Soft But Not Dead

Looking back to these past few months we get a general picture of falling housing prices, suggesting once more that Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, encapsulated in the dictum "Everything that goes up must come down" is absolutely true and that, furthermore, it applies even to Real Estate. But when it comes to housing prices the real question becomes:"Come down from where?"

According to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (http://www.ofheo.gov/) the average price of a house rose by only 1.2 percent in the Second Quarter, the smallest gain since 1999 - but a gain nonetheless. OFHEO reports, furthermore, that the past year has seen the sharpest slowdown in the rate of growth since the Office began to keep track of the housing price index all the way back in 1975. Even so, average prices are still up by 10.1 percent compared to a year ago.

This is much stronger than the index published by the National Association of Realtors (http://www.realtor.org/), which showed a rise of only 0.9 percent in the year to July. Economic analysts generally speaking prefer the OFHEO index, since it is thought to be more reliable because it tracks price changes in successive sales of the same houses over time and therefore, unlike the NAR index, is not distorted by a shift in the mix of sales to cheaper homes.

All of which, then, brings up to mind the fact that it is not only the foresaid Newton's Law that applies to Real Estate, but also another very important scientific theory as well - Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, which can be encapsulated in the dictum "Everything is relative".

‘Stickiness' is a noun used in Economics to describe a situation in which a variable is resistant to change. Price stickiness, therefore, reflects the fact that asking prices of interests in land remain high and even increase at a time when demand lowers. For example, nominal asking prices are often said to be sticky. Market forces may reduce the real value of interests in land, but prices will tend to remain at previous levels. Stickiness normally applies in one direction, which means that a variable that is "sticky downward" will be reluctant to drop even if market conditions dictate that it should.

Price stickiness, in any market, is responsible for and reflects some confusion that exists between nominal and real values and gives rise, moreover, to a particular phenomenon known as the ‘Money Illusion'. Money illusion refers to the tendency of people to think of prices in nominal, rather than real, terms. The term was coined by John Maynard Keynes in the early twentieth century.

Money illusion does influence people perceptions of outcomes. Experiments have shown that people generally perceive a 2 percent cut in nominal income as unfair, but see a 2 percent rise in nominal income where there is 4 percent inflation as fair, despite the fact that the two situations are almost rational equivalents. The same happens in Real Estate, where the trend is for asking prices to remain high or even increase when selling prices are dropping.

Furthermore, money illusion means nominal changes in price can influence demand even if real prices have remained constant, thus causing what it is normally referred to as ‘market disequilibrium'. Adam Smith maintained that the free market would tend towards economic equilibrium through the price mechanism, that is any excess inventory will lead to price cuts which will decrease the quantity supplied and increase the quantity demanded.

There are, however, exceptions to the rule. One such exception is the situation wherein market participants are always trying to take advantage of the pricing system, thus infusing some dynamism in the market. This situation arises in markets that are ‘imperfect', such as Real Estate, where information about goods is not shared equally and evenly by market participants.

This explains, therefore, the OFHEO price index as above and its increase of 10.1 percent compared to one year ago, which increase is by no means unique to the United States. A similar study conducted by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight to compare markets outside the United States with the domestic ones has found that prices in Canada are up 10.8 percent to a year ago. Denmark tops the list with a staggering 23.6 percent increase, while the lowest index goes to Japan, where housing prices have actually decreased to the tune of - 3.9 percent over the last twelve months.

Luigi Frascati

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle at http://wwwrealestatechronicle.blogspot.com where you can find the full collection of his articles on Real Estate Economics and Finance. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC.

Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you.

What Matters in Real Estate Investment: Location Location Cash Flow

The media is full of stories about how Option ARMs and exotic mortgages are the scorage of the real estate industry. Nothing could be further from the facts. Exotic loans have extended the real estate boom, and possibly lower default rates for marginal borrowers.

Option ARMs are tools when used prudently allow a borrower to control their cash out-flow and make payments fit their income. In the past lenders required mortgages payment on their monthly schedule. Option ARMs give the consumer the ability to pay principal and interest when its best for the consumer.

I believe the exotic loans are good tools for borrowers who know how to use them. Interest only payments allow a borrower to pay a smaller payment when cash flow is low, and pay down principal in better times. These loans actually reduce the risk of loan default, because default only happens when a borrower can't make their monthly payment.

Therefore any loan that allow this kind of payment flexibility should be seen as a positive for loan quality and stability, not riskier?

The consumer clearly understands the value to interest only and exotic payment mortgages, this is why they have become the most popular loan options. But few consumers are being interviewed to defend why they choose these loans.

Option ARM mortgages enable savvy consumers to better manage their own personal cash flow.

Bob Waun , Founder & CEO
Vacation Finance
waun@vacation-finance.com

Vacation Finance is America's First Second-Home Lender, and believes in the benefits of real estate ownership for all Americans. Vacation Finance is creating a market for unique cottage, land, condo, condo hotel and fractional ownership loans.

Heart Rate Monitor Strapless Review

More and more people are experimenting with small, palm-sized devices as part of their ordinary workout routines: heart rate monitors. These devices count calories, record heart rate, and can help anyone design a fat-burning routine that will produce results. Of all the high-tech features that heart rate monitors now have, there is one that?s changing the face of physical activity: the strapless.

Strapless heart rate monitors are the latest in heart rate monitor technology. While most designs are made to look like wristwatches, strapless designs look like small watch faces. The round, smaller-than-your-hand design is perfect for anyone who wants to use a heart rate monitor but doesn?t want to wear it all the time, or doesn?t want to wear it on their wrist.

Almost every company that makes heart rate monitors is now offering sleek, strapless designs that can clip on to your workout gear or come with a detachable strap that fits easily over your clothes during a workout. Some of these strapless models come with soft, stretchy chest straps for use while you?re exercising, so you can take it back off as soon as you?re done. Want to use your heart rate monitor the best possible way? Place it against your heart, with one of the many strapless heart rate monitors available on the market.

Small, easy-to-use strapless heart rate monitors can revolutionize your workout, helping you design a routine that will let you achieve those slim, sleek results that every body wants. Heart rate monitors help you find your target heart rate and help you find out if you?re even reaching it during your workout routine, much less maintaining your target rate. If you aren?t getting there, your body won?t get there when it comes to your physical fitness and fat-free appearance. Strapless heart rate monitors are perfect for fitness training. All you have to do is set it to record, go through your routine, and then look over the results so you can tailor your routine and hone your workout time.

Want to get the most out of your exercise routine? Want to reach your target heart rate, and stay there? Make use of calorie counters to see how much fat you?re burning and how hard you?re working, and even enjoy the time functions on your heart rate monitor so you know how long you?re working out and how long you?re staying on target. Strapless heart rate monitors come in a wide variety of styles and colors, so you can even find out that matches your favorite workout outfit. Want to get the most out of your body? Use a strapless heart rate monitor, and use your workout time to its best advantage.

Look online to find the strapless heart rate monitor that best suit your activity needs and fashion sense. The Internet offers a huge selection of strapless heart rate monitors, some of which aren?t even available in physical stores. Go strapless, and go for that perfect bod.

Looking for Top Brand Heart Rate Monitors at Below Retail Prices?

FITZZ.COM - Personal Health & Sports Products Home Fitness Exercise Equipment Online

Double Strollers: What Do You Really Need?

A double stroller is a necessity if you have twins or two young children of similar ages. By quickly answering eight important questions that help you determine the needs of your particular lifestyle, you will save yourself time and effort in your search for the best double stroller for your family.

Is baby number two on the way or are you expecting twins? Then you definitely need a double stroller. Before you begin your search among the countless models that are available, you need to determine what your stroller needs are for your particular lifestyle. For example, it doesn't make sense to purchase the same double stroller your best friend raves about if you're an avid jogger and her favorite hobby is shopping. To help you narrow down the possibilities, answer the eight following questions.

1. What activities do you need a double stroller for?

 Do you do most of your shopping in malls? Do you like to jog or take long walks around the neighborhood in all types of weather? Are you a freqyuent traveler? The activities you do most often will decide what type of double stroller you should choose, whether it be a regular double mall stroller, a lightweight (ex. umbrella) double stroller, a double jogging stroller or a double all-terrain stroller.

2. Which seating design would best suit your needs?

Double strollers come in two seating designs: tandem (one seat in front of the other) or side-by-side. Both designs have their advantages and disadvantages, so it's important for you to think carefully about what your lifestyle will be like with twins or two children of different ages (although this is not easy to do before actually living through it!).

3. What are the ages and temperaments of your children?

Your double stroller needs will be slightly different if you're the parents of twins than if you have a baby and an older child. Some double strollers are true twin strollers, meaning they have features that are meant to accommodate two children of the same age, such as the ability to clip in two infant car seats. There are also double strollers that are designed so that a toddler can sit in the front seat where he can have a better view and more legroom while baby brother or sister sleeps comfortably in the fully reclining rear seat.

Many parents find that side-by-side double strollers help keep the peace between children because they prevent arguments about who gets to sit in the front seat. On the other hand, being side-by-side can also create other problems with the two children sitting in such close proximity.

4. How often are you going to use the double stroller?

If you're only planning on using a stroller for quick errands to the mall a couple times a week, you don't need to purchase a heavy-duty, high-end double stroller with all the bells and whistles. However, if you like going for walks or runs on a daily basis, or if you go out with your children often and for long periods of time, you should consider getting something that is comfortable and durable, since double strollers take twice the abuse of single strollers.

5. Who will be using the stroller?

Keep in mind the height and stride of the person or persons who will be using the double stroller the most, as well as their physical strength. It's no fun pushing a stroller with a handle that is too low or too high for comfort and neither is folding and picking up one that is cumbersome. It's true that double strollers are heavier and bulkier than single strollers due to their very nature, but there are models on the market that are easier to handle than others.

