Tips For Winter Driving by: David Maillie

Winter driving can be hazardous and stressful. Wind, snow, ice and blizzard conditions increase the normal dangers of driving. There is a lot you can do before the winter driving season and during a storm to protect yourself and your family.

Before winter arrives, have your car inspected to be sure it is ready for the road conditions. You can do this yourself or take it to a qualified mechanic. Check the battery, wipers and fluid, thermostat, brakes, ignition system, antifreeze, exhaust system, lights, oil level, heater and defrosters. Make sure everything is in good working order to keep you safe throughout the cold weather.

Check your tires to be sure they are road ready. Install tires that are appropriate for the driving conditions. In moderate amounts of snow, all weather radials will do the job nicely. If you live in a climate where you experience a lot of snow, consider snow tires. These have better tread to deal with snow and ice.

Prepare an emergency kit to keep in the back of your car. This will ensure that you are prepared in the event that you get stuck in the snow. Things to include in the kit:

Ice scraper
Small broom
Small shovel
Kitty litter or a bag of sand (to give traction if you get stuck in snow or ice)
Blankets or a sleeping bag
Flashlight with batteries
Flares or warning triangles
Plastic bags
First aid kit
Tool kit
Jumper cables
Bright cloth to use as a flag
Help sign for back window
Extra hat and gloves
Food and water to sustain you if you get stuck
A book, Bible or Prayer Cards to keep you busy and calm in the event you get stuck.
Charged cell phone (always carry this, especially in the winter)

Keep your gas tank at least half full at all times. This adds weight to the car and will ensure that you won’t run out of gas in the event you get stuck.

Driving in the Snow

Pay attention to the weather forecasts and road conditions in the winter months. If the weather is bad, stay home if at all possible. If you must venture out, travel in the daylight. You are more likely to find help if you get stuck during the day. Never warm up your vehicle in the garage. This releases carbon monoxide, which is toxic and can kill you.

When driving, always wear your seatbelt. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the glare of the sun reflecting off the snow. Know your car and how it handles in the snow. Features like traction control and antilock brakes can be useful in bad weather conditions. Know how these work and if your car is new, practice driving it in a snow covered parking lot before venturing out on the road.

Take it slow, especially in icy conditions. Don’t tailgate and be sure to allow a safe distance between vehicles. Do everything slowly, stopping, accelerating and turning. Leave plenty of time and space to maneuver. Sliding and skidding usually happen when turning, stopping or accelerating. Going extra slow will ensure your safety.

If the visibility is low, slow down even more. Consider getting off highways and driving even slower. This will take you out of the path of large trucks that can cause accidents. Use only your low beams, as your high beams will reflect back off the snow and won’t increase your visibility. Turn on your hazard lights to be sure other drivers see you.

In the event your car gets stuck, don’t get out. Put up the hood and tie your cloth to the antennae. This will make you more visible to emergency vehicles and other drivers. Keep the windows, air grill and tail pipe clear of snow. Wrap up in blankets and huddle up with passengers to stay warm. Run the heat for fifteen minutes each hour to keep from freezing. Move your body around to stay warm.

Keeping your car clean throughout the winter is important. Salt on the roads is important for safety, but will wreak havoc on the finish. If left on for long periods, it can cause rusting. Wash your vehicle weekly to remove salt and wax to protect the paint. Salt also leaves a coating on your headlights that can impair their operation. This will make you less visible to other vehicles. New Lite Headlight Cleaner and Restorer will return the lights to like new condition.

Pitbull Puppies Blue Nose Popular Pets Friendly Aggressive Dog Fights Need Proper Training

Pitbull puppies

, which are often termed as “Blue Nose”, are preferred and adored by dog lovers through out the world. The term “pitbulls” is used to describe those dogs that share similar kind of physical appearance. American Staffordshire Terrier, Perro de Presa Canario, Argentine Dogos, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier etc are some of the dog breeds that are generally termed as “Pitbulls”.

