Architectural Divines of Indian Arts and Entertainment By Sachin Saxena

Arts and entertainment refers to the values which an individual or a nation bears in terms of architecture, painting, sculpture, trends of fashion and cinema. Historic world of Indian Architecture resembles to be into heavens. The old monuments and carved stones tell the stores on their own. The monuments always bears the influence of the rulers and his respective religion, their life style, types of weapons they used for war and much more.

The archeological surveys starts story from the Indus Valley Civilization and prove us of a civilized city of Mohanjodaro long back ago at 7000 B.C. which is now a days a part of Pakistan. The surveys corresponds to a well developed city with all facilities relate regarding water, sevage, entertainment, clothing and the estates. The Caves of Ajanta and Ellora represent great 'fine arts' flourished under the patronage of various rules. The rulers spend a lot for the entertainment. There were great musicians and singers who enlighten the big domes and palaces with their arts.

The stone carvings and paintings at various temples and worship places show the great impact of religion within the minds of rulers. Some of them bear the complete religious books carved at the boundaries of temples. Southern India is full of such examples. We can find a presence of a great scientific knowledge at that time if we go for Jantar Mantar at New Delhi. It goes over the mind when we see 1600 years old iron towers standing open-air without getting rusted.

Before English, the latest Indian Rulers were the Mughals, and hence we can visualize a big impact of their architecture. The Big tomb of Emperor is in itself a big great monument. The Taj Mahal, in Agra (Uttar Pradesh), which is amongst the seven wonders of world, was build up of pure white marble in more than 15 years, in memory of her late queen Mumtaj Mahal. It is a great example of architecture of those times. At those times, the rulers get immense entertaining happiness and joy building great architectures using best of there engineering and fine arts.

After Mughals, next were the British. The British monuments give a resemblance to the roman Architecture. Apart from the regions which were in completely hold of English, the left areas were 'Princely States' which were ruled by respective rulers with partial influence of British. These princely states hold within the special arts and entertainment but still remain affected by the new culture.

The Princes are educated along the Englishmen and get into the European Culture and introduced to west which put an impact over the architecture of these states too. The places of these states got a change of western style furniture and few moved into western dancing and singing trends. The big dining rooms of the paces were introduced with the fireplaces and fountains.

To develop a new India and to keep a hold on the long established powers, the princes always remain into good relations with British. Some of them were really were found successful. The good examples are new towns of Jaipur, Beekaner and Mysore which are among the most fortunate in getting rid of this divide.

Arts and Entertainment As Education and Training By Bob Mccoy

Prisons should be rehabilitation centers. Inmates would be forbidden to watch commercial TV. Entertainment would be OK, but it would be good clean entertainment, not the sexual immorality, drug abuse and violence so prevalent on commercial TV.

Prisoners would also have a menu of cognitive therapy options available to choose from for their rehabilitation. Vocational rehabilitation and other educational opportunities will also be available.
Prisoner selection and progress in such programs will be monitored and considered in their reentry into society process.

I think Wyoming would be a great place to build prisons. Good jobs for Wyoming and placing them out in the relatively empty places in Wyoming would keep them away from society. I just think prisons and the whole rehabilitation industry would be good business for Wyoming.

Reforming Hollywood and other entertainment industry activities is another project we can work on to improve human nature and civilization. I am astonished that people think that murder and rape, and all kinds of human perversity is entertaining.

I guess the scientists who work in Hollywood have discovered how to push certain buttons in human nature and now they just keep pushing them, just like a pigeon will keep pushing the cocaine button in an experiment.

Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should do it. Make sure everyone wins in all your business activities. Deliver more than you promise. Trade good stuff for good stuff. Never sell poison for money, whether its physically, mentally or spiritually poisonous. Much of the entertainment available today is mentally and spiritually poisonous. And when people act out the fantasies they are watching, it becomes physically harmful.

We are all responsible for this. Society is whatever we make it. We can make a peaceful and prosperous society, or we can make this mean oppressive society that Hollywood is selling.

I encourage everyone to help make the world a better place, be kind friendly and polite. Practice peace and prosperity in your own personal and professional lives. Practice unity in diversity.

