The AAPHI Blog

(NC)-During my term as Chair of the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention, I have a visited cities in the United States, England and Belgium to discuss successful crime reduction strategies with local crime prevention officials. One thing that struck me was how similar their experiences were. In each city there was a serious crime problem, a focussed response and a substantial improvement in both the reality and the perception of safety.

Although there are no “one-size-fits-all” solutions, there are common elements at work, chief among them a willingness to involve the community in a meaningful way. As one Chief of Police observed, “I [used to think] that the police fought crime alone and that the community could only get in the way. Now we’ve got it right. We understand that in order to prevent crime and keep our community safe, we’ve got to involve the community as our partner.”

Jack Calhoun, President and CEO of the U.S. National Crime Prevention Council has identified six factors that were present in successful American city programs, even though actual strategies differed. They are:

1. A belief that all key municipal entities must play a role in cutting crime and violence. Schools, businesses, municipal government and social services must all work together.

2. The need to engage in specific, trackable actions. Cities need to have clear data on what the problems are, where they are and what’s causing them. They need to know what’s working and what isn’t in order to use resources effectively.

3. The courage to do business differently and to share power. Giving up “turf,” while difficult, is essential to working together.

4. A dual commitment to targeted enforcement and prevention - things like after school programs and mentoring. Law enforcement resources must be deployed consistently with broader crime prevention objectives.

5. A commitment to the long term. This is a challenge when some offer instant solutions, but helping young people build better lives doesn’t happen overnight.

6. And, as Calhoun puts it, “Clear, passionate, hands-on commitment from the leading policy-makers, prime among them the Mayor and the Chief of Police.”

Leadership; working together; identifying problems and then attacking them; measuring results; doing business differently; being tough on crime and equally tough on the causes of crime . . . these are the factors that we witness everyday in projects and communities throughout Canada. They produce positive changes here, just as they do in countries around the world.

For details on how Canadian towns and cities are working together to reduce and prevent crime, and how your community can get involved, visit www.crime-prevention.org.

About The Author

Barbara Hall, is Chair of Canada’s National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention.

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often.

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You will always have more people that turn down
your offer than actually buy. They might not have
bought because of your price, payment options,
or any other possible reason. You will just end up
loosing all these potential lifetime customers.
However, there are many ways you can minimize
the loss of these prospects.

One way is to accept barter offers for your product.
Maybe the person can’t afford to buy your product.
They may have something you could use in your
business or personal life. If the barter deal isn’t fair
enough, either of you could add in some cash. You
may not make money but, they might buy other
products you offer.

Another way is to include a negotiation offer at the
end of your ad copy. Tell your reader if there is
something they don’t like about your offer, they
could contact you and negotiate a different buying
offer. They may not like your price, guarantee,
shipping methods, payment options, etc. You can
gain a potential lifetime customer by being flexible
with your offer and negotiating instead of loosing
them.

A simple way to attract lifetime customers would
be to give people a freebie. The freebie should be
related to the other products or services you sell.
You may not be getting paid for the freebie, but
you will get a lot more people using one of your
products because it is free. If they are impressed
by your free product there is a high chance they’ll
buy your other products in the future.

The last way is to sell your product at the price it
costs you to produce or buy it. You will usually
sell more products at a lower price than your
competition which equals more potential lifetime
customers. You will break even in cost but you’ll
make your profit from the upsell and backend
products you sell your lifetime customers.

Quote of the Day:

“A man’s mind may be likened to a garden, which may be
intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild; but
whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and will, bring
forth…

Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free
from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits, which he
requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding
out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and
cultivating toward perfection the flowers an fruits of
right, useful, and pure thoughts. By pursuing this process,
a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master
gardener of his soul, the director of his life. He also
reveals, within himself, the laws of thought, and
understands, with ever-increasing accuracy, how the
thought-forces and mind-elements operate in shaping his
character, circumstances, and destiny.” — James Allen

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There are so many products on the market at the moment that are sold on the basis that they have some sort of secret that nobody else knows except for all the other people that bought them. Strange as it sounds even the game of golf seems to be a very lucrative market for this type of thing. There are a lot of books and video’s at the moment that are claiming to be able to tell what the golf swing secret is and how to figure it out and effectively use it to improve your golf game. Of course it is really just a sales tactic but that doesn’t mean that some of the products don’t contain a lot of very useful information that can help you significantly improve your golfing game and bring your scores down to a respectable level. If the book or video that you bought focuses on one single aspect of the perfect golf swing and if it gives good advice then it can be a great help.