Though Pitbull puppies are peace loving and friendly in nature, sometimes they become over aggressive. It is the responsibility of the owner of a pitbull puppy to train his puppy properly so that it does not react vehemently. If a person fails to groom or treat a pitbull puppy carefully, it may bite a passerby being without being provoked by him. A rigorous training schedule can also turn these puppies hostile toward human beings. Therefore, they should be treated and groomed with absolute care and caution.

According to a statistical report published by the American Veterinary Medicine Association in 2000, pitbull puppies are involved in approximately half of the dog bites related casualties in the United States. This report had examined all the details related to dog bites from 1979 to 1998. Later another study was conducted in order to accumulate further information regarding this serious issue.

This study propounded similar result and enunciated the fact that pitbull, Presa Canrios and some other similar species of dogs are involved in almost 65 percent of dog bites related causalities. This report further stigmatized pitbull puppies by publishing the report that this specific species of dogs are notorious for attacking adults. Even they often attack children.

Pitbull puppies often participate in dogfights. Dogfights are sometimes arranged illegally for gambling and entertainment. These dogs are chosen for this purpose because of their study physical stature and courage. Though most of the states in the United States have laws to prevent this illegal practice, it is still practiced in some places. However, the excessive energy of this dog can be utilized in some other sectors.

If pitbull puppies can be groomed properly, they can take part in obedience competition or weight pulling competition. They can easily emulate other dogs in those sports. Fourteen pitbull dogs out of twenty-five dogs had grabbed the prestigious UKC "superdog" status. Those dogs have won many championship titles in the category of weight pull, agility, obedience and conformation.

Pitbull puppies are surrounded by several urban myths. Its unique physical features have most probably ignited these ideas. Some people believe that, these dogs possess a locking jaw mechanism. However, no evidence has been propounded to prove it.

Latest Anti Virus Technology

Trendmicro.com gives you the latest in anti–virus technology that protects your PC from damage. Your important documents and files at home or in the office are always under the threat of various internet monsters that attack your computers database and may eat into essential files making them inaccessible or completely delete them from the computers memory.

To prevent this from happening, you must ensure that your computer is guarded against these potential hazards and is able to combat against them. This is only possible when you install advanced level spy ware in your PC. Trendmicro.com offers its consumers technically sophisticated security software. Starting its operations in 1988 Trendmicro.com has led the way in virus safety equipment and has made rapid progress in technically advancing their products with many improvements in subsequent years.

Trendmicro.com provides different kinds of assistance to their customers regarding information on a variety of Internet problems. For instance, how to deal with Internet Spam, Web worms and Spyware. In the fast paced world of the twenty first century, we are so overloaded with information that we find it easier to enter all these details into our PCs where we are sure it would be kept secure and safe. In today's world, cyber crimes are increasingly on the rise on the Internet.

Internet hackers are using highly developed and sophisticated software to break into personal bank accounts and force entry into inaccessible portals where access is often denied to unauthorized users. This has made it more difficult to maintain privacy and confidentiality. Trendmicro.com is an answer to all these problems.

Trendmicro.com enjoys the status of giving the best quality products and converting innovative and novel ideas to revolutionary technology. Executives at Trendmicro.com have always created expertise that are unique and are out of the ordinary and have made break through in the market. The products at Trendmicro.com are designed to cater to all your security needs.

Trendmicro.com offers virus protection to the home user as well as multiple servers. You will find Desk top protection, server safety, mail guards, network shields and gateway protection software in the range of products offered in Trendmicro.com.

Trendmicro.com provides security that is completely hassle free and gives you complete peace of mind all year round. To contact Trendmicro.com you have to have to choose from the various regional web sites of countries like the Europe and the Asia-pacific. This helps customers to choose from the dealers of Trendmicro.com who are scattered worldwide.

VETERANS DAY

History of Veterans Day

Click here to go to the Veterans Day home page

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on Nov. 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect. World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

President Eisenhower signing HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Standing (l. to r.) are: Alvin J. King, Wayne Richards, Arthur J. Connell, John T. Nation, Edward Rees, Richard L. Trombla, Howard W. Watts. An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday - - a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible." (Click here for the full text of the proclamation.)

On that same day, the President sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee. (Click here for the text of President Eisenhower’s letter.)

In 1958, the White House advised VA's General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee's chairman.

