Creating an Emergency Plan Can Save Your Pet's Life

You hear stories of it every day. Walking out to the car, the leash breaks and a dog excitedly jolts out in front of an oncoming vehicle. A woman moving a pot of boiling pasta from the stove to the sink trips when her cat gets under foot spilling the water and scalding her pet. Life can turn on a dime and pets are often the victims of unexpected circumstances.

What would you do? Have you put measures in place in case of such emergencies? If not, now's the time to get set up. It could easily mean the difference between life and death for your pet.

Put Contact Numbers on Your Fridge

Have the number and business hours for your veterinarian clearly posted on your refrigerator. Many vets give away refrigerator magnets printed with everything you need to know. If yours doesn't, create a list yourself and laminate it so the ink doesn't fade with time.

If your vet clinic doesn't provide round-the-clock care, they can recommend a 24-hour hospital. Keep its number and directions to its location close by. You may also want to drive out to the pet emergency hospital once during the daytime so you are familiar with how to get there.

Keep the essentials handy. Depending on the pet that could be a collar and/or leash, pet carrier, vaccination history, list of medical conditions/medications (diabetes, thyroid, etc.) and ID tag. These are all items that you may need especially if you'll be seeing a doctor that isn't familiar with your pet.

Know What's Normal

Oftentimes it can be a judgment call as to whether or not you should take your pet in to be seen by a vet. By knowing what is normal for your dog or cat, you can better determine if s/he is in distress.

Know how to take your pet's vital signs. By feeling where your pet's left elbow touches his/her chest you can check an animal's heart rate. Take the number of beats every six seconds and multiply it by ten. You should find out the typical heart rate for your pet before an emergency occurs so you have a baseline for comparison.

Also, tracking your cat's/dog's normal breath rate may be important. Dogs normally breathe 10-30 times per minute and can pant up to 200 times per minute. Cats breathe 24-42 times per minute. If cats are panting, it's a sign that something is wrong.

Finally, take your pet's basal temperature. Dogs should range from 99.5 to 102.5, and cats range from 100.5 to 102.5. If their temperature is high, it could be an indication that they should be seen.

Invest in Pet Insurance

Emergency pet care can be very expensive. It is a heartbreaking, yet common, experience for a pet owner to get his/her pet to an animal hospital in time for emergency care, but be unable to authorize the procedure after finding out the cost. There are many pet insurance plans available for under $10 a month that could possibly prevent you from ever being in this type of devastating situation.

Although it's not a pleasant thing to think about, you should consider the possibilities of pet emergencies occurring. It is typical that all pets will have at least one crisis during their lives. Taking a little time to plan now could save your pet's life down the road.

Bowling Etiquette - Do's & Don'ts

Bowling, like any other sport, has a set of DO'S and DON'TS that must be followed so that all can enjoy the game. The rules are based on common sense, and express courtesy and good sportsmanship.

Here are ten of the most important ones:

1) DO yield the 'right of way' When two bowlers are on adjacent lanes, and simultaneously ready to bowl, the bowler on the right delivers first. The other bowler ought to remainoff or to the rear of the approach area. This rule doesn't apply if the bowler on the left is shooting for a spare.

2) DON'T take a practice swing with your bowling ball on the concourse or behind the approach. Wait until you are upon the approach itself before doing any practice exercises.

3) DO be ready when it's your turn to bowl. Remain in your lane area while your teammates are bowling, don't wander off.

4) DON'T use an excessive amount of body gyrations at the foul line after delivering the ball. Confine your body 'English' to your own lane.

5) DO bowl immediately when it is your turn. Once you have your ball, assume your stance and start your delivery, it isn't necessary to wait for lanes on either side of you to be cleared before you bowl, just observe the 'right of way' rule.

6) DON'T bring food or drink into the settee or bowlers area, a drop of liquid or any type of foreign substance spilled on the approach could cause a slip and serious injury.

7) DO wait until you have completed the frame before checking your score. Don't come back to the scorekeeper after the first ball has been rolled.

8) DON'T bench jockey while others are bowling. Friendly bantering is an accepted part of the sport, but don't overdo it. Be a good competitor.

9) DO return your bowling shoes to the counter control desk after bowling, and if you've borrowed a 'house ball' return it to the storage rack.

10) DON'T linger at the foul line after releasing the ball. As soon as your ball hits the pins return to your seat.

