PCADSL BLOG

Fluffy is using your new chair for a scratching post…again!

Its a very natural thing for a cat to sharpen it’s claws. After all, they are used for climbing, catching “food” (when necessary), climbing, perching and defending themeselves. Of course, let’s not forget another very important trait that cat’s need claws for…”kneading your leg” when contentedly curled up on your lap. So, what’s a human to do?

Get a scratching post!

It’s relatively easy to teach a cat to use a scratching post instead of your own furniture (and in some cases…you!). Even a “slow” cat will catch on to the idea fairly quickly. Many pet stores sell scratching posts and furniture in all shapes and sizes to keep your frolicing feline happy and content.

You can also make your own scratching post out of simple materials lying around your home. For example, take a 4″ diameter branch about 2 feet long. Wrap it snuggly and securly with some rope. Voila…simple scratching post. Another option is to cover a 2X4 board with old carpeting.

Once you have a scratching post (either purchased or home- made), place it near the area that your cat spends the most time or next to his favorite “scratching” place. Now comes the hard part…waiting and watching.

As soon as your cat begins to scratch an inappropriate item (from your point of view…not his), quickly say “no” in a deep voice and pick him up. Take him to the new scratching post and rub his paws gently over the post, simulating scratching. You will have to be deligent about this.

Whenever you see your cat using the scratching post on his own, immediately praise him, perhaps even giving him a treat the first few times to reenforce the behavior. A cat learns quickly and it shouldn’t take long for him to “readjust” his habits.

We make the choice to buy only organic vegetables, knowing we are doing a great thing for our families and ourselves. We bring those organic vegetables home, throw them in a pot or skillet to cook them up, and serve them with a huge smile and sense of pride!

SURPRISE! What we’ve actually just done is cooked all of the vital nutrients OUT OF THEM, actually changing the molecular structure of the food and rendered it TOXIC.

I know, hard to believe, right? But it’s true. And here’s why.

Raw or living food, which is food that has not been processed or cooked, contains enzymes. Enzymes assist in the digestion of foods. They are known to be the “Life-Force” and or “energy” of food.

From Wikipedia:

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze (i.e. accelerate) chemical reactions. In these reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process are called substrates, and the enzyme converts them into different molecules, the products. In order to occur at significant rates, almost all processes in the cell need enzymes. Since enzymes are extremely selective for their substrates and speed up only a few reactions from among many possibilities, the set of enzymes made in a cell determines which metabolic pathways occur in that cell.

That’s a BIG definition, I know. To put it simply, enzymes help our bodies to digest and absorb food. Without them, our bodies function less efficiently by not properly utilizing the food we do eat, and even causing toxicity in the body. This is said to be a major reason why so many Americans are overweight.

SO WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

Raw or living food is a very viable way to ensure we are getting more enzymes and minerals into our bodies. Raw food is just as the name implies, living food that is never heated above 115 degrees, give or take 10 degrees, and is NEVER processed in any way.

True “rawists”, as they are called, or “raw foodists”, believe in eating only an uncooked, unprocessed and organic plant based diet. So what would a raw foodist grocery list look like?

Organic, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouts, grains and legumes in sprout form, seaweeds, microalgae (spirulina, chlorella, etc?), and fresh juices.

Some say a true raw food diet is 75% of the above raw foods, others argue it’s 100% or nothing.

But?.as you know?.here at Moms Organic House we don’t do “all or nothing”, we do practical, every day. That means that if we incorporate even 1 raw food into our daily organic lifestyle, we are doing something healthy. When we do that something healthy, consistently, we are doing even better.

If you are interested in exploring the benefits of raw food, organic fruits and vegetables are the obvious place to start.

SO WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Raw foods are easy to digest, and they provide the maximum amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Studies have shown that living foods have healing powers that can alleviate many illnesses from low energy, allergies, digestive disorders, weak immune system, high cholesterol, candida, to obesity & weight problems (weight normalization), etc.. Research and real life experiences have also shown that a person can prevent a body’s healthy cells from turning into malignant cancerous cells by consuming mostly a raw food diet & whole organic foods!

