The Towing Path

It’s easy to see which company is least expensive, but when you need them to cover a claim, what kind of job will they do? To put it another way, which is the most reliable insurance company?

Here’s some quick tips to help you choose the right insurance company for you.

1. Visit your state’s department of insurance and check consumer complaint ratios and basic rate comparison surveys.

2. Get in touch with local body medical practitioners you trust and ask which insurance companies they recommend.

3. Consider contacting an insurance agent for additional information about a particular insurance company.

4. Check out the financial strength ratings for an insurance company by referring to the A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s ratings.

There’s so much to think about when looking for the right insurance company; we’ve already found the best links below to help you get the right information fast.

The right information can go a long way when you’re shopping for car insurance. You can shop for car insurance either online or face to face with a car insurance agent.

Some companies that sell car insurance policies online, as well as the companies that sell car insurance policies traditionally, can make independent decisions about the expenses they incur and the prices of their products. So you might not necessarily get the same quote with the one company either.

When you complete a quote make sure the car insurance company only collects information necessary to provide accurate car insurance quotes. And ensure the information is limited to people involved in processing this information for sales, customer service or claims service.

Also for coverage purposes, sometimes all family members of driving age who are residents of your household might need to be listed on your car insurance policy to protect both you and the insurer. So don’t forget to ask and make sure everyone is either covered or excluded.

What is the car insurance definition of an accident?

Accidents include at-fault, not-at-fault, reported and unreported collisions that you, as the driver, were involved in. Not at fault occurrences in which your parked vehicle was damaged in a collision also are considered accidents.

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All (Hollywood) stories follow the same pattern. After deconstructing more than 100 successful Hollywood blockbusters, we can make this statement with certainty.

Below is a sample of the pattern and a deconstruction of one of Hollywood’s Greatest Films.

Jaws (1975) deconstructed

FADE IN: Context: music, underwater, dark, something, lurking…

Antagonism: Jaws attacks the girl in the water.

Meeting the Hero and Allies in their Ordinary World [home]: Martin, Ellen and Michael Brody at home. Hero’s Backstory: we bought the house in Fall, now it’s Summer; “like you’re from New York.”

Foreshadow of the Journey: the phone rings…missing person on the beach…gotta go.

Warning: “listen chief, be careful will ya…”

Developing Character: Brody on the beach with the boyfriend.

Call to Adventure: finding the body on the beach.

Hero in his Ordinary World [office]: Brody in the office.

Foreshadow of the Adventure: probable cause of death…Shark Attack; the Doctor’s call.

Obstacles to the First Threshold: minor characters and police issues that block Brody out of the office.

The World of the Journey: the characters we meet on the way to the shop.

Forced to the First Threshold: some kids are doing a mile long swim for their merit badges.

Interdictor: the mayor tells Brody he hasn’t the authority to shut down the beach or “yell shark!”

Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: Alex goes into the water.

Hero Frustrated: Brody watching the water, “chief Brody you are uptight.”

Forced to Counter the Interdiction: Jaws attacks Alex; “everybody out…”

Developing Characters and Relationships: the meeting.

Meeting the Shape Shifter: Quint will deliver the head, the tail, the whole damn thing for $10,000.

Seeking Guidance / Developing Characters and Relationships: Brody reading about sharks; with Ellen.

Developing the Antagonism: “Michael, out of the water now!”

Developing the Antagonism: Jaws pulls the pier apart; Brody reading the book; the visual images of shark attacks.

Warnings: Brody tries to get the shark hunters out of the water.

Meeting the Mentor: Matt Hooper arrives.

Developing the Antagonism: Hooper examines the body.

Pushed toward the Physical Separation: Hooper’s examination: it was a shark!

Resisting the Physical Separation: they think they’ve caught the shark.

Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: Quint sails by.

Pushed towards the Physical Separation: Hooper wants to cut the shark open.

Pulled from the Physical Separation: the Mayor resists cutting open the shark.

Pushed toward the Physical Separation: Alex’s mother slaps Brody in the face.

Developing Characters and Relationships; Mentor’s Backstory: Hooper brings around some bottles of wine. Inner Challenge made explicit: Ellen recalls that Brody couldn’t even drive over a bridge.

