DEMO: Hobbies Theme

The Business of Publishing
 by: Penny C. Sansevieri

Congratulations, you’re published! But what exactly does it mean to be “published”? Besides the fact that your work is finally in print and your college alumni has asked to interview you for their newsletter it also means fame and fortune, right? Well, ok, maybe not on the level of J. K. Rowling, but at the very least you can expect a call from Oprah, right? I hate to be the one to break it to you but you’re probably not even on her radar screen. The truth about publishing is really stranger than fiction and the truth is: getting published is only half the battle. The other half is to keep your reality check in balance so it doesn’t bounce.

While publishing is all about creative expression, it’s also about business and it’s those business savvy authors who will succeed in the end. Now you don’t have to be an MBA to be a keen business person, you simply have to understand that the choices you make relative to your books future should be based on strategies that will enhance sales not just drain your pocketbook. So, how do you do this? First, take a long, hard look at your reader.

Your Dogs Health - The Basics Every Pet Owner Should know
 by: Randy Jones

Your dog is probably stronger and healthier than most humans that you know. However, by taking him from his natural environment, where only the strongest survive, to the artificial one in which most pet dogs live, we have exposed him to an entirely new set of dangers which their instincts are not designed to cope with.

A dog’s health is influenced by the genes inherited from his parents and by the care given to his mother during the prenatal period, as well as to the puppy during his first 2 or 3 months of life. A puppy, whose mother was properly cared for during pregnancy, will be more able to handle the hazards of growing up.

The majority of dogs lead perfectly healthy, normal lives. They overcome occasional skin rashes, chills, and upset stomachs, recover from cuts and bruises with ordinary care, sensible first aid when necessary, and professional diagnosis and treatment of serious ailments. Chances are that if you give you dog a normal diet, a healthy home environment, a well balanced life, you will only need to see the vet for check-ups and vaccinations.

A student wrote me an email about the lesson “Ocean Dreams.” Here it is:

“Dear Edward, I can’t believe that you’re using just 3 chords for this piece. It sounds like it uses much more material. Please tell me how you did it!”

Here’s my answer - Dear B. First, thanks for listening to my free lesson. To answer your question, the secret to getting the full sound you hear in this piece is not in how many chords are used. It’s in how the chord is voiced! Notice in the lesson that your left hand is very much open and covers a full octave of the keyboard.

This is what creates the full sound you hear! My right hand is playing melody notes pretty close to the left. Also, I use the principles of repetition and contrast to maintain interest. For example, you’ll notice that there is a beginning section where the melody repeats. Then another section is added (still only using the same 3 chords) with a contrasting melody. Then back to the first theme so the whole piece can be broken down into what’s commonly know as ABA form (even though this piece was improvised).

9 Tips To Successful Article Submission
 by: Marige O’Brien

Many internet marketers have heard about the traffic that article marketing can bring to a website. Yet, when they try it themselves, they find the results less than rewarding. With article marketing becoming more and more well-known as a FREE (or very cheap) way to quickly gain lots of inbound links to a website, the value of it cannot be over-emphasized.

However, as this trend grows, so does the population of articles that are available. With the inherent competition, article distributors and newsletter editors, are becoming more selective toward the articles they accept. Since they are in the driver’s seat, the sensible thing to do is find out what it is they need, as well as the most efficient way to offer that to them.

Below are 9 tips that include everything from offline preparation, to Byline Do’s & Don’t’s. Each is designed to make the process as efficient and painless as possible. Included in the byline is a link to a current list of approximately 100 submission sites and recommended submission services.

1. LIKE A GOOD SCOUT, BE PREPARED

Spite Isn’t A Dog Thing - Separation Anxiety Is
 by: Hope Saidel

Dog owners, when they get together, will tell stories of their amazing, brilliant, astonishing and misbehaving dogs. How many times have you heard about the pet who, displeased by its owners’ absence, left a “present” of the most unpleasant kind?

The truth is - he didn’t do it out of spite. Dogs aren’t people. People are the only animals that have an idea of “spite,” “revenge,” or “getting even.” That’s not to say that dogs don’t have emotions - any dog owner knows better. But most will agree that dogs aren’t planners - they live completely in the moment - a skill humans can only attempt.