Love and respect each other. We are not seeking uniformity. The diversity inherent in human nature is a strength of human nature. We do need a common set of moral and spiritual principles that we can all agree to and practice in order to live in harmony with each other and our
natural habitat.

Peace be with you all.

by Bob Mccoy
http://9earthling19.blogspot.com/ is my holistic healing and teaching project

How to Date Women Online - Three Great Clues to Get Women Interested in Online Dating By Chase Tylerson

Have you ever wondered what would be a good way to date women online? Wonder no more. There are many great hints to ways that you can successfully pursue and date women while dating online and have a great chance of turning these into fruitful, real life relationships.

 
Be a man of mystery.

One thing you have going for you in the online environment is your anonymity. If there are some things she just doesn't know, but is interested in the rest, she will fill parts in with whatever she finds most interesting. Let her get to know you, but do not let her know too much. When trying to date women online a little bit of mystery is a very good thing.


Do not be harassing if interested during online dating.

One of the biggest mistakes a guy can make in real world dating is the constant calls. The same thing is true in online dating. Do not barrage her with constant emails, IM's and tweets asking what she is up to. Be calm and be cool. Always leave her wanting more. The last thing you want is for her to go away from her computer for a day and come back and see a barrage of messages from you. If she doesn't reply give it a few days before trying again.


Bring it to the next level; do not waste ages only being an "online" buddy.

Get a phone number from her as fast as reasonable. Perhaps by the third or fourth message between you if it seems to be going well. Get her on the phone and try to work your charm. From there try to get a real life date when she is comfortable. It is fine to make sure the girl feels safe, just make sure that it will move beyond an "online" friendship.


Tips for attraction, online and offline.

Find out what works online and offline and try to make it work for you. These are not all of the tips for online dating strategies. They are but a few of the many tips you can learn to be attractive to women, in both the online and offline environments. Learn the Rules Of Attraction to learn more about how to become more successful with girls and attractive to women.

Low Stress Camping With Kids And Teens By Lorena B Angell

Does the thought of camping with your kids stress you out? Do you find yourself dreading family trips with your kids? Wouldn't it be nice to relax and de-stress on the weekend instead of getting even more wound-up?
Camping with our kids and teens can sometimes be a struggle.

Somewhere in our minds, we have programmed ourselves to force our children to enjoy nature. We want them to appreciate all the beauty and wildlife especially when we live in urban areas and we don't see those things everyday.

We plan our meals to be the foods that our kids will eat, not so much what we like ourselves. Only to have them put their noses into the air and say they aren't hungry. We try so hard to make the whole experience fun for our kids that we become frustrated when it fails.

The harder we try to force them to enjoy and appreciate, they fight us. They put on their pouty faces and complain and mope around, determined to not have a good time. All the while, you as the parent are ready to explode. You find yourself irritated and grouchy. I think that secretly the kids are pleased with themselves for irritating you so.

Teens absolutely detest being pulled away from their friends and lifestyles. It is social death for them to be separated from their cell phone. We say to them, "this will be good for you" or "there weren't cell phones one hundred years ago and they got along just fine, you'll live".

Even with all of that, we wonder why our teen can't just enjoy the trip and be happy. Our camping trip has turned into one of anger, frustration, disappointment and stress. Does this sound familiar to you?

Have you ever heard the saying, "pick your battles wisely"? Camping should not be a battle that you have with your kids.

Maybe all you need is some helpful tips on how to make the camping experience enjoyable for all. My number one suggestion for creating a low stress camping trip is to go with the flow and not against it.
Instead of battling with them and insisting that they leave their cell phone home, let them bring it.

Let your kids bring their electronic gadgets: Cell phones, gaming devices, cd players, mp3 players, dvd players. Cell towers are more common in the mountains these days, plus, texting is usually possible with only one bar of service where actual calls may not work so well.

Younger kids might want to bring their gaming devices along and quite honestly, it makes the drive to your camping spot easier when everyone is entertained. We like to take our DVD player with us for our younger child. The car ride to our camp site goes much quicker without having to hear, "Are we there yet?".