After all, if you only have one thing to concentrate on then the chances are that you will not lose focus on what the course is trying to teach you. It can be very helpful to just be taught one thing at a time as long as it is not so different as to make everything else that you have learned useless. Unfortunately, there is not one single golf swing secret that will suddenly make you a much better golfer than you were before. In fact, if there was then everyone would use it and there would be no advantage to it.

The real golf swing secret is to find a good golf coach that really knows what they are talking about and practice what they teach you. The key to success here is to find someone that is not only good at golf and knows what to do but that is also a good teacher. There are many good teachers around and perhaps the best and easiest way to find one is by recommendation. It is all very well seeing an advertising campaign and knowing that the tutor has played in a lot of golfing tournaments but you need to know that they not only know how to play the game of golf but also that they can teach you in such a way that it will help to improve your game.

Of course it would make things a lot easier if there really were a golf swing secret that would make you a much better player but if you just learn how to improve your swing and practice until it gets better it will give you a really great sense of achievement.

Some say that Debi Moore and Britney Spears should not pose naked on the cover of fashion magazines while pregnant? Yet I believe that it does actually help the image of pregnant women and could be maintained as a positive in that regard. Why?

Well because we hold often too much importance on a womans body and this causes psychological issues and also is the wrong way to look at things. I believe therefore that Debi Moore and Britney spears actually help the Image of Pregnant Women and therefore do not feel it is very risqué or improper.

Yes I know people will disagree with me, yet lets look at the bigger picture with over weight women and depression. Let us consider the issue with anorexia and bulimia and all the emotional pain that often causes.

If we can as a society re-adjust our views and perception then everyone wins and if Debi Moore and Britney Spears can help change any potential negative image of Pregnant Women and make it more acceptable, mainstream or even sexy in a way, then they will have actually done all women a very big favor indeed.

The Britney Spears picture may not have been to help women, but more for public relations, yet in doing this it did help the image of pregnant women and that is a very good thing. Consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Tenants in Common is a way of sharing ownership of property among two or more people. Each tenant holds an undivided interest in the property, and each tenant may own a different size portion of the property. Tenants in common ownership may be established in many different ways: through a will, deed, or other document of title. Today Tenants in Common (TIC) ownership has become a popular way for people to complete 1031 tax deferred exchanges when they hold title as an individual or other entity and would like to participate in a partnership or partnership style structure. Other people are using Tenant in Common structures to purchase multi-family real estate that may be suitable for a condominium (condo) conversion after a certain seasoning period.

There are other benefits to owning property as Tenants in Common as well. For people looking to diversify, TIC structures allow you to invest in larger properties, different types of investment property and different geographic markets. Perhaps you are looking to move up to institutional grade or single tenant properties with triple net lease arrangements. You may also benefit from fixed-rate, non-recourse financing with institutional terms for tenants in common owners. This type of financing with 5-10 year terms is usually not available to small, single investors. Many, perhaps most, tenants in common arrangements are created through inheritance whereby the decedent’s will leaves property to intended heirs with or without specifying the size of interest that each is to receive. One of the most attractive features of a TIC structure is that acquiring an interest in investment property as tenants in common does not preclude you from buying investment property on your own in a subsequent 1031 tax deferred exchange. Returning to sole ownership is always an option should your investment preferences change.

Is the Tenant in Common Structure Flexible?

A tenants in common ownership interest can be purchased, sold, gifted, bequeathed by will, or inherited, and is subject to property taxes, gift tax, estate and inheritance taxes in the same manner as any property held in fee simple (single) ownership. Upon the death of a tenant in common, his or her interest in the property passes through inheritance as directed in the will or other estate planning documentation and does not divide among the other owners as there is no right of survivorship an important difference from joint tenancy ownership.

