Some Facts About Tsunamis

We have all recently been under immense shock on what has happened in some of the regions of Asia last December 26, 2004, just a day after a joyous Christmas Celebration on the paradise-like place of Phuket and on the island of Sri Lanka. It was a great tragedy with the toll of dead people reaching about 135,000 now and left many of people injured, homeless and struggling to survive.

Here are some of the facts that you may want to know about Tsunamis:

- Before the first wave of the tsunami hits, the shoreline recedes tremendously and it may even expose the sea or ocean floor and leave a bounty of fishes dry. If you happen to see this, never let your curiosity get the better of you and immediately run to higher ground.

- A tsunami can be a series of waves and mostly the first wave is the less intense of all.

- Tsunamis only affect shallow waters or coastal areas. When tsunamis hit the deep areas of water, it just comes off as an average big ocean wave. The Physics of tsunamis indicate that as it travels into shallow water, its height increases even reaching up to a hundred meters (100 m) in height in extreme cases.

- Earthquakes are not the only causes of Tsunami, Tsunamis can also be generated from meteorites falling on a large body of water, a volcanic eruption, landslide or from any occurence that displaces a large amount of water.

- Animals domestic or wild can almost detect approaching tsunamis. As observed from the Tsunami that hit last Dec. 26, 2004, the statistics of animals that were affected by the Tsunami were very very small and even negligible compared to the human casualties. Scientist and animal experts attribute this to the keen, attuned and senstitive senses of animals as compared to humans.

- Tsunamis can also be earlier detected with a Tsunameter, a device that can detect an approaching Tidal Wave. Unfortunately, only a few countries could afford this device. Sri Lanka has considered of aqcuiring one but that project was not pushed through.

These are just a few facts that you may want to know about Tsunamis. Tsunamis are deadly and may cause destruction of lives, properties, and even an entire place. The best weapon against this kind of unprecedented and unstoppable occurence is a well educated and well informed public so that even if properties may get washed away, lives may still be saved.

Gina Marie Capatar is the head writer of Isnare Outsourcing Services [http://outsourcing.isnare.com] and of Isnare.com - a free articles directory.

She is a technical writer by profession and also does freelance writing jobs for website content. She has done hundreds of Content writing for a variety of websites.

Article Source:EzineArticles.com

Rain Diverter & Rain Barrel Problems Solved

How much rain water do I need for rain barrels & garden?

This depends on how much rain you get in your part of the country. Arizona gets.7 in per month on average. California gets about an 1.5. Places like Georgia, New York, and WI get about 4, 3.3, and 2.6 inches of rain a month. This number varies tremendously depending on season, drought, and flooding. Never the less, this means that on a 1000 square foot roof and 1 inch of rain you have the potential to catch 623 gallons. In Arizona you could catch almost 430 gallons a month and in Georgia you could keep nearly 2492 gallons. Now you must decide how much plant life and how much water you intend to use for other uses, like washing your car or flushing your toilets. An average household of 4 can use around 12,000 gallons a month for bathing, cooking, washing, recreation and watering.

Outdoor use could account for as much as 40% of the monthly usage. The best use for unfiltered, but soft distilled water is for outside use on plants, gardens and washing your car. So the answer is, as much as possible, but saving any amount will help you get through a drought, local water restrictions or power outages and the chance of scarce or a complete lack of water. You decide how much you want to start off with, be it 55 gallons per downspout or 1000 gallons per downspout. A rain diverter and rain barrel system should allow 1 or 2 tanks to be filled in parallel. If you wanted to save more water, the Daisy Chain Kit can be added and allows for limitless expansion or additional systems could be added to multiple downspouts around the house.

What do you do with the rain barrel overflow?

This is very important to consider. When your rain barrel or tank fills up, which, it will. Where is the rest of the water from your roof going to go? You probably have already invested a lot of money in grading the landscape, drainage pipes, or some type of predetermined path away from your basement and foundation before you planned on your rain saving system. Most of the systems on the market, have overflow tubes that come out the side or just overflow over the top. The danger is, that this water could seep into the basement, create a hazard on a patio or could ruin your landscape. Even if the system has an overflow tube at the rain barrel, then, ask yourself, then what do you do with it, and hopefully it is large enough to dispense enough water during severe weather.

A Rain Barrel Diverter Kit should use an automatic, closed system technology where, when the water fills the tanks, the water is then diverted back to your existing drainage system in the downspout and in the drainage pipes or wherever you use to have the water go, when you didn't have any problems. By easily inserting the small rain diverter into the downspout you are in fact not changing your whole water drainage plan, but just tapping the useful water out for later use. A Rain Barrel Diverter should also be designed with a non-constricting, open flow system, where the fail-safe mode during severe storms and rains up to 3 to 5 inches per hour allows the house's drainage system to work as it was meant for.

What kind of gutter do I have?