Plus, we can bring other DVD's to watch in case we get rained out and have to spend a lot of time in our tent.

Remember the batteries and power. Make sure you are well equipped to handle your needs. Power inverters are wonderful as are small generators when you are camping without electricity.

The whole idea of camping is to de-stress and get away from it all. It seems rather odd that I would recommend taking it all with you. However, you'll find that by allowing some freedoms for your kids, they'll actually be more relaxed and that will trickle down to you.

You also might witness an extraordinary event, Mother Nature winning out. Once the kids are actually out in the forest or down by the stream or sitting around the campfire, they seem to relax and enjoy themselves.

Before too long, you'll notice that they are no longer holding their electronic devices. They will be adding firewood to the fire or collecting tadpoles down at the stream instead of claiming victory over the fourth level of some handheld game you can't even pronounce.

But whatever you do, don't make a big deal about it. Just enjoy the fact that the kids aren't fighting and sit back and relax.

Lorena B. Angell is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys camping with her children and husband. She enjoys helping others learn how to let go of the stresses of life and relax with camping.

[http://www.learn-camping.com]

Wedding Food and Drink By Glen Anthony Brown

With so many things to organise in the lead up to your wedding, it might just be a good idea to keep wedding food and drink uncomplicated. But to ensure your and your guests taste buds are satisfied, choosing seasonal and high quality food are the best things you could do. Not hard to do - and still affordable.

The hardest part of choosing what food and drink to have for your wedding is trying to suit everyone's tastes. You should choose a menu that suits a range of tastes so that the majority of your guests will really enjoy their food, looking back on your wedding day as quite memorable.

There are many options for food at your reception but we have narrowed it down to three, to help you make a decision more easily. You can have canapés - snack food -, a buffet or a sit down lunch or dinner, depending on when your reception is.


Financial crisis and food

During tougher economical times, a buffet could be a good option as it's most cost effective. There's a great range of foods you can choose if you opt for the buffet, so that it doesn't matter if your guests are vegetarians, vegans or meat lovers, they can select whatever they like.


Canapes

Canapes are usually the more expensive option so if you choose canapés you may like to look around before you decide on a menu. Remember that some guests may not have had breakfast, so it would probably not be a good idea for them to drink on an empty or near-empty stomach.

As a general rule, allow about six canapés per person (before lunch) and 14 or more per person (for a rinks and canapés reception only). A good combination of canapés to choose for your guests would consist of half hot and half cold canapés, with at least 30 per cent vegetarian and 10 vegan. Make sure that you have capable staff who can tell your guests what the canapés are. Make sure they are well briefed before they perform their role. Try not to select canapés that are hard to eat, as you and your guests could end up with quite a mess.


Entrees

Make your life easier by choosing simple entrees that are easy to eat and use seasonal produce. If you want to suit everyone, a cold, vegetarian dish is the best you could choose here. It's also easy to eat and can be served as soon as everyone is seated.


Main course

If you choose to have a buffet for your wedding it's a good idea to tell your staff when each table can go and collect their food to prevent overcrowding and consequential chaos. If you have selected to have a sit down lunch or dinner, a dish that is easily prepared and can be served on a single plate will make the job a lot easier for both chefs and staff.

Like the entree, consider the time of year your reception will be held to determine the best tasting produce. Your guests will definitely be satisfied with their meals if they are made from seasonal produce. Consider basic notions such as the fact most people probably won't want to eat a cold meal if it's the middle of an icy winter. Alternatively, a big pork roast might make your guests sweat glands overproduce if you choose this meal in the middle of a sweltering summer.

Be aware of any of your guests' food allergies to make sure you have alternatives for them. Chefs will usually cater to such requests. Also be aware of age. Elderly people and small children probably won't eat as much.


Dessert

While your choice of dessert will be appreciated if it is massively indulgent, try not to go overboard with your puddings and don't make them too rich. Generally individual plates served at the tables are the and easiest way to serve dessert.

Again be careful of seasons. If you're having your wedding during summer it's probably a good idea not to have puddings that may melt or collapse, or are incredibly rich and heavy. Sometimes couples choose to have their wedding cake as the pudding. This is both an economical and practical option, but there are many different pudding ideas you can have.