The Uniforms Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to insure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

The world of MONOPOLY

MONOPOLY is a board game for 2-4 players. The goal is simple: Make as much money as you can, and drive your opponents into bankruptcy.

During the normal course of the game, you'll travel around the board buying properties that aren't owned and paying rent on properties that are owned by other people. As you start to collect properties (and trade for ones that you want), you'll eventually be able to collect complete color groups. That's where the fun starts -- when you get yourself a complete color group, you can start building houses on them. Houses might be expensive at first, but the more houses you build, the more you're able to charge for rent. If you can wheel and deal and build up your properties enough to take all of your opponents cash, you'll win the game!

The World Edition

You might have noticed that instead of buying properties like St. James Place and Vermont Avenue (that's Bow Street and Euston Road for you UK folks), you're buying cities from around the world, like Rome and Barcelona. And instead of the usual "Collect $200" for passing GO, you're collecting "2.00M". That's because you're playing MONOPOLY Here & Now: The World Edtion! The World Edition uses cities of the world, as determined by popular vote, for properties on the board, and all money is now millions of MONOPOLY Dollars (indicated by this symbol -- ) instead of the old currency you might be used to. You might also notice that the Railroads now been replaced with fancy new Transport Spaces, and the Utilities have been replaced with environmentally-friendly versions like Solar and Wind Power.

Of course, underneath the new property names and the new currency, this is still the same old game you've known and loved for years. So with that in mind, let's start playing...

Featured Author and Book

Photo credit: Perry Hagopian About Christopher Paolini Christopher Paolini was born on November 17, 1983 in Southern California. He has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana with his parents and younger sister, Angela. The tall, jagged Beartooth Mountains rise on one side of Paradise Valley. Snowcapped most of the year, they inspired the fantastic scenery in Eragon. Christopher was homeschooled by his parents. As a child, he often wrote short stories and poems, made frequent trips to the library, and read widely. Some of his favorite books were Bruce Coville's Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, Frank Herbert's Dune, and Raymond E. Feist's Magician, as well as books by Anne McCaffrey, Jane Yolen, Brian Jacques, E.R. Eddison, David Eddings, and Ursula K. Le Guin. The idea of Eragon began as the daydreams of a teen. Christopher’s love for the magic of stories led him to craft a novel that he would enjoy reading. The project began as a hobby, a personal challenge; he never intended it to be published. All the characters in Eragon are from Christopher's imagination except Angela the herbalist, who is loosely based on his sister. Christopher was fifteen when he wrote the first draft of Eragon. He took a second year to revise the book and then gave it to his parents to read. The family decided to self-publish the book and spent a third year preparing the manuscript for publication: copyediting, proofreading, designing a cover, typesetting the manuscript, and creating marketing materials. During this time Christopher drew the map for Eragon, as well as the dragon eye for the book cover (that now appears inside the Knopf hardcover edition). The manuscript was sent to press and the first books arrived in November 2001. The Paolini family spent the next year promoting the book at libraries, bookstores, and schools in 2002 and early 2003. In summer 2002, author Carl Hiaasen, whose stepson read a copy of the self-published book while on vacation in Montana, brought Eragon to the attention of his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. Michelle Frey, executive editor at Knopf, contacted Christopher and his family to ask if they might be interested in having Knopf publish Eragon. The answer was yes, and after another round of editing, Knopf published Eragon in August 2003. After an extensive United States and United Kingdom tour for Eragon that lasted into 2004, Christopher began writing his second book, Eldest, which continues the adventures of Eragon and the dragon Saphira. Upon publication of Eldest in August 2005, Christopher toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy. In December 2006, Fox 2000 released the movie adaptation of Eragon in theaters around the world. Early in 2007, as Christopher was writing Book Three, he realized that the plot and characters demanded more space than could fit in one volume and that a fourth book would be necessary to give each story element the attention it deserved. What began as the Inheritance trilogy became the Inheritance cycle. Book Three, Brisingr, will be published on September 20, 2008, and Book Four will complete the story that Christopher envisioned years ago when he first outlined the adventure. Christopher is grateful to all his readers. He is especially heartened to hear that his books have inspired young people to read and to write stories of their own. Once the Inheritance cycle is finished, Christopher plans to take a long vacation and ponder which of his many story ideas he will write next.

