Alternatives to Working

Most people know what stealing is. If you went into a clothes shop and came out the door later with a shirt or a blouse that you hadn't paid for, that might seem like stealing. Trouble is, in a recent survey, about half the British residents interviewed admitted to taking something at some time from their place of work. It might have been the odd ballpoint pen, or a handful of paper-clips, but it went up to and included a laptop computer. What about the worker in a car factory who took home a small part every day. At the end of the year he had been able to build his own vehicle at home. Is that theft? Or do we secretly admire his initiative?

What about taxes? In another survey half the respondents admitted to playing down their income and beefing up their expenses when they made their annual Tax Return. That's lying, but hey, you're only stealing from the taxman, right? Well no, you're actually taking from all of us, all those daft enough or honest enough to pay the taxes we owe and thus cover all the healthcare costs and social work that we happen to think is a useful part of our society. It's not like finding a banknote on the street, is it? If we saw some money sliding down the gutter, well, that's just good luck, isn't it? It isn't like we filled in any forms falsely or lied to anyone, if we just pick it up and run off with it, right? No? What about if you happened to be walking past my office and saw my wallet lying open on my desk? Would you feel justified in helping yourself to whatever you could find in there? I mean, it would involve strolling into the room casually and hoping that no one was there. Or that anyone else passing by noticed you being in there and thought you were acting suspiciously. And you would have to open the wallet and riffle through the private contents. That's stealing, right? Or would you say it was all my fault for being so stupid as to leave my assets unattended in plain sight?

After all, people like 'finding' free things. A few nights ago, someone climbed up onto the roof of the Youth Centre near where I live and 'found' some strips of lead. They helped themselves and later that night, when it rained, water poured in through the open rafters and wrecked the computer room and boxing gym. It's all bad news for the local children, losing facilities that they sorely need, but it's not stealing is it? I'm sure the local thugs who did the deed will be excusing themselves right now and saying that 'It's insured' or some such nonsense, and not worrying about the fact that it's their younger brothers and sisters who are losing the facilities, however temporarily.

This 'insurance' issue raises the question: 'Who pays?' If it's the taxman we don't worry, it seems. Or maybe if it's big corporations (especially if they are our employers), department stores, local government, the banks, insurance companies, that's OK. But the clear fact is that someone does pay, somewhere, at some point. I've got a friend who was telling me proudly that he's discovered a wonderful new hair salon where they serve free drinks while you get your hair cut. Tea, coffee, fruit juice, or mineral water, it's your choice. I said: who pays? He laughed. 'It's free', he said. Then I found out how much he paid for his coiffure, and it was double the bill I usually pay. Who paid? He did.

Now we get to the internet. For some reason, an incredible number of people expect it to be free. Why? Every email you send, every web site you visit, has been set up, programmed and built by people. Their time costs money. You expect them to work for nothing? The unusual thing about the web is that it mostly isn't 'big business'. Apart from the obvious software giants, it's mainly people in garages and bedrooms, home dens and studies. Some of them are geeks, some hobbyists. Some happy to invent new stuff, work on new ideas, and give them out to the world (which is what Open Source software is all about). But if someone has spent time making something work, and you then take it for free, aren't you stealing? If it's their effort, then you've taken their energy, their resources, their inventiveness, their time. For nothing.

Ahh yes, someone pays, you agree, but it's advertising. Web sites are flooded with small ads and links to commercial programs, so that's what's funding the work, you say. But who pays for ads? When I buy my tin of baked beans in my local supermarket, I know that that company has spent millions on TV ads. It means that for the price I pay, some small fraction of it is going towards the company's advertising budget. If I buy books or toys or software on the internet, isn't some small part of the price helping to pay for advertising it? After all, who paid for my friend's 'free' cup of coffee? He did.

If you think anything is free from the internet, you're deluding yourself, firstly. But secondly, and far worse, is the attitude that says, 'Yeah, someone pays, but it isn't going to be me'. Because that's stealing, (just like taking from the taxman, or your employer, or my local Youth Centre). You want a program that will make you money, but you aren't willing to pay for it? You want someone to teach you internet marketing, as long as nothing has to come out of your wallet? That's a hell of a bad basis for starting to set up any kind of successful enterprise. That's like going into the shop and seeing 'Aunty Betty's Cake Mix' and thinking, 'Okay, she invented the recipe and prepared the ingredients, but what do you mean she isn't going to cook it for me, for free?' Or, just to rub the point in, she isn't going to bake it in her oven and leave her front door open, so you can sneak in and steal the cake out of her oven, in her own house. She isn't? She isn't going to let you steal it from her and pay nothing? What kind of internet author is she?

Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author. He currently lives in Manchester, England, home to soccer and The Smiths, where he outputs books, stories and songs, some of which end up at YouTube even. He has several web sites following his many interests, but you can make a start at his download area. Try http://www.mikescantlebury.biz

Your Guide to Feeding an Adult Dog

Under normal circumstances your dog will be able to eat and profit from almost anything you give him, including almost all of the food items forbidden by rumor and fear. Milk, for example, will not cause worms in dogs, any more than it does in you. Raw meat will not cause worms any more than cooked, (which is not at all), nor will it make him vicious.

