There are numerous breeds of cats for a cat lover to choose from, but the most popular of all of the breeds is the Persian cat. The long fur and the regal persona of the Persian are the two main reasons why so many people seem to adore these affectionate and laid back cats.

The History of the Persian

Persians came to North America in the late 1800s and it didn’t take long for them to become the favorite breed of cat lovers. At the same time, the cat was very popular in the UK and was the most commonly represented breed at the London Crystal Palace s first cat show. In the early 1900s, the Persian was already the most popular cat breed in the UK.

Before being introduced to North America and gaining popularity in the UK, however, the ancestors of the modern day Persian were part of the Roman and Phoenician caravans that traveled to Europe. While traveling from Turkey and Persia, the cats were introduced to Europe in the late 1500s. These early ancestors later developed into the Persian and Angora breeds that are known to cat lovers today.

Recognizing the Persian Cat

Persians are one of the most easily recognizable of cat breeds, thanks to their long and full fur. The fur of the Persian tends to be quite thick and glossy, which helps it stand off from the cat s body and gives its body a rounded look. While many think of Persians as having white fur, the breed can actually be found in a variety of different colors.

One of the other distinctive features of the Persian is its face. The breed actually has two different facial types, but both include rounded ears that are small and set low on the cat s head. Persian s also have round, wide eyes and their chins are well developed. The cheeks of Persian s are also full. Depending upon the face type, some Persians will also have a flattened look to their face. With these Persian s, the nose will be almost as high as the cat s eyes.

The Persian s Personality

Persian s have a very laid back personality and are not as active as many other breeds. In fact, they tend to be lap cats that are very sweet tempered and gentle. Still, they do enjoy playing for short periods of time. In addition, they crave attention and love to be cuddled and pet by their owners. They also tend to be very devoted, but demand a great deal of attention. For most pet owners, providing attention to these gentle cats is not a problem. Maintaining proper grooming, on the other hand, can be difficult!

Grooming the Persian

Persians have long and pretty fur that can be up to 8 inches long, which means it can easily become knotted and problematic if it is not properly cared for. If a pet owner neglects the Persian s fur, it can form into tight mats that need to be shaved. In order to prevent this, it is important to groom your Persian s fur for ten to fifteen minutes every day and to perform a more thorough grooming once a week.

Author Resource:->  CS Swarens is the CEO of Find a Pet Online. 800 998-7065 For additional information on dogs, cats, birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet’s resource for cats for sale at http://www.findapetonline.com Research over 45 cat breeds at http://www.findapetonline.com/cat_breeds_a_z.html

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There are a few things that you need to know about mortgages in order to be able to compare them. Because buying a home isn’t always easy, and you need to know at least the basics of mortgages in order to get a decent deal.

So here they are, waiting to be read:

You need to know what a principal is. It’s rather simple really; the principle is the amount you intend to borrow in order to buy your house. So in essence it’s just the house price minus your down payment. When you talk to a bank, they will tell you how much they are prepared to loan you once they have looked at your credit score and overall income. Simple eh?

Next, you need to know what type of mortgage you intend to get. Traditionally, mortgages are split into two different categories; Mortgages with a fixed interest rate and mortgages with an adjustable interest rate. It’s easy to figure out what they mean, but I’m going to go ahead and tell you anyway, for a reassurance. With a fixed rate, you pay the same amount every month as long as you can carry the loan. Normally this rate is a little higher than the adjustable rate starts at, but getting a fixed rate is the safer option. With an adjustable rate, you will probably get a smaller rate to start with but it could rise with the market. Obviously this is more risky – you will have to weigh up your options and offers and see what feels right.

But nowadays there are more options – they are mainly just mixes of the first two. A 3 year fixed rate followed by an adjustable rate, or where you choose the amount you want to pay. Just make sure you tell the lender how much you are willing to pay each month and what your risk tolerance is.

