Google AdWords advertising allows you to show your ads to people who are most likely to be interested in your products or services, and filter out those who are not.

You can track how many people your ad was shown to, how many of those people clicked on your ad, and more by integrating your account with Google Analytics. By measuring your ads, you’ll quickly see where to spend your budget and increase your return on investment.

AdWords is most commonly based on a cost per click system, where the cost per click is the minimum amount required to outperform a competing advertiser. Using a very simple example, if a competitor’s advertiser’s budget per click is $1 and yours is $5, they will only pay $1.01 for that click.

When you’re just starting out with AdWords, it can be a bit overwhelming. Google AdWords itself is huge, and every slip can blow your budget. I know quite a few people who have been burned trying AdWords without really understanding it.

To help you get started, I’ve put together some helpful tips that I’ve learned over the years.

Starting

Create your Google AdWords account

Google has put together a 7-step getting started guide for creating an account that covers the basics like creating a login, setting up billing information, and setting up a daily budget.

Resist the urge to turn on your ads for now

Google’s goal at this point is to encourage you to maximize the amount you’re spending on your advertising. This is the first cheat for beginners. You’ll enter a few keywords, Google will suggest a lot more keywords that are mostly helpful, but next thing you know, you spent $150 in a day with no sales or leads.

Research your keywords

Thorough keyword research is very important to the success of your AdWords advertising: if you target the wrong keywords, you can be almost certain that your advertising will not be profitable. Start with your website to create a list of relevant keywords, look for the main words that describe what you do, your products and your services. Align your AdWords account structure with your website.

Use the Google keyword tool

Once you have your list of keywords, you can use the Google Keyword Tool to find related words and phrases to get a comprehensive list of possible keywords. People may use different words or phrases when searching for your products or services.

The tool will then show you the average search volume per keyword (no point in bidding on keywords that no one is searching for) and the average cost per click to give you a better understanding of the budget required and what you can afford.

From my experience, the lowest cost per click I’ve seen is around $0.80c and the highest was $16. So choose wisely. Choose general and specific keywords, and group similar keywords into ad groups (get 5-20 keywords per ad group).

Choose keyword match types

This is another beginner trap. Google’s default setting is ‘broad match’, which allows you to reach the most people, but gives you the least control over when your ads are shown.

For example, if I were a personal trainer and I bid on ‘personal training’ to attract new clients using broad match, my ad would show to people who also search for ‘personal training courses’, ‘personal training certification’ and ‘personal training courses’. personal training’. salary.’ Clearly, none of these people are looking to hire a personal trainer. I would get a lot of irrelevant clicks wasting my budget, or no clicks at all, which is just as bad because Google will punish me with a low quality score and I’ll have to pay more.

Basically, the higher your Quality Score (on a scale of 1-10), the less you will have to pay per click. Relevance is the key. New keywords will be assigned a quality score in about a day.

Keyword match type options

Broad Match – The broadest possible search that includes a number of keywords that may not be relevant to your business, for example, ‘Women’s hats’ may match searches for ‘buy women’s hats’.

Phrase Match: A more specific option that will match people searching for the keywords you’ve specified, for example, ‘Women’s hats’ may match searches for ‘shop women’s hats’.

Exact Match: The most specific option that will match people searching for your keyword exactly as you’ve typed it, eg ‘Women’s Hats’ can only match searches for ‘women’s hats’.

Negative match: Using negative keywords can greatly reduce wasted clicks by excluding keywords that are unrelated to your business, for example, if you sell reading glasses and use “glasses” as a keyword, your ad will be will show people who also search for “wine glasses”. ‘, adding ‘wine’ as a negative keyword would eliminate this problem.

campaign types

It is important to understand the differences because they work very differently.

Only on the Search Network: Target people who are actively searching for your products or services. This is recommended for beginners.

Only on the Display Network: Target people who browse websites that contain content related in some way to your products or services. From my experience, this is effective for short-term campaigns for specific promotions, for example, an online pet store ad with free shipping for the next 7 days may appear alongside an article on how to handle aggression in puppies .

Search and Display Networks: It’s a combination of the two, I personally prefer to keep the campaigns separate for more effective performance monitoring.

Shopping – This is a must if you sell products online and it requires the creation of a Google Merchant account and some setup to create a product feed. This allows your products to be presented visually with text search results.

write your ads

Explain why a potential customer should buy your products or use your service instead of a competitor. Include your keyword to draw attention. The character limit is strict, but do your best to set yourself apart from other ads.

Google has strict advertising guidelines to ensure good quality ads, but I’ve seen dodgy grammatical errors. ‘I will give you the best advice’, will determine people who know the difference between advice and advice.

A call to action is also important for potential customers to understand what action you want them to take and to filter out people who are not ready to take the desired action, for example buy now, call today, request a quote, get more information, browse now.