6. What features are you looking for?

Do you want a simple, no frills double stroller, or something with lots of comfort, durability and storage space? This brings us back to the types of activities you do most often. It's very disappointing to purchase a stroller and then realize that its features don't meet your needs as well as they could have.

7. How much space do you have for transporting and storing it?

With a few exceptions, double strollers take up a lot of room. The size of your vehicle may be a big deciding factor when choosing a double model. Make sure it fits! Also, take into account where you will store the stroller at home.

8. What can you afford?

This is probably the most important question of all. Think carefully of your present and future stroller needs with your two children. What is the minimum you are willing to live with? Can you afford to pay for a higher quality double stroller that will make your life easier in the long run, or are you willing to take your chances with a budget stroller that may break down before you're done using it? For twins, a double universal car seat carrier (stroller frame) is an inexpensive alternative to buying an actual stroller during the infant stage if you're yet not sure what you'll need later on.

Once you've determined what you really need, then you can begin researching the various brands and models that are on the market. You will be able to quickly eliminate double strollers that don't fit your criteria, making the whole process a lot easier and less time-consuming.

Copyright 2006 by Anik Gigu?re-Biollo. Permission is granted to reproduce this article in electronic newsletters
or on websites provided that it is not edited in any way, all the links are left active, and that neither the copyright declaration nor this license are removed. This article was originally published at http://www.stroller-advisor.com/double-stroller-needs.html .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Anik Gigu?re-Biollo is the mother of a three year-old girl and one year-old twin boys and has owned a total of eight baby strollers of different types. She offers a great deal of detailed information about choosing and purchasing double strollers and twin strollers (see http://www.stroller-advisor.com/double-strollers.html), as well as all other types of strollers, on her website. You can visit her site by going to http://www.Stroller-Advisor.com.

Acupuncture A Benefit?

To preface discussion about the benefits of acupuncture, lets talk about what acupuncture is. First used in China more than 2000 years ago, and is one of the oldest medical procedures known to man. It is a family of procedures that stimulates the anatomy of the body and helps to balance the energy flow throughout the body. It is the same type of acupuncture that is practiced in the United Sates today, through the use of tiny, metallic needles placed in affected areas and manipulated by hand or by electrical stimulation.

Acupuncture is the foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on the belief that there are two opposing and forces in our body. They are known as the Yin and Yang of the entire person. The Yin is representative of the cold, slow, or passive principle, and yang represents the hot, excited or active principle. A healthy state is achieved by maintaining a balance state of the yin and yang. This is done through vital pathways or meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy. The vital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians. These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along the body. There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians. Although traditional western medicine does not completely understand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does work has been shown in several studies conducted by western medical facilities.

Does it work? According to the National Institute of Health, the answer is absolutely yes. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in many areas of health care. Areas such as postoperative nausea, chemotherapy side effects, osteoarthritis, low back pain, headache, menstrual cramps, addiction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, just to name a few. The study revealed that acupuncture was able to provide pain relief, improve function and mobility of joints due to arthritis inflammation, and served to complement standard care.

There are many who doubt the effectiveness of acupuncture, although once they become patients, they become believers. It has been suggested that acupuncture works and produces its effects through regulating the nervous system. The theory suggests that since acupuncture produces its effect through regulation of the nervous system, it induces the release of endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites on the body. There is also the theory that acupuncture alters the brain chemistry by the changing the neurotransmitters in the brain.

There is no doubt acupuncture was beneficial in the study. Although acupuncture is classified as an alternative medicine therapy, and there is still much to be understood about the way it works, it is a proven aid in maintaining optimal health.

What about the healthy individual, can acupuncture provide a benefit to them? Absolutely. Because acupuncture works off the belief that we must maintain balance of our vital energy flow in order to remain healthy, acupuncture serves as the tool for realignment. Our vital energy flow can be out of balance, and we still feel and appear quite healthy.

About the Author: http://www.exercise-equipment-directory.com
http://www.top1k.com

How High Did Home Prices Really Go

The U.S. Census Bureau released data on Tuesday that revealed where the nation's hottest markets were during the past five years.

According to the report, median home values increased 32% from 2000 to 2005 on a national level. The survey looked at 7,000 markets with a population of 65,000 or more.

San Diego saw the highest price gains. The median home value after being adjusted for inflation increased by 127% from $249,000 to $567,000 in five years.

Of the 15 largest cities surveyed, Los Angeles came in second, with a median home-value increase of 110%. New York City came in third, with an increase of 79%.

Boynton Beach, Florida, was the top market among the 15 smallest cities surveyed. After inflation adjustments, the median home-value increased by 120%. Folsom, California, came in second where the home value increased by 100%, while Redondo Beach, California, saw a 92% gain and a third place ranking.

Just about anyone who owns a home or has been in the market for one in the past few years knows first-hand how home values jumped from 2000 to 2005, said Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon in a written statement.

In addition to the value of the home rising, the monthly cost of owning a home also increased during the first half of this decade, according to the survey. The median monthly cost, which includes mortgage payment and other costs, saw a 5% increase after adjustments for inflation.

In Detroit, the cost increased by 24%. Chicago experienced a 22% increase, while San Francisco came in third among the largest cities with an increase of 20%.

Among the smallest cities, Bryan, Texas, and Greenville, N.C., saw cost decreases of 10%.

The cost of renting a home has also increased over the past five years. Nationally, the cost to rent has increased by 6.7%. San Diego saw the largest increase of 27%.

Real median rent cost decreased in a few large cities. San Jose saw a decrease of 9%, while Dallas saw a decrease of 3%.

Martin Lukac represents www.RateEmpire.com, an Internet consumer banking marketplace. RateEmpire.com is a destination site of personal finance, investing, taxes and mortgage rates. RateEmpire.com provides mortgage guides and financial rates and information. RateEmpire.com also operates a financial portal #1 American Financial, found at www.1AmericanFinancial.com and San Diego loan portal www.LendingSanDiego.com

Using Flower Essences To Become A Happier Healthier Woman

Flower essence therapy may be new to many people, though their use has flourished with the popularity of Rescue Remedy, an essence combination for relief of tension under stressful situations. Beyond this formula, there are a great many flower essences available to address a variety of emotional and psychological states. Here we'll have a look at flower essences particularly supportive of common 'women's issues' which may help you in your efforts to become a healthier, more vibrant female!

What are flower essences? Think of the beauty and delicacy of a flower, the purity and radiance of a single violet in springtime. Imagine if we could capture the essence, the pure vibrational quality of that flower, and take that exquisite frequency within our being to heal the weariness in our soul or the sorrow in our heart. This is the art and science of creating flower essences. As with homeopathic remedies, flower essences work by their unique vibrational signatures, not by the actual substance that is ingested. Homeopathic remedies tend to work closer to the physical body, whereas flower essences have their greatest effect on the mind, emotions, and spirit. They act at a subtle level to restore harmony and infuse positive energy into the subtle energy matrix which forms the foundation of our physical life.

Essences are traditionally made by placing flowers in a bowl of water in the sunlight for 4 to 5 hours. The effect of the sunlight is to transfer the energetic imprint, or vibrational frequency, of the flowers into the water. Each flower has its own very specific frequency, and water is a medium which can hold that kind of energetic imprint. Once the water has been fully imprinted, it is then decanted into bottles and preserved, usually with brandy. Here are a few essences which may help the divine feminine in reaching it's potential within you?

- Alpine Lily can support the acceptance of one's femininity grounded in a deepened experience of the female body, helping overcome an overly abstract sense of femininity where one feels disembodied, with alienation from or rejection of female organs as lower.

Alpine Lily flower essence helps the feminine soul experience a more vibrant relationship to the female body. While this remedy can sometimes be indicated for men who are addressing inner feminine aspects of themselves, it is primarily beneficial for women who harbor a psychological split in their relationship to the feminine principle.

These women tend to favor that which is more cosmic and virginal, and find it difficult to identify with the earthly aspect of the feminine. They have many spiritual attributes and actively use higher feminine forces, but do not integrate this consciousness with the physical body. Negative impressions of the female body are often unconsciously absorbed from the mother or from the larger culture. Because the soul does not fully identify with or inhabit the female body, physical stress and disharmony can result in the reproductive organs, in the sexual function, or in the biological experience of pregnancy and nursing.

Alpine Lily flower essence stimulates the integration of the feminine and female selves, promoting circulation between the higher and lower energy centers. The soul learns that its full energy and potential depends of the utilization of the bodily female as well as the spiritual feminine from this flower essence.

- Pomegranate Flower Essence: This fruit tree is native to Western Asia. The flowers are red, leathery and bisexual. Parts of the plant have been used to treat fevers, lymph challenges, leucorrhea, and throat problems. As a flower essence, it promotes warm-hearted feminine creativity, actively productive and nurturing at home or in the world. It can be used universally applied for nearly all emotional problems. Pomegranate is considered a ?love potion? for women, and if they are having challenges in accepting their femininity, Pomegranate helps them to overcome such insecurities. This essence creates a sense of nurturing or at the very least a recognition of a need for nurturing within the individuals. Further, It can open and stimulates the sexual chakra, with the nadis of this chakra being invigorated. This flower essence naturally accentuates all aspects of a woman?s femininity. Meditation and creative visualization can (and should) be readily be used with this essence.

- Hibiscus Flower Essence: This essence promotes warmth and responsiveness in female sexuality; integration of soul warmth and bodily passion. It may help one overcome an inability to connect with one's female sexuality; lack of warmth and vitality, often due to prior exploitation or abuse.

One of the most tragic assaults to the soul dignity of women is the exploitation and commercialization of female sexuality. This deeply wounds the souls of many women so that they no longer feel a warm connection to their sexuality. Often the sexuality is divorced from deeper feelings of love and warmth which come from the heart. In many cases sexual expression becomes cold and unresponsive, because the Soul can no longer contact this part of the Self and infuse it with love and caring. Hibiscus flower essence helps women to reclaim their sexuality, and to restore these soul forces with vitality and authenticity.

