Jasele Oita's Blog A weblog about everything

November 27, 2009

How to Clip a Dog’s Nails

Filed under: Pets — admin @ 8:13 pm

There comes a time when the topic of clipping your dog’s nails must be brought up. Yes, it could get messy, bloody and stressful if done incorrectly, but it is a good idea that you learn how to do it properly.

First, let your dog get used to you touching his paws or feet and getting his toes manicured. Start this off from the time your dog is young. It is important to build that trust. Speak to your dog in a calm voice and always give him a treat when you are done with the manicuring.

Clip your dog’s nails during the day, when there is a lot of light. Separate the nail with your fingers from the rest of his paw. Look at the nail from underneath, you will see a groove that runs along the nail from the tip to where it goes into the paw and pad. Near that tip, you will see that it is grooved to the deepest, creating a hollow of sorts. To keep it safe and to avoid any blood [which is harmless], simply cut the tip off.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. A dog cannot bleed to death when you cut his nails too short. It does look bad, but do not panic. It will stop. Here are a few things to do at home to stop the bleeding:

– Use a napkin or clean, soft cloth to cover the bleeding area. This will stop the blood from messing up the whole area. Mix some flour, baking soda, and corn starch in a small bowl and dip your dog’s bleeding toe in it for a few seconds. This should stop the bleeding.
– Apply a bit of pressure on the wound with a paper towel. Do not squeeze the paw; instead apply pressure on the wound toward the paw.
– Put some ice over the paper towel. Ensure your dog is comfortable during this entire process because it could take some time for the bleeding to stop.
– You could also dip your dog’s nail in a tablespoon of Styptic Powder. This antiseptic contracts the blood vessel back up into the claw.

2. If the nail is white, it is easy to see where you should stop clipping. Right above where the white meets the dark part of the nail.

“Score Watch”

Filed under: Finance — admin @ 2:35 pm

Many consumers consider the act of bad credit repair daunting. However, with some diligence and cool new tools, you may find rebuilding credit fun and maybe even a little addictive.

Score Watch is a handy service that monitors and alerts you to your FICO credit score updates via SMS or email. This is a great way to monitor your credit score and it can also act as an ID theft alert, as you would notice negative credit score changes if your identity was stolen. Once your service begins, Score Watch keeps a history of your credit score and will notify you with any score changes. In addition, you will be notified if you qualify for a different interest rate bracket. Finally, your service can be personalized to your setting preferences, so consumers working on fixing credit scores know exactly where they stand.

Report: Life insurance industry benefiting from increased life spans

Filed under: Insurance — admin @ 1:34 pm

According to a recent report by Moody’s Investors Service in New York, the life settlement industry might be taking a slight hit from what is otherwise a very positive overall trend. According to the report, decreasing mortality rates mean that the life insurance industry is gaining on their investments since people are living longer and paying more premiums before a payout is required.

However, the report also noted a “substantial decline of new life insurance sales for the industry in recent quarters” for a variety of reasons, including increased scrutiny of life insurance settlements which has “put pressure on insurers’ credit profiles,” according to Arthur Fliegelman, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody’s Investors Service.

The report notes the slippery slope the insurance industry is on when it comes to senior life settlement policies: too few policies being cashed in hurts the ability of insurance companies to finance insurance plans for people over 70; but too many life settlements being cashed could result in increased government regulation.

November 26, 2009

How to Improve Your Listening Skills in 3 Easy Steps

Filed under: Education — admin @ 8:12 pm

Are people always complaining that you never seem to hear what they say? Unless you have a serious ear infection or are actually going deaf, the art of listening is not so hard to re-learn. Just try out these steps and see how things work out:

Step 1: Practice Active Listening

Just because you hear something, does not mean that you have understood everything you just heard. Do not take it for granted. It is quite easy for us to get distracted by the most routine things. You might find yourself thinking about what you are going to wear for that party tomorrow while your boss is briefing you on an important task at work.
To avoid getting distracted it is important to practice active listening. Do not simply reply on just hearing the words, listen to them and try to process all the bits of information coming your way. Consciously urge yourself to listen, and keep your mind focused. Do not let it wander off.

Step 2: Reinforce the Message

If you find it difficult to focus, then the art of listening can be challenging, but you must keep trying. Mentally repeating everything a person tells you is another way to improve listening skills. This is fairly similar to taking down notes. This is one of the best ways to reinforce the message in your head, and this will lessen the chance of you forgetting it later on.

Step 3: Do not Interrupt

Remember to keep your thoughts to yourself until the person speaking to you has finished. This will ensure that you have heard everything in full. If you interrupt, not only will it take a toll on the speaker, but on yourself as well. If you are worried that you will forget the questions you want to ask, just jot them down and ask them at the end.
Keep in mind that cultivating the art of listening is fairly easy – all it needs is a fair amount of perseverance on your side and commitment to keep at it.

November 22, 2009

The Four Areas of Architectural Interior Design

Filed under: Construction — admin @ 6:31 am

There are four elements of architectural interior design when the issue of refurbishment, redevelopment or relocation of a business office area comes up. While getting those four elements to work together in harmony may be difficult, the rewards for success and productivity are great.

When creating a new office space, it is important to incorporate opinions of different types of employees. For example, the way an employee who has to sit at a desk all-day would want the office to look would be different to that of a busy administrator or manager. Corporate executives on the other hand would have a different perspective on the matter. With this example in mind, the four design aspects to consider are appearance, comfort, economy and efficiency.

Appearance: Ensure the office space looks attractive, not only to the visitors but also to the people working there. The right choice of colors, plenty of natural light, space in which to move will all lead to increased productivity and physical and mental well-being.