Tenant’s rights

Each tenant has unrestricted rights of access to the property subject to the equivalent rights of the other tenants. Each tenant in common can petition for and secure a division of the property at any time. The partition usually will result in the petitioner being granted exclusive ownership of a portion of the property the court views as equivalent to his or her previous undivided interest. Or, the judge may order that the property be sold and the net proceeds divided among the tenants in the same proportion as their respective ownership interests.

Neda Dabestani-Ryba is a licensed Realtor in Maryland. She is a member of the President’s Circle of Top Real Estate Professionals. She can be reached at (800) 536-3806 or visit her website for more information: http://neda.dabestani.pcragent.com/
Prudential Carruthers REALTORS is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Public schools have been equipped with video surveillance CCTV systems even before Columbine. The reasons include increased safety and security for students. Installing video surveillance cameras in schools is a costly project, and school districts must be sure that this is the right route to deter theft, property damage, and to prevent outsiders from entering the school’s property. Even though most school districts that have implemented video surveillance systems have faced privacy concerns from parents, students and civil libertarian groups, school officials assert that cameras curb crime and are important sources of physical evidence when crimes do occur.

Why should schools use video surveillance?

Before secondary and middle school officials install video surveillance systems to prevent vandalism, gang activity, fights, trespassing or theft, they must sit down and conduct a thorough inventory of their needs and security concerns.

Important first questions to ask include:

• What security threats will the new cameras address?

• How will the surveillance equipment address those threats?

• How will the system be maintained and staffed?

After this step is completed, school officials must weigh the benefits and costs of their decision. Most school districts agree that installing video surveillance equipment will help students focus on their studies and not make them worry about outside violence. The security systems run from $500,000 per district for an analog system consisting of CCTV (closed circuit television) monitors to million-dollar IP-based systems with digital surveillance cameras connected to a web network. The system’s cameras are generally placed near entrances, hallways, stairwells, common areas and parking lots that are monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Said Principal JK Johnson of Orange High School in Orange County, California who had 27 cameras installed, “If it cuts down the vandalism…I think it would be a wise expenditure. It’s another set of eyes out there to help keep the school safe if something were to happen.”

Other benefits include:

• Provides school officials with information and evidence that’s not otherwise available.

• The cameras deter crime and may lead some students to confess to infractions that weren’t even caught on the security cameras.

• The cameras allow school security personnel to do more job-specific work, which saves money in the long run since the mundane tasks will be performed by the security system.

• Money is also saved from insurance premiums by the reduced burglaries and vandalism.

However, costs remain and these must be faced with each security system installation:

• The initial set-up costs, plus maintenance and personnel costs may be too large for the school district.

• Privacy rights must be considered: no audio tracks should ever be recorded, and the cameras should not be placed inside of the school buildings. Civil libertarian advocates must be assured that the system will fairly monitor students and not become intrusive.

If the school districts do agree to purchase video surveillance systems for their schools, they need to conduct adequate research and planning in order to make the new system constructive and beneficial for the students. And once the security systems are installed, school officials should evaluate their effectiveness at set times and adapt to future security challenges and students’ needs.

Copyright © 2005 Evaluseek Publishing.

About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer providing practical information and advice about everything related to video surveillance systems and related topics. Her numerous articles include tips for saving both time and money when shopping for video security products; equipment reviews and reports; and other valuable insights. Learn more about affordable wireless home surveillance systems like the popular X10 video security system when you visit Video-Surveillance-Guide.com today!

I don’t know where I got the habit, but I’m more of a book re-reader than new book reader.

Sure, I do a lot of current research as well, but I love to return to the “oldies, but goodies” that have been gathering dust on the shelves of my office.

One of these small treasures is Mark O. Haroldsen’s, “The Courage To Be Rich.”

Written decades ago, when consumer interest rates were at or above 20% per annum, you might look at the copyright date and infer that the contents are outdated.

Not so, in fact much of Haroldsen’s wisdom still applies today.

The author is especially sharp in three areas: (1) Identifying the benefits of building wealth through real estate; (2) Defining the best properties to buy and the most motivated sellers; and (3) Money management, particularly developing solid and profitable banking relationships.

Along the way, he also weighs in on other, generally pertinent topics to any fortune seeker or self-guided person.