The page you link to on your website is also important, create a custom page if needed to match your ad. If your ad is promoting 20% ​​off toasters, make sure your ad is targeting the toaster category with a banner that highlights 20% off. Make it easy for people to take the action you promised in your ad.

Link to Google Analytics for conversion tracking

Access to analytics is essential to managing AdWords efficiently; without them, there is no way of knowing if you are achieving your goals or which campaigns, ad groups and keywords are successful and which are not. When you create a Google Analytics account, you’ll need to add a small tracking code to your website, and then you can link the accounts.

Conversion tracking provides important data related to what a person does after clicking on your ad. Do they buy, submit an inquiry, download your app? This information helps you determine your success.

AdWords is not a “set and forget” platform, and it should be carefully monitored and managed, especially when first starting out.

Generally, I recommend running AdWords for at least 2 months and monitoring weekly to determine if it’s right for your business. You need time to give it the best chance of success.

Where to get more information

It is not possible for me to cover everything about AdWords. I spent 3 weeks studying around my full-time job for the Google AdWords Fundamentals, Google Search, and Google Display certification exams to ensure my knowledge is the most up-to-date.

I recommend that you at least read the Google AdWords Basics study guide to learn more about structuring your account, bidding strategies, Quality Score, and location targeting.

Once you’ve activated your ads, I recommend checking progress every day for the first week to understand how quickly your budget is being spent and what the bounce rate is for your keywords. A high bounce rate usually indicates that your web page is not relevant to the search, try adjusting the keyword, match type, or just stop it.

Someone recently contacted me and said that she was very impressed with what she had been reading in her research on the Medifast diet. She felt something similar might work for her, but she was hesitant to spend the money on diet food. She wanted to know if it was possible to eat similar foods with items that she could buy at the supermarket. This is a relatively common question that I had myself. And earlier, I tried to achieve something similar. I will discuss more about this matter in the next article.

What you would need to accomplish if you were trying to eat on your own Medifast-style: One of the main reasons for the success most people have with this diet is that it can put you into ketosis, where you quickly burn your own fat. You can usually do this because the ratio of calories, carbohydrates, and protein is very specific and favorable. I know from experience that it is quite a challenge to find foods that meet this criteria. And, if you can do it, it’s usually quite expensive and time consuming.

Also keep in mind that you will be eating six times a day. When you’re on this diet, you eat five of the plan’s prepackaged meals and then have a larger main meal on your own. This is necessary for a couple of reasons. First of all, eating this often helps keep hunger at bay and keeps your metabolism running for ketosis purposes. And yet, while you’re eating that much, you’re only consuming about 1,000 calories per day. Not only that, but the carb to protein ratio stays mostly even.

If you haven’t already researched the foods you’re going to use to accomplish this, I can tell you that “safe” products under this umbrella are hard to come by. Many will have too many sugars and carbs that are not keto friendly. It is common to compensate for the low amounts of calories and fat with added sugar so that the flavor remains palatable.

I’ll look at the new Medifast brownies as an example of what I would need to accomplish. This product has only 110 calories and 2 grams of fat. There are 15 grams of carbs, but this is balanced by a very high 11 grams of protein. There are only 8 grams of sugars and 4 grams of fiber. Even if you look in health food stores, it will be quite difficult to find a comparable product with as much protein and fiber. And, even if you do, you’ll likely find it’s more expensive and you’d still have to think of four similar meals for the day.

I know a lot of people research Medifast DIY because they think “doing it themselves” will save them some money. But in my experience, this is not the case. If you use the good Medifast coupons, your cost per meal for Medifast is just over $2 per meal. It is extremely difficult to find meals that cost less than this, especially since you will need many special ingredients. I tried something similar when I was on the zone diet. Not only do I think I never came close to the Medifast calorie/carb/protein ratio, but I also know that I spend way over $10 a day for 6 meals.

That’s not to say that if money isn’t an issue and you just like to cook, you can’t find something that’s low in calories and carbs and high in fiber and protein. I’m sure this is probably possible for at least a few meals a day. But I also suspect that it would be quite time consuming, expensive and challenging. However, I am generally someone who does not have a lot of patience and prefers comfort.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder that, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, affects more than 2.5 million people worldwide. The cause of MS has been linked to genetics, the environment, autoimmune dysfunction, and more, but while research efforts continue, much mystery remains. Amidst all the mystery, however, a form of treatment known as active isolated stretching (AIS) has emerged as a means of not only slowing the progression of the condition, but, in some cases, even reversing symptoms. “The results are unmistakable,” says Ben Benjamin, MD, a renowned sports medicine doctor, of AIS and its benefits for those with degenerative conditions.