The spiritual heart of Asakusa, and for that matter Tokyo, is the impressive Sensoji Buddhist Temple. Built sometime in the 7th century before Tokyo was even Edo, to house the golden statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, which, according to legend was fished out of the nearby Simudagawa, by two local fisherman brothers. Despite their efforts to return Kannon to the river where she was found, the statue kept finding its way back to them. Subsequently a temple was built to house the goddess. Sensoji is Tokyo?s only agreed tourist attraction, and is visited daily by hundreds of tourists and worshippers from Japan and all over the world.

Arriving from Asakusa subway station, Sensoji is entered through Kiminarimon (?Thunder Gate?). A majestic structure that houses two protective deities: Fuijin, the god of wind, on the right, and Raijin, the god of thunder, on the left. These ferocious gods oversee all who enter the temple and keep the grounds safe.

Once inside the gate, you will come to Nakamise-dori. This shopping street, set within the actual temple precinct, has it?s own history. These stalls and their proprietors are a living part of a centuries old tradition of selling wares to the pilgrims visiting the temple.

In the late 17th century, neighbours of the Sensoji who received and served visitors to the temple, were rewarded by being given a special right to open shops to sell their wares along the approach to the temple.

This continued until 1885, when the Tokyo metropolitan government, having taken control of the land belonging to Sensoji, ordered all Nakamise merchants to leave and in the same year built western style brick shops, leading to the beginning of modern Nakamese.

Today you can find everything from tourist trinkets, such as folding fans, to traditional Japanese clothing including kimonos and yukata, to local snack foods. Stretching out for some 200 metres, Nakamise-dori is the perfect place to while away an hour and pick up a souvenir or two before entering the main ground of the temple.

The main ground itself buzzes with accents from all over the world and the click of cameras. Travellers and locals mix on the temple grounds, uniting in their mission to pay their respects. 100 yen will buy you an omikuji (fortune written on a small piece of paper). You place the money in an honour box and shake a small cylinder containing sticks with numbers written on them. Shake the cylinder until one of the sticks falls out and pull your fortune from a drawer with the corresponding number. If your fortune is bad, tie the paper onto a nearby string so that the wind can disperse the bad luck.

Centre place in the temple forecourt is an incense burner. Here you will usually see a group of visitors fanning smoke from the burning incense over themselves. The incense is believed to have healing powers, and so fanning the smoke over your ailment will help to heal it. If you suffer from headache, fan some of the smoke over your head.

In today’s competitive employment world most people are interested in “standing out” from the crowd. But, think again when it comes to the image you present to your prospective employer. What are they looking for? What does their culture support? Will the image you present blend in ? or standout, and which is best?

The answer is really “both”. Yet, how can you possibly standout and blend at the same time? And what does that mean when it comes to your “image” anyway? Simple? research! From the employers point of view the fact that you have taken time to research your fit and taken steps to be sure you blend with the culture is what will help you standout. So, how do you make this trick happen?

Research is the single most important thing you can do before gracing the doorway of your prospective employer. Check their website ? what’s the look? Formal, casual or somewhere in-between? Be sure to view the online photos of the top executives- what’s their look? Are they all in suits and ties ? or polo shirts and khakis? And if casual, what area? Is it the Engineering, IT, Finance? What area will you be interviewing in? Many employer websites these days have a specific area with information to help candidates get to know the environment before they arrive.

But, don’t end your research there. Check the newswire and read articles, view photos. Network and find out what others know about the culture. If local, take a drive to the company and park near the door. See what the people who are coming and going are wearing. If you’ve got a recruiter by all means “ask”. But, also ask if the recruiter has ever met personally with the individuals you’ll be meeting with. Keep in mind that often recruiters have never set foot on the premises, let alone met with the client personally. They may have done all their work via phone conversations.