The Hibiscus essence may aid many women who have been sexually traumatized, and it is also generally beneficial for all modern women who have unconsciously absorbed media images and other stereotypes of dehumanized sexuality. This remedy is sometimes also indicated for men who need to develop a stronger relationship to feminine warmth and positive sexuality. Hibiscus creates flowing warmth throughout the body and soul, especially healing the sexuality.

- Beech Flower Essence: Beech can support tolerance, acceptance of others' differences and imperfections, seeing the good within each person and situation. It may allow release of criticalness, judgmental attitudes, intolerance, perfectionist expectations of others, and oversensitivity to one's social and physical environment.

The Beech flower essence helps transform the tendency to be critical due to an inner sense of inferiority and hypersensitivity which is projected onto others. Very often such persons grew up in an environment of criticism and harsh expectation, and so they inwardly feel very vulnerable and insecure. However, they learn to cope by condemning others instead of healing themselves.

Another characteristic of the Beech flower essence type is hypersensitivity to personal environments, both physical and social. Their permeability to the influences around them leads to intolerance of imperfection in others. Beech softens the soul pain such persons feel; as they re-establish connection with their Higher Self, they sense the love an unconditional acceptance that radiates from the spiritual world. Through this warmth of soul, they are able to let go of their harsh and blaming ways, to accept others in the same way that they are accepted by the spiritual world.

- Sunflower Flower Essence: This essence can bring a balanced sense of individuality and a sun-radiant personality. Sunflower balances the Yin and Yang energies and attunes people to higher wisdom. Those who demonstrate anger or ?hostility? towards their father or other males in their life will benefit from Sunflower. It can support growth away from low self-esteem or arrogance, particularly related to a poor relation to one's father or distorted masculine aspect of the self.

The signature of the Sunflower is mostly astrological since the Sunflower looks like the sun and astrologically the sun is associated with the father, the male ego, and spiritual knowledge. Sunflower essence allows the healthy self shines forth from the soul, not unlike the sun which radiates in the sky. This benign and wondrous soul quality of radiance at once inspires with its light, and heals with its warmth. All human souls have within them this capacity to shine like the sun, but many are afflicted in their ability to emanate this solar power in a balanced way.

Some people mask their true sun-nature with feelings of self-effacement and low self-esteem. This condition darkens the true luster of the Higher Self; in these instances the Sunflower flower essence brings to the soul the quality of light. Others want their brilliance to shine too strongly, glaring others with pompous self-glory and ego-aggrandizement. For these people, Sunflower flower essence brings out the quality of warmth, or loving compassion. Sunflower flower essence also heals disturbances or distortions in the soul?s relationship to the masculine, often associated with a conflicted or deficient relationship with the father in childhood.

These are just a few of the many wonderful flower essences available today, though they may be among the most healing for many women. If one or more seems suitable, try working with them for the period of one month (a lunar cycle). This seems to be an appropriate time to bring about change through essence usage for many needs. It is best to take a few drops of each essence several times a day, or add a dropperful to a bottle of water in the morning and sipping throughout the day ? essences are better used in frequent, small doses. Hopefully these, or other flower essences can support you in your quest to become a more vibrant, strong and healthy woman!

About the Author:

Misty Rae Cech, ND is a degreed naturopath with a professional practice in Boulder, Colorado. She regularly employs flower essences with her clients to support their overall healing process. More information is available at http://www.anandaapothecary.com

The hottest tip on getting a web site listed quickly by Yahoo Inktomi MSN FAST Altavista and Hot

Anne-Marie KillerEvery webmaster knows that the free search engines are a major source of traffic.

They also know that applying all the SEO techniques in the world will not in itself get their web pages spidered, indexed and listed. Yes, sure, a perfect page, once indexed and listed will surely rank high for its keywords but unless it is found by the spiders, it is pretty useless.

It is no secret that the process of a web page being found by the spiders can be helped by placing links to that web site on other web sites (e.g. by doing a links exchange with other web sites, by putting one's URL in one's signature file when posting on a forum, by writing and submitting articles for free distribution and placing one's URL in the author's resource block etc.) All of this will surely work but it can take months before anything happens. The webmaster has no option but to be patient and wait...and wait...and wait.

Now there is something very easy and very effective one can do to speed up this process. Actually, using this method, will get a web page indexed and listed in less than 48 hours. And the whole process is controlled by the webmaster. It is easy, fast in terms of setting it all up and what's more it is free!

Here is what one does:
Go to http://www.blogger.com and sign up for a new account (free - they even host the blog on their server at no cost)
Give your blog a name.
Navigate to 'Settings' and then choose 'Site Feed'
Check that the 'Publish Site Feed' option is set to 'Yes'
Copy the 'Site Feed URL' to the clip board (you can paste is some where .. you're going to use it when you've set up your my.yahoo account)
Save your changes
Navigate to 'Posting' and create your first entry.
What should you write? Anything, actually - your words do not make that much of a difference. what is important is that you add the URL of each page you want listed to the blog. Remember to add them as live links (to enable all the spiders to follow them!) As a suggestion, why not make your blog a log of this experiment?
Publish your blog by hitting the 'Publish' button.

Sorry, we're not done yet...

Now you have to go to http://www.yahoo.com and open a My Yahoo! account. Just follow Yahoo's very clear instructions.
Click on the 'Add Content' button.
Click the 'Add RSS by URL' link.
Paste the 'Site Feed URL' you've copied earlier in the 'URL' field and hit 'Add'.
You have just added your site's news feed to your My Yahoo! account.

Mmm, you don't know what a news feed is? I've written a document explaining it all. You can read it here: http://perfect-party-ideas.blogspot.com/2005/01/what-is-orange-xml-or-rss-icon-i-see.html

Last step: go to http://www.pingomatic.com
Enter your blog's name and URL (similar to mine: http://www.perfect-party-ideas.blogspot.com)
Select all the services to ping (of which My Yahoo! is one) and click the 'Submit Pings' button.
Navigate back to your My Yahoo! account and refresh your browser.
Scroll to the bottom of the page where you'll see your blog's feed appearing.

Your job is done - the spider bait is ready!

Now for a bit of excitement. Start watching your web site's stat's to see how quickly the spiders find their way to your web site. You could even throw a free stats counter on your blog and watch the spiders visiting your blog.

Next step: Play log-and-ping every day or so. More often if you have the time! Whenever you feel like it, add another posting to your blog. Remember to throw in some links to specific pages on your web site.

Let me know how successful you were - use my 'Contact Me' page on my web site.

About the author:

Anne-Marie Killer is a mother of two step teenagers and a toddler. She is the webmaster and owner of Perfect Party Ideas
Read her blog where she documents the process of setting up Perfect Party Ideas



Web-site designing Pillars (part2)Pavel LenshinWEB-SITE DESIGNING PILLIARS (part 2)

------------------------------------------------------------
copyright (c) Pavel Lenshin
------------------------------------------------------------


USABILITY

Usability is what makes your WS pleasant to deal with.
While everyone defines personally for her(him)self how to
make design nice to look at, memorable (in respect to
branding) and serve customer/business needs in the best way
possible, the technical side of usability can and should be
corrected using the standard requirements.

SOURCE CODE OPTIMIZATION

Firstly about the four problems that come to my mind with
dirty HTML source code:

1. Potential cross-browser conflicts as some particular
useless Tags (a piece of HTML source code) may be neglected
by one browser but create some visual errors, when viewed in
other browser.
2. The more useless HTML Tags web-page has, the more drive
space it occupies.
3. As the derivative of the previous problem, the more size
of that web-page, the longer it takes to visitor to load and
view it.
4. Search engines like plain and clear textual information
for easy search and scan. By having a lot of useless pieces
of HTML code, you prevent SE spiders to proper index your
web-pages. The result is the obvious decreasing of your
Search Engine rankings. That is why Meta Tags correcting is
not the only thing you should pay attention to.

Statistic shows that more then 85% of all WSs online demands
graphics or HTML code optimization. That is actually a
common problem, the core of which lies in the use of highly
popular home web editors like FrontPage or other.

The winner among the worst is well-known Netscape
Composer, due to the extremely dirty HTML code it
generates while editing old or creating new web-pages. If
you have ever used Composer and no one have cleaned those
web-pages afterwards, they definitely contain a lot of HTML
garbage.

Based on my own experience every 50Kb Netscape Composer's
web-page can be easily optimized to the 40Kb file size or
less, as a simple result of the deleting junk HTML tags. If
you implement Cascade Style Sheet and HTML compressor you
will get the same, but clean & shiny web-page totaling
25-30Kb (40-50% space savings) with the enhanced visual
effects.

The example above shows saving on a single web-page, but if
we speak in terms of 50-60 pages WS, that occupy (without
graphics) 3-5Mb of hard drive space, the potential savings
as a result of HTML optimization may reach 1-3Mb.
So if you are experiencing the lack of hard drive space with
your hosting provider, the solution to that problem lies in
simple WS optimization. It doesn't only save a lot of space,
but, as we know, eliminates potential cross-browser
mistakes, helps SE spiders to properly index your web-pages
and make your visitors' surfing more quick and smooth and
therefore pleasant.

GRAPHICS OPTIMIZATION

When we speak about poorly optimized graphics we get two
problems: more occupied space and worse load time. Given
that the first obstacle may be overcome by acquiring
personal server with several Gigabytes of hard drive space,
the letter problem will continue to exist as the majority of
web visitors have low speed dial-up connection.