Remember to take a good look at the interest rate. Some could be low rates per month but get higher so you need to make sure that you fully understand what is going on. If you choose to have an adjustable rate, make sure you know what the risks and probabilities are.

Make sure you can comfortably afford the monthly payment – putting it too high in order to try and pay it off a bit quicker is a stupid move, because you don’t want to sacrifice too many luxuries for a year without a mortgage. But also, bear in mind that you can’t just choose a loan which boasts a very low monthly payment – because there are complications. Interest – only mortgages usually boast very low monthly charges but they won’t reduce your principal – even after years of paying interest, you will still owe as much as you did at the start.

The real trick to getting a loan is to realize what you are getting yourself into, and make sure you fully understand the rate and terms.

Author Resource:-> Find out more information at http://www.american-home-mortgages.com

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Mortgage Information

Immigration to the United States has never ceased. It is a continual process that brings a variety of rich cultures and knowledge this great country. Health care workers experience the vastness of cultural diversity more so than any other profession. Therefore, more than any other profession, health care workers, nurses and physicians in particular must be culturally sensitive to the patients needs.

As the population of the United States continues to increase, hospitals are more likely to see more patients that have cultural needs. Meeting the cultural needs of a patient is essential in treating the whole person. Enhancing a client’s mental and physical wellness is the responsibility of the nurse. The nurse must attempt to use all of the resources at their disposal to see that the client receives the care that they need.

Nurses are faced with a great challenge when treating clients of various ethnicities. Hospital rules are not always congruent with the requests of patient’s families. Hospitals with set visiting hours may pose a problem for the nurse who recognizes that the patient needs family members around them at all hours. Hospitals do not always cater to the patient’s diet. Hospitals in Dearborn Michigan now carry Halal food for the patients who are of the Islamic faith. The city of Dearborn has one of the highest populations of Arabic speaking peoples in the nation. Hospitals had to recognize that to give quality care, they had to be sensitive to the client’s needs.

Nurses may not be able to change hospital protocol, but they can make a significant difference in how the patient views his or her health care. Therefore the nurse must make every effort to ensure that the patient’s needs are met. It may be to allow family to visit on off hours, or to have a plate of food brought in from home. Many cultures have a theory about sickness. In this theory, there are cold foods and hot foods. Each of these foods is used to treat a particular sickness.

Preventing families from taking a integral role in their loved ones care could possibly impede the healing process, by adding additional stress. Stress has been known to cause numerous illnesses. The nurse must attempt to balance the care that the family gives while in the hospital with the rules and regulations of hospital protocol. This can be a fine line. However, the patient comes first. To facilitate an atmosphere where the client feels most comfortable is the goal of the nurse as well as the other medical staff. Of course one would not encourage food from home if the client had leukopenia, or their immune system was compromised.

A nurse must possess the skill and compassion to facilitate the healing process from the first meeting. When the client cannot speak English the nurse should do their best to enlist an interpreter. Using a family member is not a wise choice, due to the fact that the family member may not know how to translate medical terms or may be selective in translating so as not to worry their loved one. Interpreters are usually employed by hospitals to assist medical personnel. Some hospitals have what is known as the “Blue Phone”. The Blue Phone is a direct line to an interpreter of choice for a specific language. The nurse merely has to hand the phone to the patient after explaining to the interpreter what the patient needs to know.

Being a culturally sensitive nurse can bring about positive change and improve the healing process. The client will want to return to that hospital if they find it necessary, and will recommend other family members as well.

Author Resource:-> The nursing entrance test study guide provides nurses the assistance they need with the nursing entrance test. The nursing study guide helps nurses. Pass the Nursing Entrance Test the first time with our guide at http://www.nurseslearningcenter.com.