Physical Separation: they cut open the shark and find no human remains.

Developing Characters and Relationships / Developing Backstory: Brody and Hooper on the boat;

Transformation / Trial 1: the boat is working its way along the territorial waters where the shark has been feeding; they find Ben Gardner’s boat; Hooper goes underwater and finds the dead body.

Transformation / Trial 2: not convincing the Mayor; “tomorrow is the 4 th July…”

Transformation / Trial 3: Amityville is open on the 4 th July; nobody’s going n the water; the false alarm; attack in the pond.

Symbol of Transformation: “take Michael home.” “Home New York?” “No, home here.”

Meeting the Oracle: Brody forces Larry to authorise the hiring of a contractor [Quint].

Entering the World of the Sword: Quint’s place.

Developing Characters and Relationships: “I don’t need this working class hero crap…”

Preparing for the Journey: “what are you, some kind or half arsed astronaut…”

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: the cage.

Warnings: Ellen says goodbye.

Journey to the Sword: the boat sets sail.

Trial 1 / Developing Characters and Relationships: “keep that chum line going chief…”; the smell…

Magical Gift: Martin drops the compressed air.

Trial 2: Brody ties the knot.

Trial 3: the gamefish / is it the shark? sequence.

Battle with the Guardians: “we’re going to need a bigger boat…”Jaws appears in full length; that’s a 25 footer, 3 tons on him.

Foreshadow of the Near Death Experience: Quint on the radio.

Foreboding / Warnings / Resistance: “foreground my ass!”

Seizing the Sword: harpooning Jaws with the barrels.

Developing Characters and Relationships: comparing scars.

Near Death Experience: the USS Indianapolis story; the whale; the song; Jaws attacks the boat.

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: Brody with his gun.

Reward: the barrel is up.

Refusal: Quint smashes the radio; there is no going back for a bigger boat.

Atonement with the Father: they harpoon two barrels onto him.

Apotheosis: Jaws goes down with three barrels.

Ultimate Boon: “we’re heading in Brody…”"Thank Christ!”

Magic Flight: Quint pushes the boat until it burns out.

Rescue from Without: “Hooper, what can we do with these things of yours…?”

Foreboding at the Border: “I got no spit…”

Crossing the Return Threshold: going down in the cage:

Catharsis 1: Jaws attacks the cage.

Catharsis 2: Jaws eats Quint.

Master of the Two Worlds:

Brody puts the tank into Jaws’ mouth.

Catharsis 3: Brody pokes Jaws away.

Build up to Final Catharsis: Brody shoots but misses the tank.

Catharsis 4: Brody shoots the tank.

Physical Celebration: Brody screams for joy.

Freedom to Live:

Hooper reappears.

Physical Celebration: Brody and Hooper laugh.

The birds.

Inner Challenge Conquered: “I used to hate the water…”

They swim to shore.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

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What are condominiums?
A condominium is not a specific kind of home, but rather a specific kind of ownership. Condominiums can be townhouses, high-rise flats, or even detached houses. Instead of owning a piece of land outright, as with freehold ownership, condo owners own a space, called a unit, in the condo structure. Each unit is defined by the Condominium Declaration, which is a legal document that describes the condo development in detail and allocates a strictly defined space to each owner. This space usually includes the interiors of the unit (flat or townhouse), down to the drywall or plaster, and in some cases includes public areas like a foyer, interior hallways, party rooms, and gym facilities.

Who runs the condominium development?
Every condo development is run by a board of directors composed of elected condo owners. The board is responsible for maintaining condo development. The condo corporation is required by law to establish and maintain a reserve fund, which is a fund set aside for major scheduled maintenance or unexpected repairs. The corporation also collects the monthly common fees from owners to cover the costs of property taxes and insurance.

How is condominium and home ownership different?
The main difference is that condo owners must pay monthly common fees, which cover the cost of insuring and maintaining the condo development. Common fees are in addition to paying the costs of financing the condo purchase and vary with the percentage of the total developed space occupied by an owner’s unit. In a very simple development with above ground parking, no common party rooms or guest suites, and basic gym facilities, common fees may be minimal. However, in a well-appointed (think underground, heated parking areas) or older development, common fees will be higher, as will the maintenance fees they cover.