What is an auction?

"Sale"
There's something about that word that gets people's attention. You can almost see the raised eyebrows and the dollar signs in their eyes. It means they have an opportunity to buy quality products at fair and reasonable prices. It makes them anxious and excited.

What about when you hear the word "auction" – what do you think of? Does it conjure up the same images for you? Do you think "opportunity?" Do you think "rare and unusual items?"

Well, we are here to tell you that an auction is all of the above and more. In fact, an auction is not only the best and most exciting kind of "sale" it is also the most advantageous type of sale for both buyers and sellers. And through the years, it has become the sale of "choice" by many, many people throughout the country.

Auction Myths
How many of you have been to an auction? Well, for those of you who haven't, we want to dispel a couple of myths. Auctions are a CHOICE for today's buyers and sellers. They are not a "last option." Many people think that auctions are only held when someone has died or has had their property, such as their home or car, repossessed. The reasons for auctions are as varied as the materials and possessions sold there.

Another myth is that you have to be an "experienced" auction goer to buy and sell. Everyone is welcome and the staff are great about helping first timers to understand how auctions work, how to make a bid, etc. Understanding the chant is what some people find the most intimidating. Here's a tip: listen carefully to the caller for a while and get used to his chant method. If you stick around, at the end of the talk I will give you a sample of my chant and explain to you how it works.

Auction Method of Marketing
We refer to our method of selling as "The Auction Method of Marketing."This means much more than just making a sale. It means orchestrating a business transaction and entering into a commitment to meet the needs of both our client and our buyers. We take responsibility for the entire auction. We dedicate many long hours to prepare for and orchestrate the sale so that when that auction gavel falls, the outcome is positive for both the buyer and seller. Some of our responsibilities include:

• Rendering appraisals on merchandise.
  We get to know your property. We use our expertise to look at all the items up for bid and assess their value.
• Advertising the sale.
  It is part of our responsibility to ensure that people know about the auction, so we work hard to reach as many of them as possible through ads in the newspaper, fliers and posters and web site postings.
• Repairing and cleaning up items for display.
  We want your goods to look the best they can so we spend time fixing them, polishing them up and displaying them so they will be appealing to bidders.
• Keeping a financial record of items sold.
  We keep a log of items sold and their sale prices.
• Cleaning up the site after the sale.
  When the sale is over, we help tidy up the auction location, picking up bidder numbers, debris and other items. We want to leave it as we found it before the sale.

Background on Auction Industry
I want to give a little background on the auction industry. It has a vast history that some say dates as far back at 500 B.C.

• The term "auction" is derived from the Latin word "auctus," which means "increasing or gradual increase." Today the word as we have come to know it means a public sale of property to the highest bidder.
• Rome is said to have been the first country to license auctioneers.
• American auctions date back to the Pilgrims' arrival on America's Eastern Shores in the 1600s.
• George Washington liked to attend auctions and is said to have selected all of the furnishings for Mt. Vernon through auctions.

The history of auctions is solid and substantial. Most everything has been sold by the auction method of marketing, including livestock, antiques, real estate, household items, business equipment, artwork, collector cars, electronics – I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

The Auctioneer
Auctioneering is a solid and reputable career. Today there are an estimated 30,000 auctioneers throughout the country.

Auctioneers are educated marketing professionals versed in their field. They are detail-oriented, technology savvy and leaders in their community. They just keep getting better at their trade and that's a plus for consumers.

Many auctioneers attend auction school to learn their trade, then become licensed in their profession.

Continuing education classes are another part of the auction business. Auctioneers attend classes to keep up on current trends and to learn new methods such as video auctioneering and live internet auctioneering. Some auctioneers take classes to earn specialized designations in fields such as real estate, personal property, agri-business, legal and more.

Referrals is a great way to find a good auctioneer, but a tried and true method is to look for auctioneers who are members of the National Auctioneers Association. NAA members are bound by a code of ethics that protects consumers against unfair auction practices, and they are privy to a wide range of educational materials and programming that help me to stay abreast of the latest developments in the industry. Just look for the NAA logo when looking for a trustworthy and professional auctioneer.