Desserts are also the perfect meal to be more decorative with. Add coulis, berries, or sauces to the desserts to make them just that little bit extra enticing.


Coffee and tea

Because not everyone will have coffee or tea it might save from making the tables less cluttered by not laying down cups and saucers. Having a separate table for coffee and tea is the best thing to do here. It will also encourage your guests to move off their table and circulate and socialise. You may like to add a plate of petit four or slices of wedding cake on this table.

G. Brown is a writer for Wedding.com.au, a Australian wedding directory. To read other articles on wedding catering and services or to find wedding-related Australian businesses please visit Wedding.com.au today.

Treat Your Food and Drink Allergies By Vairo Anglis

Certain food and drink allergies can make you very uncomfortable in few situations, keeping you always suspicious of what you are about to eat or drink. This can affect a human in a many different ways. Just think about it! How easy it is to have the same food every day you are already bored with? Well let me give you a clue, ''It's NOT Easy.''

Even worse factor is, in some of the cases when you were able to enjoy a certain food or drink, but in the meanwhile you have developed an allergic reaction to it. It surely is very unpleasant to hunger after a certain food and to resent it at the same time because you anticipate the disagreeable effects it will have on you.

Food and Drink sensitivity

The way you get allergic reaction is when a specific enzymes in the product you are having can not tolerate some chemical or natural substance of it.

The main symptoms are: gas, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, skin rash, headaches, and cough.

From another point of view, allergy is an immune response to some allergens, or food proteins that generate the allergy, and has a partially different symptomatology: soft tissues (tongue, lips, eyelids, etc.) swelling lesions itches vomiting culminating anaphylactic shock.

Most common Food generating allergies include milk, eggs, seafood, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat.

Aloeride effectiveness

Now there is a easy way to regain the possibility of using food and drinks banned for long time from your diet.

Few cases reports an increased tolerance to substances you could never even think to ingest again after undergoing terrible reactions to them. The fact that Aloeride performs on the immunity system guarantees that allergic reactions, as immunity responses to some mixtures found in food or drinks, can be dealt with. Using Aloeride for drink or food allergies doesn't really mean you should go and grab everything you had allergy before with. It would be really irresponsible from your side, however Aloeride may actually surprise you, it offers you an opportunity to learn simple things like rightfully appreciated food, especially after a period of constant prohibition and frustration.

So why don't you change your life TODAY? Simply Buy Aloe Vera Pills
http://www.aloeveraibs.com

Seven Secrets To Choosing A Safe, Healthy Pet Food By Susan Thixton

Do you choose canned food or dry food? What brand?

There are so many different brands, all shapes and sizes of pet food to choose from and pet owners are provided with very little information to base your decisions on (other than advertising) - it can get so confusing! Well, buckle your seatbelt depending on how much you know of the pet food industry, this could be a bumpy ride! You are about to learn seven secrets - well kept secrets - of pet food. Sit back, brace yourself, and keep reading.

Beneful says it's 'Premium Dog Food for a Happy, Healthy Dog' and sells for around $18.00 for a 31 lb. bag, Science Diet "promises" 'precisely balanced nutrition through continuous research and the highest quality food backed by your Vets endorsement' and sells for around $21.00 for only a 20 lb bag. Then there are numerous pet foods that make the very same statements - 'Premium Dog Food, Highest Quality' - that sell for $30.00 or more for a 20 lb bag. And the same holds true for cat owners...Do you choose Whiskas that states 'Everything we do is about making cats happy!' or do you choose one of those high end cat foods that make the very same claim of a happy, healthy cat but cost 3 times as much?

Now with the on-going pet food recall pet owners have questions such as 'Has this food been recalled?' or 'Is this food the next one to be recalled?'...'Is my pet safe?' Wow this is confusing! And scary too! What exactly is a pet owner to do? How about learning a few secrets! Equipped with the knowledge of a few secrets of pet food, it's not nearly as confusing.

Secret #1...