Who do condominiums appeal to?
Condos appeal to a wide variety of homeowners - busy young professionals who don’t have the time to cut the lawn, tend a garden or shovel a driveway, people who travel frequently and can’t always attend to the demands of a house, and retired people who may not be able to physically attend to a large home.

What determines the value of condominiums?
As with any other real estate, the value is ultimately determined by the buyer. These are some factors that will affect real estate value: location, exterior and interior structure, location within the building if it’s a multi-unit structure, view and closeness to the top floor, and parking.

What are the most important elements to look at when buying a condo?
First, consider whether you will be really happy living in a condo, and particularly in the condo in question. Spend some time in the building, walk around the building, visit local businesses and hangouts, and walk around the neighborhood. Make sure you receive and review condo documents. Get copies of the minutes of board meetings so you can see what the issues are and if common fees will be increasing. Talk to some residents to get their opinion on the management and lifestyle.

Inside Chula Vista Real Estate is a network entirely devoted to real estate information. The entire Inside Real Estate network has more than 100,000 pages of real estate for cities allover the United States. Inside Real Estate covers several topics from the basic “how to’s” of real estate to city-specific real estate information.

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My Daughter - My Inspiration

My daughter Manteee (Samantha) has shown me a path that I like traveling. She has been and will continue to be an inspiration in my life. Her fearless nature and competitive qualities have swelled my heart. I am so lucky to have her as my daughter.
She loves playing softball. Her competitive nature shows up in many facets of the game. As a second baseman she dives for groundballs that have a chance of getting to the outfield. She races for fly balls and pop ups that she must get and usually does get. While batting she will take one for the team. She will allow a hard pitched ball to hit her so she can get on base. She will stand up to any pitcher, no matter how hard they throw, to get her swings in. On the bases is where she is fearless. Diving or sliding into a base with no apparent concern for her body has often scared me. Taking the the extra base when most girls just stand around has earned her a thumbs up from her coaches.

She has stepped in and played against players, in some tournaments, that are five to six years older than her. Some of these girls are over six feet tall. My daughter is five feet two inches if we put her on a stretching table. Her lack of height has been made up by her determination.. Starting for her high school team as a Freshman was quite an accomplishment. What was even better was that her coach favors Juniors and Seniors because they have more experience.

Baseball and softball have been a large part of my life. Writing this e-zine about my daughter has been a pleasure. She has made her dad proud. I feel like I am glowing inside when I watch her play. I feel like I am the luckiest father on earth.
My fantasy baseball story has come to reality through my daughter. I wanted one of my children to excel in baseball. She is the one that has carried the ball and bat. She may or may not want to continue her career after High School. That is up to her. But for now I am able to watch, admire and feel proud.
I have admired Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays and Derek Jeter to name a few of players that impressed me. My daughter has tied Derek Jeter as one of my all time favorites. They are both on my top ten list.

About the Author

Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. His passions have included; playing, watching, reading , evaluating, and coaching the game he adores. Check out his baseball ezine. For inspiring quotes, unusual statistics and most of all heartwarming stories go here.

http://www.baseballsprideandjoy.com/index.php?tag=goart

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Freely available cell phone software is one of the primary reasons for driving the sales of mobile phones. Mobile phones are becoming sophisticated gadgets. They are becoming instruments of ‘convergence’, rapidly emerging as hand held PCs. Obviously cell phones that are high on features should have some software inside them, to make them the gizmos they are. This software is extensively available. You can get it either online or thorough your neighborhood retailer and get your cell phone really loaded. What is more, most of this software comes absolutely free of cost.

Most of the handsets come along with a range of software utilities. The ringtone utilities are just one of them. With this you can literally program your ringtone, to your specification. You have free cell phone software for data synchronization. This comes free with the latest cell phones. With this software you can manage your data in the phonebook better than ever. Graphics are another form of free cell phone software, which are fast becoming all the rage. You can now download your choicest graphics and use them as your screensavers. You can share these graphics with your friends, too. Imaging software is another popular form of software. You can now shoot and share pictures with ease using your cell phone.

There is software available for short messaging services as well as multimedia messaging services, available aplenty, through online resources. These freebies, if not coming along with the handsets, are easy to download and use. You need not know nuclear science to use this free software.