If you feed your dog nothing but raw meat he will thereby suffer from an unbalanced diet, malnutrition, and may get irritable and touchy. One item that is not recommended is pork in any large amount. Pork and particularly pork fat, is an extremely rich meat and can easily overburden a dogs system.

One superstition concerns raw eggs and the dog's coat. People will go to considerable expense to feed a pup or the adult dog raw eggs, sometimes two or three a day, in the hope that a shiny coat will result. There is, unfortunately nothing to it. It just does not work. Neither will garlic or onions have any effect on intestinal worms; they can only be stopped by medication. In short, what you feed him nourishes him. If he needs medical treatment, give him medicines.

On the positive side, beef and more fresh beef can do him nothing but good. Beef is the best source of protein, and good beef muscle cuts can be bought relatively cheap. Beef bones are almost without exception good for dogs, especially the heavy long and knuckle bones. The only exception being to smaller breeds that may become choked due to their smaller throats.

Bones will also provide mouth exercise and aid in removing plaque build-up on teeth. Once in the stomach, bones are rapidly dissolved and digested. The dog's stomach acids work things over rapidly reducing almost anything to digestibility. This, incidentally, is why you should not worry if your dog wolfs his food without seeming to chew it all. All the digestion goes on in his highly durable and efficient stomach.

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed Joncopets.com. On the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest dog collars and more for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://www.joncopets.com

Throwing The Perfect Dog Birthday Party

Dogs have become more than just pets. To some of us, they have become our children. A great way to celebrate the love you have for your furry one is to throw your dog a birthday party. Many dogs attend dog parks for socialization and exercise, a great way to get them together is to invite your pooches friends to a party.

To prepare for your dogs big day, you need to make sure that you can provide a safe area for the dogs to mingle. A backyard is the most popular spot, but many dog owners are starting to use their local dog park since it is a known safe area. A benefit of using a dog park is they have rules in place that each owner must follow. To avoid conflict, these rules can be mailed with the invitation, posted at the party, or handed out to the dog owners before the party begins. This will relieve any stress you have about inviting dogs, whose owners you do not know well.

A casual dog birthday party will allow the dogs to chase tennis balls, chew on rawhides, and simply mingle with their pooch friends. You can just call your friends up or send an

e-vite to meet at the dog park, or your backyard. At this type of birthday party it would be appropriate to supply tennis balls, or some type of toys to keep the doggies entertained. If hosting this party at your house water bowls and proper shade should also be available. (Dog parks are usually equipped with water and shade) For party favors, dogs are welcome to take home their tennis balls they have so lovingly slobbered over all day!

If you want to go all out and have a big bash for your dogs birthday, the options are endless. Invitations, thank you notes, and party favors are just the beginning. If you are going to plan and spend a lot of money on this very special occasion, invitations should be sent out three weeks in advance. This gives people time set aside that date and RSVP, so you are able to properly plan for the right amount of pooches.

Decorations and party supplies do not need to be dog themedif your little chuhuahua is a princess you may want to got pink and jewels. If your lab is a hearty boy, you may want to go fire hydrants and water. There is no end to your creativity; here are a few more party themes we thought were fun:

- Paw Prints
- Pirate Party
- Western Cowboy
- Floral with stripes

There should be a plan for games, food, and presents. There again are numerous games to play, but here are some of Cobi and Hannahs favorites:

- Hide the Kong filled with treats and peanut butterwinner gets to keep the Kong.

- Obstacle Course: Set up cones, kiddy pools, tunnels, etc. Have owner guide dogs around course. The dog with the best time is the winner. Gourmet Treats would be a great prize!

- Stuffed Kong: Fill Kongs with three treats, the dog to empty their Kong first is the winner. The dog gets to keep the Kong as their prize!

- Bone Hunt: Fill a sand box, or area in your yard, with sand. Hide treats under the sand and have dogs dig for their treat. Have owners watch their dogs, and the dogs with the most bones wins. A Plush Bone would be a great prize!

- Clothesline Jump: Hang a clotheslines in your yard. String treats at different levels along the clothesline. The dog that can jump the highest for a treat is the winner! Gourmet Treats would be a great prize!

- Kong Hunt: Fill numerous Kongs with peanut butter and hide them in different parts of your yard. Send dogs on a Kong Hunt, the dog that sniffs out the most Kongs is the winner. Kong with peanut butter filling would be a great prize for this dog to take home.

Dogs love treats! Party favors should be handed out at the closing of the party, but while the pooches are still enjoying the party, treats should be available to snack on. A dog birthday cake or cupcakes would make the party dog feel special, as they should on this day.

Here are some fun party favor ideas:

- Bandanas
- Frisbees
- Gourmet Treats
- Collar Charms

Opening birthday presents should take place towards the end of the party when all the doggies are tired out from running around and playing games.