To make your graphics optimized on the basic level, you
should save it in the proper graphic format. Many popular
pictures of eBook covers can be easily optimized simply by
re-saving .JPG format into .GIF or vice versa depending on
particular file. That tactic alone can bring 15Kb file to
occupy 7-10Kb in the matter of 2 min.

The basic math shows that 10 optimized pictures (without
HTML optimization) on a web-page are capable to decrease the
overall size of it from 120Kb to 70Kb with no visual loss in
the quality of picture. Are you aware of statistics how many
visitors leave your site just because they are tired to wait
until all pictures load? It doesn't mean that you have to
simply delete these pictures completely as some people
suggest, what it does mean is that they are better to be
optimized because in case with eBook covers, they proved to
triple selling potential and their absence will be hardly
compensated by new visitors.

To choose the right format, follow one simple rule:
If the target picture is more likely to be a photo, with
many colors, unshaped objects and different lights, this
file should be saved in .JPG format. If, on the contrary, a
picture is more likely to consists of a number of vector
objects like circles, triangles, squares, doesn't have too
many colors or similar to some drown comics, then .GIF
format is the best to use.

If it is hard to determine, then save it in both formats and
compare quality/size ratio. Not much work, big effect.

Having semi- or fully professional graphic editors will
allow you to get even better results by selecting
compression rate, smoothness, sharpness of edges if we
speak about .JPG format; or palette, colors, rate of
transparency, animation features etc. if we deal with .GIF
format.

Today's technological opportunities are vast, so it is you
to decide how deeply you want to dive in.

CROSS-BROWSER &
SCREEN RESOLUTION OPTIMIZATION

The numbers are the following:
- 2% have outdated 14'' with 640*480 pixels in width and
height respectively.
- 49% of web-surfers use 15 monitors with preferable
standard screen resolution of 800*600 pixels;
- 45% surf the web with 17 monitors with reasonable
1024*768 resolution;
- 4% of users enjoy 18-19 monitors with 1152*864-1280*1024
screen settings.

What should these numbers tell you? The very simple thing
if you created the WS on your 15 monitor, don't assume that
it will look as good on other monitors as on yours.

Let me draw several notes here about the tendency that
monitor market will follow in the nearest future.
First is that all 14 monitors are gradually going to their
deserved eternal rest. Even the share of notebooks with 15
TFT screens growing exponentially. There are even several
new versions with 16 active matrixes. Don't also forget
that notebooks' 14 TFT screen have almost the same diagonal
inches as usual 15 CRT (Cathode-ray tube) monitors.
Secondly, the number of 15 monitors is also decreasing, due
to growing number of 17 monitor owners that is the third
point.

One sentence conclusion of the above statistics is that your
WS should look fine, at least, under 800*600 and 1024*768
resolutions. This is a market demand to your WS and, as we
know, you better not joke with The Market.

Without going deep into theory, there are two ways:
- more simple;
- more complex.

Both correct, both satisfy the demand above but the letter
way, given it is more complex, usually perfectly fits any
screen resolution, whether it is 14 or 21 and more
favorable to WS space usage.

The easier way would be to make the borders of your web-page
(tables of your web-page) to be fixed with certain number of
pixels.
The most popular settings are something between 650 to 750
pixels just to fit that 800 pixels width screen under the
most popular 15 monitor 800*600 resolution. If you go that
way your web-page will have the same look under different
sets of resolutions.
If we try to see it at 14 monitor with 640 pixels in width,
the unpleasant horizontal scroller would appear because our
fixed setting in 700 pixels is wider then 640 and it just
won't fit in it. If, on the other hand, we look at our
imaginable site under 1152*864 or 1280*1024, it will look
too narrow, as it will occupy only 60% of the screen width
(our 700 in comparison to 1200 screen pixels width).
Why does this designing way simpler? You just won't have any
problems building it: no need for resolution or
cross-browser optimization, as fixed pixels are read
correctly under almost every browser.

The more complex way is to have width of one or several HTML
tables columns on your site to be set in percents like 75%
or 100% and, therefore, poses the ability to automatically
broaden or narrow according to the specified percents,
depending on what screen resolution the site is being viewed
under.
If you have 600*800 screen settings (the screen width is 600
pixels) and one of the table width of your site is set to
100%, then this particular table along with all included
text and graphic will narrow to 600 pixels, if we set the
monitor to 1200*1024 resolution, i.e. having 1200 pixels
wide, our site's table will stretch to the specified 100%,
in that case, 1200 pixels.
That's why it looks more attractive under different
resolutions but demands additional optimization, including
cross-browser optimization, as Netscape Navigator browser
has some problems with proper interpreting of percent
settings in multi column tables. Which way to choose depends
on the tasks and your preference.

I wish you endless creativity and no more then 70Kb per page

------------------------------------------------------------

About the author:

Pavel Lenshin is an Internet entrepreneur, web-developer and
marketer, founder of the entrepreneurship portal, where you
can find discounted Internet services, marketing solutions,
FREE ebooks, FREE reports and finally uncover innovative
business strategies through FREE NET Business Magazine.
Visit: http://asbone.com


Web-site designing Pillars (part1)Pavel LenshinWEB-SITE DESIGNING PILLIARS (part1)

------------------------------------------------------------
copyright (c) Pavel Lenshin
------------------------------------------------------------


It is a hot opinion that it's the words that sell, not a
design and that you should invest all your money into
writing a good sales copy and what is left (if anything)
into web-site. I can give you 99 out of 100 that authors of
these claims are copywriters, web-designers usually don't
write articles. It is like asking football player what game
he enjoys more: football or hockey? :0)

I don't want to argue that statement about the importance of
copywriting, on the contrary, I think that it is totally
true, but under one condition your Web-Site (WS hereafter)
is already implied to make your visitors feel, at least,
comfortable.

It could never be counted, how many times I closed down the
browser without reading a single word, just because of the
amateurish and clumsy look those WSs had.

No need to emphasize on importance of the professional WS.
It is obvious, at the same time you won't read there, that
web-design is everything and that professional sales letter
or text message is nothing, because it is like answering the
question what is better to have skin or heart cancer? To
my mind, it is better to be totally healthy.

Business WS usually plays the role of virtual office, shop,
informational dep., marketing dep. and service dep. It is a
main representative and the core of your business the
final proof, the image of your company is based on.

-----What it is all about-----

The target is set to make your WS as good as it can
possibly be. Here I pointed the crucial pillars of designing
a professional looking WS. You will not find there basic
HTML teaching or how to use particular web-editor. The
knowledge of HTML will help, but is not compulsory, as
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors will make all
HTML coding work ehind the scene for you.

You require general understanding of what HTML is and
ability to use one or several WYSIWYG web-editors, that is
three hour learning process. The feeling of style and taste
is also advisable; otherwise you will have to consult a
designer.

The problem with design How to.. is that WS design is 90%
creative work, where is no two identical WS (unless copied),
that is why there cannot be any step-by-step study, the same
way there is no step-by-step study on how to paint a
masterpiece paint.

What we can teach is how to hold a brush, but it is you,
who should paint Mona Lisa and become Leonardo da Vinci.

-----What your WS should look like?-----

+ Stylish. Consider it as an exterior and interior of your
whole off-line business premises, starting from hall
(main-index web-page) and ending with your personal office
(about me web-page). It has to have its unique feel and
style. Don't also forget about branding features your WS
represent.

+ Clear structure. Imagine a shopper who wants to make a
purchase at your offline store, but in order to enter it, he
has to go through warehouse, service department and all
kinds of office premises. Don't allow your web visitor feel
like that shopper.

+ Harmonically allocated design elements like graphics and
text. The WS is united entity and your brand. Every element
on the WS is to be blend with exterior, no separated
elements or graphics like a number of flashy banners.

+ High usability standards and complete WS optimization
including clear HTML code and optimized web graphics that
are similar to clear shop. The more dirt your web-pages
contains, the more time it will take to load them, the more
potential errors it may show in different browsers, and the
harder it will be for Search Engine spiders to index your
WS. We will discuss these issues later on.
Pay also attention to broken links, as it is similar to wall
behind the door of your off-line shop. Let your visitors
find good resources with your help, rather than an Error
404 Page not found.

+ Absence of grammatical errors. It concerns grammatical
correctness of textual information. The importance of
correct grammar is clear, no one wants to deal with
uneducated people, especially if they represent businesses.

-----What programs you will need-----

First of all you will need to equip yourself with right
armament, that are mostly WYSISWG (What You See Is What
You Get) web-editors. The download links and short
description you can find below:

Macromedia Dreamveawer -
http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/ - considered
to be the best WYSIWYG HTML editor. Ideal for beginners as
well as professional users. Anything you can only imagine
has already been included :0) 30 days trial version.

EzyPage - http://www.ezyware.com/ - very simple drag&drop
web-page creator for beginners. Although it has several very
interesting features build in like dropdown menu or
scrolling table. Free distribution.

Stepzilla - http://www.stepzilla.com/ - the software's
motto - step by step to the web - tells everything for
itself.

1st page 2000 v.2 final - http://www.evrsoft.com/products/ -
very pleasant HTML editor for beginners as well as advanced
webmasters. Has ability to choose the interface that will be
more suitable. Available HTML cleaning option, XML
converter, build in FTP-client and preview function. A lot
of ready to use Javasript, VBScript, DHTML, Perl
applications. The software is being distributed for free.

Hot Dog Professional -
http://sausage.com/products/index.html - three HTML
editors - HotDog Junior for kids, PageWiz for beginners and
Professional ver.6 for advanced users. Convenient interface
with easy to access HTML functions. Includes CSS editor,
checker for tag errors and many others. All three editors
allow to download 30-days trial version.

CoffeCup HTML editors - http://www.coffeecup.com/software/ -
another offer with several versions of softwares for
beginners as well as advanced users. Pre-made JavaScript
applications libraries, Flash effects, font creator, HTML
code cleaner, FTP-client, and many more. Collection of
web-pictures, backgrounds, icons. Available 30-days trial
PRO or free version.