There is intense competition among service providers and handset manufacturers. Remember it is the software that really makes your cell phone what it is. Extensive reviews about the latest free cell phone software is available online. You can go through these reviews. Product reviews are also available in leading magazines and journals. All these can equip you with the right kind of information regarding cell phone software.

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Getting your website listed in Google quickly simply requires that you know what Google is looking for and how to apply that to your site. Fortunately, what Google is looking for is pretty easy to understand and use in your marketing plan. Start with these suggestions as soon as possible so you will increase your traffic. Consider the following suggestions to get your website listed with Google, and listed as well and quickly as possible.

Tip #1 - Submit Your URL

After you develop your website, you will want to register with Google to get your URL in their database. However, the inclusion of your URL is not promised so you will need to do everything you can to guarantee this. One such thing is to make sure all web pages are fully completed. If all web pages are not fully completed, your URL might not be picked up by Google robots crawling the web, and certainly not the unfinished pages. Also, only submit your URL once as per the guideless set forth by Google.

Tip #2 Keywords

Keywords are another thing you should use when writing content for your website. The reason for this is Google relies on keywords to rank web pages. When you research important keywords for your market and use them in titles, in the beginning of paragraphs, and throughout your content, Google will be able to return your site as a result when people search for these particular keywords. Make sure you know how to use keywords properly and the words that directly apply to your market because if you use keywords in the wrong way they can actually hurt your rankings.

Tip #3 Links

Another very important consideration for a high rating in the Google search engine is links… links to your website from other websites. However, you can do this relatively easily by simply communicating with other quality websites and asking them to link to you. You can also link back to them. This is a very popular practice. Also, there are reciprocal linking software programs you can use to help you increase and manage your links. It is recommended that you go the personal route with the more important links you are interested in to ensure the link reciprocation process occurs.

There are many things you can do to optimize your site for Google’s search engine, however by following the above tips you will get your site ready for Google searches fast and with little effort. Make sure you know what you are doing, however, because if not you might do more harm than good. Once you have a clear understanding of what you need to do regarding links, keywords, and registering your URL, you should have no problems.

Michael Turner shows you exactly how to increase web site traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it today at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/

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Judith Viorst, in her best seller “Necessary Losses”, discusses how we are forced to grow beyond the losses that are an inevitable and necessary part of life. For children forced into the child welfare system, the loss was necessary for their own well being and safety. These children had to be temporarily or sometimes permanently removed from their biological environment due to neglect, abandonment or abuse.

Foster parents are wonderful people empowered with the courage and fortitude to open up their hearts and homes to foster children. They understand that becoming a foster parent is a special mission or calling requiring the ability to be a guiding and supporting influence on young hurting souls. They realize that there is absolutely no alternative equal to another family environment when children, through no fault of their own and for whatever reason, can no longer live with their biological families and they have willingly stepped up to the challenge of making a difference in the life of a child.

I both admire and salute all foster parents because foster parenting is a demanding commitment. Not only are they required to acknowledge the bereft foster child’s difficult emotions when first placed in their home, integrate the child into their family, teach the child the family’s rules and rituals, routines and expectations, engender feelings of safety and security, but they are also required to work cooperatively in efforts to reunify the child with his/her birth family and so much more.

Yet, I believe there is such a wondrous power in the gift of human love and compassion. New life emerges in hearts of hurting children longing for unconditional love, tenderness, compassion, patience, understanding and hope. When foster parents reach out and lovingly touch a child, they infuse something priceless of themselves into the very soul and essence of another. When they touch a child in empathetic, kind, gentle, healing ways, they may be incognizant of the lasting impressions they are imprinting upon the child’s mind screen with each loving word, gentle embrace, and warm encouragement.

The power of love and compassion is awesome. There is something subtle, magnetic; redemptive that mysteriously transmits to the child in a positive, healthy and permanent way. It is the ministry of healing; the most lasting and meaningful kind of human touches. It is the silent, holy, and powerful contagion of a foster parent’s influence.