One of the tips I like says: “Send out 100 LOW offers” on properties you want.

Sure, ninety-plus percent will go into the trash, but there will be a few people who will take your offer seriously. Haroldsen points to at least a few occasions where he has nearly stolen properties, putting cash into his pocket right away, while having the owners carry mortgages.

Also, “Pretty brings top dollar,” so it pays to put a small amount of cash into fixing up, what he terms, “The Yuks,” and then reselling them, fast.

Check out this book.

I think you’ll profit from it!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations from Santa Monica to South Africa. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to: http://www.customersatisfaction.com

If you can’t find a banner that meets your needs, and can custom design your own. You can customize your banner and distinguish yourself from hundreds of banners seen everyday. You can then submit your specification to a banner production company; they will produce it for you.

Make your design simple - the simpler the design, the easier it is to read. People glance at banners as they are passing or driving by. They will not take in minute details, so the less said the better. If you’re advertising for a road race, give the facts like name, date and location. Also include a number or location to go to for more information. Attractive designs with direct to the point or edgy captions work best. Consult a graphic designer or ad copywriter for advice on this point.

Captions or any words printed on your banner should be in large fonts, and a combination of contrasting colors will work well. The key is to outline the letters with white to separate the colors. If you have at least a sentence to print use a banner that is a horizontal, rectangular shape. This will allow you to maximize the surface of the banner. Drop banners, or those placed vertically are usually for one-product advertisements, with very short captions. Squares are also used for the same purpose. Again, stick to simplicity. A professional artist can help you transform your bright idea into a life-sized banner. To save time and fees, be as specific and detailed as possible with your directions.

Problems between dogs and their care givers arise from a multitude of reasons, most of which could be easily avoided. Inconsistent training, expecting too much too soon, harsh or inexperienced handling, and negligence are responsible for the majority of ongoing canine behavior problems. Understanding your dog will help.

Pet owners who take the time to become knowledgeable about their pet’s needs, and who build a solid foundation of love and trust with their pet, rarely experience serious behavior problems once training is complete.

Pet owners who fail in these areas, however, are likely to instill fear, confusion, lack of confidence, and even depression in their pet. Reading this Savvy Dog Lover article will go a long way in helping persons to understand the unique needs of their canine companions.

A Dog’s Unique Personality

Dogs are a lot like most people. They may goof now and then, but they invariably try and do their best. They truly want to please their care givers. A sensitive dog owner will realize this.

Sensitive dog owners will also realize that, like people, some dogs catch on more quickly than others; others are slower to learn. Some dogs are also more easily distracted. Some are naturally more aggressive, others more timid - requiring extra patience and encouragement during training.

Understanding your dog is vital, for both you and your dog. This is especially true when it comes to training.

Guidelines for Successful Training

There are ten important factors to remember if you desire training success:

1.) Patience is critical. Forcing a puppy or young dog to do more than he is capable of doing, losing control and yelling or striking out at the dog, or ending a training session on a sour note all sabotage training success and build confusion and mistrust in the dog.

2.) Keep training upbeat and fun for your dog. Sessions should begin and end with success. Start the session out by “reviewing” a feat or accomplishment your dog already does well. End the session in the same way, with plenty of praise.

3.) Structure is important, so be consistent. Training sessions should be performed regularly. Sessions should be timed to end while your dog is still enthusiastic and attentive. They should last about 15 minutes for puppies, 30 - 40 minutes for adult dogs. Sessions should also be conducted in as distraction-free a location as possible. That means no audience of onlookers for the sake of showing off your “skills” as a trainer.

4.) Be lavish with praise. Reward each success with plenty of verbal and physical praise. Not only will this build confidence in your dog, and create a stronger bond between the two of you, but it will make him even more anxious to please you when learning other new feats.

5.) Never call your dog to you for disciplinary purposes. This will only make your dog apprehensive and reluctant to approach the next time you call. Instead, order him to “sit,” and “stay,” then approach him.

6.) Never over-discipline. Once a dog understands a command but refuses to obey, reasonable physical discipline may be appropriate. Discipline should never be violent or executed in anger; it should always be imparted in a calm, controlled manner.