AceHTML 5.0 Pro - http://www.visicommedia.com/ -
professional HTML editor. DHTML ? JavaScript libraries.
Build in CSS editor, HTML, JavaScript, CSS checker, supports
XHTML, XML, Perl and WML documents. HTML code optimizer,
link checker. Available 30-days trial version.

-----PILLARS OF PROPER DESIGNING-----

TASKS DEFINING.

You next step after setting up the appropriate web-design
program is to set the list of tasks your site should solve.
You should answer the following questions:

1. Are your WS a sales letter or a content rich project?
Depending on your answer you have or don't have to pay
attention to the structure and flexibility of navigational
menu, as it may bring new challenges, as your content-rich
WS will grow. Consider to reserve WS space to future
informational blocks like announcements, exclusive offers,
visitors voting, polls, that you may like to include
sometime in future. Don't make the page layout look too
tight, as you will require redesigning the whole page just
to insert a small table for visitors' voting.

2. What kind of integrated services you are planning to use?
Whether it is going to be shopping cart, discussion board,
chat or separate section totally devoted to the WS
newsletter, it should fit overall site layout and design.
Think in prospective, as it will take several hours now, but
avoid several weeks of headache in the future. Make sure
that the foundation of your online empire will bear all
possible additional storeys, without need of demolishing the
whole uilding and strengthening the foundation.

3. What market sector your WS belongs to in general and what
product/service you are going to offer in particular? If
your WS is an entertainment portal, full of flash games,
casino offers and reviews of upcoming PC games, it is
obvious that design and layout plays extremely important
role as a representative of more than 50% of all
information. Be sure that boring graphics in that case would
cut the roots of your WS growth. If, on the other hand, you
are working at corporate business-to-business online sector
(B2B), there is absolutely no need in complex graphics
elements or flashy stars in the top-left corner. Online
businesses always experience lack of time, therefore, they
need quick answers of who you are, what you are and why are
you, rather than waiting till your welcome 300Kb flash clip
will load. The answer to efficient finding partners among
businesses is textual and to the point information that is
easy to access and that is, usually, represented in business
white-gray-black color scheme.

VISUALLY FINISHED.

Anybody can do that, although the broader imagination you
have, the simpler it will be. What you need is comfortable
seat, paper and a pen. Put your feet on the table, close
your eyes and imagine your WS.

Let me only tell you one of my favorite jokes concerning
technique mentioned above.

There was a group of foreign visitors coming to see a very
prosperous and profitable company.
At the end of their excursion one of the visitors asked
their guide:
You know, your company is really perfect, with the best
technology I've ever seen, everybody is working very hard,
but, tell me, who is that man in the biggest room on the top
floor doing nothing but relaxing on the soft armchair with
his feet crossed on the table, sipping Cola and listening to
music?
Oh, that man came up with the idea last year, that earned us
$1.000.000, and, as far as I remember, during that time he
was also sipping Cola with his feet on the table.

So follow this man and don't allow anybody disturb you
during this work!

Don't make any mistakes about it. You may be surprised, but
it is the most challenging and crucial part of your WS
creation. The brighter efforts you put into your paper, the
more beneficial result you will get. No need for degree in
painting, just basic elements on paper as a background of
your future WS building, the rest in mind.

Don't be afraid to experiment! It's a pleasant time spending
anyway. Remember all great works of all times are
considered to be masterpieces, only because they, firstly,
perfectly reflect the depth of their creators' souls and,
secondly, they are unique in their nature. There is no
masterpiece based on well-known standards. They are good in,
let's say, decreasing production costs, but they are not
welcomed in the art creation process, which the design
surely is.

On the other hand, you should always keep in mind that the
experiment ends exactly when the web-surfer disappointment
starts.

ELEMENTS.

The key point, while visualizing your full color WS, is to
decide what and where will you place 3 basic elements:
1. Header.
2. Navigational menu.
3. Space for main text.

The following list represents possible WS elements that you
consider to have as a result of previously conducted Task
Defining. Designer should also reserve a proper place and
harmonically blend them with the rest of WS elements:
1. Banner ads;
2. Menu mirror at the bottom;
3. Additional text for news column, announcements,
testimonials etc.;
4. Email forms, visitor polls, questionnaire etc.;
5. Any other items you consider to include.

It must be stressed that all the main elements of the WS as
well as any other WS items, which should be added at your
sole discretion ought to be put in mind while visualizing,
and therefore written down on paper to be sure there is no
forgotten element left behind. If it occurs at the next
stage you will have to start from the very beginning as
there is no way to move further. So don't quadruple your
work with your own hands. Make sure you have put every
present into the box you want to receive on Christmas. ;0)

WS STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT

Draw the scheme of your WS structure. How you are planning
to arrange, link and create logically relations between
sections or stand alone web-pages. It is easy to navigate
four-page sales letter WS, but everything changes when we
are exploring 100 spontaneously linked WS. It is easier to
get out of Sahara desert rather than to find what you need.

Your navigational structure could be linear or functional.
There are unlimited number of variations, just pay close
attention and follow one simple rule:
The more difficult for you to write a WS structure, the
more difficult it will be for potential user to navigate
it!

It doesn't depend on number of web pages rather then logical
sequence and connection of different parts or sections of
your site.

COLORS

I've also read numerous times, that Headlines is what the
visitor sees first, when comes to your site. Wrong! The
first thing a surfer sees on the WS, while it loads, is the
color and, sometimes, design appearance. Don't underestimate
the importance of color influence. With the help of color
play you can easily create a feeling of excitement or grief
even before s/he will see the first letter of your Headline.

One note should be also mentioned: try, if possible, to
avoid main colors green, red, yellow, blue. They are very
Day-Glo and very annoying while using them in the company
Logo sometimes considered to be enticing.

Don't use aggressive color scheme, make it to be polite
to your customer's perception. By doing so, you don't, at
least, make your visitor be irritated. Just experiment with
hues and brightness and you will get the color you need.
Follow this rule if you are not intend to sell clown noses
in the circus tent. :0)

Text color is also ought to match the background color.
Please, avoid red text on green color, dark blue on black
etc.

(to be continued...)
------------------------------------------------------------

About the author:

Pavel Lenshin is an Internet entrepreneur, web-developer and
marketer, founder of the entrepreneurship portal, where you
can find discounted Internet services, marketing solutions,
FREE ebooks, FREE reports and finally uncover innovative
business strategies through FREE NET Business Magazine.
Visit: http://asbone.com

Top Hospital Endorses Baby Bjorn Baby Carriers

Baby carriers in various forms have been in use for centuries. Their great virtue for many cultures was that they allowed a parent to move freely about while keeping a child attached and safe. Obviously, baby carrying allows a child's care-giver to more easily work or travel.

Modern baby carriers serve contemporary parents in much the same way. Of course, we aren't out working in the fields or migrating across the Steppes, but modern moms and dads still juggle household and child-rearing tasks all day long. Plus, the rise of Attachment Parenting as a movement among progressive parents reinforced the benefits of parent-child closeness, and modern baby carriers provide a great way to keep baby close without having to hold him in your arms.

The benefits of keeping an infant in close physical proximity are many, according to so called aby-wearing or attachment parenting advocates, Dr. William Sears most notably. (To be precise, baby wearing is both its own movement and also one of Dr. Sears attachment parenting ideals. For more information about attachment parenting, see the Ask Dr. Sears website.) Some of the claimed benefits of baby-wearing for both the parent and infant include the following:

Mothers' progesterone (mothering hormone) is increased through physical contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond, easier breastfeeding and better care, thus lowering the incidence of postpartum depression and psychosomatic illness.

Infants who are carried are calmer because all of their primal/survival needs are met. The caregiver can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, provide feeding and the motion necessary for continuing neural development, gastrointestinal and respiratory health and to establish balance (inner ear development) and muscle tone is constant.

Infants IQ and brain mass are measurably greater when primal needs are met since babies spend more time in a quiet state of attentive alertness, which is ideal for learning, rather than in a panicked survival mode.

Infants are more organized. Parental rhythms (walking, heartbeat, etc.) have balancing and soothing effects on infants.

Infants are humanized earlier by developing socially. Babies are closer to people and can study facial expressions, learn languages faster and be familiar with body language.

Developmental milestones such as learning to walk, talk and toilet train are reached earlier.

Contrary to western cultural myths, independence is established earlier.

Aggression is diminished.

Attachment between child and caregiver is more secure.

Decreases risk of positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) caused by extended time spent in a car seat and by sleeping on the back. Sleeping on the back is recommended to decrease the risk of SIDS. Cranial distortion resulting from non-vehicular time in car seats has shown to be more severe than in children who develop plagiocephaly from back-lying on a mattress. Concern over plagiocephaly has also lead the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that infants ?should spend minimal time in car seats (when not a passenger in a vehicle) or other seating that maintains supine positioning. None of the babywearing positions require infants to lie supine while being carried. Infants can even be worn while sleeping, also decreasing sleeping time spent in a supine position.

Although there are some who argue that the expectation of increased involvement with children inherent in attachment parenting and babywearing practices may create undo stress on parents, particularly on working mothers, most parents will attest that infants are happiest when close to their parents, especially to their mothers.

Given the benefits of babywearing, it comes as no surprise that Baby Bjorn, one of the pioneers of the modern baby carrier, is often recommended to new parents. In fact, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the top ten rated pediatric hospitals in the country according to both Child Magazine and U.S. News and World Report, recently endorsed the use Baby Bjorn baby carriers. Dr. Avroy A. Fanaroff, Chairman of Pediatrics and Chief Medical Officer at Rainbow, wrote the following:

Since 1973 BabyBjorn has designed baby carriers that strengthen the infant-child relationship. The intimate fit of all BabyBjorn baby carrier models help baby feel at one with the parent. Carrying baby close can ease stress for both parents and child, and a parent's natural movements can calm a fussy baby. BabyBjorn baby carriers help position the baby comfortably and at the same time provide the proper support for the infant's spine and hips.