All pet foods use descriptive words like choice and premium, though few of them actually use premium or choice ingredients in their food. The 'secret' is that per the rules of the pet food industry, no pet food can make any claims or references on their label or advertising as to the quality or grade of ingredients. You see, the word 'premium' when it's related to pet food DOES NOT mean that the ingredients in the food are premium. With pet foods, premium does not (can not) describe the food nor does it (can it) describe the quality of the food. It is a marketing term and that is all. Per the pet food industries own rules and regulations, "There are no references to ingredient quality or grade" (regulation PF5 d 3). So, words like premium, or choice, or quality are just marketing or sales terms. They should not be interpreted as terms describing the quality of the food.

Now why wouldn't a pet food label be allowed to tell a prospective customer the quality of their ingredients? Doesn't a pet owner deserve to know what they are buying? This leads me to the next secret...

Secret#2...

If I can compare 'people' food to pet food for just a second, we all know there are different qualities of people food. There is White Castle (I'm guilty here, I love the little guys!) and there is Outback Steak House (another favorite). Both restaurants serve meat and potatoes. At White Castle for under $3.00 you can get a couple of hamburgers and an order of fries. While at Outback you can get a steak and baked potato for around $16.00. Both serve beef and potato - yet you already realize that there are huge nutritional differences between a fast food hamburger and a steak...right?

The problem in the pet food industry - is that most pet owners don't think in the same terms when it comes to pet food. They don't think in terms that there are fast food types of pet foods and there are sit down restaurant more nutritious types of pet foods. In fact, several years ago a young man tried this very experiment with his own diet - eating nothing but fast food for 30 days. In just one month of eating fast food three meals a day, he gained a great deal of weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels sky-rocketed. Now, imagine your pet eating this type of food its' entire lifetime.

OK, so back to our two meals...if a chemical analysis of your meal at White Castle was compared to a chemical analysis of your meal at Outback - both would analyze with a percentage of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Regardless whether you consider a steak at Outback a higher quality of protein than the burger - it would still analyze as protein. The analysis doesn't measure quality of protein.

So here is the secret...All pet foods come with a Guaranteed Analysis stating the percentage of protein, fat, fiber and moisture in the food. The REAL secret lies in the quality of the percentages of protein, fat, and so on.

In a chemical analysis of a pet food - chicken feet would analyze as protein, although granted it provides very little nutrition. And as well, a cow that was euthanized (put to sleep) because of a disease that made it unfit for human consumption - would analyze as protein although that could be considered dangerous for consumption.

Both of those things - chicken feet and a euthanized cow - are allowable ingredients and commonly used in pet food. You see the secret within the pet food industry is manufacturers have a WIDE OPEN door to where they obtain their ingredients. The only strict rule they must follow is an adult dog food must analyze with 18% protein and an adult cat food must analyze with 26% protein. Sources to acquire those particular percentages range from a 'human grade' meat, to chicken feet, to euthanized animals, to grain proteins, to even man made chemical proteins and many variations in between.

Pet food labels do not have to tell - are not allowed to tell - the sources they use to obtain that required 18% or 26% protein. And to make matters worse...quality minded pet food manufacturers - the companies that use 100% human grade ingredients - are not allowed to tell customers or potential customers that their products are quality, human grade ingredients.

So how can you know if your pet's food uses chicken feet or euthanized cows or if it contains human grade ingredients?
 
Secret #3...

If the words premium and choice mean basically nothing with regards to the quality of pet food, and if some pet foods use chicken feet and euthanized animals in their food - how can a pet owner know what they are getting in their pets' food?

This big secret is found in ingredient definitions. Unlike 'people' food where you can pretty much look at the food to determine the quality, pet food is far different. All 'people' food must meet particular USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines. The same is not true for pet food. Chicken feet and euthanized cows are NOT allowed in people food for obvious reasons - they have no nutritional value or they could be dangerous to consume. The same is NOT true for pet food. The only way to know if those chicken feet or euthanized cows are in your pet's food is to know what ingredients they can be used in.