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With such a large Hispanic population, there are many first, second or third generation Spanish speaking Latinos in the United States. In addition to that, there are thousands of visitors to the U.S., whether they are tourists, business people or students from Latin America or Spain. With such a large group of Spanish speaking people here, many wonder whether it is easier to learn English or Spanish. You may wonder this because you have friends or family that speaks Spanish and you are considering learning yourself. If you are from Hispanic descent or just simply know how to speak Spanish as well as English, you may be planning on raising your child or children bilingual. If this is the case, you might be wondering if it is more beneficial to start teaching one language prior to teaching the other or vice versa. No matter the reason, if you’re wondering if it’s easier to learn English or Spanish, we will examine some factors that may help you answer this question.

What Makes One Harder and One Easier?

Unfortunately there is not cut and dry answer to which one is easier to learn or even to what makes one language harder to learn than another language. A lot of what makes a language easy or difficult to learn depends on the individual involved. Some of the factors in this regard include:

The Individual’s Native Language

If the person learning a new language is an adult, young person or child who already has some sort of language skills, that individual’s native language will probably be the single most influential factor in whether Spanish or English is easier to learn. Languages that are similar to one’s native tongue will be easier, and ones that have little to no relation will be more difficult. For example, people who speak French and Italian will probably have an easier time learning Spanish, while those who speak Germanic languages such as Dutch and German will find English easier to learn.

Related Languages

Most people will have an easier time learning the language that is related in origins to a language they already speak. Related languages share many characteristics and this will often make them easier to learn. These similar characteristics can make for fewer new concepts to deal with, whether they have to do with style, grammar or usage.

Popular Opinion: English vs. Spanish

Popular opinion, as dictated by a few recent Yahoo Answers polls, seems to indicate that English is a bit more difficult to learn than Spanish. The chief reason given for this conclusion is that the English language is more complicated is the fact that it is full of nuances that are particular to any given case. Examples were given where people whose native language is English still have a hard time mastering the language because o f this reason. Other factors cited for why English may be a more difficult language to learn than Spanish include sentence structure, pronunciation and punctuation. Meanwhile, the top reason cited as Spanish being difficult to learn was conjugation of verbs.

Conclusion

The conclusion is that there is no definitive answer. Whether Spanish or English is easier to learn is truly in the eye of the beholder. It really does depend a lot on the person actually taking on the new language. So if you find yourself as in the case of the example given at the beginning of this article, debating whether to teach your child English or Spanish first, why not try both? Or, start out with either first. But if you have the option, teach them a second language soon…while they’re still young.

Author Resource:-> Speaking more that one language is very common these days. Learn English as a second language at your own pace in your own environment with online English school courses. http://www.englishlink.com/

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Italian traditional food is known for its wonderful recipes and wines, but often an important side of it is hidden or even unseen.

This side is what eating means for Italians. It’s not just eating, it means much more.

If you happen in a major Italian city you may find some shops with continued opening time. But the most close from 1 to 4.30pm. Italians do stop for lunch.

Life has changed in Italy too, not allowing everyone to go home for lunch and maybe take even a rest. But most public offices close at 2.00pm and the ones that work from 9 to 5 have lunch time, where people go to restaurants and have a real meal.

I went to meet a friend who works in a bank office in Rome and we had lunch together. She suggested a small familiar restaurant (trattoria) where I ate wonderful potato gnocchi and unforgettable artichokes with potatoes. A real lunch, that is maybe served in luxury Italian restaurants abroad, eaten during a lunch break from job.

This idea lead to another interesting fact about restaurants in Italy and Italian restaurants abroad.

Usually, the Italian restaurants abroad are good and sometimes luxury restaurants. Very well decorated and often a very pleasant environment, many times tied to society fashions.

In Italy, the luxury and the “environment” are secondary. Often an Italian friend takes you to a very good restaurant, and it looks too poorly decorated. Don’t worry, he cares about you, because…you eat wonderful food, and that’s the important thing for your friend.

He does not think about taking you to a fashionable place where food is not good. He would fail towards you, and for an Italian, it hurts.

There are so many restaurants in Italy that are square spoiled rooms that are really not inviting…but their food is wonderful. They just don’t consider the decoration, but what you’re going to eat.