Literally thousands of lives have been positively affected by foster parents who have volunteered their homes, their lives, and selves to these children. As a former foster child myself, I can attest to the sustaining power that an understanding look or warm embrace can have on crushed spirits. I know what a loving foster home environment is. It is more than just a place to sleep comfortably and it is more than wiping away sad tears, but it is a refuge from the world of chaos. Foster Parents do make a difference.

Staff at the Children’s Place at Home Safe wear shirts with the inscription: When all is said and done all that matters is that I have made a difference in the life of a child. What a great testimony!

If you have not thought about it before, “now is the acceptable time” to consider becoming a foster parent. You remember what Jesus said in the gospel of Mark?

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:37.

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16.

The need for loving foster homes is GREAT! There are children waiting for families in your community.
If you have room in your heart to give the gift of hope and healing and if you have room in your home to provide safety and stability for children who have been neglected, abandoned, or abused, please consider becoming a foster parent.

For Floridians, call 1-800-981-KIDS or visit The Children’s Place at Home Safe. for more information.
All others interested in foster parenting, please contact your local Department of Children and Family Services

You have an open invitation to visit us at AMEN Ministries: Your Soul’s Service Station for reviewing spiritual services being offered, obtain spiritual refreshing and soul edification, get your daily dose of humor, browse our newly expanded Stop & Shop WebStore and to visit our prayer sanctum for quiet time with God.

Blessings to all!
Saundra

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This is part 2 of a multipart series of articles regarding proposed anti-gambling legislation. In this article, I begin discussion of the quoted reasons for this legislation, and the actual facts that exist in the real world.

The legislators are trying to protect us from something, or are they? The whole thing seems a little confusing to say the least.

As mentioned in the previous article, the House, and the Senate, are once again considering the issue of “Online Gambling”. Bills have been submitted by Congressmen Goodlatte and Leach, and also by Senator Kyl.

The bill being put forward by Rep. Goodlatte, The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, has the stated intention of updating the Wire Act to outlaw all forms of online gambling, to make it illegal for a gambling business to accept credit and electronic transfers, and to force ISPs and Common Carriers to block access to gambling related sites at the request of law enforcement.

Just as does Rep. Goodlatte, Sen. Kyl, in his bill, Prohibition on Funding of Unlawful Internet Gambling, makes it illegal for gambling businesses to accept credit cards, electronic transfers, checks and other forms of payment for the purpose on placing illegal bets, but his bill does not address those that place bets.

The bill submitted by Rep. Leach, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is basically a copy of the bill submitted by Sen. Kyl. It focuses on preventing gambling businesses from accepting credit cards, electronic transfers, checks, and other payments, and like the Kyl bill makes no changes to what is currently legal, or illegal.

So, regardless of whether online gambling is currently legal or not, just what is it that the politicians are trying to protect us from? Why is it so important to make online gambling illegal?

One answer is contained in this quote from Rep. Goodlatte “will keep children from borrowing the family credit card, logging on to the family computer, and losing thousands of dollars all before their parents get home from work”.

I think a fair translation of that quote would be “American parents are incapable of raising their own children so Congress should step in and do it for them’. Because of course we are all aware that the politicians have a much better idea of what is best for us and our children than we do.

And in another quote “In short, the Internet is a challenge to the sovereignty of civilized communities, States, and nations to decide what is appropriate and decent behavior”.

A reasonable translation of this quote would seem to go something like “Individual Americans are not capable of deciding for themselves what behavior is appropriate and decent in their own homes. Fortunately Congress is here to protect them from themselves and legislate morality for them”.

Not only is Congress supposedly responsible for raising the children of America, but in order to do so, and to prevent us from unknowingly doing something indecent, they are going to legislate what we can do with our own money, on our own time, in our own homes. Does this sound like the very model of a free society, or the beginnings of a misguided totalitarian state?

Let’s delve a little deeper into these protections and see just how interested the politicians really are in making sure that our children are safe from the evils of gambling.

Remember, all of these following forms of gambling are either currently legal, or would be made specifically legal in the bill being put forward by Rep. Goodlatte.

First, we have casinos, and race tracks. These little money makers are proliferating all over the country and generate quite a bit of tax revenue for federal and state governments as well as profits for their operators. The people behind the anti-online gambling bills would have you believe that casinos are not an issue when it comes to underage individuals, since casino staff can see the individuals in person and assess their age.