What I have found, as I have traveled across the country, is that the majority of houses have a standard 2" x 3" downspout. Much of the new construction and larger residential homes have standard 3"x 4" downspouts. There are small percentages of urban and older houses that have round or custom unique shapes. This is extremely easy to figure out, if you don't already know. Just look at them and measure them with a ruler.

A Rain Barrel Diverter should be designed to work with the standard 2" x 3" and the 3" x 4" downspouts. And should withstand the added volume of the 3" x 4" downspout without constricting the existing system using a 3"x4" downspout adapter. As for the other custom downspouts, a custom solution is required by the installer. (Don't worry, we are working on the last percentage of custom downspouts.)

Where am I going to place or hide rain barrels?

The question is actually where are you going to need it. Landscaping on the corner of the house, garden in the yard, or close to the driveway for your car. Many systems can be centralized but require a pump to move the water around. With a gravity fed system, elevate the rain barrel or tank and keep close to your point of use. This also prevents carrying a hose around the house and adds a water spigot of free water at every downspout, which would be a tough plumbing job for well or municipal water systems.

Depending on each situation, Home owner Associations and the design of your landscape might prevent you from putting the rain barrel directly under the downspout. A rain diverter kit should come tubing to allow for placing the rain barrel around the corner. For disguising rain barrels and rain barrel enclosure some good places would be: out of site under the deck, or even underground. Others might want to show off their rain barrel with rain barrel decorations using paint or unique structures.

Rain Diverter

Article Source:EzineArticles.com

Instant Payday Loans- Help At Hand

It is anybody guess at how anyone manages to make it through the month, especially if you are one of those who has just started on a new career or have just started a new family. It is never easy in the beginning, and hence that is when you need the most help and support. But not everyone has a rich family to fall back upon. Also it is not a mice feeling to go to friends or family asking for help.

Most people find it demeaning and deprecatory. But what does one do when you have a sudden financial emergency in the month and you just need to get by for a few days. It seems pointless to go about breaking your bonds or dipping into your savings account for it. Also doing so might cause more damage to your credit record. This is why there are instant payday loans or small loans to help you out.

These loans are also made available to you at the earliest and thus save you the trouble of having to sit through tons of paperwork at your bank and the stressful waiting period after wards.

These loans are short term loans that need to be paid back within a period of 1 to 30 days. The amounts that you can get range from £80 to £1500. So they are perfect for those small emergencies that last a few days or a week. Also you can pay them back instantly once your new paycheck comes.

They are also called payday bridge loans as they effectively bridge you through lean periods of time. The criteria that you need to fulfill for bad credit payday loans are simple and to the point.

You need to be a citizen of the UK, over the legal age as specified, also have a steady income or job and a functional bank account. You cannot get more minimalist and streamlined than that. So as you can see these small loans are great! You can also opt for 12 month payday loans as well if you need larger amounts.

Summary: These instant payday loans are small loans with a slightly higher rate of interest as they are short term loans. However, the documentation is minimal and the money is transferred to your account, usually within the day of application itself. They are easily available online as well.

Help Feed the Hungry

A lot of people are experiencing starvation these days, thus fortunate ones are doing ways how to help feed the hungry. Starvation is common in third world countries where poverty is a big issue. Due to the increasing poverty rate, adults and children suffered tremendously -they have not enough money to sustain their living, even buying their basic needs. The natural resources from their environment are their only sources of basic needs. Unfortunately, these natural resources were taken away by private sectors.

Food is one of the basic needs of people, but for the less fortunate ones they cannot afford even buying their own food, thus they suffered from starvation. According to statistics, over 500 million people in the Asia, Africa, and Latin America are living in absolute poverty; at the same time they are the ones who are hungry and begging for help.

Every year, about 15 million children die because of hunger. How miserable and hopeless they are because they are deprived from food. The World Health Organization stated that one-third of the world's population is well fed, one-third is under-fed, and another one-third is starving. There is estimation that one in twelve people all over the world is malnourished. There are 160 million children less than 5 years of age suffering from malnourishment due to massive starvation.

People die from starvation due to the diseases it brings. The primary result of excessive and frequent hunger will result into malnourishment, where body has not enough nourishment to use in order to perform normal functioning. Therefore, the body will become more vulnerable to diseases. Their immune system will decline, making them more prone or high risk to infections and other communicable diseases like Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, Hepatitis, and many more. For malnourished children they will experience Kwashiorkor and Marasmus. These disorders will then result to more fatal diseases that may lead to death.

For more fortunate ones that have the capacity to help feed the hungry do not hesitate to render your kind help. There are many ways to show your concern for these people. Help feed the hungry through donating food or money. There are numerous organizations that were created to give more focus in helping the hungry people in order to lessen the rate of worldwide starvation. These organizations can be a way in lending your kind help through donations. A little sacrifice and way of help can be considered a big contribution in alleviating their hunger. Moreover, the impact of your help will strengthen the campaign of alleviating world hunger, hence start moving now, and help feed the hungry.