Comfort: While physical comfort of employees is obvious, ergonomic comfort is important too. Strong or poor lights, distracting reflections on screens, ineffective use of space, can all lead to problems with employees.

Economy: Design an office space, which will help reduce fuel costs, including heating and lighting, and does not sacrifice on the previous two design aspects of comfort and appearance.

Efficiency: Create a layout that increases efficiency. For example, ensure that key service areas are easily accessible and look at the overall shape of the office.

November 21, 2009

Faux Windows

Filed under: Home improvement — admin @ 6:31 am

Here is the situation. You need a bigger house but cannot afford it right now. Nor do you want to move away from your neighborhood. However, your kids need rooms of their own and you need an office for you too. If you have a basement, a change-over could make it into bedrooms, a bathroom and even a family room. Move the kids into the rooms and convert their old room into your office. The concern now is that they are not going to get enough light or even a view especially considering those tiny flat windows that basements always have. Those are fair concerns; the good news is you can do something about that.
Faux Windows. They are easy to make and will provide each bedroom with light and even a view. Here is how you do it.

– Draw your window size on the wall in pencil
– Buy a prepasted mural that you think that they would like, but ensure that it is the same size as the one you have drawn. Preferably, it should overlap the lines you drew. In case the mural is slightly smaller, do not panic. This is why you drew in pencil. Simply erase the lines and redraw them to fit the mural you have.
– Install the mural.
– Mount your window over your mural. Make sure the glass is not touching the mural. It is easy to do this if the Window is at least 2 inches deep.
– Install a fluorescent single tube fixture inside this whole contraption; place it at the top of the window. – The idea here is the light fixture should not be visible to anyone in the room.
– Install a switch for this light somewhere near the window.
– Select a miniblind and mount it outside the window frame. Keep it slightly tilted, switch on the light and presto! It will give the illusion of natural outside lighting.
– Adding a windowsill will add to the illusion and will be of practical use.
The result might even see you installing Faux windows all over your house!

November 20, 2009

Flood Insurance 101

Filed under: Insurance — admin @ 8:01 pm

Many people assume that their standard home insurance policies automatically cover flood damage. However, this is not the case.

If your home is located in a flood plain, your lender will require you to purchase flood insurance. Flood insurance is designed to cover the costs of flood damage. It is important to note that even if your home is not in a designated flood plain, it can still incur flood damage. That is why homeowners are eligible to get a home owner insurance quote and purchase flood insurance whether or not they live in a designated flood plain.

If you are not sure whether your home is located in a flood plain, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can help. FEMA regularly releases draft flood risk maps to communities in high-risk flood areas. These maps can help residents make informed decisions about flood insurance options and flood protection measures.

Homeowners can purchase flood insurance from some insurance companies or through the National Flood Insurance Program. For more information or a free home insurance quote, contact HomeInsuranceQuotes.us.

November 16, 2009

Do the research before donating your car to charity

Filed under: Charity — admin @ 10:06 am

One of the benefits of giving a used car to charity is the tax break you will receive. If the car is worth more than $500, you can deduct the fair market value of the car – this is either what the charity is able to resell the car for, or its current market value. If you are donating a true “rust bucket”, you will likely be happy to know that your car is going to help support a worthy charity. You might want to take extra care when donating vehicles that are newer and worth more.

Before donating a more recent car, it is a good idea to get an appraisal, especially if the car is worth more than $5,000. Although it will not be a guarantee of what the resale price of the car will be, it will give you a better estimate than if you just rely on something like the Kelley Blue Book price. This will give you confidence when you receive the final paperwork on the fair market value of your car that you are getting a fair value.

November 13, 2009

Tutoring for kindergarten through high school students

Filed under: Education — admin @ 5:52 pm

As high school students prepare to take their college entrance exams, many parents shell out the cash for SAT and PSAT tutor services. However, students require more than just tutoring for the SATs in order to get into their top choice colleges. That is why it is important for college-bound students to receive tutoring and college counseling throughout their academic career, starting from elementary to when they are finally ready to apply for college.

In addition to college entrance exam scores, grades earned, the high school courses taken, and other personal qualifications come into play as well. Companies such as C2 Education offer tutoring and enrichment courses for students in elementary, middle school and high school. Important services include schoolwork help, strengthening understanding in class subjects, shadow classes and AP classes. When it comes to preparing for college, C2 offers college counseling services that include college selection, admission essay help, and interview preparation.

Swimming Pool Safety Evaluation

Filed under: Home improvement — admin @ 2:05 pm

Pools are a great addition to a house especially if you have children. However, they can be dangerous, especially for younger children who have not learned to swim. Therefore, it is important you take a good look at the safety of your pool. There are a few steps you can tale to assess the safety of your pool. In addition, once identified, it is important that you immediately make the necessary changes or improvements.

The first step is to set up rules on the use of the pool. For starters, children under the age of five will not use the pool without adult supervision. Make sure you are within arm’s reach of them and do not lose sight of them. If you have a pool at home, make sure you have life preservers as well, especially for children who are not good swimmers.

One of the biggest threats in a pool is the drain. You must ensure the drains have covers and remain closed to prevent any unfortunate accidents. Discourage children from running around the pool, as they are most likely to slip which usually could mean a serious injury you would want to avoid. Another common cause of accidents in the pool is when a group of children get together and joke around, and try to dunk one another in the pool. Therefore, adult supervision is critical.

Other precautions include:

– Labeling to show how deep the pool is
– Do not leave toys in the pool
– Have the safety features of your pool evaluated by an expert
– Have safety devices installed in the area surrounding the swimming pool
– Install an alarm that alerts you when someone has entered the pool

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