Benefits of Auctions
Now that we have given you some background on the auction industry, we want to talk with you about the advantages of using the auction method of marketing to buy and sell goods.

The best way for us to do this is to compare the auction method to other sales methods. How many of you have ever been to a garage sale or yard sale? How about a swap meet or open market sale? We're sure all of you have been to a community event or fair where there are a number of booths featuring items for sale. All of these sales are approaches people use to market and dispose of their property, and make some money.

When compared with auctions, these types of sales are not in the same ballpark. I'm not knocking these types of sales; they serve a purpose and are quite popular. But if you're looking for the best and most efficient way to sell your property, nothing compares to an auction.

Garage sales, swap meets and these other types of sales are very time-consuming for the seller (including the prep time, the time spent sitting and waiting for customers to come, etc.). Most of their marketing comes in the form of a cardboard sign stuck in the ground, and sometimes through a general ad that publicizes the event, but not always their particular items or booth. And when the sale is over, there are always a large number of items left. This is true, isn't it? How many of you have had a garage sale or yard sale, only to end up with half the items you had for sale back in your house? Or, you spend time and energy loading it all up in your car or truck and taking it down to the Goodwill store or local thrift store?

With an auction, the auctioneer and his or her staff take care of preparing items and estimating their fair market value. They professionally market the sale so that people from throughout the county, state, or even country will know about it. And they make it their job to create a competitive and entertaining atmosphere that attracts consumers to the sale. Their hand gestures, eye contact with the crowd and their rhythmic "chant" stirs buyers and brings the sale to life. Through auctions, sellers can obtain the highest possible price, dispose of all their property and receive money for their goods all in one day.

And buyers have the opportunity to "shop" for unique merchandise and pay the price they want in the spirit of competition. All of these things separate auctions from other types of sales.

If you have never been to an auction or sold goods through the auction method of marketing, you're missing out on expertise, value, excitement and fun. It's one of the oldest and most popular sales methods today.

CAT'S WORLD

General Information	Cats have vertebrates and they are mammals. The females give birth to live kittens. For cats you need a box or a basket lined with newspaper, a litter tray and a blanket as a cat bed.
Babies	A cat's babies are called kittens.
Appearance	The cat's skeleton has about 40 more bones than ours - most of them in the tail and spine. It has a full coat of fur. The cat walks on its toes. It can easily jump upwards to five times its own height but is less efficient jumping down. More information: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/cats
Behaviour	Cats are very independent animals. They are intelligent and beautiful.. They like warmth, comfort and regular meals. The cat cannot see as much colour as we do but they can react to any movement. The smell of food is more important to them than its taste. However, they are very conscious of stale food and may refuse a bowl that has been left down too long. The cat's hearing is very accurate.
Diet	They are carnivores-they eat meat and they are hunters. Cats have a highly developed senses of smell and taste. They like milk. Cats are very sensitive to the taste of the water. They do not usually like sweet things. A cat's tongue and teeth are very important to drink and to cut the meat they eat.
Training	The fights and games of kittenhood are practical training for adult life.
Facts	Cat sounds: Cats communicate with a variety of soft purring sounds, according to their feelings of inquiry, affection and concern : meow; miaou; miao; nyan nyan; miau-miau ... Pets'voices Did you know? The fattest cat in the world was called Himmy. He weighed 20.7 kg. Normal cats weigh about 2 kg. Famous cat lovers - http://www.catclub.net/files/frameset3.htm
Activities	A cat's body 1- Game: Drag the words over the item on the image. 2 - Print write and colour the parts of a cat's body. A Quiz about Cats Pussy-cat, Pussy-cat - Nursery Rhyme-Land Read the comics with Osborne's adventures on http://www.catclub.net/files/frameset3.htm