Active Isolated Stretching is a form of therapy developed by Aaron L. Mattes, RKT, LMT over 38 years ago that uses gentle therapeutic stretching to restore musculoskeletal balance throughout the body. For those suffering from MS, isolated active stretching can:

Stimulate neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons in the brain) and create new neural pathways
Multiple sclerosis damages the protective covering of nerve fibers, known as myelin, which compromises the neural pathway’s ability to communicate effectively and greatly disrupts the body’s central nervous system. However, studies have shown that learning stimulates the creation of new neurons in the brain and helps in the creation of new neural pathways. Since active isolated stretching is active, rather than passive, and a new range of motion is achieved with almost every repetition, the body remains in a continuous state of learning throughout the treatment. This can help damaged nerve fibers regain function or create new pathways to bypass those that are badly damaged.

reduce spasticity
Spasticity refers to involuntary muscle contractions that can cause painful spasms and overly tight/stiff muscles, a common symptom in those with MS. AIS can effectively reduce muscle tension and thus help prevent muscle spasms in those with multiple sclerosis.

increase circulation
Isolated active stretching pumps a large amount of blood throughout the body and provides much-needed nutrients and oxygen to the surrounding tissues. AIS also stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluid which helps flush out lactic acid and other unwanted toxins.

reach more muscles
There are over 200 stretches in Active Isolated Stretching. This is of great importance since Multiple Sclerosis can affect different areas of the body in each individual. While working with multiple sclerosis patients at the Mattes clinic in Sarasota, FL, she noticed that a client’s toes were spasming regularly and inhibiting her ability to walk properly. The way she felt on any given day would be directly related to the severity of such spasms. After working with isolated active stretches for the foot and toe muscles for a few minutes, the spasming muscles relaxed and the patient was able to walk (and feel) more normal. Active isolated stretching treats the body from head to toe (literally) so you can reach muscle tissue in almost every area of ​​the body.

Build strength and balance
Since each stretch requires you to contract the opposing muscle, AIS can help build muscle and restore balance to the body, resulting in better posture and stronger joints. There are also strengthening protocols in AIS that include exercises to address specific muscle weaknesses throughout the body. Studies have shown that exercise, including muscle strengthening, also has a positive effect on neurogenesis.

Multiple sclerosis can be an incredibly difficult condition to treat, however for those suffering from MS who have tried other forms of treatment with limited success, active isolated stretching may provide a hopeful alternative.

What graduation, bachelor party or pageant would be complete without the amazing fun look of a silly rope? This strange foamy substance has become a part of New Year’s celebrations around the world. This foam rope has become a part of celebrations around the world. Millions have wondered what the story is behind this mysterious spray. Today we answer that question.

Silly String was first introduced in 1969 by Julius Samann. If that name rings a bell, it’s because he’s also the very same inventor who brought us pine-shaped car air fresheners. Thanks Julius I love Vinallaroma. Mr. Samann was trying to create the ultimate gag gift. Since then, several similar products have been made, with the Streamer String and Wacky String being one of the most popular. The only thing that is known about Silly String is that it is mostly non-toxic, non-flammable and CFC-free. Other than that, no one except the manufacturer knows exactly what the ingredients really are. Scientists believe that it is a polystyrene-based polymer dissolved in a CFC-based solvent that evaporates into the air and acts as a foaming agent; chlorinated hydrocarbon was recently replaced by fluorinated hydrocarbon due to environmental concerns. Some other purported ingredients are a small amount of isopropyl alcohol and plasticizers like dibutyl phthalate.

How does it work? Toy rope products store a sticky material combined with a propellant gas in an aerosol can. As the nozzle is pressed, a pressurized stream of foamy yarn erupts from the plastic nozzle and shoots distances from 3 to 600 feet, depending on the product. It’s the pressure in the can that drives the mix wildly into the air. Silly String can be found in many different colors. The can comes in different sizes and also in different pressure levels. The higher the pressure, the greater the distance it will shoot.

The product is “non-toxic” there are reported cases of skin irritation and even frostbite. Fluorinated hydrocarbon under high pressure gets cold and is the likely cause of the reported freezing problems. Hydrocarbons remove fat from cells and can cause chemical burns to the skin. If ingested, there is a possibility of prolonged vomiting. Exposure to the eye has resulted in visual damage only irritation of the skin around the eye. The dye can in certain situations stain clothing. Take care to remove all foam from your clothing. Certain US cities have banned the substance.

You may be surprised to learn that the Silly rope, in addition to being used in celebrations, is also a secret tool used by the United States Armed Forces. An unnamed Marine sergeant is quoted: “The dumb rope has served me well in combat, especially in pursuit of IADs. Simply put, booby traps… When you spray the rope it spreads everywhere and when you you put it, it sits right on the wire. Even in a dark room, the rope sticks out and reveals the tripwire.” Our favorite foam spray not only livens up a party, it also saves lives.