In Italy go out to have dinner is also a social program, as all around the world. But what you eat has a stronger role in the whole evening.

Among other cultures, the food may be medium, and people talk about other things and have a good evening.

In Italy, may be the most enjoyable people, but if the food is not good, they will feel like the evening was a little bit wasted for that. They will talk about it, comment it, showing that the food isn’t merely part of the evening, but quite the main attraction.

Another side of tradition concerning Italian food regards eating at certain times, following a established order in eating (never eat a meat dish before the pasta one, for example), and some other small but present rules.

Concerning time, Italians have lunch from 1.00pm to 2.00pm. Most restaurants close at 2.30 pm. It’s frustrating for a tourist visiting Rome, for example, to find the restaurant closed at 3pm.

Now some restaurants are offering different scheduled times, but these are the tourist restaurants, not the good ones. These keep pasta cooked and re warm it. It’s better not to trust them if you desire a good Italian homemade dish.

A traditional Italian meal begins with the antipasto (which means before the meal). Usually it’s “from land”(di terra) or “from sea” (di mare). Those from land are usually Italian cold cuts, olives, cheese and so on. Those from sea are seafood salad and similar.

After the antipasto comes the first dish, that can be pasta, soup or rice (risotto). After then there’s the second, when you can choose between meat and fish. It’s necessary to add a side, because in Italy they are not included. If you ask for a steak, it will come by itself, with no French fries or salad.

After that, you can eat fruit and a dessert. Then a good coffee and a liquor called “ammazza caffè” (kill the coffee). It can vary between many choices, being the more used nowadays the lemon liquor (limoncello) and grappa.

At this point, your Italian friend looks satisfied. He will probably rest his shoulders on the back of the chair and take a long breath. After a perfect meal, these few minutes just enjoying it all are surely needed.

Author Resource:-> Ana Maria da Costa, economist and enogastronomic expert, lives in Italy since 1983 and shows Italian food culture from the inside, with tips and useful info in her website http://www.all-about-italian-food.com

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By: Robert Waugh

Throw away in pocket this can be a scary experience, it’s one of those things that can catch you out as a beginner or as happened to me after more than 250 skydives.

I was on a high load doing a formation skydive dive (FS). I had checked the location of my throwaway both on the ground & again shortly before exit. The skydive went really well & we broke off at 4,500 feet, when I went in for the pull I could not locate the throwaway toggle. I quickly tried again still no toggle, a stupid thought flashed through my mind (you are going to look so stupid, feel the spandex pocket)

I grabbed my reserve handle & at the same time made a last attempt to locate the main toggle, only this time I felt for the spandex pocket instead of the toggle.

“Bingo” I immediately realized that the toggle had some how been pushed right into the pocket instead of hanging just outside of it. I squeezed the pocket behind the toggle & it popped out enough to let me get a finger through the hole in the toggle & deploy my main. At this point I was now a little head down but stable & my main deployed without any further problems. I was under a fully deployed canopy just over 2,000 feet.

I knew that I had a few seconds on my side to have a couple of attempts at the pull because a few months earlier I had started going for the pull at 3,500 and pulling at 3,000. The reason for pulling at this higher altitude was I had been watching the French national team doing so on their training jumps, & asked them why they were opening at that altitude.

The reply was it is much safer especially with modern high performance parachutes & it gives you that precious amount of extra time in an emergency. I thought if it’s good enough for them it’s good for me.

During the same weekend the same thing happened to a young lady skydiver called Alison. She was unable to locate her toggle despite a couple of attempts. She made a safe landing under her reserve.

What went wrong? Well I tried to figure it out and at first I drew a blank, I knew who was in the aircraft & where they were seated but I did not get the answer for a few weeks. I was on another high load & had done all my checks & double checked the toggle location on the way up, all was ok. Then we got a call to move down the aircraft a little to let the tandem masters tighten up their passenger straps, I was aware of something pushing me on the bottom right of my pack I looked around to see a foot pushing against my pack…. well you can probably guess the rest, my toggle was once again firmly inside the pocket.

