal. In reality melody, harmony, and rhythm probably impacts the human brain in ways that are far more profound than we realize. We all know that an up tempo melody from our favorite performer stirs and energizes us just as a slower melody can help us relax or even prompt sad emotions from the depths of our soul, but did you know that evidence has been found linking the merging of melody, harmony, and rhythm with pain management?
The direct implication of this is that by incorporating the right melody (we’ll discuss what defines the right melody in a moment) into your schedule it is possible to reduce your need for pain medication and thereby save money and aggravation.
Sound good? I know it does to me. Who wouldn’t like to save a little more money that they are already sending to the pharmaceutical companies. And the best part is that the melody(s) that you need for pain management may already be in your collection.
A Look at Discount Dog Beds
July 31, 2008
Many people want to make sure their family pet has just the right bed, but might not be willing to pay the (often quite hefty) price. It’s actually more difficult to find designer and luxury dog beds especially for oversized pets than it is to find discount dog beds for average sized animals. If you’re not too fussy about the design of the fabrics being used in the bed; if your dog is of average size and weight; and if her sleeping habits are not too extreme in the curling up or stretching out situations; you can probably save a lot of money when you purchase a dog bed that’s right for her.
To begin with, a lot of the more expensive bed-makers change their designs just like clothing designers do for people, if not quite as often. The changes do result in closeouts and discontinued items being drastically marked down at pet shops across the country and on the Internet. Then there are the many pet supermarkets and discount retailers who carry a variety of comfortable beds, in a variety of colors at prices much reduced from the luxury beds available at upscale pet shops.
The Subjective World of Book Sales Numbers
July 30, 2008
The Subjective World of Book Sales Numbers
by: Rebecca Guevara
Nielsen BookScan reports 4.1 million copies of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold in the U.S. in its first 24 hours of release. Industry tracker, Scholastic, reports when sales at Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and airports are added, the figure jumps to 6.9 million in the same period. Nielsen also reports the Mountain region of Utah, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada accounted for 328,000 of the sales.
Astronomical sales figures are fun to imagine but the real business of selling books is closer to selling éclairs. Authors, publishers and bookstore owners get up early, do their work, hope customers buy and then deal with unwanted leftovers. Similarities don’t stop there. The baking and book business both say name identity, distribution, word-of-mouth, and price make a difference. Quality helps but isn’t always mandatory because things sell more in the big stores than one little boutique bakery or bookstore down a sidestreet. Fortunately, judges sometimes overlook sales. It was rumored Gilead by Marilynne Robinson sold less than 10,000 before winning the Pulitzer Prize this year.
Learning to Dance
July 30, 2008
Learning to Dance
by: Peter Roberts
Learning to dance is fun—and it is easy. In a sense it is like learning a new
language—a language in which moods and emotions are expressed in movement., Dance is a
language of rhythm, grace and harmony. ballroom dancing is relatively new—but in a very real sense dance
is the oldest language in the world, for dancing is the oldest form of art.
Go back as far as you can in recorded history and you’ll find records of dance. The
dance appeared in various forms as far back as ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.
Dancing is a way of expressing emtion. It gives expression to deeply rooted emotions, often so profound as to
border on reverence. You can see this effect with the way dance was incorporated into many religious festivals, pagan and otherwise.
Look in the Bible in the 150th Psalm: “Praise ye the Lord in all your songs and dances.”
Most of us have an instinctive urge to express ourselves in rhythm. Notice how somepeople tap their fingers, or keep time to the beat with their foot. Primitive men satisfied this urge by beating drums and dancing around a campfire. sheer exhaustion.
The Demand for Luxury Dog Beds
July 30, 2008
A pet can be as important a member of the family as a child to some owners, and making sure they sleep well is a way to express that affection. In the past several years, manufacturers have started to fill a growing demand for luxury dog beds for pet owners who wanted to lavish something special on their pets. With the advent of organic pet foods, pet clothing and nutritionally balanced pet treats, designer dog beds seemed like an idea whose time had come.
Do you share your pet with someone else or move her around to different locations? Try the Botanical Bed, a portable pet sofa with lockable wheels, reversible blanket and a flower-patterned pillow. Need a fancy dog bed for a big guy who likes to loll around in different positions, flopping his head and tail over the edge as he does? Try an extra large donut bed in any one of dozens of easy to clean, designer fabrics and a variety of fills from gel to memory foam to cedar. Does your large dog stretch out on your favorite sofa, especially during your favorite prime time TV shows? Induce him to change his ways with the European Sofa Luxury Dog Bed complete with throw pillows and maybe he’ll leave your sofa to you.
CO2 for Free
July 30, 2008
We’ve all heard that there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’; well the process described in this article may be as close to one as you get. Most of us already know the benefits of CO2 enrichment for photosynthesis. To maximize indoor growing and greenhouse potential, CO2 is supplemented to maintain an approximate level of 1500 ppm, this can require frequent trips to an industrial gas supplier and/or a lot of propane or natural gas use, and related costs. It is ironic that many indoor farmers are exhausting CO2 to the outdoors from home heaters and hot water heaters while simultaneously releasing or generating CO2 for an indoor grow room or a greenhouse.
Propane and Natural gas burn clean enough that small non-vented gas devices have been approved for indoor use. These gas burning devices all use oxygen (in the air) to burn the gas, resulting in the by-products of CO2, H20 (humidity), and heat (Reusch). Exhaust from gas appliances can provide 3 essential conditions for maximized growth: humidity, temperature, and CO2 level. Most heat from the exhaust is removed by the heat exchanger of the furnace or water heater; resulting in mildly warm exhaust. Photosynthesis for many plants, including marijuana, in a CO2 enriched environment,is most efficient around 85 degrees F.
All About Freelance Writing
July 29, 2008
All About Freelance Writing
by: Nell Taliercio
Do you love to write? Do you have a knack for making words come alive on a page? You may want to consider freelance writing as a way to make a good living from home.
Freelance writers write anything from newspaper columns to web content and even ebooks.
Getting Started
Before you go looking for freelance jobs, you should build up a portfolio of articles. You can write for your own website or blog, offer to write free articles for friends, or contact your local paper about writing a column for them. Work on some articles that you can use as samples of your work and build a list of references for your potential clients to contact.
Where To Find Work
The next step will be finding potential clients. You can visit some of the big freelance sites like elance and bid on projects. It is also a good idea to set up a website that showcases some of your writing, tells a little about you and your area of expertise, and of course you will have your contact information on the site. You may also want to consider adding a blog to your site. It’s an easy way to add articles, short tips and any other writings to your site on an ongoing basis.
Dog Beds for Larger Dogs
July 29, 2008
Large dogs and extra large dogs require more thought and planning when owners purchase a permanent dog bed. Even though large dogs can be just as lovable as their smaller canine counterparts, they require a more complex sleeping situation than small dogs. It’s obvious that a large dog requires a large dog bed, and that an extra large dog requires an extra large dog bed. This goes without saying. But how big? And what kind of bed is best?
In this instance the answer is a function of not only the size but the breed of dog. You must measure the dog when he is fully grown, or at least have an accurate idea of what his size will be when he is fully grown. Just as with smaller dogs, you have to take into account your dog’s sleeping style ? for example, whether he sleeps curled up in a ball or stretched out across the bed. All of these factors will help define your choice of large dog bed for your canine pal.