Also, if you’re in communication with the Human Resources Professional check on what they believe is appropriate attire and if there are any expectations you should be aware of in advance. What’s the impression this will leave with them? You prepare in advance and pay attention to details. And please, the question is not “What should I wear”? This will sound insecure and nervous nelly. Instead, simply say, “Are there any specifics that you’d like me to plan for in advance? Any particular attire you would suggest or will there be any presentations expected? This will allow for a free-flow of conversation.

The idea behind all this research is ? you want give the employer the “feel” that you already work there. If it is a casual organization and people are in jeans and polo’s, you are going to be uncomfortable in a three-piece suit, shiny shoes and tie included. Impressive yes; but remember you want them talking about how well you will fit in and not “He was fine, but the suits got to go”. In other words, don’t leave them talking more about what you wore to the interview than about what a great fit you’ll be. Don’t balk at this ? I bet you can probably bring back a memory right now about someone you remember who walked into an interview clearly out of sync with the company. Right?

Women should remember what would take away a good “blend” too. Low cut shirts, high thin heels, anything extreme or loud (patterns, colors, jewelry). And here is a piece of advice that stands for both men and women; don’t wear any fragrance the day of your interview. You never know whether the person interviewing you has allergies or may just be repelled by the scent. This can end your interview before it even gets started.

So, with all that said ? whether you’re interviewing in high tech, or vogue fashion ? research, research, research and remember, blend so that who you are will standout.

Obesity is on the rise for canines. The reasons for this influx are similar to those that humans experience, too much food and too little exercise. The results of obesity are similar for your canine friends too. Studies reveal that 25% of overweight dogs experience severe joint problems. This effects their daily activities such as walking, standing and sitting. It also increases pain and makes jumping up or down off the bed difficult. If a dog is overweight its lungs cannot function properly- the extra fat pushes against the lungs and diaphragm and makes breathing more difficult. Carrying extra weight decrease ability to preform daily activities. It takes more work to do everything. Body systems have to do more than they were designed for because extra weight places strain on the heart, muscles and respiratory system. Because being overweight causes daily tasks to be more difficult and causes more pain, dogs can become more irritable. Dogs who are overweight have a shorter life span and a lower quality of life. However, there are several things that a pet owner can do to help their animals shed the pounds and live a longer, happier life.

Assessing Your Dog

One way to get an idea if your dog is overweight is by checking their ribs. The ribs should not be visible as they stand, but still detectable when you touch them or when they move (such as jumping in the air to catch a Frisbee). If you cannot feel your dogs ribs, they are probably overweight. The first and for most important measure though, is to take your dog to their veterinarian. Your dog should be seen on a yearly basis for a routine check up. One reason why visiting your veterinarian is so important is that some dogs do not look overweight. Large dogs can especially hide weight well. Your veterinarian will be able to decide if your dog is overweight and why. To help your veterinarian keep a record of what you are doing with your dog before you go. Record your dogs patterns such as sleeping, eating and exercise. In some cases weight issues might be due to medical conditions, such a thyroid problems, verses overeating and under exercising.

Feeding

Dog’s have a strong need for affection. One reason dogs overeat is that pet owners use food as an easy way to show their affection. It is not recommended to do this. Using food as a means of reward trains your dog to seek food for affection. This adds to their weight gain and all the other associated problems. Instead, fill their need for attention with games, petting and playing or get a new toy or go for a walk. Habits are hard to break, so here are few tips to help you. Do not leave food out all day. Set a schedule and a location to eat. One meal per day (or two small ones) is all that a dog needs. Also, one day each week with no food will help burn excess fat which they have stored in their bodies. Dogs are trained in behavior. If they beg at the table and someone gives them food, they learn that begging results in getting what they want. To help change this pattern feed your dog before you eat and keep them in another room while you have dinner. After, take them out for a walk or to play a game so they feel loved and get the attention they need. Once new patterns have been decided upon make sure everyone in the family is on board. Otherwise someone might feel “sorry” for the begging dog and give them “just a little something” and this will slow down or prevent your dog’s weight loss, especially if that “little something” is every day. Meet as a family to discuss the need for changes in your dog’s diet and how your animal will be effected if you don’t. This will help everyone understand why and help them keep the new rules.