Always remember never keep trying to sort it out, if its not where it should be, carry out your reserve drills. Be safe & have fun Rob. If you see someone moving to the exit door with his hand on the toggle it could be me.

Blue Skies & Safe Landings Rob Waugh.

Author Resource:->  My name is Robert Waugh, I am 53 married to my lovely wife Karen, we have been married 25 yrs this year 2008 & together for nearly 27 years. We live in the UK. Mum & dad were really hard working middle class parents who gave us strong family & moral values. http://www.incomepool.com

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Author: Kristen Davidson

How much thought to people really give to Personal Safety? Is it just taken for granted until something goes wrong and then we scramble to make sure we are properly protected when the next incident happens? My experience has shown me that many people pay little attention to their personal security until something goes wrong. They may not be the direct victim, but someone close to them was. This is a reactive response and my objective in this article is to convince you to be proactive and react before something happens.

So, where should you begin in your quest to achieve personal safety and security? Well, let’s start close to home; literally, with your home. Do you have excess cash hidden under your clothes in a drawer, or valuable jewelry in a visible jewelry drawer? Maybe you have some valuable coins that have been in your family for years. Whatever your valuables are, they are most likely in plain sight or in one of the first places someone would think to look for them. You certainly don’t want them taken from you in the event of a burglary.

Protecting your home with security cameras, double locks on the doors and windows and alarm systems are all prudent measures and should be taken to a reasonable extent. But, let’s face it, if someone wants to get into your home, they will find a way in. The point is that once they are inside, you want your valuable items protected. A burglar spends less than 6 minutes in a home. Placing your valuables in a secure location where the intruder would never think to look is the goal. Diversion safes are a creative, simple, low cost solution, providing you with peace of mind. These ingenious diversion safes range from soda cans, to candles, to books, to common household items, etc. The existence of these items is not as well known as it should be, given their simplicity and effectiveness. Could your excess cash be any safer than inside a Dr. Pepper Diversion Can Safe stored inside your pantry or your refrigerator? Securely place your diamond earrings inside the safe portion of the candle diversion safe and display it naturally on your dining room table. Store your Rolex watch in a diversion safe can of Liquid Wrench or in a can of Barbasol shaving cream.

The fun comes in when shopping for these diversion safes. There are so many options to choose from, you are sure to find many that suit your needs and your style. Shopping online is the simplest and the websites are abundant. Shop carefully and look for the best prices. Be careful to look at fully landed cost, inclusive of freight and tax where applicable.

The company I would highly recommend is Personal Safety Shop, www.PersonalSafetyShop.com. This is my top site which will be very helpful as you pursue your quest. The prices are the best out there, their service is unmatched and their customer service is a pleasure. Enjoy filling your home with a very creative and simple means to achieve security.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-security-articles/creative-solutions-securing-your-valuables-in-diversion-safes-597791.html

About the Author:

With more than 20 years in the safety and security industry, the knowledge and experience Kristen has gained is shared through her many publications. Quick tips and valuable solutions are prevalent in newsletters and articles. www.personalsafetyshop.com

For more articles on Home Security and safes visit www.SecureYourStuff.com

Beginning Investments - How Much Money Do I Need?
By Ian Pennington

When you are ready to start investing in the market, you may begin with one simple question: How much money do I need to start investing? The answer varies depending on the market you want to invest in, and how much money you want to earn on your investment. The only rule to investing is that you should never invest more than you feel comfortable losing, since the market does not guarantee a return on any investments.

Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds

Stocks, bonds and mutual funds are the three most common types of investments today. To invest in these markets, you will need to have an initial investment of twenty dollars, but one thousand dollars is the usual amount that you will use as an initial investment. Mutual funds are the most flexible concerning the amount you need to begin investing, since there are now companies that allow you to begin with a very small investment.