Be Your Own Literary Agent and Get Published

So you're one of 20 million Americans who want to write a book. If you've already written a manuscript, chances are you're looking for agent representation. In the past few years, as an editor and literary consultant for http://www.TheOmnibus.org, I've had the opportunity to read more than 1,000 book proposals. Most, I'm sad to report, were inadequate because the author did not follow a few, very simple guidelines.

Before you complete your manuscript and send it on its way to prospective literary agents or publishers, take the time to make sure you have a professional query letter and (short) synopsis, and that you have edited your manuscript. If you can not do these chores, then find someone who can.

Also, make sure you're able to distinguish your manuscript from other books on the same subject, that you can identify the audience for which you are writing, and determine the marketability of your finished book. These are the most important questions agents and publishers will ask, and it will impress them that you've done your homework.

You should already have researched the market to determine how many books on the same subject are currently available. A handy tool is to use the Internet and search the large booksellers online. These services not only provide a list of books on the same topic, but often a synopsis and the book's audience as well. Your book needs to stand out, not duplicate what's already available.

Agents and publishers also want to know your ideas for publicity and promotion of your book, including how you intend to reach your target market, and any helpful contacts you may have.

Another common mistake is to assume agents and publishers will respond at their own expense. You need to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so companies can acknowledge receipt of your proposal. If you would like to have your material returned, be sure to send an envelope that is large enough and has enough postage for them to mail your proposal back to you. Proposals that do not include an envelope and postage generally will not be acknowledged or returned.

Some companies will accept e-mail submissions. Because of the threat of viruses, they usually won't open e-mails with documents attached. Many will read e-mail queries that include a short resume, a synopsis and sample chapters that have been copied and pasted into the body of the e-mail.

As mentioned, for security reasons companies do not like to open attachments without prior contact with the writer, and prefer you follow regular submission procedure. If prior contact has been made by e-mail, response and acknowledgments often will be made by e-mail.

If you are submitting book proposals by e-mail, it is wise to advise the companies in your cover letter the type of word processing program and version of that program that you used. Text is best transmitted through e-mail by converting it to Plain Text Format, ASCII (with no hard returns).

Take the opportunity to edit the work, correct misspellings, improper word usage, etc., before submitting it. It's not a good idea to send complete manuscripts by e-mail unless they are requested.

Let's break it down:

How Your Book Differs from Others * What is your book is about? * What is the reason that prompted you to write your book? * Why is your book needed by others? * What are its unique features?

Identify Your Audience * Describe the audience you are targeting with your book. * What is your level of expertise (no experience, beginner, intermediate, advanced)? * What are some specific applications or uses for your book (e.g., sports, education)? * Who would be the most likely candidates for purchasing your book? * Why should they buy it and share it with their friends?

Beat Your Competition to Market * List three to four books that compete with the project you are proposing. * How do they compare to your book in length, spectrum, format, and visual appeal? * Are there any that seem remotely comparable? * What are the differences among your approaches?

Publicity * Gather a local, regional, state and national media contact list. * Consider contracting a company to make a website for your book. * Do you have access to any authors who may provide a "blurb" for your book?

Don't Forget the Postage * Include a SASE with all queries. * If you want your manuscript back, include enough postage for its safe return.

Electronic Submissions * Check if the company accepts electronic (e-mail) queries and proposals. * Make sure you're not spamming hundreds of agents/publishers at a time. * Only include a short query, a bio, a synopsis, and the first three chapters in your e-mail. * Don't send attachments. * If you are asked to submit an attachment, let them know the software program. * Consider sending the file as Text only.

Druxel Manor - Book Review

Druxel Manor is a stimulating thriller-mystery-romance novel that keeps the reader guessing. Who do you trust? Everyone seems to know a little something but no one is willing to explain - or rather, what is revealed only creates more confusion.

There are three main characters here. Trevor and Angel are adopted siblings who were raised in a life of the privileged -growing up in a mansion and attending only the best of schools. Angel is a dedicated and driven journalist, while her brother is obsessed with his quest to find their biological parents. Their adopted parents' insistent warnings to never try to find their real parents and other small clues drove Trevor to find out the truth. In his bones, he knew something was out of place and what he found out put both of their lives at stake.

Suddenly, Angel finds herself thrown into the midst of a mysterious and dangerous adventure - and she has no idea why. Then James arrives, her rescuer and protector -whether she likes it or not - and her undeniable animal attraction to him turns her world upside down. She must decide who to trust and find out the reason for all the things left unexplained.