Finding an authentic enlightened teacher is an extremely difficult task in todays spiritual marketplace. There are so many who are touting themselves as being awakened or enlightened who have absolutely no business in doing so, which leaves the spiritual seeker not knowing which way to turn and who to trust.

In reality it takes a being that is already self realized to be able to discern another one who is also abiding in the same place. Obviously, this again is not very helpful for the spiritual seeker.

This is where I would like to share with you my own personal experience.

In my case I was extremely lucky to find a wonderful teacher who has fulfilled everything He has ever said.

I have known my teacher Elysha for 4 years now and it is only due to my own laziness that realization of the one that I am took 8 months to stabilize, and from then the journey of self discovery began. Each day of the last 4 years has brought more wonder and joy in the grounded, solid being of who I am.

Elysha is an amazingly clear and profound teacher of self-realization and it would be an absolute shame for humanity if Elysha remained unknown to those who wish to be stably home as the heart that they are.

The teaching, which was given to Elysha at His awakening in 1992, is direct and to the point, and once it has been put into ?practise? the changes in the way you live and perceive the world will astound you, and the causeless happiness which is felt through the mindbody will make your heart sing.

All you need to do is make that first move of intent and reach out your hand to Elysha and He will grab onto it and His tireless compassion will literally drag you home as quickly as you allow it. As always the onus is on you to set the pace of letting go of this imaginary world of your mind.

Elysha is not here for the faint hearted. For over 10 years it was financially free to visit Elysha, although He was also working a 40 hour week. Elysha even travelled around giving free talks to those who were interested in hearing this message. Now Elysha stays in place in Patea, New Zealand and is fully open and available to anyone who wishes to sit with Him and learn to abide in the joy that you are. There is a nominal daily fee for this pleasure which enables Elysha to be available in this way.

Those who have had enough of the gradual, so called ?spiritual?, path of today’s new age, enlightenment seeking, and who are truly ready to let go and drop the illusion (which does not actually exist!) and be who they already are will find this daily availability invaluable.

Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? Letting go of an illusion which doesn’t even exist, which is only in our imagination. Of course everyone wishes to be energetically free of living a lie. Free from pretending to be a drop when you are the ocean.

Unfortunately, even more ridiculous is the fact that there are not many takers for this simplicity of truly realizing who you are and living the heart on a momentary basis. Not good hearted, but real heart.

In my own case I have fallen deeply in love with Elysha and the gratitude I feel towards His being is beyond words. Elysha’s compassion and momentary depth of being have taught me more than I could have possibly hoped to learn in this lifetime and this gratitude will overflow for all eternity.

I had no idea of the rich beauty and depth of who I am, and how deliciously attractive it is to be this one, until Elysha showed me how to disregard the false and directly enter the place of trueness. Moment by moment.

Standing free in this eternal moment. Where the flow of aliveness is.

Elysha can show you just as easily.

Using keywords to help find your niche in a competitive market is a “must”. Make certain the keywords you identify really tell your potential customers what it is that you are offering. If you are selling a certain kind of widget having a particular characteristic, look for keywords that describe this characteristics that people might be interested in. The more precise you can be, the better your chances are of finding the angle for you to enter the market place. By using too general of a keyword, you will have too much competition. It becomes very difficult to be listed high enough in search results for anyone to see you, let alone to be listed within the top ten search results for that keyword.

Most keyword-search software tells you how many searches have taken place for each particular keyword that you enter. Depending on which keyword software you use determines whether you need to use a multiplier to obtain a more accurate look at the number of searches done for that keyword.