That’s the story behind Silly String. This ever-present party substance is no longer so mysterious and dangerous. From spraying a sleeping friend to spraying the crowd at a New Years celebration, Silly String is a guaranteed good time. While we don’t yet understand what or how the streaming chain works, we know it’s a big time. Be sure to follow the rules of use and make sure not to eat anything.

What convinced more people to go out and vote for Obama? The same method that could motivate more people to buy from you. This approach is already pushing further:

o Hikers to stay on marked trails.

o Hotel guests to use fewer towels.

o Homeowners to reduce their energy use.

(By giving you these examples, I was using the method to convince you that this must be a useful method if used in so many different ways.)

To encourage more supporters to vote, the Obama campaign enlisted behavioral scientists to craft the message that has been repeated in recent days: “Record turnout expected.” They were evoking social proof.

Simply put, social proof means that we are more likely to do what we think many others are doing. Robert Cialdini described this effect in his popular book Influence, as have others, including Cass Sunstein (now working for Obama) and Richard Thaler in Nudge.

Similarly, an anti-literacy campaign is hugely successful because it evoked our collective pride, with the slogan “Don’t mess with Texas.”

The effect of social proof is stronger in times of uncertainty (people are not sure and/or the situation is ambiguous) or similarity (we are more likely to follow people who are like us).

You see variations of the social proof effect every day:

o You choose the busy restaurant instead of the almost empty one. You are drawn to the crowded booths at the trade show or expo.

o After a murder/suicide is reported, head-on car crashes and plane crashes increase immediately.

o Fewer people now smoke in the US as it has fallen out of fashion except in groups where it is still popular.

o For twenty minutes a day, children who were afraid of dogs stood in front of a child who was happily playing with a dog. After just four days, 67 percent of them climbed into a playpen with a dog and played with it. Shy children can also get help.

o If several people around you are overweight, you are more likely to gain weight.

o Bartenders sometimes “salt” the tip jar for customers to deposit money.

o Desperate women invade the men’s room at a Springsteen concert, after the former bravely enter.

Brain imaging shows that when we think we’re out of step with our peers, the part of our brain that registers pain goes into overdrive, according to Cialdini. The herd instinct is strong.

Social proof occurs when a business attracts more customers because, unlike the competition, it displays testimonials. When you see this woman looking at one of the two men, you assume that he is more attractive and important than the other man, simply because of where she is looking. Therefore, display your product near popular and non-competing products or other items.

Using social proof in small, even inexpensive, ways has a huge effect. For example, Positive Energy, a company where Cialdini is the scientific director, is invoking social proof to get homeowners to voluntarily reduce their energy use. Along with their utility bill, they receive a note praising them, “with a row of smiling faces (You used 58 percent less electricity than your neighbors this month!) your neighbors in the last 12 months, and it cost you $741 extra).”

That led to a 2 percent drop in energy use when tested in Sacramento with just 35,000 homes. That’s the same as taking 700 households off the grid. Next social proof move? Reduction of water consumption.

Such neighbor or peer pressure, especially with consequences, is a powerful way to change behavior, as stickK is demonstrating.

Conformity, competition, even embarrassment, are powerful motivators when social proof is evoked. For example, a public campaign in one county in Oregon to get homeowners to weatherize their homes cheaply received little response. However, when churches, citizen groups, and Girl Scouts were recruited for a door-to-door campaign, 85% of the county signed up. (Which credible partners can you engage in a social proof-based campaign?)

If you want people to buy from you, provide as many ways and places (website, brochure, conversation, articles, etc.) for them to hear or read about the ones you already have. This type of social proof evokes the power of Previous Previous. The more your customers or customer situations or reasons to buy remind potential buyers of themselves and their situation, the stronger their impulse to buy will be. Girl Scout parents, for example, were struck by the need to weatherize their homes.

What worthy organization can benefit from aligning with your business to evoke social proof?

That was how the Toluma firefighters obtained a much-needed but expensive piece of equipment, a deluge gun, without asking their cash-strapped city council for a dime. Business was slow throughout his city. Firefighters got nowhere when they asked business owners experiencing a weak economy for donations.

They approached the manager of the locally owned MyPizzaria to request a donation. Instead, the manager devised a way to evoke social proof to attract donations, to their mutual benefit. “Here’s what I can do. We can pick a Wednesday, say four weeks from now to declare as ‘Saving a local life’. Eat firefighting pizza at MyPizzeria.” It is usually a quiet night. I make $500 or so. That day after we sell $500 worth, every dollar after that I’ll split 80/20 with you – your cause gets 80% So if you inspire enough people to buy a pizza that day, you can raise more money than you you just asked me.”