DOG'S WORLD

General Information	Dogs are mammals. The Female dog is called a bitch. Male dogs are dogs. A dog's house is a kennel.
Babies	A baby dog is called a puppy.
Appearance	Dogs have got a tail, four legs with paws and claws. They are usually furry. There are small and big dogs with long or short ears. There are many races of dogs.
Behaviour	Dogs are wonderful companions. They are kind, friendly, loyal and playful. Dogs are good for our health! By taking dogs for walks you can keep fit! They help disabled people. They guide the blind. They search for contraband, find lost people, and supply joy to many people's lives. The love we have for our dogs is great, and they love us back unconditionally. They can protect our houses, too. Don't leave your dog alone for long periods! They suffer from that. They don't like baths but they like the sea and the rivers to swim in.
Diet	Dogs usually need to be fed once or twice a day. They can eat a variety of foods. Most dog food is meat but you can find some vegetarian foods on the market. Dogs love large and hard bones. Small bones are dangerous for dogs.
Training	Dogs need exercise. They usually need about three walks a day. Training a dog takes patience, persistence, and love.
Facts	Queen Elizabeth loves dogs. She owns 10 corgis. They are called Smokey, Shadow, Spark, Myth, Fable, Diamond, Kelpie, Geordie, Chipper, and Blackie . They are all female. Visit the site http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/kids/html/pets.html to know about "Pets in the White House", Washington D.C., USA. Did you know? The biggest dog in the world is a St. Bernard. The tallest dog is a Great Dane. The smallest dog in the world is a Chihuahua. To know more about dogs: http://www.worldkids.net/critters/pets/dogs/dogs.htm
Activities	Dog sounds: Woof? ouha ouha? bau bau? wan wan? guau guau ? �o �o? What do the dogs say? Is it the same all over the world? Try to record and digitalize a dog's sound. E-mail it and how you write it in your own language. Describe feelings according to the sounds you have recorded. A dog's body 1- Game: Drag the words over the item on the image. 2 - Print write and colour the parts of a dog's body. Pedigree dogs. Are you a dog expert? - Matching activity A Quiz about dogs. Take care when you play with unknown dogs. Write some reasons to be careful of dogs: Read what they say: I like children but... http://www.avma.org/care4pets/safelikr.htm Enjoy yourself printing colouring and learning on "AN ANIMAL CARE ACTIVITY SECTION" http://www.avma.org/care4pets/petpouri.htm You can find games about pet care and other animals on http://www.avma.org/pubinfo/petweek97/pwgames.html

What is the origin of America's annual Thanksgiving Day?

Pilgrim William Brewster holds a Bible as the Pilgrims pray for a safe journey as they leave for America from Delft Haven, Holland, on July 22, 1620.

The Pilgrims left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620. Their destination? The New World. Although filled with uncertainty and peril, it offered both civil and religious liberty.

For over two months, the 102 passengers braved the harsh elements of a vast storm-tossed sea. Finally, with firm purpose and a reliance on Divine Providence, the cry of "Land!" was heard.

Arriving in Massachusetts in late November, the Pilgrims sought a suitable landing place. On December 11, just before disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the "Mayflower Compact" - America's first document of civil government and the first to introduce self-government.

After a prayer service, the Pilgrims began building hasty shelters. However, unprepared for the starvation and sickness of a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.

The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends. While this was not the first Thanksgiving in America (thanksgiving services were held in Virginia as early as 1607), it was America's first Thanksgiving Festival.

Pilgrim Edward Winslow described the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving in these words:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling [bird hunting] so that we might, after a special manner, rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as... served the company almost a week... Many of the Indians [came] amongst us and... their greatest King, Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted; and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought... And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet BY THE GOODNESS OF GOD WE ARE... FAR FROM WANT."

In 1789, following a proclamation issued by President George Washington, America celebrated its first Day of Thanksgiving to God under its new constitution. That same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which President Washington was a member, announced that the first Thursday in November would become its regular day for giving thanks, "unless another day be appointed by the civil authorities." Yet, despite these early national proclamations, official Thanksgiving observances usually occurred only at the State level.

Much of the credit for the adoption of a later ANNUAL national Thanksgiving Day may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Joseph Hale, the editor of Godey's Lady's Book. For thirty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day, contacting President after President until President Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November as a national Day of Thanksgiving. Over the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincoln's precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday.