An example of this is results from Overture. For Overture results, multiply the results anywhere from 5 to 7 times. I use 5, which gives me a conservative number to work with. The more searches that a keyword has, the more popular that keyword is.

There is more to look at than just the total number of searches a keyword has had for that month. Determining how many web pages are competing for the same keyword is also necessary. If there is too much competition, it becomes a very hard niche to have any kind of presence. Most keyword software gives you what the competition is for each keyword that displayed in their results box. Obviously, a higher number of searches and a lower number of competitors give you a better chance of being listed within the top ten spots on the search engines.

What is the effectiveness of your keywords you have chosen to use on your website? More information is needed to determine this. This is where KEI (Keyword Effectiveness Index) comes in to play.

KEI is a mathematical algorithm formula developed by Roy Sumathumtia to determine the probability of successfully using a keyword to grow a business. Here is how it is calculated: square the popularity of a keyword and multiply it by 1,000. Now divide that number by the number of sites that shows up in AltaVista for that keyword.

Very few keyword-searching programs actually use this formula. Although, in my experience, keyword software programs that do use it have proven to be invaluable in finding niches and narrowing them down to products that the consumer is looking for. When you are looking for your keywords while using software with a KEI, as a rule of thumb, look for keywords with a KEI number over 100 with less than 1,000 pages of competition. The number of competing sites is a very flexible number, and you can adjust it up or down depending on how well you know your particular niche. The higher the KEI number is over 100, the higher the effectiveness of that keyword. The lower the number of competing sites, the easier it is going to be to get your web pages ranked among the top ten sites, if not number one. Another consideration is how many searches in a month the keyword had. In this case, the higher the number the better. If this number is too low, it will not be worth your while to use that particular keyword.

What you are looking to do here is to take your top three keywords and add together the number of searches they received for a month. This gives you some idea of what kind of traffic is possible by using those keywords. Rank your keywords in order of importance. This helps you maintain focus on your primary goal.

It is a good idea for consumers to shop around for car insurance. People can save hundreds of dollars a year by getting quotes from different companies. Car insurance quotes are easier to come by than ever before. In the past, people had to fill out paperwork, mail it in, and wait for a response to get a quote, but now quotes are available in a matter of minutes either over the phone or on the Internet. There are numerous sources accessible to consumers today that can provide them with a quote instantaneously.

It is wise to take advantage of free California auto insurance quotes on the Internet. Hundreds of insurance companies currently provide their services through the web, allowing shoppers to get quotes easily and without stress. People who still buy their auto insurance from an agent could possibly be losing out on the best deals.

People no longer have to sit and wait in long lines at their local insurance agent?s office to buy a policy or make changes to an existing account. They can make all their decisions online, from paying bills to adding another driver to their policy, and it shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes. The Internet allows policyholders to access their policy and make minor changes without ever having to speak to an agent.

Moreover, people can use their free California auto insurance quotes to find out more about the credits presented to drivers with good ratings. From simple carpool options to low mileage credit, safe drivers could be given a concession on their policy. It can also be a good idea for a consumer to bundle up their insurance policies, meaning that they should try to use the same provider for other cars in the household and any home insurance policy they may have. It could help save more than just couple of dollars from their monthly bill.

Just about everyone knows the Batman logo, even without the name along it. Superhero logos really don’t need to include a name, because fans know them by sight. If you’re not a connoisseur of comics, their logos won’t mean much, of course. The logos tend to carry the primary personality trait of the superhero.

Batman is a mystery character, always masked. The other unique trait about his logo is the bat-like aspects of his cape and hat (or is that just part of his cape?). Regardless, when your new superhero needs a logo, think about the primary features that make him or her remarkable, then concentrate on symbolically representing those things in your logo.

Spiderman is rather unusual as a superhero sporting his own set of shortcomings, in many ways a rather ordinary superhero. He’s the superhero who could be you, as it has been stated. But never mind, his logo emphasizes his remarkable ability to fly by spinning a spiderweb — and display a little muscle as well. However you want your superhero to be, create your logo to reflect it. A logo can do that in innumerable ways, if you let your imagination go. You too might end up with a superhero with odd self-talk!