The common pet food ingredient 'Meat and Bone Meal' is basically a combination of many different discarded left-overs from the human food industry. Components of 'meat and bone meal' can be anything from cow heads, stomachs, and intestines, to (horrifying but true) euthanized animals including cows, horses and dogs and cats from veterinarian offices, animal shelters, and farms. And along with those euthanized animals the pet food also contains the drug pentabarbitol that was used to euthanize the animal. 'Meat and bone meal' can also contain left-over restaurant grease, and diseased (including cancerous) meat tissues cut away from slaughtered animals. In other words, this commonly used ingredient is a mix of highly inferior and potentially dangerous left-overs from the human food industry.

The pet food ingredient 'Meat By-Product' or 'Meat By-Product Meal' is pretty much the same thing as 'meat and bone meal'. It is a highly inferior pet food ingredient containing literally who-knows-what.

Another similar ingredient to the above is 'Animal Digest'.

As to the chicken feet I mentioned earlier - this item can be found in the ingredients 'Chicken By-Product' or 'Poultry By-Product' or 'Chicken By-Product Meal' or 'Poultry By-Product Meal'. Any left-overs in the chicken or poultry division - including but not limited to chicken feet, skin including some feathers, chicken or poultry heads, and intestines are found in these ingredients. It does NOT matter as to the health of the bird - sick, healthy, dead, dying...all is included in these ingredients.

So here is what you need to do...BEFORE you purchase any pet food, flip the bag over and closely examine the list of ingredients. The above mentioned ingredients would be listed within the first five or ten ingredients. If you see ANY of those ingredients - it is my suggestion to NOT purchase that food. Remember - chicken feet and euthanized animals do analyze as protein. That is all that is required in pet food - just the correct analysis.

Another little trick some pet food manufacturers use in this category is using grains and chemical additives to grain products to boost the protein percentages. Which is exactly the cause of the pet food recall that began in March 2007 - chemical proteins. Two different chemical additives - that have NO nutritional value to pets, but that analyzed as protein - were added to a grain product (wheat gluten, corn gluten, or rice gluten) solely to provide a cheap protein. Thousands of pets died and countless others became ill because no one counted on the problem of the combination of these two chemicals would cause kidney and urinary blockage. Again, their secret is the product has to analyze as having a particular amount of protein - no one is required to provide a quality meat protein.

While you are looking at the ingredient listing - you should also take note of how many grains (corn, wheat, rice) and/or how many grain products (corn gluten, whole corn, ground corn, whole wheat, ground wheat, wheat gluten, rice, brown rice, brewers rice, soy, and on and on) are listed within the first five or so ingredients. If you find more than one grain listed in the first five ingredients - that is telling you this pet food is acquiring some of its protein from grains.

Why is protein obtained from grains important for you to know? Several reasons - first off science proves that cats and dogs alike require and thrive on a meat protein. If a pet food is obtaining protein from grain sources, the pet is not getting the meat that it needs to thrive. Second, if the grain products are a corn gluten, wheat gluten, or rice gluten you take the risk of chemicals such as melamime added to it used strictly to boost the protein analysis. By the way, melamime is one of the chemicals found to be the cause of the March 2007 pet food recall. And there is one more concern with grains - aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a deadly mold that is common to corn, wheat, and soy and it's responsible for several other pet food recalls you probably never heard about. In December 2005, Diamond Pet Food contained moldy grains that killed over 100 pets before the product was recalled - all due to aflatoxin.

It is my recommendation to avoid any pet food that contains corn, wheat, or soy in ANY variation. The risk is simply too high.

Secret #4...

I've got more suggestions for you to look for in the ingredient listings...chemical preservatives. A very well kept secret of the pet food industry is their common use of chemical preservatives. BHA/BHT are very popular chemical preservatives used in pet food and science has linked them to tumors and cancer. Another common preservative is ethoxyquin which has known risks to cancer. Ethoxyquin is ONLY allowed in human food in some spices because of the very tiny proportions. However it is allowed in much higher proportions in pet food.