The firefighters loved the challenge, and had downtime to participate. They had banners, signs and ads printed for free by the local copy shop with a bright red “donated by” line of credit. They asked local supermarkets and gas stations to display them. After the first posters appeared, the local association of real estate agents decided that this was a popular campaign (social proof). As avid and savvy web users, real estate agents stepped up to help spread the word.

Within hours of travel, two fire trucks, draped with banners, had firefighters and realtors waving on the busy street. Then the growing army of volunteers visited complex offices, even those with signs that read “No Soliciting.” (Who’s going to kick out the firefighters?) Now, more patrons visited apartment complexes, video rental stores and schools. They put flyers and signs everywhere. Once people learned about their community’s cause, handing out flyers was like giving out candy. The local radio station, newspaper and various bloggers covered the unfolding story.

When Wednesday finally arrived, the place was packed with lively people. Some were served at tables in the parking lot, thus attracting passers-by (another sign of social proof at work). They made enough money to get the deluge gun. The most important thing was fun and a victory for all participants. Done right, social proof-based campaigns can attract a crowd so more gets done with less work from everyone.

Additionally, this partnership based on social proof allows all parties to use their best talents and resources. Acting together for mutual benefit creates deeper and more diverse friendships. Because they experienced the leverage power of partnership, participants are more likely to want to work together again.

As everyone knows, apartments in New York City are tight on space and high on price…just a sacrifice to live in possibly the world’s most exciting metropolitan Mecca. Thousands of individuals and families a year pack up house and home and head to the Big Apple for nothing less than fruitful opportunities and larger-than-life adventures. And when they come, they ‘literally’ pick up the house and home!

A typical middle-aged couple moving to New York City from somewhere else in the US (a normal place!) has easily accumulated 10-20 years of ‘stuff’. Stuff from living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, bathrooms, closets, attics, basements, garages, patios…stuff from anywhere and everywhere. Coming from living areas of 1,200 – 3,500 square feet, space is not an issue. Sentimentality isn’t either. Not so in New York City! Our middle-aged couple has two options: quadruple their income or shed a few tears by getting rid of a few things.

Aside from being astronomically more expensive, a typical New York City apartment is 50% smaller in living space than the average American home, say, 750 square feet vs. 1,500 square feet. In Manhattan the difference is 60-70%. Not to mention the lack of a common place for homeowners…a garage! It’s not uncommon for our middle-aged couple to move 2,000 square feet of household supplies into an 800-square-foot apartment. You are right, that is not possible! Which leads to the practical ideas, options, solutions and tips for which this is the first of many more articles.

For this particular article, I want to focus on what I think is the best storage solution for smaller, less bulky items. The main factors considered here are convenience, simplicity, and cost.

Mobile Cabinets

The mobile closet concept was originated by a creative entrepreneur who was born and raised in small apartments in New York City. Seeing the challenges of living in small spaces, he thought of and designed an innovative way to maximize space inside closets, under beds, and in apartment spaces.

A typical mobile closet is the size of a standard apartment closet (6′ x 4′ x 28″) and is literally delivered to your doorstep on wheels. Prior to delivery, you have the option to request a specific interior design of the closet depending on what you want to store, for example, closet rods, shelves or a combination of both After delivery, it will take 24-48 hours to fill the closet with things such as seasonal clothing, holiday items, sports equipment , collections, storage bins, or just smaller things that are easily stored together. When you’re done, lock it with the padlock provided, call the company, and take the locker to a secure storage facility…usually in New Jersey Because real estate is so much cheaper, you want it back, the company usually delivers it within 24 hours.

The cost is usually around $60.00 a month and in most cases includes… Initial closet delivery to your home – Unit rental – Facility space rental – Two or three house returns per year – Free lock and insurance up to $2,000.

Many New Yorkers will testify that mobile closets have helped them free up valuable space in their apartments while eliminating the hassle of doing it all themselves, i.e. driving to and from self-storage facilities, going up and down steps, renting trucks, finding hand construction site or disturbing Uncle Bob on his day off. After all, many in New York don’t even have cars or driver’s licenses. At such low cost and with the added convenience, mobile closets are proving to be one of the most desirable solutions for optimizing small spaces in New York City apartments.

Many people find the idea of ​​keeping wild animals as pets exotic and exciting. However, if you want a wild animal as a pet, you must have a thorough understanding of the animal and its behavior and needs. People who keep these animals as pets are invariably trained to handle them, but even they will tell you how unpredictable these animals can be. You may have read stories in the newspaper about zookeepers being mutilated by their wards.

Therefore, keeping wild animals as pets has become quite a sensitive and controversial issue. Some people like to highlight the pros, while others just point out the cons. However, both should be weighed equally and only then should the decision to keep a wild animal as a pet be made.