As Dr. Fanaroff notes, all of the Baby Bjorn baby carriers provide the key benefits of babywearing Baby Bjorn's current styles include the still-popular Original Carrier, the Active Carrier with enhanced back support, and the Air Carrier for more comfortable babywearing in warm weather.

Beyond the pleasures and benefits of keeping your baby close by using a baby carrier, most parents find that the added mobility and being able to hold baby hands free while using a baby carrier are indispensable. I know that among our friends, we've passed one particular Baby Bjorn Original Carriers around for over five years, across four different children. We couldn't live with it.

Scott Corbett is a father of two, a writer, and entrepreneur. Check out his premium baby gifts store, which carries the full line of Baby Bjorn baby carriers, including Baby Bjorn Original, Air, and Active Carriers.

Who Survived the Seventies?

It?s interesting to see what happened to the people I used to gossip about in the late Seventies. The late Zanzibar, a private membership bar in Covent Garden was always filled with famous people. In one evening alone, the following people were having a drink there, and most of them have since died or are living in obscurity. Francis Bacon, the painter and his friend Thea Porter, the dress designer who created the rich hippy look are both dead. Bobby Moore, the footballer and captain of the England football team when they won the 1966 World Cup, ?dribbled out of Zanzibar with two blondes, one of whom tried to steal the visitor?s sign-in book? has since died of cancer.

Tina Chow, the beautiful, then wife of Michael Chow the restaurateur who wafted around in Fortuny gowns later died of AIDS after trying to cure herself with crystals. Patrick Litchfield, the royal photographer, then happily married to Lady Victoria Waymouth, recently died after having a stroke. Angelica Houston used to live with Jack Nicholson, but is now married to a sculptor called Robert Graham and lives in Venice in LA. ?Sex-bomb? Sylvia Krystel, rumoured to be having a fling with actor Ian McShane at the time played the title character in the soft-core film Emmanuelle ? one of the most successful French films ever produced. She recently had cancer and lives a simple life of obscurity in Amsterdam. Phil Lynott was Thin Lizzy?s vocalist and songwriter, but died from heart failure and pneumonia after suffering a heroin overdose in 1986, aged 36. Nigel Dempster used to be a famous print journalist. In the late Seventies, he was the gossip columnist for the Daily Mail. After thirty years in the job, he was retired against his will in 2003 and suffers from Parkinson?s disease. David Hockney had just bought a book out called David Hockney by David Hockney. His boyfriend Peter Schlesinger had just left him for Eric Boman, the photographer. Now, David Hockney is still David Hockney and his recent Portraits exhibition was held at the National Portrait Gallery in the UK, in Boston and in LA. He is officially single.

Celia Birtwell opened her textiles shop in London, and is now a successful fashion designer and textile designer. Her recent collection sold out in 'Top Shop' after ten minutes. Larry Adler, the harmonica player, who insisted on telling dreadful jokes, died in 1987 aged 87. Peter Langan, who co-owned Langan?s Brasserie with Michael Caine in the late Seventies, loved drinking so much that his Harley Street doctor gave him injections enabling him to continue drinking. He died aged 48 in 1988. Germaine Greer used to be a glamour puss but recently appeared as herself in Ricky Gervais? 'Extras.' The fashion designers Ossie Clark and Bill Gibb are both dead. Ossie was murdered by his lover, and Bill Gibb expired from cancer. But, the saddest story of the lot was of Timothy Swallow, a gossip columnist who worked for Nigel Dempster. In the Seventies, he committed suicide in Australia when he was there on holiday. He obviously couldn?t handle the pressure.

Frances Lynn, copyright: 2006

Frances Lynn is a professional writer and journalist. Her two novels, Frantic and Crushed are published by Eiworth Publishing at http://yourbookstore.eiworth.se/ Her personal website is http://www.franceslynn.org

The Dangers Of Overvaluing Real Estate

We all have done it at one time or another.

When short of listings, the Realtor goes out and ?buys' one. The process of buying a listing is as old as Real Estate itself. The agent shows up at someone's doorsteps and inflates the value of the property by more than $30,000, $40,000 or even $50,000 over and above the actual market value. I know of agents who have actually listed properties for $200,000 more than what those properties were in fact worth. The owner happily signs the listing agreement with those dollar signs sparking right in the eyes, and the Realtor happily sticks up a sign right in the front lawn. Of course the house subsequently does not sell because it is overpriced, but it doesn't really matter.

Or does it?

All the way back in 1988, in a legal case entitled Basic Inc. v. Levinson, the United States Supreme Court endorsed a theory known as ?fraud on the market', which in turn relies on another theory known in Economics as the Efficient Market Hypothesis. The Efficient Market Hypothesis postulates that prices of traded assets like stocks, bonds, or real property, already reflect all known information and therefore are unbiased in the sense that they reflect the collective beliefs of all investors about the value of the underlying asset and enable investors, therefore, to assess future prospects.

In essence the Efficient Market Hypothesis, which was developed in the 1950's and 1960's, states that subject to certain conditions the market price of a traded asset fully and accurately reflects all the available information relevant to its value. Under this Hypothesis, in an efficient market the only reason as to why a price changes is that new information comes to light.

Because market prices reflect all available information about an asset, reasoned the Supreme Court, misleading statements as to the integrity of price will affect and negatively impact the decision-making process of investors, who rely on those statements as the primary guide to finalize a purchase. Which is tantamount to ?intentional deceit', more vulgarly known as ... fraud.

That ruling has proven a goldmine for American trial lawyers, who have won fortunes by suing firms for damages when new financial information, often in practice a restatement of their balance sheets, is followed by a sharp fall in stock prices of the same firms. The fall is treated as proof of overvaluation due to the initial, wrong statements.

This decision of America's highest Court has now crossed the border with Canada and has spilled into Real Estate. A case involving a Seller, a Buyer and a Real Estate Agent acting in a position of dual agency is now pending in front of the Supreme Court of Ontario. The Agent first grossly overvalued the subject property at the time he took the listing, then actually found a Purchaser ready, willing and able to buy at a price close the grossly inflated asking price. As the transaction was being financed through an institutional lender, the underlying case initially also involved an appraisal firm, which subsequently has settled out of Court with the disgruntled Purchaser.

The decision of the Supreme Court will have an enormous impact on how real estate is practiced in Ontario and possibly throughout the whole country, and it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be. The Buyer bases his case on the Efficient Market Hypothesis arguing that he reached the decision to purchase on the integrity of the asking price and claims, furthermore, that the dual Agent knew or should have know that the asking price was grossly over and above the market value of the subject property. The Buyer is claiming damages both as against the Agent and the Seller.

The line of defence is that the true meaningful value of an interest in land is given by its ?objective value', defined as the price that the property will fetch in an open and fair market, given sufficient time to find a Purchaser, the amount of advertising involved in the marketing of the property, the relationship between the parties and the terms of financing. The additional argument of the defence is that the truthfulness of the Efficient Market Hypothesis is actually being disputed by Economists even in its original field of application: the Stock Market. More specifically, the defence argues that even highly developed financial markets such as the New York Stock Exchange are not efficient enough to allow Courts to calculate the financial damages caused by fraud, and that estimates of damages based on the Hypothesis will be necessarily overstated.

The Realtor in particular contends, furthermore, that at no time the thought of earning a double commission ever crossed his innocent mind (he was walking the dog one day and ...).

All of which goes to prove once again the point I have been making for years - that is sellers, buyers, realtors, lawyers and judges invariably make an explosive mix.

Luigi Frascati

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle at http://wwwrealestatechronicle.blogspot.com where you can find the full collection of his articles on Real Estate Economics and Finance. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC.

Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you.

Simple PostPartum Depression Cures

Post-Partum Depression is a debilitating, albeit extremely common, condition that affects new mothers everywhere. Medication is of course one of the standard remedies, but before you opt for it, there are other, simpler solutions which could very well get you back on your feet without modifying your metabolism.. This article lists several of them, drawn from accounts of actual users.

> Go to bed early and try to get a good night's sleep

> Lie down next to your heater vent and feel its comforting warmth

> Stroll in the park amongst the ducks, watching what they do

> Do things with your hands, perhaps a craft

> Work in the garden, watering plants and pulling up weeds; each is calming in its own way

> Buy yourself a fancy cup of coffee, savor it's fine taste and aroma

> Play with your kids and make plans with them for what you will do together when you are feeling better

> See a therapist regularly and make sure you are totally candid with him

> See a doctor regularly and make sure you are totally candid with him

> Stay away from alcohol and other depressants

> Have a relaxing bubble bath or a shower with something sweet to eat and drink; play soothing music while you are bathing

> Keep a journal about your feelings: it helps to externalize them

> Exercise regularly: this releases feel-good chemicals (endorphins) into your bloodstream

> Join and participate in online forums for post-partum depression; discuss your problem with others who have it, seek their advice and enjoy the comfort of a loving community

> Take part in activities with family and friends

> Read a good book

> Go visiting

> Call a close friend and talk to her/him

> Go for a drive

> Bake something; this will direct your attention to a subject other than parenting and refresh your mind

> Call your mom and talk to her about your problem. This could be the single most effective therapy for your situation, because she loves you, is deeply concerned about you and will make time to listen to you

> Ask your mom to visit for some days. She could help with your chores and thus create some personal time for you to do the other things mentioned here

> Put baby in her stroller and go out for a walk

> Let yourself wallow for a bit with no pressure and all pleasure - stay in your PJs, eat junk food, mope a bit

> Cuddle with your kids and if you feel like it, have a good cry while doing so. Realize there are people who truly love you (can't help but feel happy when your kids are giggling and rolling on the floor with you)

> Go to the beach if there is one nearby - look at the ocean and breathe the sea air

> Go shopping (nothing like good old-fashioned retail therapy!), or go window-shopping

> Have a long, deep chat with your dear husband, followed by a long, long cuddle and sweet kisses!
About the Author

How To Look Chic And Cool On Campus: 5 Tips On Buying A School Bag

Many bags nowadays have the triple F factor--fun, fashion, and function. With the wide range of available choices, you can walk around school in comfort and style. To help you achieve that, here are several tips you'll find handy:

1) Go for established choices.