We offer a simple way on how to help people who are most in need at Help Feed the Hungry. This article is written by Michael T Spencer I.

Let us help more people together by becoming our partner.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The Truth About Tea

Some facts are fundamentally universal: when it is cold and damp outside, the human body craves something warm. Now, whether that warmness be in the form of steaming soup, hot tea or fresh-brewed coffee is up to the chilly consumer. But while the United States has become a seemingly Starbucks-infested coffee culture, a growing number of Americans are choosing tea for more reasons than simply warmth.

In 2005, the tea industry had its fourteenth consecutive year of sales increases, while retail supermarket sales alone surpassed $1.9 billion. This number is expected to continue to grow over the next five years. No longer just for the British, tea is fighting back as the beverage that is hard to ignore. In fact, 1.42 million pounds of tea is consumed every day in the U.S. and 519 million pounds are imported into the country each year.

But similar to choosing the perfect coffee bean or a complimentary bottle of wine, picking out the tea for your taste can be a dizzying task. Amazingly, all tea comes from the same plant called the Camellia sinensis, which is an evergreen native to China. It can grow up to 90 feet tall and in the past, some cultures taught monkeys to pick the tea leaves that they couldn't reach. However, modern times and technology have allowed farmers to grow the trees to just three feet for easier cultivation. The plant's leaves range from smooth and shiny to fuzzy and white-haired - each making up a specific type of tea. In total, the plant yields up to 3,000 varieties of tea, which can easily be broken up into three main categories: green, black, and oolong teas. Flavored and herbal teas also deserve to be mentioned, though they are not officially "tea."

Green Tea

What it is: Making up about 10 percent of the world's tea consumption, green tea has gotten a lot of recent media coverage for its health benefits.

Where it grows: Far East: China and Japan

What is tastes like: Green tea is greenish-yellow in color with a delicate taste that is slightly astringent and grassy.

What you should know: It is high in antioxidants and may protect against certain types of cancer (lung, ovarian, breast, prostate and stomach) as well as the precancerous condition of stomach cancer, gastritis.

White tea

What it is: The rarest of all teas, the leaves are the same as green tea leaves, but they are plucked from the plant when they are still very young, giving them their extremely light color.

Where it grows: a Fujian province on China's east coast

What is tastes like: As one would expect, the tea is nearly colorless and is delicate in flavor with a slighty sweet and nutty quality.

What you should know: You may recognize white tea from recent Snapple commercials launching their new line of "Good For You" white and green tea bottled drinks.

Black tea

What it is: This is the most common type of tea, which accounts for about 87 percent of America's tea consumption.

Where it grows: Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia

What is tastes like: Black tea can come in a range of flavors, but is usually found to have a heartier taste than green or oolong teas.

What you should know: The main difference between black tea and green tea is the oxidation process. Black tea leaves are fully oxidized whereas green tea leaves are lightly steamed before they are dried. This process contributes to the tea's taste as well as caffeine content. Like green tea, black tea has also been shown to have health benefits. Research has suggested that the antioxidants found in black tea may play a preventive role in conditions like heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

Pu-erh tea

What it is: Also speller Puer, this tea technically falls in the black tea family, but is fermented twice (instead of once), which elevates it to its own category. The double oxidation process followed by a period of maturation allows the leaves to develop a thin layer of mold.

Where it grows: Southwest China, Burma, Vietnam and Laos

What is tastes like: Due to the layer of mold, pu-erh tea takes on a soil-like flavor with a strong, earthy quality.

What you should know: Although the tea is distinctly dirt-tasting, pu-erh is often used for medicinal purposes as a digestive aid.

Oolong tea

What it is: Considered to be among the finest (and most expensive) teas in the world, oolong
Tea is semi-fermented, which means that it goes through a short oxidation period that turns the leaves from green to a red-brown color.

Where it grows: Taiwan

What it tastes like: Pale yellow in color, the tea has a floral, fruity flavor reminiscent of peaches with a hint of smoke.

What you should know: Tea connoisseurs consider the oolong flavor to be the most delicate and frown on drinking it with milk, sugar or lemon as to preserve the natural taste.

Flavored tea, Blends, Herbal Infusions and Tisanes
Because tea naturally absorbs other flavors quite easily, cultures have been adding herbs, spices, oils and flowers to their tea for centuries. In China, adding flowers such as jasmine, orchard, rose and magnolia to teas is quite popular. In many Arabic nations, they add fresh mint leaves and heaping spoonfuls of sugar to their tea. And in India, they make spicy masala tea by adding spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and peppers.

If black and green teas are considered "purebreds," then blended teas are considered "mutts." Tea producers use different strains of tea to create flavors like English Breakfast and Earl Grey.