7.) Don’t lock your dog into shame cycles. When a dog refuses to comply, verbal and physical discipline should be controlled, and reasonable. Ongoing verbal reprisals and scolding when a dog bungles an assignment is ineffective and will only serve to strip confidence. It will discourage your dog and make him dislike training sessions altogether.

8.) Understand that learned behavior takes time. Just because a dog learns the “sit” command on Monday while in his own backyard, that does not mean he will be able to carry the lesson over to Friday’s day at the beach. Dogs do not instinctively apply knowledge learned in one setting to another quite different setting. He must be taught how to do that; it takes repetition over a period of time, and patience.

9.) Teach commands in steps. For instance, before a dog can effectively learn the “lay down,” command - which is, in actuality, a three-step command - he must first learn the commands “sit” and “down” (or lay down). Break multi-tasked commands into simple steps.

10.) Factor #1 bears repeating. Patience is critical!

By working with your dog following these guidelines you will soon discover the essence of each. Patience combined with consistency, love, and praise for accomplishments well done are the most important factors of all when it comes to building trust in your dog, and assuring training success.

Other training tips, aids, and products for pets can be found online at www.savvy-dog-lovers.com.

© 2006 Lori S. Anton
Savvy Pet Editor

Published writer and dog lover, Lori Anton, has been writing for nearly 30 years. She is founder and editor for Writers Write Now, offering original professionally written content, and SEO content for web sites; visit Writers Write Now. Lori lives in rural Wyoming with her husband, Jeff, and their diabetic canine companion, Muffy.

Lori is also Savvy Pet Editor. Savvy Dog Lovers web site offers valuable information on pet health, care, and training, as well as top pet products. Visit Savvy Dog Lover. Savvy Dog Lover - where the best bones are buried!

Just like people, animals are susceptible to illness and stress. And, just like people, there is a lot you can do to keep them healthy.
Julie noticed her dog, Zac, was drinking more water. Not just once, but several days in a row. She knew that excess thirst can be a sign of illness, so she took Zac to her veterinarian for tests. Blood and urine tests showed that Zac was in the early stages of acute kidney disease. But Zac was lucky. Because his problem was caught early, Julie’s veterinarian was able to treat the disease successfully and Zac made a complete recovery.

What Is Kidney Disease?

Briefly, kidneys filter and remove waste material from the blood stream. They also regulate the volume and composition of your pet’s body fluids.
There are two types of kidney disease:

Acute - a sudden loss of kidney functioning which is sometimes reversible, and

Chronic - a loss of kidney function that occurs gradually over time. Chronic kidney disease is often progressive, but, depending on the underlying cause and with careful management, animals often live comfortable lives for many years.

The causes of kidney disease can include inherited defects, infections, toxic substances and simply aging. Although the cause of kidney disease can be difficult to determine, with careful testing by your veterinarian, the disease can often be managed. Most treatments are aimed at decreasing the workload of the kidneys, reducing the severity of symptoms, and slowing the progression of the disease.

What Are Its Symptoms?

If kidney disease has undermined the kidney’s ability to perform properly, waste materials accumulate in the blood. Signs that could indicate a potential kidney problem include:

• Loss of appetite
  
• Increased thirst
  
• Frequent urination or increased volume
  
• Poor hair coat
  
• Depression and/or vomiting

What You Can Do To Prevent Kidney Disease?

While kidney disease is most often found in older dogs and cats, even young animals can be affected. And while the disease is not always preventable, there ARE things you can do to help minimize the chances of your dog or cat developing the disease, such as:

• Feeding the best quality dog or cat food you can
  
• Providing continual access to clean, fresh water
  
• Eliminating toxic materials from the home
  
• Maintaining a low stress lifestyle
  
• Regular veterinary care to detect potential problems as soon as possible

You are your animal’s daily detective and advocate. You are your animal’s best chance for receiving medical treatment when the problem is still at an early stage and treatment is most successful. It is always better to prevent a disease, or to treat it early, than to have to treat it after it has become advanced.

Bev Allen is CEO and Founder of Lily & Me, Inc., which is devoted to the welfare of all animals. Her first product is ThePetCheckupthe at-home, early detection health screening kit for dog and cat health.