Lincoln's original 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation came - spiritually speaking - at a pivotal point in his life. During the first week of July of that year, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred, resulting in the loss of some 60,000 American lives. Four months later in November, Lincoln delivered his famous "Gettsysburg Address." It was while Lincoln was walking among the thousands of graves there at Gettysburg that he committed his life to Christ. As he explained to a friend:

When I left Springfield [to assume the Presidency] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving each year, we hope they will retain the original gratefulness to God displayed by the Pilgrims and many other founding fathers , and remember that it is to those early and courageous Pilgrims that they owe not only the traditional Thanksgiving holiday but also the concepts of self-government, the "hard-work" ethic, self-reliant communities, and devout religious faith.

GARAGE SALE / YARD SALE

We use to do garage sale which is also known as yard sale. It's fun to do it. Through this, you will always have a goo deal on the goods you buy.

A garage sale, also known as a yard sale, rummage sale, tag sale, attic sale, moving sale, or junk sale, is an informal, irregularly scheduled event for the sale of used goods by private individuals, in which "block sales" are allowed, so that sellers are not required to obtain business licenses or collect sales tax.

Typically the goods in a garage sale are unwanted items from the household with the home owners conducting the sale. The goods are sometimes new, like-new, or just usable, offered for sale because the owner does not want or need the item, to minimize their possessions, or to raise funds. Popular motivations for a garage sale are "Spring cleaning" or the owner's move to a new residence, to even getting some well-earned spending money. The seller displays their wares to the passers-by or those responding to signs, flyers, or newspaper ads. Sometimes local television stations will broadcast a sale on the local public channel. The sales venue is typically a garage, driveway, carport, front yard, porch, or occasionally, the interior of a house. Some vendors, known as 'squatters', will set up in a highly trafficked area, and not on their own property.

Staples of garage sales include old clothing, books, toys, household knickknacks,lawn and garden tools (UTC), sports equipment, and board games. Larger items like furniture and occasionally appliances are also sold. Garage sales occur most frequently in suburban areas on good-weather weekends, and usually have designated hours for the sale. Buyers who arrive before the hours of the sale to review the items are known as "Early Birds"; they often are professional restorers or resellers. Such sales also attract people who are searching for bargains or for rare and unusual items. Bargaining also known as haggling on prices is routine, and items may or may not have price labels affixed. Some people buy goods from these sales to restore them for resale.

Some cities, such as Beverly Hills, California, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, require that the homeowners apply and pay for a yard sale permit, and even with that homeowners in Beverly Hills can only hold yard sales in the back of their homes. Typically these permits cost only ten dollars or so.

VINTAGE CAR

VINTAGE CAR

I like vintage car because I find it so unique and outstanding. Just seeing their pictures amazes about the technology used and the different ideas inculcated just to produce an absolute piece. But what really is a vintage car?

A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930. There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little more debate. The British definition is strict about 1930 being the cut-off, while some American sources prefer 1925 since it is the pre-classic car period as defined by the Classic Car Club of America. Others see the classic period as overlapping the vintage period, especially since the vintage designation covers all vehicles produced in the period while the official classic definition does not, only including high-end vehicles of the period. Some consider the start of World War II to be the end date of the vintage period.

The vintage period in the automotive world was a time of transition. The car started off in 1919 as still something of a rarity, and ended up, in 1930, well on the way towards ubiquity. In fact, automobile production at the end of this period was not matched again until the 1950s. In the intervening years, most industrialised states built nationwide road systems with the result that, towards the end of the period, the ability to negotiate unpaved roads was no longer a prime consideration of automotive design.

Cars became much more practical, convenient and comfortable during this period. Car heating was introduced, as was the in-car radio. Antifreeze was introduced, allowing water-cooled cars to be used year-round. Four-wheel braking from a common foot pedal was introduced, as was the use of hydraulically actuated brakes. Power steering was also an innovation of this era. Towards the end of the vintage era, the system of octane rating of fuel was introduced, allowing comparison between fuels.

During this period, as well as the car adapting, society began to adapt to the car. In the United States, drive-in restaurants were introduced as well as suburban shopping centers and motels.