Here are some pros and cons of keeping wildlife as pets.

Sometimes conventional pets such as dogs and cats cannot be kept due to lack of space. In such circumstances, one can keep wildlife such as a hedgehog or gecko as a pet as they do not require as much space. Some wild animals have their own benefits. Like a hedgehog, it can be used to keep insects and other pests at bay in a house.

It has often been seen that buying a wild animal can be cheaper than buying a popular and pedigree pet.

Additionally, many wildlife advocates feel that some species have a better chance of surviving if adopted. The dart frog has been seen to face a problem in the wild as its natural habitat is declining. Therefore, if this animal is adopted, it will have a better chance of survival.

However, there are plenty of cons and disadvantages to keeping wild animals as pets. First of all, the welfare of the animal must be taken into account. Owning a wildlife means giving due consideration to their diet, exercise, and social interactions. Often the animal will not have any interaction with other animals of its own species and will be left to lead a solitary and solitary life. Also, the owners will not be equipped to provide proper care for the animals as they may not be well versed in these things. Many wild animals look cute and cuddly when they are small. However, as they reach adulthood or sexual maturity, their wild side takes over and the animal becomes aggressive. This is the time when many owners abandon their pets or give them away to zoos.

Wild animals are carriers of many diseases that are lethal to humans. For example, reptiles and amphibians are carriers of salmonella infection, and each year thousands of people in the US contract this disease from their pets. In addition, rats imported from Africa are known to carry monkeypox. An outbreak of this disease occurred in the US in 2003 when Gambian rats brought monkeypox into the country.

Above all, the demand for wildlife as pets is increasing. Therefore, many illegal traders are taking advantage of this demand. Most wild animals are captured and then transported in cruel and inhumane ways to reach their owners. In addition, most owners do not know how to take care of the animals and this causes them to get sick or even die.

So weigh the pros and cons of keeping wild animals as pets before you jump in to adopt one. Make sure you are properly equipped to handle the care of the animal. Do not adopt one if you have any doubts.

Basic efficient and effective care tips for teacup pigs

As most of you may already know, adopting small pigs, or mini pigs as they are known, has become a pet lover’s craze. They may have different names, such as micro mini, teacup, pixie and Juliana miniature pigs, but they all refer to an intelligent and social animal that has proven to be a great companion as a pet. They typically grow to between 25 and 45 pounds and can reach 10 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder. There are breeders who claim to breed mini pigs that will be smaller as adults, but be sure to look at the parents first before you are convinced that they really will be that small. The lifespan of teacup pigs is expected to be about 15 to 20 years. If you are considering keeping one or two in your home, you should first pig-proof your residence so that they receive proper care. These teacup pigs are naturally curious, active, and friendly creatures, but with patience, they can be successfully tamed after a while. They can even be taught many tricks and training them as pets is not a problem at all.

However, before you commit to having mini pigs as a household pet, you should also first consider what actually goes into caring for and raising them. Just because you’ve seen Victoria Beckham and Paris Hilton parading around with their teacup pigs, you should hurry up and buy one for yourself too. These adorable animals should not be taken as fashion accessories and simply as a fad. So before you make a long-term commitment, you need to think carefully about how you are going to enjoy the loving companionship that a micropig can provide. Pig ownership is not about how beautiful they look in your arms, but how well you can care for them. Don’t worry though, this article will walk you through the steps, and with patience and understanding on your part, you’re sure to get through the first few weeks of having a teacup pig with success. Just keep in mind that the care and feeding of these miniature pigs is similar to larger pot-bellied pigs, so you don’t need to worry as much.

Here’s a rundown of what to ask yourself first to be fully prepared in micropig care.

Do you have enough time to spend with them? Teacup pigs are very social animals and love to be hugged a lot, so give them a special moment every day. Ideally, they should be kept in pairs so that both have fun together and do not get bored.

Can you assign them the appropriate space in your house? If you live in apartments or condos, you might want to reconsider before buying two pixie pigs. However, you can easily create a certain corner for them, just make sure your place is piggie-proof.

Are there regulations in your area that prohibit the keeping of farm animals, including teacup pigs? You have to be sure of this so that you don’t regret it later.

Teacup Piggy Care Basics

Pigs generally like to root and micro pigs are no exception as it is in their nature. So you need to look around your neighborhood where you can take them out on a regular basis. If you have a backyard, find a suitable space with shelter, where they can roam at certain times. This is ideal when they are still less than a year old, but when they get older you may want to consider leaving them outside most of the time.