Quite to the contrary however, we have this quote from The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery “Casino kids have been left by themselves at the outer rim of casinos while their parents gamble, according to some casino security officers. In some extreme cases, children are left in the family car in the casino parking lot for hours at a time while their parents gamble inside. Less obviously, children may also spend several hours each week with babysitters while their parents gamble in casinos, bingo halls or card rooms.”

While I certainly wouldn’t try to claim that online gambling is good for the American family, clearly, to the extent that children can relax and play in their own homes, and sleep in their own beds, online gambling presents less of a problem than the current state supported alternative.

Another form of online gambling that the proposed legislation would exempt from illegal status is the sale of lottery tickets by the states over the internet. It is difficult to see how these legislators show deep concern for the children of America based on the following quote from Overcoming Life Digest (July/August, 1998 Issue) “Studies show that lotteries are the favorite legal gambling game for teenagers. Statistically, one of seven who play will become addicted.” And from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (6 June 2003), “Many regard lotteries as a relatively benign form of gambling. However, 31 percent of callers to the 1-800-GAMBLER national hotline (operated by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey) indicated problems with lottery gambling.”

In yet another example of government raking in cash without regard for the children of America, we have Video Lottery Machines. Video Lottery Machines, or VLTs are nothing more than state sponsored electronic video poker machines. According to David Plotz in Slate.com on Friday December 17th, 1999 “These are the most addictive of any gambling instrument we have today. It is a cinch for kids to play video lottery machines, since they are often found in businesses that kids frequent.” These devices are being licensed for use in grocery stores, convenience stores, bars and markets around the country, where the children of America have easy access.

Clearly, the legislation proposed does not “keep children from borrowing the family credit card, logging on to the family computer, and losing thousands of dollars all before their parents get home from work”, They will be able to buy lottery tickets, bet on horse races, and head down to the local convenience store to play the VLTs.

In the next article, I will continue coverage of the issues raised by politicians who are against online gambling, and provide a different perspective to their rhetoric, covering the Abramoff card, and the affect of gambling on the family.

For more detail and similar articles, contact the author at http://A1-PokerInfo.com.

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Take a moment to consider what it might be like to function day after day in an environment in which you are “the only one” or, at minimum, one of only a few who represent your particular race, nationality, age group, ethnicity, or gender. In many graduate departments across the U.S. minorities, foreigners and even women often find themselves isolated within an intensely competitive academic environment that provides no cultural understanding or support to assist them in finishing their degree.

Further exacerbating this situation is a shortage of minority faculty role models who can provide a mentoring and support system for like graduate students. A lack of diverse faculty in a department can create a signal of an unwelcoming environment for women and minorities. This may curtail the number of minority students who actually apply to graduate school, and may also contribute to the small percentage who actually complete their degree once they have enrolled. The cycle continues, the next generation of female and minority students will face the similar issues.

During an orientation for admitted students visiting a department at Wisconsin, a black student quipped, “Whew; I’m sure glad there are other white people here. I wasn’t sure when I applied!” Everyone laughed, but his comment proves worthy of mention. Given the current demographics in higher education, there is no guarantee that you(as a female, foreign, or minority student) will meet other students or faculty of color in the graduate department you choose.

The demographics of specific departments can vary greatly. Some may feature far fewer minority students to provide a sense of community of cultural, social, emotional and professional support. If this type of support is critical for your emotional well-being, be sure that to select a department with a critical mass of minority students. For example, if a department admits two minority students each year, and the average time spent in graduate school is six years, there may possibly be 10-12 minority students in the department at any given time with whom you can interact.

A campus visit can actually be quite helpful in reducing the stress about the unknown elements of graduate school. For example, some departments have a collegial working environment, while others are more competitive. Some allow collaboration across; other disciplines others do not. During your visit to the campus, it is not out of line to ask about the number of women and minority students in the department or what level and type of funding is available for minority students. If these types of issues are important to you, it is critical that you complete appropriate due diligence prior to applying.

Many women and minority graduate students are determined to find an advisor who is their same race and/or gender. My advice is to not waste your time trying! Due to the current lack of diversity among academic faculty, the chances of finding one are slim.