Unlike flavored tea and other blends, herbal infusions and tisanes are not technically tea as they are not made with leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. Instead, tisane (tee-ZAHN) is an herbal tea made from herbs, spices and flowers and added to boiling water. Herbal drinks are typically recognized for their caffeine-free quality and also for soothing and rejuvenating effects. Commonly found herbal teas include chamomile, peppermint, fennel, rose hip and lemon verbena.

Caffeine Conundrum
People find all sorts of reasons not to drink tea, but two of the most common center around the avoidance or obsession with caffeine. Consider these facts about tea and caffeine from the UK tea council:

- 4 cups of tea per day offer good health benefits without the contraindications of other caffeinated drinks.

- Four cups of tea contain only moderate amounts of caffeine, which has been shown to increase concentration, thereby improving performance.

- When drinking a normal cup of tea, you consume significantly less caffeine than a cup of instant coffee or one you would buy at a coffee shop.

- Tea contains at least half the level of caffeine than coffee.

Tea Traditions
Though not nearly as common in America as in other parts of the world like Ireland and Britain, the custom of tea still penetrates many households in this country. Afternoon tea is said to have originated in the early 1800s by Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford who wanted some sort of mid-afternoon snack to ward off hunger pains until dinner. The tradition continues today, and while every British family does not sit down for a formal tea each day, many of the most elegant hotels in London (and in America) still serve a lavish spread for tea each afternoon. International chains like the Ritz-Carlton and the Four Seasons often offer a tea time treat, but check with your local hotels for times and pricing.

Plan Your Own
Nothing is more elegant and lady-like than a tea party. A creative idea for a shower, birthday party or just a girl's luncheon, here's everything you'll need make tea fit for the queen.

- Tea: buy your favorite black or herbal tea at the store or make your own:

Spicy Green Tea

Relaxing Tea Blend

Chamomile Herb Tea

Lemongrass and Mint Tea

Spicy Ginger Tea

- Tea Accessories: milk (provide 2 percent and skim), sugar (may be cubed or loose, brown or white), lemon

- Sandwiches

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Shrimp Butter Tea Sandwiches

Finger Sandwiches

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls

- Scones

White Chocolate and Dried Cherry Scones

Apricot Scones

Orange Poppy Seed Scones

Orange Pecan Scones

Strawberry Scones

Maple Scones

- Breads and Cakes

Mini Lemon Tea Bread

Buttermilk Scones with Raisins

Thyme-Rosemary Tea Bread

Chocolate Tea Bread

Lemon Verbena Tea Bread

Lemon Blueberry Tea Muffins

Mrs. Perry's Crockpot Pumpkin Tea Bread

Cherry Almond Tea Ring

References:
United Kingdom Tea Council - An expansive database of information on tea. Everything from health benefits to types of tea - even a printable form to help you remember how your colleagues take their tea.

Tea Association of the USA, Inc. - Facts and figures about tea in the US.
StarChefs - An easy reference guide for all things tea-related.

Article Source:EzineArticles.com

Current Annuities - Riders That Offer Specific Benefits

When investors research current annuities today, what they are likely to find is that there are a large number of optional features that are now available as additional features on the annuity product. These options, often referred to as riders, allow annuity holders to access some additional benefits that are not offered within the main annuity product.

These riders are typically offered on fixed and variable annuity products. Due to the fact that these investment vehicles now hold billions of dollars in retirement assets, the importance of asset preservation has become extremely important. And, this has subsequently led to the development of different types of both living and death benefit protection for annuity holders.

In fact, all of the riders that are offered on fixed and variable annuity rates contracts will fall into either one of two categories. First, living benefit riders will typically offer a guarantee for some amount of payout while the annuitant is still living. Some of the living benefit riders will guarantee the annuity holder's principal. Others will offer guarantees on a specific rate of hypothetical growth - provided that certain specific conditions are met.

One example of a living benefit rider is the Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit, or GMWB. This benefit offers the compare annuity rates holder the guarantee of a return of principal through withdrawals of a certain fixed percentage of their principal during a fixed time period - until the amount of the annuity holder's original investment has been withdrawn.

Another such example includes the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit, or GMIB. In this case, when the annuity holder first purchases the annuity rates, the issuing insurance company will guarantee income through a fixed annual compounding rate. Following a period of vesting, if the annuity contract is annuitized by the investor, the guaranteed income base will be used to calculate the amount of minimum monthly payments. This occurs regardless of market performance.

Death benefit riders, on the other hand, protect against declines in annuity contract values due to market conditions for the annuity holder's beneficiaries. In addition, some death benefit riders may only guarantee the initial amount of the annuity holder's principal, while others may provide the investor's beneficiaries with a death benefit that is equal to the highest recorded value of the annuity contract or with fixed annuities an attractive guaranteed rate of return.

Current annuities offer a wide variety of features that were not offered several years ago. Therefore, it is important for investors to truly understand how these riders work, as well as the additional costs that are involved with adding these benefits to the annuity contract.