Superman’s logo is what every guy dreams would be on his chest if he took his shirt off. A superhero logo that is only a decal is admittedly unusual, but it subtly represents what this superhero is all about. The truncated diamond shape makes us think subconsciously about Superman’s physique – the massive upper body every superhero needs, with his title filling the logo itself. Just one letter, that’s all it takes if it is done so that the superhero is properly represented.

And who can resist another superhero logo view of Batman? This one give us a better view of his cape and bat-like appearance. The appearance of the bat wings projecting below the logo text adds to the effect. The whole effect is also influenced by the fact that Batman’s face is dark – this superhero remains mysterious, that’s for sure. Remember the mood you are portraying when you make your superhero logo.

I have worked for large company for several years and have been on more conference calls, tele-seminars, and tele-training calls than I can remember. Those experiences have led me to develop a list of ?Conference Call Tips and Etiquette? that can help make conference calls more pleasant, run smoother, and help avoid embarrassment. I?m sure the list I?ve put together isn?t all inclusive but it does cover the major things I have experienced or learned about during the course of all those calls I?ve been on.

– Find a quiet place. Background noise will be heard on the call and it can be very distracting to other participants. If you are at home and have small children playing nearby or have a noisy dog, try to find the quietest part of your house. The other participants on the call will appreciate it. If it is not possible to be away from the noise, mute your phone whenever you are not talking. Pressing *6 will mute most phones.

– Avoid Using A Cell Phone. Try to avoid calling into a conference call from a cell phone whenever possible. Cell phones add tremendous background noise to a conference call. If a cell phone is your only choice, muting the cell phone is a necessity whenever you are not speaking. Also, make sure you are not driving when you are on you the call.

– Be on time for the call. Don?t get on the call late and expect someone to catch you up with what is going on while everyone else waits. It is rude and disrespectful to the other participants to not be on time. It gives them the impression that your time is more important than theirs.

– Don?t Use The Hold Button. Do not put the conference call on hold if your phone has hold music or those annoying beeps that sound every few seconds. To say it is a huge interruption and distraction for everyone else on the call is an understatement. I was once on a conference call for training on a new software product our company was introducing. Someone else put the call on hold for nearly 20 minutes and we ended up listening to her hold music for the entire time. If you have to leave a conference call for any period of time, hang up the phone and call back in when you are ready to rejoin.

– Be Cautious With Cordless Phones. If you are joining a conference call from a cordless phone make sure the phone does not have a lot of static background noise. Usually static background noise starts when you start to get out of range of the phone base or is you get near another device that interferes with phone such as some small electric appliances and answering machines.

– Avoid Shuffling Papers. One very annoying thing that some people do on a conference call is shuffle papers. It sounds very loud on the phone. Other small potentially noisy habits to avoid are : continually clearing your throat, tapping your pencil, drumming your fingers on the desk, etc.

– Be Aware Of Whether Or Not Your Phone Is On Mute. If you do put your phone on mute while on a conference call, and it is always a good idea to do so whenever you are not talking, remember to take it back off mute when you talk. Likewise remember to put it back on mute when you are finished. Nearly everyone who has been on conference calls regularly can recount at least one memory of someone forgetting to put their phone back on mute and then saying something that was definitely not intended for the ears of the other conference call participants, such as a negative remark about something relating to the call or another person on the call.

– Be Polite. Do not try to talk over another person on the call even if you feel you have a very important point to cover. It is in bad taste to do so and will result in everyone else on the call not being able to understand what you or the other person is saying. Be patient; wait until the other person has finished; and then talk.

Following the above tips can help make conference calls more successful, and more importantly, take up the least amount of time possible so you can get to 1,000 other tasks you have to accomplish like taking a time management course! But that?s another story.