If you scan the ingredient listings, you will be looking for BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin listed anywhere. Commonly BHA/BHT is used to preserve the fat in the food which usually is found higher on the list. And also look for any of these chemicals towards the end of the ingredient listing. Personally, I wouldn't touch a pet food that contained these chemical preservatives. You want a pet food that is preserved naturally - common natural preservatives are 'natural mixed tocopherols' or 'vitamin E'.

Secret #5...

The very best food to provide to your pet is a well made food using human grade ingredients. That should be simple enough...How do you find that? You already know that pet food manufacturers are NOT allowed to make any statement as to quality or grade of ingredients, the only way you can find out the grade or quality of your pets' food is to call the manufacturer and ask them.

Now, let's say you call the ABC pet food company and ask the question "Is your Premium dog food and Premium cat food made using human grade ingredients?" It could be that you get the response yes, we use human grade ingredients - when actually only a couple of ingredients are human grade. Here's the trick to asking...ask them if they are APHIS European certified.

Pet food manufacturers that are APHIS European certified assures you that ALL ingredients in their pet food are human grade. APHIS - Animal Plant Health Inspection Services - is a division of the USDA. APHIS European certification provides this pet food manufacturer with the opportunity to ship their foods/treats to Europe. When importing pet foods from the US, European countries demand that all ingredients are human grade and thus require this certification. Most pet food manufacturers that have APHIS European certification do not ship their products to Europe - they simply use this as a means to assure their customers to the higher quality of their ingredients.

Again, you WON'T see this listed on the label - it's not allowed. You must call the manufacturer and ask. Often times the representative of the pet food won't even know what you are talking about when you ask about APHIS certification - if that's the case, you can assume they are not APHIS European certified. APHIS European certification is a bonus to pet owners - it is not required or even suggested that any pet food manufacturer go through the extra steps to obtain this. This is a special effort some pet foods go through to tell their customers they REALLY CARE about the quality of their products. Personally, I would NOT buy a pet food that doesn't have it.

And by the way, if you can't reach the pet food manufacturer, or they do not return your call within a short time frame, lose their number! Any company that does not place a priority on answering customers questions - doesn't deserve your business!

Secret #6...

Minerals are a required ingredient in human diets as well as diets for our pets. Copper, Iron and Zinc are common minerals found in pet foods. Just as they are - copper, iron, and zinc are basically rocks, very difficult for anyone or any pet to utilize. Science has developed several ways to introduce minerals into the body (human and pet) for better absorption thus benefiting the individual far more. This scientific development is called chelating or proteinating and it's been around for years. Through the chelating or proteinating process minerals are absorbed about 60% better than just the minerals alone.

This secret is spotting the minerals in your pet food to see if they are chelated or proteinated. Notice the minerals on your pet food label, way down on the list of ingredients. You are looking for minerals that read 'copper proteinate' or 'chelated copper'. If you see just the mineral listed, your pet is sort of like Charlie Brown at Halloween saying 'I got a rock'. If you want your pet to have the best, chelated or proteinated minerals are part of the best foods!

Secret #7...

This secret is called 'friendly bacteria'. Although 'friendly bacteria' sounds a little scary, the reason for it lies in your pets' intestinal system. A large portion of your pets' immune system is found within the intestinal system.

Keeping the immune system healthy helps to keep the animal itself healthy. This friendly bacteria is similar to what's found in yogurt, however in pet food it is introduced in a fashion so that the cooking process doesn't destroy it. Looking at the fine print on your pet food label, this time you are looking for lengthy, scientific words like Lactobacillus Acidophilus or Bifidobacterium Thermophilum. If you do NOT see these words or some very similar, that pet food is not addressing the care of your pets' immune system. And again, if you want your pet to have the best, you want 'friendly bacteria' in their food.

There are your seven very secrets to help you find the absolute healthiest and best pet food for your four-legged friend. Armed with those secrets - you now have the knowledge to find your pet the best food possible! A pet food that can extend their life and prevent early aging and disease. If you don't want to bother doing the homework involved, I urge you to subscribe to my monthly magazine Petsumer Report(TM).

Through Petsumer Report(TM) I've done all the homework for you - each month I review and rate over 40 different pet foods, treats, toys, and various other pet supplies. It's the ONLY publication of its' kind providing pet owners with the information they need to know regarding their pet product purchases.