Tarra Young performed a difficult task in keeping the pace fast and momentum high in this novel. I never knew what was going to happen next - and all my suspicions were wrong in the end. I thought this book was a fun and interesting read and is an excellent choice for readers who enjoy a good mystery.

Publisher: Publish America, Inc. ISBN#: 1413766242 Author: Tarra Young

Making The Most Out Of Your Email Marketing Campaigns

Find the right frequency for your mailings. If you don't contact your customers often enough, they will forget about you and likely unsubscribe when they do receive another mailing. If you contact your customers too often, however, they will become annoyed with your mailings and likely unsubscribe as well. About once a week is generally considered to be correct.

To boost your potential customer base, make it easy for your existing subscribers to refer their friends or family members to you. The easier it is for people to share your messages with other people, the more likely it is that they will do so. This means more subscribers and more potential customers.

Use an appropriate font in your e-mails. Realize that not all fonts are supported on all computers. Use a common font. Try not to use anything that is difficult to read or looks especially unprofessional. A bad font can cause a person to dismiss your e-mails without even reading them.

It is significantly more effective to build your own e-mail list for e-mail marketing than to purchase a list, or acquire the services of a marketing company that has their own lists. The reason for this is that everyone who submits their e-mail address to be a part of your list is interested in the services or products that you have to offer. These people are far more likely to be receptive to your e-mail.

A great tip for following up with prospects is to follow-up with some past conversation that has taken place through an email. Include a link on your email that lets them apply right now. The closing postscript can allow them to order with just one click by clicking on the below link.

Program your email messages to include the recipient's name in the subject line or body of your message. An email message that includes the recipient's name will feel much more personal. This sense of connection with the marketing will make them inclined to read the email and more likely to follow links within it.

Make sure you are working off of a clean list. This keeps the time you spend directed towards targeted customers. Targeting the wrong customers will not help you, and a clean list can get you to more of the right customers much faster. Clean up your list, and get to the right customers!

An excellent tip for email marketing is to follow-up with some type of update on your products or services that you are providing. For example, you could add a "buy now" feature onto your email. The ending of your email could inform your readers to keep in mind the up-sell as well.

When emailing clients, try following up with a free warranty on your products or services. You could insert an order on the email that tells them to get this warranty immediately. The ending P.S. could tell them to act now and not to miss this incredible opportunity to try out something they may love.

Email marketing can be a great opportunity to reach your clients and customers. If you implement the tips that this article has given you, you are likely to notice that your target market is more satisfied. Use the tips here to create a solid email marketing plan that ultimately raises your profits.

Keeping Your Gun Safe

It's extremely important to have a gun with you, at your place, in order to keep yourself safe, and for your own protection. However, it's equally important to keep these arms out of the wrong hands. There are times when you don't want some people to have access to the gun, or you have children whom you have to keep the gun out of reach of. For instances like these you need an area where you can place the gun and be sure that it is safe.

A biometric gun safe is the solution to all your problems. There safes are specially designed to ensure that your guns remain protected while in the safe. Only those who have been allowed access to the safe will be able to retrieve the gun from within it. These biometric gun safes make use of the latest fingerprint technology, so no one will be ale to access the safe unless their fingerprint is stored in the safe's recognition database.

If you're considering buying a biometric gun safe for yourself, it's probably the first time you're investing on such equipment. Of course you want to get the best safe you can afford to buy. This is why it's extremely important to do all your research about these safe's, and get the names of reliable companies who make the best safes in the market. You need a company that is known for having reliable fingerprint scanners on their safe. You need to look for details about what kind of security is being offered by the manufacturers on their safes, and how many users can be stored in the data base and be granted access to whatever is within the safe.

You will also need to be sure about the design and the size of the safe you require. This is important because you need to have ample of space to store whatever arms and ammunition you need to protect. The size is also influenced by where you want the safe to be installed. You will be able to find a lot of different sizes of safes. You will be able to find the normal sized safe, along with very small ones that could be installed in cupboards, drawers or even in your car.

Be sure to get a safe that has the latest technology in it. Older technology isn't that reliable and is known to be inconsistent in terms of performance. Go for a brand that will offer you a warranty when you're buying the safe. This way, you can go back to the manufacturer if anything seems to go wrong after you make the purchase.

You need to look at the level of complexity of the technology as well. If you're tech-challenged, its preferred to you look for a safe that you can easily use, and whose technology you can easily understand. This will allow you and anyone else who has access to the safe, to use it easily.