Although they are still small, between 6 and 10 months, it is recommended to create a controlled environment for them. A gate similar to those used for puppies or small children should be put in place to block the entrance to their own space. A blanket can be placed in one corner to serve as bedding and a litter box can also be set up several steps away from the bedding. Since teacup pigs are clean and smart, they can easily learn to use the crate with proper training. For food dishes, a flat cake pan will do and a dog bowl can be used as water. Make sure the area you choose for the casita is free of drafts for your safety.

Prepare your expectations in advance that the cute little pig you received from the breeder will remain the same. You have to expect them to grow bigger, especially if you haven’t seen the size of their parents. Indeed, they make lovely pets and can conveniently fit into a teacup during their tender years, but an adult pixie pig will of course outgrow the teacup. At this point, let me warn you that many breeders today may claim that their litter will only grow to a particular size. Be careful with these claims, as no one can really guarantee how big mini pigs can grow. Here at Pampered Piglets, we gladly display photos of the parents upon request to assure all of our buyers that we are selling only the smallest breed.

A specific special feed for micropigs should only be the food that is going to be given to them. There are many manufacturers that supply these teacup pig feeds such as Mazuri, Purina, Heartland, Manna Pro, Nutrina and more. Even if they tend to eat anything, it’s up to you to control their diet to prevent them from becoming obese. They can also sleep a lot if you give them the wrong food. Giving them the right pig food will allow them to get proper nutrition without gaining unnecessary weight. Those micro pigs that are still in their infancy stage can be freely given a lot of food that can reach one and a half cups of feed per day. Those really small cups of tea will eat less.

You can supplement the micropig’s diet with small portions of fresh vegetables as they grow. However, fresh fruit should be limited as it contains a high level of calories and sugar. When it’s time to train them, use treats to encourage them. But you should also limit bribes with treats to prevent them from becoming spoiled and overweight. Another drawback is that mini piggies can become very aggressive when they are not given the treats they want.

When you think you are fully prepared to have a micro pig as a pet, you can head over to our various piglets available for sale. Take note of the breeds so you can find the one that best suits your preferences. Congratulations on having a wonderful pet, in advance!

This is the third and final article in my series on Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley series. I review the fifth and final of her homicidal psychopath novels (it seems cruel to label such a fascinating charmer in this way) and write some final thoughts on Ripley’s work. In a separate article, “Patricia Highsmith and Tom Ripley in the Movies,” I’ve covered film treatments and a screenplay based on Anthony Minghella’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

ripley under water

In “Underwater Ripley,” the fifth and final Tom Ripley novel by Patricia Highsmith, a dangerous, unsavory and disturbed couple, David and Janice Pritchard, have turned up in Tom’s placid French town. They’re up to no good, investigating Tom’s past, the disappearance of Murchison, whom Tom had murdered in the cellar of his Belle Ombre home. They have been investigating the forgeries of Derwatt’s paintings and Ripley’s association with the late Dickie Greenleaf, the man who inadvertently provided Tom with his wealth and his life of leisure. It’s not easy being Tom Ripley, a man with at least eight or nine homicides in his past.

Highsmith frequently jumps right into her narrative and hero’s dilemma, without preamble or wasting time in her hard-hitting, plot-driven, character-focused style. As always, the wife Eloísa is either away (in Morocco) or indifferent to what she is sweating. She knows her husband is a risky job, but he provides her with exactly what she needs, a showcase for her frivolous lifestyle. Tom doesn’t work for a living, but he certainly works hard to avoid detection.

Pritchard, full of innuendos and threats, follows Tom and his wife to Morocco where Tom gives him a good beating. Throughout the book, readers, knowing Tom as a frequent killer, realize that the Pritchards are skating on very thin ice in pursuing him. Often their solution to such problems has been homicidal rather than social. He is not the kind of man you fool around with. The creepy odd couple, like vultures, fight and fight, a couple straight out of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”.

Pritchard, a persistently obsessed avenger, procures a boat and a helper and begins methodically scouring the nearby rivers and canals in search of Murchison’s missing body. Every day he goes out fighting for long hours while Tom is grappling with what to do about this busybody. When a headless corpse turns up, the plot thickens.

This is a perfectly argued book. Highsmith keeps you wondering how Tom will finally deal with the Pritchards, because you know he’ll do whatever he has to, including murder, to survive.

Ripley – In Brief

Looking back at the five-novel canon of Highsmith Ripley’s novels, we see in Tom Ripley a man who fascinates us, but not a man we can admire or envy for his dubious sense of morality and criminality. He lives a life of leisure, he loves working in his garden, he is an amateur painter, he loves his beautiful house, Belle Ombre, in the French countryside.

He adores his beautiful, independent, wealthy wife, Heloise, who is completely hedonistic and so into herself that she turns a blind eye to her husband’s misdeeds. Her role is like that of Tony Soprano’s wife, except Tony’s wife is brave, more inquisitive, and more involved, while Heloise is passive.