The only time to correct a dog for improper behavior is when you catch the dog in the act. Revisiting the scene of the crime doesn’t help. The dog doesn’t remember committing the crime. Yelling at the dog when you find the mess teaches the dog that finding a mess is bad. Therefore, in dog logic, it will learn to hide the mess, not refrain from creating it.

Some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten were made by my grandmothers in their cast iron skillets. Tender, flaky catfish; finger-lickin’ chicken; and mouth watering cornbread were the traditional scrumptious fare. Today, we have a new generation of cooks, and they are conjuring up all sorts of new and tempting recipes to cook in cast iron skillets that have either been handed down through generations, or picked up brand-spanking-new at the local Williams-Sonoma store. But before I share some of those unusual recipes with you, I would like to first educate you on how to care for your skillet.

First rule: Don’t ever wash your cast iron skillet! Doesn’t that just blow your mind? I was positive that my mother was slipping into early dementia when she told me that years ago. But I soon found out she knew what she was talking about, as always. Actually, you should wash your skillet the first time, but afterwards, put away the soap when it comes to cleaning your skillet. And never put it in the dishwasher.

A Wealth of Kid Hobby Ideas
 by: Deng Gang

Every young person needs a hobby. An interesting kid hobby will help children learn as well as keep them entertained for hours. It might even help them stay away from a bad peer group and stay out of trouble. Some kids might think of video games or TV as an appropriate kid hobby, but most parents would like to see their kids doing something more challenging or educational.

A good kid hobby is playing a musical instrument. The guitar can often be self-taught from a book if a child has the interest, but for piano playing or other instruments, you will probably have to invest in lessons. Practice is, of course, an essential part of mastering any musical instrument.

Another type of kid hobby is pursuing an art or a craft. Kids can learn to draw, paint, or make scrapbook pages. They can learn needle arts, such as embroidery, sewing, knitting or crocheting. Beginning carpentry is a very useful kid hobby that may turn into a career, or at least skills that will be used for a lifetime.

Tinkering around on gas engines or electronics is another kid hobby that can lead to useful skills.

How To Train A Dog To Stay
 by: Michael Colucci

In this article I want to explain how to get your dog to stay. Most of the time, when you get up to leave out of a room, your dog will want to follow, especially if they’re energetic. Sometimes you will want them to stay in one place.

The first thing you want to do is get a supply of dog treats. Take your dog into a quiet room and have him sit down. Hold out the dog treat in your hand, letting the dog know that you have it. When the dog tries to take the treat, close your hand. Your dog should then pull his head back. When he does this, praise him and give him the treat.

Timing is very important for training your dog to stay. Repeat the process again. Keep doing it until the dog doesn’t go for the treat, and instead pulls back immediately.

After the dog is consistenly pulling back each time you hold out the treat, you want to begin the next stage of the process. Repeat the first step again, but wait two seconds after your dog pulls back before handing him the treat. Make sure you only praise your dog and give him a treat while he is remaining still.

Grow your own cooking herbs to add fresh zest and flavor to your menus year-round!

Is It a Cooking Herb or a Spice?

The first thing to know in selecting which herbs to grow is the difference between cooking (culinary) herbs and spices. The cinnamon stick you put in your hot chocolate or apple cider is a spice while the parsley on the edge of your plate is an herb. 1.Cooking herbs are usually the fresh or dried leaves of plants while spices are the ground seeds, roots, fruits, flowers, and/or bark. 2.Herbs grow very well in temperate zones, while spices generally come from tropical areas. 3.Herbs add subtle flavor, whereas spices are generally more pungent and add more robust flavor.

Herbs run the gamut of about 70 cultivars, broken into categories of medicinal, ornamental, and aromatic as well as culinary or cooking herbs. To start growing cooking herbs, it’s best first to select where and how you want to grow them.

Site Selection

Most cooking herbs thrive in just about any location that gives them plenty of light, good drainage and nutrition. In addition to outdoor garden spots, culinary herbs can be grown in patio containers, as indoor herb gardens, or in greenhouses using soil-less growing techniques like hydroponics or aquaponics.