Source: EzineArticles.com

Unsecured Tenant Loans For Bad Credit – Make All Your Dreams True

If you are one of the home owner, then you can discover various number of monetary scheme that can offer funds at time of urgency. However, it is not accessible for that tenants or non – home owners as they do not have anything to pledge against the funds. Keeping in mind such a point, number of lenders and monetary companies came up with unsecured tenant loans for bad credit. As the loan itself refers, such finances are unsecured in atmosphere and lenders do not require you to transfer any security. Under such loan classification, loan searchers avail whole authority and right to utilize the cash, the way he / she wishes.

You can utilize such loan sum for number of reasons, such as children's education fees or examination fees, holiday expenses, travel, car purchase or car repair, wedding, small home improvement, debt consolidation, electricity bills, rent amount, insurance premium, shopping bills, monthly bills etc. Moreover, borrower's avail the approval actually very quick as well as fast. With the support of Online application process, applicants can avail the demanded sum within the duration of 24 hours.

Absence of security initially decreases the time of getting approval as lot of time can be rescued by not judging the value of your security. Because of high danger factor, lenders only offer small sum that ranges from £500 - £25000 for the duration of 6 months - 10 years. As far as rate of interest are concerned, the borrowers are slightly higher charged of interest rate and APR. Banks usually follow this to practice in minimize the danger factor up to certain limit.

Unsecured loans credit have raised as a nice monetary service for bad credit tenant. With the support of this loan choice, poor credit borrowers can also get finance without any delay. Therefore, it is highly advisable for you to not to compare your APR with great credit tenant. To avail the finance immediately, you can easily make the application through the mode of Online. By offering few details, such as name, address proof, date of birth, monthly income, working details etc. you can get number of quotations from leading lenders as well.

SUMMARY - Unsecured business loans for bad credit are provided to all kinds of tenants which includes - students, council tenant, paying guest etc. you are not required to compare your credit rating as this is not the main concern of the lender's.

Seven Secrets To Choosing A Safe, Healthy Pet Food

Do you choose canned food or dry food? What brand? There are so many different brands, all shapes and sizes of pet food to choose from and pet owners are provided with very little information to base your decisions on (other than advertising) - it can get so confusing! Well, buckle your seatbelt depending on how much you know of the pet food industry, this could be a bumpy ride! You are about to learn seven secrets - well kept secrets - of pet food. Sit back, brace yourself, and keep reading.

Beneful says it's 'Premium Dog Food for a Happy, Healthy Dog' and sells for around $18.00 for a 31 lb. bag, Science Diet "promises" 'precisely balanced nutrition through continuous research and the highest quality food backed by your Vets endorsement' and sells for around $21.00 for only a 20 lb bag. Then there are numerous pet foods that make the very same statements - 'Premium Dog Food, Highest Quality' - that sell for $30.00 or more for a 20 lb bag. And the same holds true for cat owners...Do you choose Whiskas that states 'Everything we do is about making cats happy!' or do you choose one of those high end cat foods that make the very same claim of a happy, healthy cat but cost 3 times as much?

Now with the on-going pet food recall pet owners have questions such as 'Has this food been recalled?' or 'Is this food the next one to be recalled?'...'Is my pet safe?' Wow this is confusing! And scary too! What exactly is a pet owner to do? How about learning a few secrets! Equipped with the knowledge of a few secrets of pet food, it's not nearly as confusing.

Secret #1...

All pet foods use descriptive words like choice and premium, though few of them actually use premium or choice ingredients in their food. The 'secret' is that per the rules of the pet food industry, no pet food can make any claims or references on their label or advertising as to the quality or grade of ingredients. You see, the word 'premium' when it's related to pet food DOES NOT mean that the ingredients in the food are premium. With pet foods, premium does not (can not) describe the food nor does it (can it) describe the quality of the food. It is a marketing term and that is all. Per the pet food industries own rules and regulations, "There are no references to ingredient quality or grade" (regulation PF5 d 3). So, words like premium, or choice, or quality are just marketing or sales terms. They should not be interpreted as terms describing the quality of the food.

Now why wouldn't a pet food label be allowed to tell a prospective customer the quality of their ingredients? Doesn't a pet owner deserve to know what they are buying? This leads me to the next secret...

Secret#2...

If I can compare 'people' food to pet food for just a second, we all know there are different qualities of people food. There is White Castle (I'm guilty here, I love the little guys!) and there is Outback Steak House (another favorite). Both restaurants serve meat and potatoes. At White Castle for under $3.00 you can get a couple of hamburgers and an order of fries. While at Outback you can get a steak and baked potato for around $16.00. Both serve beef and potato - yet you already realize that there are huge nutritional differences between a fast food hamburger and a steak...right?

The problem in the pet food industry - is that most pet owners don't think in the same terms when it comes to pet food. They don't think in terms that there are fast food types of pet foods and there are sit down restaurant more nutritious types of pet foods. In fact, several years ago a young man tried this very experiment with his own diet - eating nothing but fast food for 30 days. In just one month of eating fast food three meals a day, he gained a great deal of weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels sky-rocketed. Now, imagine your pet eating this type of food its' entire lifetime.