When you're shopping for a school bag, look for backpacks, messenger bags, boat totes, duffel bags, laptop-style carriers, and ruby Tuesday bags. These types are popular choices among students for very good reasons--they are often spacious enough to accommodate a lot of stuff and also often made of materials that can withstand being stretched to the limit. If you always lug around a ton of readings and notes, such a feature in a bag is a welcome respite from sore arms.

2) Consider the weight of your everyday load.

Think about the weight you'll be carrying on a daily basis. This will help you determine the size of the bag that's just perfect for your needs. A big bag with hardly anything inside looks limp; on the other hand, a small one bursting at the seams looks bulky. If you get the right size, the bag retains its shape even with all of your necessary school things in it.

3) Look at your current wardrobe.

The bag you choose should go along with most of the clothes in your closet. If your style is feminine and flirty (think blouses and skirts), a utilitarian messenger bag is not going to sit right on you. You're better off with a boat tote. The same goes with the reverse. If your look is sporty with your cargo pant

4) Pick quality over quantity.

Your school bag is meant to carry a considerable weight. You can't afford to buy just any cheap bag unless you want to run the risk of it falling apart when you least expect it. This means you have to buy something expensive or you have to patiently look for a good bargain. Whatever your budget is, you have a much better option than settling for a low-quality bag.

5) Opt for a safe color.

If your budget permits you to buy just one high-quality bag, buy it in solid black, navy blue, brown, gray, or white. These colors go well with other hues so you don't have to worry about looking mismatched. If that sounds too boring for you, you can always jazz up your bag with scarves, brooches, and other accessories.

You don't have to look like you're walking down a Parisian catwalk when you're in school, but you don't have to be careless about your appearance either. It's not just about looking great for vanity's sake. It's also about making good impressions on your teachers and fellow students. After all, it never hurts to get straight As in your subjects...and in fashion, too.

Rex sells his beautiful & funky line of unique handmade handbags at budget friendly prices. Sign up for his newsletter at http://www.siamsensibilities.com to get his exclusive Aromatherapy E-book and 10% off all future purchases.

How to Choose Baby Strollers

How to Create a Lifetime Customer When you Sell Real Estate

How often have you seen a customer buy from one agency and then a few years later, list with a different agency? I've seen it far too often! I always wonder if the agent did something wrong, or just didn't bother to turn that person into a lifetime customer.

I'll admit, real estate customers aren't known for their loyalty. In fact, if you list a house and it doesn't sell right away, they might take their listing elsewhere even if you've spent hundreds on advertising for them. But there are ways to improve your chances of keeping them. And there are ways to turn satisfied buyers and sellers into Lifetime customers.

And remember, if your commission averages $10,000 per transaction and people move every 5 years, you stand to gain an extra $30,000 over the next 15 years. Then consider those buyers who like to do rehab. They sometimes buy more than one each year. Add in the friends and family each customer could bring you, and there's only one conclusion: Customers are worth keeping!

How to keep a listing: Stay in touch during the listing period. I can't count how many times I've gotten listings that used to belong to someone else, just because the sellers felt ignored.

So, rule #1 is Stay in touch, even when it's difficult.

It is difficult to call and speak with the seller when there's been no action, but call anyway. You can tell him or her where you've advertised, how many flyers you've given out to office drop-ins, how many flyers you've mailed to long distance inquiries, etc. Perhaps you took new photos and posted them on your virtual tour. Whatever you've done, let the seller know you did it.

In my office we kept track of all activity and mailed a monthly report, along with copies of each ad we had placed in a newspaper or magazine. In addition, we called mid-month just to stay in touch. This practice was responsible for most listing renewals. The important point is, you must make sure that the seller knows you're doing something regularly to promote the house.

OK, you sold the house. Everyone passed go and collected their money. Now what?

Now you send a thank you letter with a brief questionnaire asking for feedback on your service. It will let you know what you did right - and occasionally you'll hear what you did wrong! Don't be afraid of that. Welcome that kind of feedback because it gives you the opportunity to make a friend out of an unhappy customer. Write back and thank them for letting you know and for helping your career by letting you improve your service.

Next, put those names and addresses in a data base and start staying in touch. Every 2 to 4 months is often enough, unless you know that they have friends or relatives who are about to make a move.

Send a magazine article about their hobby, birthday cards, a postcard with a funny joke, a pretty picture, or perhaps an article about getting the house ready for winter. Anything that will interest them and keep your name in front of them will do.

I wrote a monthly newsletter, and if I was late getting it out customers would call to see why it wasn't there. That was before email became so popular. Now you could do it electronically at zero cost if you write it yourself, and you could add a personal note to really special customers.

You're going for Top of mind awareness, and you can only get that through regular contact. Your goal is for them to think of you first when anyone mentions needing a Realtor.

That brings me to Rule #2: Stay in Touch!

Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter and former real estate broker. She has extensive experience in writing for the real estate industry and related fields. Visit her at http://marte-cliff.com/RealEstate.html and sign up for her complimentary real estate marketing ezine.

TeamBuilding One Game Activity That Is Virtually Free!

Central Arizona by Elana Andersen

All roads lead to and from ... Phoenix!

Arizonas main gateway is Phoenix and an ideal location for basing a hub-and spoke itinerary. You can travel no more than 30 miles in any direction and arrive at one or more areas offering a selection of enjoyable touring sites and activities. Here is a sampling of what is available.

In and around Phoenix

Downtown Phoenix is in the throes of a renaissance with the transformation of its 90-square-block core and an infusion of $3.9 billion into Copper Square. Anchored by the Phoenix Civic Plaza, Copper Square is taking the best of Old Town and shaping it into a multi-use complex. It is an example of contemporary city-center living style with a mix of residential, commerce, sports, cultural and arts facilities, shopping and other urban amenities.

Two of the more prominent Copper Square structures are the America West Arena, home to the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers; and the Bank One Ballpark where the Arizona Diamondbacks play.

Other highlights of Copper Square are its more than 90 restaurants, lounges and markets and Arizona Center, where you find a myriad of specialty shops, movie theaters and performance venues. Other theater and performing arts venues include the Arizona Youth Theater, the Dodge Theatre, the Herberger Theater Center, the historic Orpheum Theater and Symphony Hall. The Square also has several museums and historic sites including the foursquare block Heritage Square, site of the original town, which features several restored Victorian-style buildings. Other museums include the Phoenix Museum of History, Arizona Science Center, the Rossnon House Museum, the Arizona Doll and Toy Museum, the Musco Museum, Phoenix Police Museum and the Wells Fargo History Museum. Another feature of the area is a large Mercado shopping village.

Scottsdale

Visiting Scottsdale and need a tour guide? One option is to use the new driving CD and map, Audio Adventure of Scottsdale. Commentary gives an inside look at the citys architecture, art, sports, distinctive landscape and history. The map directs you to various points and scenic areas and there are 15 featured audio stops that offer more indepth commentary. A limited supply of free CDs and maps are available from the Scottsdale CVB.

Tempe

The Spring Festival of the Arts, March 31-April 2, is one of the states finest outdoor art events. The downtown area is closed to foot traffic and becomes a gallery featuring over 500 juried artists in various media. These include paintings, sculptures, handmade toys and decorative items, textiles, pottery and other works of art. There are food, entertainment and other activities. The citys Fall Festival of the Arts is typically the first weekend in December.

Way Out West Oktoberfest, late September weekend. This event features lots of dancing to polka music and country western two-stepping. There are games of skill and chance, puppet shows and a cultural craft fair. Food ranges from bratwurst to cowboy grub.

Chandler

Chandler boasts an active arts community and many theatrical and music performances are held at its Center for Performing Arts. Its primary season is from November through April. This seasons line-up includes: Debbie Reynolds, Jan. 28; Lawrence Welk Show Performers, Feb. 11, and BYUs Young Ambassadors.

LeisureGroupTravel

For more information visit GroupTravelDirectory.com
About the Author

Casino Games History Or How People Have Learnt To Count Cards Part 5

Car Seat Safety Tips For Your Baby

Do you know that according to a report 80% of kids are not properly seated in the car seat and thus many children get unnecessarily injured in car accidents. Still many of us do not bother about using safe car seats for our children. So let us follow some basic tips so that we can avoid our babies from getting involved in an accident.