I want to share just a couple more things...

It's best to feed an adult dog or adult cat two meals a day. The nutrition they consume with two meals is better utilized than with just one meal a day. If you are currently feeding your pet one meal a day, split that same amount into two meals and feed in the AM and PM.

You should know that all canned or moist pet foods are anywhere between 70% to 85% moisture. This means that 70% to 85% of that can or pouch of food is useless nutrition - its water. Granted our pets need water, cats especially tend not to drink enough water. But since all canned or moist foods are mostly water, they do not provide adequate nutrition to be fed strictly a canned or moist diet. Use a canned or moist product to supplement your pet's diet - not as the only food.

The best pet foods are preserved naturally (secret #4) - but there is a concern with naturally preserved pet foods...freshness. Take notice of the expiration date on your pets food label - typically with naturally preserved dry pet foods (not as much of a concern with soft foods because of canning - very little need of preservatives) the expiration date is one year to 18 months from the date it was manufactured. Let's say the pet food you are considering to purchase on July 1, 2007 has a 'Best if Used by' date of January 1, 2008.

This would tell you that this particular bag of pet food is already 6 months old. While it is still 'good' a fresher food - a bag that is only 2 or 3 months old - is better. Naturally preserved pet foods lose nutritional potency with time. Always try to find a very fresh bag.

If you are considering changing your pets food, ALWAYS consult with your Veterinarian first. You should always keep your veterinarian advised of any changes you make with your pet. Don't take chances. And if you do switch pet food, make the change over very slowly. I always recommend to pet owners ¼ new food to ¾ old food for 4 to 7 days, ½ to ½ for another 4 to 7 days, and so on. Switching food quickly can cause intestinal disorder! Its short term, but we don't want intestinal disorder!!!

One last thing, as you are already aware dogs and cats have a far better sense of smell than humans. Their food bowl can be a wealth of smells - both good and bad. Some times a pet will refuse to eat simply because he or she smells a previous food in their bowl. Plastic food and water bowls retain odors the worst. And surprisingly so does stainless steel bowls. The best type of food and water bowl is a ceramic one. They retain odors the least.

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot.

I completely agree!

Susan Thixton has worked in the pet industry for over 20 years helping thousands of pet owners to enjoy their pets. She's produced an internationally distributed dog training video, authored the tell all book Truth About Pet Food, and recently has begun publication of a one-of-a-kind pet owning consumer report Petsumer Report. For more information please visit http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com

Susan Thixton
Pet Behavior and Nutrition Consultant
Truth About Pet Food
Petsumer Report™
http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com

Some Tips on How to Keep a Happy Home and Family By Paul De Vizard

When it comes to life, there is no easy way to do anything. This is true for both work and family. If you work a lot to support yourself and your family, there is a good chance that things might be feeling a little distanced these days. Also, people may be showing signs of being unhappy or stressed. If you need some tips on keeping your home and family happy, this article may be able to help.

Make time for your family. This may seem obvious, but many people do not do this or they consider sitting around the TV a family night. This will not do. Instead, plan some engaging activities to do with your family each week. Try to give them at least one day each week.

Try not to be too bossy. Everyone knows that there is rarely a time when someone likes to be bossed around. If you need or want someone to do something, try being polite and suggestive, rather than commanding or rude.

Keep your emotions in check. Many people let their work lives interfere with their home lives in very negative ways. Try not to take your work home with you and try to open up to your family about how you feel. If you notice that the stress is causing you to treat your family poorly or fly off the handle, you may need to get help or switch jobs.

Do not let your kids do anything and everything they want. Your children need clearly defined boundaries that are reasonable. If they stay out too late, disobey important rules, or engage in destructive behaviors, discipline them by taking away things they like or grounding them.

Remember that everyone needs some alone time, including you. Take some time to relax in whatever way you please. Pamper yourself at least once a week and release your stress. A happy you will make for a happier home.

Paul De Vizard is expert in Home Improvement. Check out his site on Gutter Guard Reviews and especially look my information on the Aluminum Gutter Guard to improve the value of your home.