Because there are so few of them in academia, female and minority advisors tend to be overwhelmed and overburdened by the extra mentoring responsibilities they are asked to perform … and this is particularly true of minority women! Their workloads can become even more extreme because of additional campus committee duties they may be asked to fulfill because of their race, ethnicity, or gender. For example, the chair of the department may ask them to help diversify a variety of committees on campus. And, while some female and minority faculty might feel a sense of responsibility to mentor minority graduate students, others simply do not. They should still, however, be viewed as key allies; regard these faculty members as reserve mentors rather than as advisors.

Furthermore, keep in mind that race, ethnicity, and gender are simply not the best criterion for selecting an advisor. I chose my advisor because he had a reputation of being culturally sensitive to foreign students and, more importantly, for helping his students complete the program quickly.

Success in graduate school often depends on a successful mentoring relationship between you and your advisor. As such, finding a faculty member with similar research interest is critical to finishing your degree, and far more important than finding a faculty member who matches your gender and/or race.

About the Author: As a single mother, professor Wendy Y. Carter, Ph.D., completed three masters’ degrees and a PhD. Her motto is a Good Thesis/Dissertation is a Done Thesis/Dissertation. She is the creator of a new innovative interactive resource tool on CDTADA! Thesis and Accomplished. To learn more contact the author at drcarter@tadafinallyfinished.com. Or visit http://www.tadafinallyfinished.com

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House training is one of those issues that every dog owner must
grapple with. In most cases house training is the first major
milestone in the relationship between owner and dog, and it can
sometimes be difficult and confusing for owner and dog alike.

The best house training procedures are those that use the dog’s
own instincts to the owner’s advantage. These strategies take
into account the dog’s reluctance to soil the spots where he
eats and sleeps. This is the concept behind den training and
crate training. Dogs are very clean animals, and in nature they
always avoid using their dens as toilet areas.

These kinds of natural training methods generally work very
well, for both puppies and older dogs. Naturally, older, larger
dogs will need a larger area for their den, and crate training
is generally best used for puppies and small dogs.

When house training a dog or a puppy, however, it is important
to pay close attention to the signals the dog is sending. It is
also important to be consistent when it comes to feeding times,
and to provide the dog with ready access to the toilet area you
establish on a regular basis.

It is important as well to never try to rush the process of
house training. While some dogs are naturally easier to train,
most puppies and adult dogs will experience at least one or two
slip ups during the house training process. When these accidents
occur, it is important to not get mad and punish the dog.
Accidents during house training usually mean that the owner is
trying to move too fast, or that the dog has been left alone for
too long. In this case, it is best to just take a step back and
start the process again.

It is also important for the owner to reward the dog
enthusiastically when it does its business in the appointed
area. The dog should learn to associate doing its business in
its toilet area with good things like treats, rewards and praise.

During the house training process, the den area starts out very
small, often as small as half of a small room in the beginning.
As the dog learns to control his bladder and bowels better, and
the owner learns to anticipate the dog’s toilet needs, the den
area can be slowly expanded. It is important not to make the den
area too large too soon. The den area must be expanded slowly in
order for the house training process to move along smoothly.

It is important for the dog to be properly introduced to its
den. Many dogs, particularly those who have never been confined
before, such as those who have spent their lives as outdoor
dogs, may react to the den area as if it is a prison, and
constantly whine, cry and try to escape the den. It is important
that the dog learn to accept its den as a home and not a cage. ]
One problem many dog owners overlook when house training a dog
is that of boredom. Boredom is actually the root cause of many
behavior problems in dogs, including chewing and other
destructive behaviors. Boredom can also be the root cause of
problems with house training. Dogs that are bored often consume
large amounts of water during the day, and this excess water
consumption can lead to the need to urinate often, even in its
den area. Since soiling the den area goes against the dog’s
nature, he can quickly become confused and frightened, thereby
setting the house training program back even further.

To prevent the dog from becoming bored when you are away from
home, be sure to provide him with lots of different kinds of
toys, as well as a safe and secure place to sleep. In addition,
a vigorous period of play time can help the dog sleep while you
are away. In addition, playing with the dog in its den area will
help him bond with this area and recognize it as a safe, secure
home.

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