OK, so back to our two meals...if a chemical analysis of your meal at White Castle was compared to a chemical analysis of your meal at Outback - both would analyze with a percentage of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Regardless whether you consider a steak at Outback a higher quality of protein than the burger - it would still analyze as protein. The analysis doesn't measure quality of protein.

So here is the secret...All pet foods come with a Guaranteed Analysis stating the percentage of protein, fat, fiber and moisture in the food. The REAL secret lies in the quality of the percentages of protein, fat, and so on.

In a chemical analysis of a pet food - chicken feet would analyze as protein, although granted it provides very little nutrition. And as well, a cow that was euthanized (put to sleep) because of a disease that made it unfit for human consumption - would analyze as protein although that could be considered dangerous for consumption. Both of those things - chicken feet and a euthanized cow - are allowable ingredients and commonly used in pet food. You see the secret within the pet food industry is manufacturers have a WIDE OPEN door to where they obtain their ingredients. The only strict rule they must follow is an adult dog food must analyze with 18% protein and an adult cat food must analyze with 26% protein. Sources to acquire those particular percentages range from a 'human grade' meat, to chicken feet, to euthanized animals, to grain proteins, to even man made chemical proteins and many variations in between.

Pet food labels do not have to tell - are not allowed to tell - the sources they use to obtain that required 18% or 26% protein. And to make matters worse...quality minded pet food manufacturers - the companies that use 100% human grade ingredients - are not allowed to tell customers or potential customers that their products are quality, human grade ingredients.

So how can you know if your pet's food uses chicken feet or euthanized cows or if it contains human grade ingredients?

Secret #3...

If the words premium and choice mean basically nothing with regards to the quality of pet food, and if some pet foods use chicken feet and euthanized animals in their food - how can a pet owner know what they are getting in their pets' food?

This big secret is found in ingredient definitions. Unlike 'people' food where you can pretty much look at the food to determine the quality, pet food is far different. All 'people' food must meet particular USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines. The same is not true for pet food. Chicken feet and euthanized cows are NOT allowed in people food for obvious reasons - they have no nutritional value or they could be dangerous to consume. The same is NOT true for pet food. The only way to know if those chicken feet or euthanized cows are in your pet's food is to know what ingredients they can be used in.

The common pet food ingredient 'Meat and Bone Meal' is basically a combination of many different discarded left-overs from the human food industry. Components of 'meat and bone meal' can be anything from cow heads, stomachs, and intestines, to (horrifying but true) euthanized animals including cows, horses and dogs and cats from veterinarian offices, animal shelters, and farms. And along with those euthanized animals the pet food also contains the drug pentabarbitol that was used to euthanize the animal. 'Meat and bone meal' can also contain left-over restaurant grease, and diseased (including cancerous) meat tissues cut away from slaughtered animals. In other words, this commonly used ingredient is a mix of highly inferior and potentially dangerous left-overs from the human food industry.

The pet food ingredient 'Meat By-Product' or 'Meat By-Product Meal' is pretty much the same thing as 'meat and bone meal'. It is a highly inferior pet food ingredient containing literally who-knows-what.

Another similar ingredient to the above is 'Animal Digest'.

As to the chicken feet I mentioned earlier - this item can be found in the ingredients 'Chicken By-Product' or 'Poultry By-Product' or 'Chicken By-Product Meal' or 'Poultry By-Product Meal'. Any left-overs in the chicken or poultry division - including but not limited to chicken feet, skin including some feathers, chicken or poultry heads, and intestines are found in these ingredients. It does NOT matter as to the health of the bird - sick, healthy, dead, dying...all is included in these ingredients.

So here is what you need to do...BEFORE you purchase any pet food, flip the bag over and closely examine the list of ingredients. The above mentioned ingredients would be listed within the first five or ten ingredients. If you see ANY of those ingredients - it is my suggestion to NOT purchase that food. Remember - chicken feet and euthanized animals do analyze as protein. That is all that is required in pet food - just the correct analysis.

Another little trick some pet food manufacturers use in this category is using grains and chemical additives to grain products to boost the protein percentages. Which is exactly the cause of the pet food recall that began in March 2007 - chemical proteins. Two different chemical additives - that have NO nutritional value to pets, but that analyzed as protein - were added to a grain product (wheat gluten, corn gluten, or rice gluten) solely to provide a cheap protein. Thousands of pets died and countless others became ill because no one counted on the problem of the combination of these two chemicals would cause kidney and urinary blockage. Again, their secret is the product has to analyze as having a particular amount of protein - no one is required to provide a quality meat protein.