Tom is a murderer, an impostor, a thief, but still to the reader he is an engaging and captivating character creation. He loves fine art, particularly Derwatt’s work, because his income is derived in part from the sale of forgeries of Derwatt’s work. He loves expensive clothes and fine wines and foods. Unfortunately, he can never get rid of the bloodstains of a victim named Murchison whom he had murdered in Belle Ombre’s cellar.

Tom is educated, cultivated, self-taught, a man who appreciates the finer things in life, but is he really civilized? At least eight people died by his hand (it’s hard to keep up with his body count), and he drove at least one more to suicide, Bernard Tufts, the forger. He may have indirectly driven a second person, teenager Frank Pierson, to suicide by not giving him more advice. He has a killer instinct and a taste for killing that he believes in his cultivated way of life. Perhaps he is analogous to Hitler’s love for Wagner or Wagner’s admiration for Hitler?

Tom lacks a conscience, any sense of morality. He sometimes seems able to block out dangerous situations that his friends or even his wife find themselves in. In Book Five he doesn’t even think about the tragedy of his bosom friend Frank in Book Four.

Survival instincts are very strong in Tom. His own level of self-preservation and selfishness often gets the upper hand. He exhibits a great deal of callousness. He is a risk taker who often skates very close to detection and discovery, but it is almost always Tom against the world, cunning, brutal and violent at times, Tom, above all others. He the last man standing if necessary, but he never killed a woman.

Highsmith loved the amorality of her creation, her creature, and she endowed him with a sense of empowerment and the ability to escape capture and walk free. She wanted him to be as free as a bird. I think he was her response to a society that she found brutalizing, hypocritical and immoral. Perhaps Tom was her defiant response to what she saw as the immorality and callousness of the world.

Perhaps she broke rules that Highsmith herself hardly believed in. Through him, she could live her own cultured life and mock a society that she was not willing to be a member of. She became very fond of her cultured creation, because he was a rebel, a fearless rule breaker, a homicidal monster in a world that might be monstrous in her eyes.

But writing about bad guys is fun, and it was fun for her to have a creation that did what she wanted, what she shouldn’t have done, and yet got away with it because it belonged in her fictional world and she could make it up. own rules for that world.

Highsmith died in 1995, but even now, Tom may still be alive, unpunished, living by his own rules, tending his garden and occasionally beating up a person or two who get in his way.

Similarities Between Alternator and Two Winding Transformers: An alternating current generator is often referred to as an alternator.
Many of the concepts used in transformer analysis will be found useful when dealing with alternator operating principles. The single-phase alternator is in some respects similar to a two-winding transformer, the primary of which rotates mechanically and is supplied with a direct voltage instead of an alternating voltage. Elements of an alternator crude form reveal this. The magnetic structure consists of an armature A and a rotor R. If the rotor is held in a vertical position, the application of an alternating voltage across H and X will cause an induced voltage E in the armature winding. This device would be similar to an ordinary transformer for this operating condition. Due to the air gap between A and R, the drive current would be higher than is normally encountered when using a closed magnetic circuit.

If now the element R is mounted on a shaft 0, find the leads H and X connected to slip rings on the shaft, the rotor winding could be supplied with DC current. This direct current would produce a flux in the rotor element. If the rotor rotates while direct current is flowing through its winding, a change in flux through A will occur and thus an alternating voltage will be generated in the armature winding. Under this operating condition, the structure becomes a single-phase alternator. If the structure of the rotor is such that the flux distribution in space is sinusoidal, then for constant speed the voltage E can be made sinusoidal. Therefore, the armature of this device will function in the same way as the secondary of a transformer. You will have a resistance drop and a leakage reactance drop in your winding under load conditions as in the transformer case.

The presence of secondary current in a transformer will cause the current in its primary to be such that the primary can maintain its constant flux. When this device is used as an alternator, the dc current in the rotor winding is determined by the relationship between the dc voltage and the resistance of the rotor winding. Flux constancy is not required in R as in the primary of the transformer. any resulting flux produced by the armature current will not be completely counteracted by a change in rotor current. If the armature current is supplied to a lagging load, it will tend to demagnetize the rotor. This will cause a reduction in core flux as lagging current Ia increases and a corresponding reduction in E. If the armature supplies a leading current, an increase in flux will occur. The changes in flux due to armature currents are large, and consequently the change in voltage E with change in magnitude or power factor of the load current will be correspondingly large. The voltage regulation of an alternator under some load conditions can be 20 to 30 times greater than that of a power transformer. For this reason, an alternator with fixed field current (rotor current) is a variable voltage device. It can be converted to a constant voltage device by using regulation devices that automatically change the field current when the load changes to maintain the armature voltage at a predetermined value.