The biggest mistake that you parents often commit, is not to bother whether the seat is right for your child's age and whether he is facing the right direction.

a) Always remember infants should be in a rear facing infant only seat or convertible seat until they are 1 year old and weigh twenty pounds. Kids whose weight remains less than 20 pounds even after 1 year should also continue to face backwards.

b) When a child is above 1 year in age and weighs more than 20 pounds then he/she can be seated in a forward facing car seat, until they are 40 pounds of weight. Children over forty pounds should be placed into a belt positioning booster seat and they should usually stay in it until they are at least 8 years old.

c) Parents always remember not to use the car's regular seat belts for your child until they fit correctly when your child is about 80 pounds and is 4ft 9 inches tall. Your child should not use regular seat belts until the shoulder strap fits across his shoulder and not his neck, and the lap belt fits across his hips and not his stomach.

d) You should not allow your child to sit in the front seat until he/she is more than 12 years of age

e) Remember! Do not use seat, which has its harness straps too loose or in the wrong position, always lock the seat belt properly with a locking clip, secure the seat belt correctly and do not place an infant seat in the way of an air bag.

f) Always make sure that the harness chest clip of the infant seat is positioned at your child's armpit level, the harness straps are straight, the rear-facing straps are positioned at or a bit below your child's shoulders, the seat is reclined at about a 45 degree angle and never ever place an infant in a rear-facing child restraint in the front seat of a car.

g) When you are using a rear facing convertible seat, see carefully whether the harness straps are positioned at or a bit below your child's shoulders, the harness chest clip is at the armpit level, the harness straps are straight and the seat is reclined at a 45-degree angle

h) While using a forward facing convertible seat, watch out that the harness straps are positioned at or slightly above your child's shoulder, the straps are straight and the harness chest clip's position is around your child's mid-chest or armpit area.

i) You can only use a forward facing combination seat if the harness straps are positioned at, or slightly above, your child's shoulders and you must stop using a shield booster when your child is 40 pounds.

j) If you want to use a belt-positioning booster seat, first make sure that you are using the lap/shoulder belt combination with a belt-positioning booster. Never use just a lap belt. Secondly, the shoulder belt must rest across the chest and thirdly the lap-belt should remain across the lap or upper thigh area and not across the stomach

Finally, do not use a car seat that: a) was involved in a crash, b) more that 10 years old, c) does not have a label with its date of manufacturing, d) does not have instructions, e) has a crack in its frame or has some part missing.

Always follow these instructions to ensure your baby's safety in the car.

By: John Foley

How to Make Board Games for Parties

If you learn how to make up your own board games for parties youll find that you can create an easy themed board game for every party.

Youll need:

Heavy Cardstock or cardboard

Printer

Poker chips

Color ink

Glue

Youll be able to create the playing board for your themed board game with a simple paint program. A basic board game involves moving pieces along a series of spaces until they reach the end and whoever reaches the end of the spaces first is the winner.

So, on your paint program you can experiment with creating your own design of a series of playing spaces. You might pick a colored background or could even download a picture relating to your party theme to stand in as the background on your playing board. Your spaces can be the circles, squares, and triangle shapes that many paint programs allow you to insert. Fill these spaces with white or other lightly colored background and using the text insert tool you can insert instructions associated with your specific game. Instructions can be things like, move forward three spaces, or pick a trivia card and follow instructions.

Once you have your playing board designed you can print it out in sections on pieces of paper. Youll then glue or rubber cement these pieces to the heavy cardstock you purchased that will serve as a backing for your board game.

You can also look up interesting facts related to your partys theme and use them in creating trivia questions for the board game. The players pieces can be represented by poker chips or something other small object. And you can use a pair of dice for the players to roll in deciding who goes next. After that you can create the rules to go with your own created board game.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Free Party Games for every occasion, birthday, holiday and party theme including free printable games and activities. Plus, free baby shower games, bridal shower games, birthday party games, printable party games, TV Trivia, Movie Trivia games. All the games have easy instructions. Over 1,000 free party games for baby showers, bridal showers, holiday celebrations and kids parties. Also, printable activities for kids parties, baby showers and bridal showers.

By Gail Leino

Buying Vacation Property in Palm Beach

The boom in vacation properties is just beginning. It appears to be a strong real estate trend in the coming years.

There are two main reasons for this trend. First, people born in the 1940s and ?50s are now looking toward retirement and are financially able to own a second home. As they live longer, healthier lives and stay active, many are choosing vacation homes near ski slopes, golf courses, or water-sport areas.

The other reason for the growth in the vacation market is money. Many people have refinanced loans and taken the equity from their primary residence to purchase a vacation home. Owning a second home appeals to some people as a safer investment than the stock market.

Here are some tips to help you select a vacation home:

* Buy a home you are going to use in an area you enjoy visiting. If it is too far away or inconvenient to travel to, you won't go often enough.

* Choose a location with a variety of indoor and outdoor activities for when the weather turns bad.

* Research locations and visit destinations, preferably in different seasons.

If you're thinking about buying a vacation home in Palm Beach, make sure to take care of the points made above. The market for Palm Beach real estate is finnicky and the devil is definitely in the details. After talking with many a Palm Beach realtor, it is clear that the difference in making a fast sale and staying on the market for a while is the small fixes that svae lazy buyers from doing it themselves.

Being a Veterinarian Today

A veterinarian (from Latin veterinae, draught animals) is an animal doctor, a practitioner of veterinary medicine. Although veterinarians hold doctoral degrees in veterinary medicine, not all veterinarians enter clinical practice. Those that work in clinical settings practice medicine in specific fields, such as companion animal or pet medicine, reptile medicine, ratite medicine, livestock medicine, equine medicine (e.g. sports, race track, show, rodeo), or laboratory animal medicine. Other veterinarians research areas of human medicine, veterinary medicine, and pharmacology. Research veterinarians were the first to isolate oncoviruses, Salmonella species, Brucella species, and various other pathogenic agents. They also helped conquer malaria and yellow fever; solved the mystery of botulism; produced an anticoagulant used to treat human heart disease; and developed surgical techniques for humans, such as hip-joint replacement, and limb and organ transplants.

Like all physicians, veterinarians must make serious ethical decisions about their patients' care. There is ongoing debate over the ethics of performing certain controversial procedures, like declawing cats and docking tails, cropping ears, and debarking dogs. In some countries, these procedures are illegal, and therefore their practice is contentious. The Veterinarian's Oath was adopted by the American Veterinary Medical Association's House of Delegates July 1969, and amended by the AVMA Executive Board, November 1999. It goes as follows:
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.
I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.

Some veterinarians work in a field called regulatory medicine -- ensuring the nation's food safety by working with the USDA FSIS, or work by protecting us from imported exotic animal diseases by working for the USDA APHIS. The emerging field of conservation medicine involves veterinarians even more directly with human health care, providing a multidisciplinary approach to medical research that also involves environmental scientists.

More than 3,800 veterinarians in the USA currently work at veterinary schools where they teach student vets what they need to know to graduate -- teaching is another career path for a veterinarian.
Veterinary school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, which is involved in the education of future veterinary practitioners (veterinarians). The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of veterinary programs offered at veterinary schools vary considerably around the world. In the U.S., a doctorate of veterinary medicine degree (D.V.M.) (Or in the Veterinary Medical School at the University of Pennsylvania, a degree of veterinary medical doctor (V.M.D.) is awarded) is a four-year program. The program generally consists of 21⁄2 to 3 years of mostly traditional classroom coursework followed by the clinical rotations. Currently, unlike human medical school, a subsequent internship and/or residency are not required, but are optional to those who choose to seek further education and possible accreditation. Unsurprisingly, the number of veterinarians pursuing internships and/or residencies will continue to increase as the understanding of veterinary medicine continues to grow greater. A good veterinarian enjoys working with animals and their owners. Admission into veterinary medical school is so competitive that in the United States it is far easier to gain acceptance into either a medical school or a top Law School than to meet the GPA requirements for most veterinary schools. This situation occurs mostly because there are far fewer schools, allowing the schools to be much more selective. According to the US Department of Labor, only 1 in 3 applicants were accepted into a veterinary program in 2002. Prerequisites for admission include the undergraduate studies listed under veterinary medicine and extensive veterinary experience (typically about 500 or more hours) in private practice or other veterinary environment. The average veterinary medical student has an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 and a GRE score of approximately 1800. US graduates are awarded either a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or the less common Veterinary Medical Doctor (VMD) degree, depending upon the traditions of the veterinary school.

Public health medicine is another option for veterinarians. Veterinarians in government and private laboratories provide diagnostic and testing services. Some veterinarians serve as state epidemiologists, directors of environmental health, and directors of state or city public health departments. Veterinarians are also employed by the US Agriculture Research Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, National Library of Medicine, and National Institutes of Health. The military also employs veterinarians in a number of capacities -- caring for pets on military bases, caring for military working animals, and controlling various arthropod-borne diseases or other such things.

Veterinary medicine is the application of medical, diagnostic, and therapeutic principles to companion, domestic, exotic, wildlife, and production animals. Veterinary Science is concerned with the scientific basis of animal production, health and disease. It requires the acquisition and application of scientific knowledge in several disciplines and uses technical skills towards the solution of animal production, health, management and welfare problems.
Veterinary medicine is informally as old as the human/animal bond but in recent years has expanded exponentially because of the availability of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for most species. Animals nowadays often receive advanced medical, dental, and surgical care including insulin injections, root canals, hip replacements, cataract extractions, and pacemakers.

Veterinarians assist in ensuring the quality, quantity, and security of food supplies by working to maintain the health of livestock and inspecting the meat itself. Veterinary scientists are very important in chemical, biological, and pharmacological research.

In many countries, equine veterinary medicine is also a specialized field. Clinical work with horses involves mainly locomotor and orthopaedic problems, digestive tract conditions (including equine colic, which is a major cause of death among domesticated horses), and respiratory tract infections and disorders.

As in the human medical field, veterinary medicine (in practice) requires a diverse group of individuals to meet the need of patients. In addition to veterinarians, many veterinary hospitals utilize a team of veterinary nurses and veterinary assistants to completely care for healing, critical and well animals. Veterinary nurses are generally registered as veterinary technicians in most states and are legally qualified to assist veterinarians in many medical procedures. Veterinary assistants, who are not licensed by most states, but can be well-trained at facilities such as The School for Veterinary Assistants, are also becoming increasingly in-demand in the veterinary industry due to a wide range of treatments and services being offered to meet the higher expectations of pet owners in the United States.

About the Author

Freelance writer for over eleven years.

Veterinarian Uniforms Chef Uniforms Dickies Medical Uniform Scrubs