While you are looking at the ingredient listing - you should also take note of how many grains (corn, wheat, rice) and/or how many grain products (corn gluten, whole corn, ground corn, whole wheat, ground wheat, wheat gluten, rice, brown rice, brewers rice, soy, and on and on) are listed within the first five or so ingredients. If you find more than one grain listed in the first five ingredients - that is telling you this pet food is acquiring some of its protein from grains.

Why is protein obtained from grains important for you to know? Several reasons - first off science proves that cats and dogs alike require and thrive on a meat protein. If a pet food is obtaining protein from grain sources, the pet is not getting the meat that it needs to thrive. Second, if the grain products are a corn gluten, wheat gluten, or rice gluten you take the risk of chemicals such as melamime added to it used strictly to boost the protein analysis. By the way, melamime is one of the chemicals found to be the cause of the March 2007 pet food recall. And there is one more concern with grains - aflatoxin. Aflatoxin is a deadly mold that is common to corn, wheat, and soy and it's responsible for several other pet food recalls you probably never heard about. In December 2005, Diamond Pet Food contained moldy grains that killed over 100 pets before the product was recalled - all due to aflatoxin.

It is my recommendation to avoid any pet food that contains corn, wheat, or soy in ANY variation. The risk is simply too high.

Secret #4...

I've got more suggestions for you to look for in the ingredient listings...chemical preservatives. A very well kept secret of the pet food industry is their common use of chemical preservatives. BHA/BHT are very popular chemical preservatives used in pet food and science has linked them to tumors and cancer. Another common preservative is ethoxyquin which has known risks to cancer. Ethoxyquin is ONLY allowed in human food in some spices because of the very tiny proportions. However it is allowed in much higher proportions in pet food.

If you scan the ingredient listings, you will be looking for BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin listed anywhere. Commonly BHA/BHT is used to preserve the fat in the food which usually is found higher on the list. And also look for any of these chemicals towards the end of the ingredient listing. Personally, I wouldn't touch a pet food that contained these chemical preservatives. You want a pet food that is preserved naturally - common natural preservatives are 'natural mixed tocopherols' or 'vitamin E'.

Secret #5...

The very best food to provide to your pet is a well made food using human grade ingredients. That should be simple enough...How do you find that? You already know that pet food manufacturers are NOT allowed to make any statement as to quality or grade of ingredients, the only way you can find out the grade or quality of your pets' food is to call the manufacturer and ask them.

Now, let's say you call the ABC pet food company and ask the question "Is your Premium dog food and Premium cat food made using human grade ingredients?" It could be that you get the response yes, we use human grade ingredients - when actually only a couple of ingredients are human grade. Here's the trick to asking...ask them if they are APHIS European certified.

Pet food manufacturers that are APHIS European certified assures you that ALL ingredients in their pet food are human grade. APHIS - Animal Plant Health Inspection Services - is a division of the USDA. APHIS European certification provides this pet food manufacturer with the opportunity to ship their foods/treats to Europe. When importing pet foods from the US, European countries demand that all ingredients are human grade and thus require this certification. Most pet food manufacturers that have APHIS European certification do not ship their products to Europe - they simply use this as a means to assure their customers to the higher quality of their ingredients.

Again, you WON'T see this listed on the label - it's not allowed. You must call the manufacturer and ask. Often times the representative of the pet food won't even know what you are talking about when you ask about APHIS certification - if that's the case, you can assume they are not APHIS European certified. APHIS European certification is a bonus to pet owners - it is not required or even suggested that any pet food manufacturer go through the extra steps to obtain this. This is a special effort some pet foods go through to tell their customers they REALLY CARE about the quality of their products. Personally, I would NOT buy a pet food that doesn't have it.

And by the way, if you can't reach the pet food manufacturer, or they do not return your call within a short time frame, lose their number! Any company that does not place a priority on answering customers questions - doesn't deserve your business!

Secret #6...

Minerals are a required ingredient in human diets as well as diets for our pets. Copper, Iron and Zinc are common minerals found in pet foods. Just as they are - copper, iron, and zinc are basically rocks, very difficult for anyone or any pet to utilize. Science has developed several ways to introduce minerals into the body (human and pet) for better absorption thus benefiting the individual far more. This scientific development is called chelating or proteinating and it's been around for years. Through the chelating or proteinating process minerals are absorbed about 60% better than just the minerals alone.

This secret is spotting the minerals in your pet food to see if they are chelated or proteinated. Notice the minerals on your pet food label, way down on the list of ingredients. You are looking for minerals that read 'copper proteinate' or 'chelated copper'. If you see just the mineral listed, your pet is sort of like Charlie Brown at Halloween saying 'I got a rock'. If you want your pet to have the best, chelated or proteinated minerals are part of the best foods!

Secret #7...