Make sure to thank all your doggie owners with a party favor, as well as the dogs themselves.

Remember to have fun and relax, if you are having a good time your dog will have a good time!

Hannah Chastain loves dogs and works for DoggieDeliveries.com, a company known for gourmet dog treats and dog gift baskets. For more information on Doggie Deliveries, visit http://www.DoggieDeliveries.com.

The Gentle Giant Great Dane

The Great Dane or German Mastiff is the gentle giant of dog breeds. This giant dog needs an experienced owner who can cope with a large dog and large demands on the family budget.

The Dane is gentle, quiet, dignified, well-mannered, loyal and affectionate. The breed is wonderfully devoted to its family and it would rather lean against you for a pat, than behave aggressively towards anyone. The Great Dane is very good with family children, but toddlers and small children are subject to accidental knock down or being whacked with a wagging tail and must be supervised very carefully. Because the Dane is so large, it requires extensive socialization to learn how to behave cautiously around children and pets. Some male Danes can be dominant, so obedience training and socialization must be started with puppy school and continued until at least two years of age. Danes are intelligent and eager to please, so they can be trained for higher levels of activities and competitions. Additional information on obedience competitions and other activities for dogs can be found in my article on Fun Dog Activities.

The Great Dane is probably the tallest of all dog breeds. Male Danes stand at least 32 inches and females at least 30 inches tall at shoulder height. Depending on their height male Danes can weigh from 140 to 190 pounds with females weighing from 100 to 160 pounds. This tall regal dog has a rectangular head set on an elegant neck and the dog moves with grace and dignity. The Danes ears can be natural or cropped and the tail is natural. The Danes coat is short, smooth and glossy and only requires occasional brushing except when shedding. Colors can be: brindle (golden yellow with black striping); fawn (with black mask); black; black mantled (black body with white collar and trim); blue; and harlequin (white with ragged black patches).

The early ancestors of the Dane are thought to be the large and courageous war dogs, called Molossians, which were used in ancient Greek and Roman times. When these Molossians spread across Europe, they became the founding stock for many modern dog breeds including the British Mastiff. The Germans saw the need to develop a big and courageous dog to hunt the dangerous European wild boars and wolves. It is thought that the British Mastiff, the Irish Wolfhound and possibly the Greyhound all were involved in developing the German Mastiff. The original German Mastiffs were very aggressive hunting and guard dogs but many subsequent generations of selective breeding has resulted in a gentle and affectionate giant dog breed. This German giant came to America in the late 19th century and became very popular, ranking 27th out of 154 dog breeds in 2004 AKC registrations.

Danes are very adaptable and despite their large size, they are nimble footed and can easily navigate around a large apartment. Danes can adapt to apartment living and even being left alone during the day as long as they get regular exercise and lots of companionship in the morning and evening. Despite being very large dogs, they dont need a lot of exercise every day. Two good walks will suffice. Do not over exercise Great Danes when they are young because their fast growth makes them prone to injuries. The Dane loves to be warm and comfortable and this heavy dog needs a very soft bed or you may find him sleeping on yours.

Giant breeds, like the Great Dane, have a life expectancy of no longer than 10 years and large male Danes may only live for 7 or 8 years. Danes have many serious inherited health problems including: musculoskeletal disorders such as hip dysplasia, Wobblers syndrome (cervical vertebral instability), and panosteitis; heart diseases such as cardiomyopathy and aortic stenosis; eye disorders such as cataracts, ectropion, entropion, glaucoma and progressive retinal atrophy; hypothyroidism, cancer and bloat. Information on these inherited diseases and ways to help control bloat can be found in my article on Hereditary Diseases in Dogs. Before you buy a Great Dane puppy make sure you ask the breeder for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) results for hip dysplasia, congenital heart disease and thyroid disease and the Canine Eye Registry (CERF) recent ophthalmologists report for both sire and dam. These results also may be available through the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) program which stores results from both OFA and CERF for a growing number of breeding Great Danes.

If you are seriously interested in acquiring a Great Dane then you should check with your national pure-bred dog organizations such as the American (www.akc.org) or Canadian Kennel (www.ckc.com) Clubs to look for conformation shows in your area. Make sure you talk to owners and breeders at these shows to see if your lifestyle is really suited to this giant breed. Additional information on Danes and on specific shows and competitions in your area can be found by checking with the national Great Dane clubs which are www.gdca.org in the US and www.gdcc.ca in Canada. Both of these umbrella organizations will point you to the local chapter closest to your home that may be able to provide you with information on reputable breeders. They should also provide you with information on Dane rescue organizations in case you wish to obtain an adult dog.

Mike Mathews is a contributing writer and editor for the popular dog breed site: http://www.dog-breed-facts.com. He provides informative, real-world advice and tips on dog breeds, dog health, dog grooming and more. As well be sure to check out his free report on Dog Training.