To invest in bonds, you will typically need about a five thousand dollar initial investment for an individual bond from a company, institution or corporation. These bonds take some time to mature, usually a period of one or more years. Some bonds take up to twenty years to mature, but can be sold before maturity as a loss.

Stocks are perhaps the riskiest type of investment, but are also able to bring in a huge return on your initial investment. While you can invest in stocks for a relatively small sum, it is advisable to begin investing with approximately one thousand dollars. This will allow you to have a sizable investment that can grow over time.

Managing Your Portfolio

Once you have decided which market you want to invest in, you are ready to ask yourself how much money do I need to start investing? The answer will depend on the market you want to invest in. One way to make sure that you see a return on the money you invest is to have a diverse portfolio, with money invested in several different areas. A mutual fund can help you make the most of your investment if you want to invest one thousand dollars or less, but if you want to invest more than that amount, you can consider investing a combination of different mutual funds companies, stocks and bonds.

Many people have investments in several different areas of the market. As long as you fully research your options and read each potential investment company’s prospectus, then you can make smart investments even in risky markets. It is important to remember that the investments you make are designed to earn more over time, usually five years or more.

Considerations

When you are determining how much money you want to invest, take the time to ask yourself whether or not you are comfortable losing the amount you have chosen. While some people are only comfortable investing in a small mutual fund with fifty dollars or less, the amount you choose is entirely up to you.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about money needed to start investing, please visit My Investing Strategies for current articles and discussions.

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Bird watching is one of the fastest growing popular hobbies. One of the reasons is it so easy to do since you can sit in your backyard and watch birds such as the hummingbird.

When you think of people going bird watching, one tends to get visions of a person standing out in a canyon somewhere. They have a vest, binoculars, writing journal, and so on. While this is certainly a possibility, you don’t have to venture far to become an avid bird watcher. In fact, there is an entire segment of this hobby known as backyard bird watching. You simply sit in the backyard, relax and start paying attention. One of the birds you may well see is the hummingbird.

Hummingbirds are part of the bird family Trochilidae. Obviously, they get their name from their unique habit of hovering in place. The hovering action creates a distinct humming noise in the air and gives rise to their title. What do you know? A name that makes total and obvious sense!

To the surprise of many, hummingbirds are only found in the Americas. There are some 338 species found from North America to South America. 16 are found in North America with most maintaining habitats more towards the tropical areas of the equatorial line. There are no hummingbirds in Asia, Africa or Europe, where their niche in the ecosystem is filled by other birds.

If you watch a hummingbird, you will note it flaps its wings at an insanely quick pace. This is a bit of a misnomer. The hummingbird actually has very short wings that act more as hands from a structural standpoint. They bones are aligned such that the “wings” can be flapped at a pace not seen in other bird species. It is the equivalent of wagging your finger up and down versus kicking your leg back and forth. You can move your finger much, much quicker.

Given the pace of their action, hummingbirds burn energy quickly and are in constant need of fuel. The average human needs a few thousand calories to get through the day. A hummingbird needs over 150,000! To fuel their fire, hummingbirds look for sugar fuel sources such as those found in the pollen of flowers and fruits.

To view hummingbirds, your best shot is during warmer months of the year. If you have flowering plants in your backyard, they should drop by every once in a while. If you do not, add some flower landscaping and you should see them soon. If you are hummingbird crazy, the best place to see them is in southern Arizona where the largest populations can be found.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of bird watching journals. Visit us to read more bird watching articles.

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A great many sports have been defined as recreation, some people may not even consider some of these endeavors to be sport. Those who do participate insist that they are.

How do you keep track of what sports are? Check some of our great collection of articles!

Bird Watching
Bungy Jumping
Fly Fishing
Formula One Racing
Hockey
Junior Golf
Kart Racing
Kitesurfing
Parachuting
Remote Control Helicopters
Senior Golf
Soccer Training
Tai Chi
Weight Lifting