This secret is called 'friendly bacteria'. Although 'friendly bacteria' sounds a little scary, the reason for it lies in your pets' intestinal system. A large portion of your pets' immune system is found within the intestinal system. Keeping the immune system healthy helps to keep the animal itself healthy. This friendly bacteria is similar to what's found in yogurt, however in pet food it is introduced in a fashion so that the cooking process doesn't destroy it. Looking at the fine print on your pet food label, this time you are looking for lengthy, scientific words like Lactobacillus Acidophilus or Bifidobacterium Thermophilum. If you do NOT see these words or some very similar, that pet food is not addressing the care of your pets' immune system. And again, if you want your pet to have the best, you want 'friendly bacteria' in their food.

There are your seven very secrets to help you find the absolute healthiest and best pet food for your four-legged friend. Armed with those secrets - you now have the knowledge to find your pet the best food possible! A pet food that can extend their life and prevent early aging and disease. If you don't want to bother doing the homework involved, I urge you to subscribe to my monthly magazine Petsumer Report(TM). Through Petsumer Report(TM) I've done all the homework for you - each month I review and rate over 40 different pet foods, treats, toys, and various other pet supplies. It's the ONLY publication of its' kind providing pet owners with the information they need to know regarding their pet product purchases.

I want to share just a couple more things...

It's best to feed an adult dog or adult cat two meals a day. The nutrition they consume with two meals is better utilized than with just one meal a day. If you are currently feeding your pet one meal a day, split that same amount into two meals and feed in the AM and PM.

You should know that all canned or moist pet foods are anywhere between 70% to 85% moisture. This means that 70% to 85% of that can or pouch of food is useless nutrition - its water. Granted our pets need water, cats especially tend not to drink enough water. But since all canned or moist foods are mostly water, they do not provide adequate nutrition to be fed strictly a canned or moist diet. Use a canned or moist product to supplement your pet's diet - not as the only food.

The best pet foods are preserved naturally (secret #4) - but there is a concern with naturally preserved pet foods...freshness. Take notice of the expiration date on your pets food label - typically with naturally preserved dry pet foods (not as much of a concern with soft foods because of canning - very little need of preservatives) the expiration date is one year to 18 months from the date it was manufactured. Let's say the pet food you are considering to purchase on July 1, 2007 has a 'Best if Used by' date of January 1, 2008. This would tell you that this particular bag of pet food is already 6 months old. While it is still 'good' a fresher food - a bag that is only 2 or 3 months old - is better. Naturally preserved pet foods lose nutritional potency with time. Always try to find a very fresh bag.

If you are considering changing your pets food, ALWAYS consult with your Veterinarian first. You should always keep your veterinarian advised of any changes you make with your pet. Don't take chances. And if you do switch pet food, make the change over very slowly. I always recommend to pet owners ¼ new food to ¾ old food for 4 to 7 days, ½ to ½ for another 4 to 7 days, and so on. Switching food quickly can cause intestinal disorder! Its short term, but we don't want intestinal disorder!!!

One last thing, as you are already aware dogs and cats have a far better sense of smell than humans. Their food bowl can be a wealth of smells - both good and bad. Some times a pet will refuse to eat simply because he or she smells a previous food in their bowl. Plastic food and water bowls retain odors the worst. And surprisingly so does stainless steel bowls. The best type of food and water bowl is a ceramic one. They retain odors the least.

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." George Eliot.

I completely agree!

Article Source:EzineArticles.com

FT Article – Welfare to work contract goals doubted

I read it with interest and whilst many of the issue raised were relevant, I would challenge some of the views cited and present a different perspective as an incumbent supplier.

Over the past 20 years, we have operated many ‘payment by results’ models in welfare and other markets, in international markets as well as in this country. This is where A4e started in 1991, going beyond the required retraining of unemployed people and running pilots where payment was based on delivering job outcomes instead. More recently in Israel, the model set by the government required us to deliver 35% savings in the welfare costs before we were able to secure any results payments. A very interesting ‘Invest to Save’ model.

The UK government has designed a challenging commercial model but it will operate alongside significant changes to the underlying welfare system, as well as earlier entry for groups of relatively easier to help clients. Performance metrics will be stretching, but based on our previous experiences, my view is that results are achievable.

It should not be a surprise that some organisations without specific delivery experience and expertise cannot make the ‘numbers add up’. This is not the market to enter if an organisation is not experienced in delivering services to the customers who will be on Work Programme.

There are a number of ways to mitigate risk and many finance institutions are rapidly gaining the expertise to be able to make considered investment available to suppliers. This ‘education’ process is an important part of the role that the operators in the market must play with the financial community to enable the funding required for broader payment by results models to be used in other areas of social policy. I spend considerable time on this issue and there is healthy interest and good input from the financial community.

The development of relationships between service providers and financial institutions is critical to public service reform and whilst difficult, a necessary evolution of the markets. Betting on reworking the contracts is not the answer. Using expertise and the ‘black box’ nature of these contracts to iterate services to success is what will be required. Welfare to work is absolutely the right place to pioneer the payment by results approach and, as the expert service providers receive the financial backing they need, we can look forward with optimism, rather than scepticism, to establishing a system that sets a global standard.

Resource: mya4e.com