How to properly groom a Pomeranian

OK- here’s the problem I have – I have a Pomeranian and she needs be groomed every month. It costs me $45 bucks every time. Wow – who has that kind of money? And I thought, if they can do it, so can I. Boy, was I wrong. Apparently, professional training for dog grooming really does help!

 

Now, I know what you are thinking – that’s a lot of hair! You’re telling me. Since I love my Pom as if she were my fur-kid, she needs this monthly maintenance. You may think that I am crazy and she doesn’t actually need to be groomed every month. But there are some fun facts to know before you think that this dog will be easy to take of.

First, Poms have 2 coats – yep, that’s right! Two coats. The top coat is the long hair and the bottom coat is like cotton. Because the pom has been over-bred, they come with special features. For instance, dry skin. To alleviate your fur-baby’s dry skin, you must brush their hair daily and give them a bath once a month. Sounds easy. Or, so I thought.

I guess I started to go wrong when I used too much shampoo and she ended up looking like a sloppy wet sponge.

When we put her through her 5th rinse cycle and made sure we got all the shampoo out, we dried her. I don’t know if you have ever tried to dry a 2-year old’s hair, but think of it as the same thing when I tried to blow-dry my Pom’s hair. If you can’t get your dog to sit still longer than 2 minutes with a large blow dryer in their face – congratulations! You are several steps ahead of me when it comes to training.

I thought the problems were over – nope. In addition to washing and drying a dog, the services of groomer don’t stop there. I tried cutting her toe nails. Yikes – I gave up after one when I cut the wick and she started bleeding all over the place. I have to put to groomers who know where the nail stops and the wick starts. For those who don’t know – a wick is a dog’s cuticle and when it is cut, it bleeds. Not a pretty site, for sure.

So, I got the bath, drying and one toe nail cut and thought I was done. Right? Nope! Pomeranians have hair – and a ton of it. Of course I thought I could trim her hair and have it come out looking great! Again – how wrong was I? My darling girl now looks like she had her hair cut by a blind Edward Scissorhands.

Well I did end up taking her to get groomed and now she looks like a Pom!

 

But I know that I have either half to shell out the $45 bucks to get her groomed – or learn how to groom dogs professionally. I did find a website where I could learn how to groom a dog. There are some schools that offer online veterinary training, like Penn Foster Career School . They have an online program to learn all about grooming! I think that my Pom would appreciate if I did learn some grooming skills for the next time.

From Wild Blue Yonder to Storm Central

Whether it is the roar of the jets screaming by overhead or a chance to see a plane up-close and personal, it’s hard to pass up an opportunity to visit an air show. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people were at the Charlotte County Airport on Saturday to see the Florida International AirShow.

If you’re like me, watching planes fly overhead is thrilling enough. But a chance to see the aeronautic acrobatics of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds or the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team is breath-taking on another level.

As with most shows, it’s what’s in the skies that draws the crowd. For me, the real star of the show was the Lockheed-Martin WC-130J. Known as hurricane hunters,  these four prop-engine hulks actually fly into hurricanes. The crew can give weather trackers information on wind speeds and the location of the storm’s eye.

It takes a whole crew of aircraft mechanics to make sure the WC-130 is ready to head into hurricanes. They check the airplane from nose to tail, including the exit lights. The WC-130 is a workhorse of aviation. The ceiling is a bundle of wires, cables, and ductwork running the length of the aircraft. In short, it isn’t built for comfort.

Believe it or not, the aircraft wings are not specially reinforced for trips into hurricane winds. It makes sense, because a wing is designed to fly through the air, whether that’s at a slow speed or a very high one. The crew gradually turns the aircraft into the wind (a process called “crabbing”) until it punches through to the eye of a hurricane. Things get bumpy, but when you see the size of this thing in person, you’ll understand why it doesn’t get blown away.

The WC-130 has enough fuel to fly for about 14 hours. That’s enough for 4 center fixes of a hurricane. A single mission like that usually takes 11 hours!

The next time you visit an air show, take the opportunity to check out some of the planes sitting on the ground. While they might not be as flashy as all the stunts in the sky, the machines and the men and women who maintain them, are real heroes.

If this stuff fascinates you as well, be sure to check out one of our aviation training schools so you can become part of this interesting career field!

Vocational education – it works!

The phrases have been around for decades – ‘hands-on-training’, ‘practical education’.  Phrases that describe vocational education.

The reason these phrases are so popular is simple.  It’s because vocational education works.  Vocational education is a tried-and-true way to learn.  The state of Massachusetts knows this – they’re celebrating 100 years of vocational education in the state. 

Many people learn best from doing.  There’s a reason why apprentice programs have been around since the dawn of mankind – the idea that by learning from professionals, by putting skills into practice yourself is one of the best ways to truly know your field. Vocational education takes this to the next step – formalizing the process, providing students access to a team of dedicated, professional instructors and focused classes that cover what they’ll need to know.

Vocational education – at the heart of the matter, it’s about practical skills that employers are looking for. Read more about Massachusetts’ accomplishment.

Gifted Students Realize Veterinary Calling Early

How old were you when you decided you wanted to be an astronaut, fireman or a samurai? Most people decide on their first professions pretty early in life. The trouble is, it usually is something that is so fantastic or out of reach, it rarely comes to be.

I remember when I was a child, my first career pursuit was a truck driver because, hey, according to B.J. & The Bear, truck drivers had super-cool looking rigs, they fought crime and they had pet monkeys! Who would pass that kind of life up? A fool, that’s who!

But recently, I ran across an article about a 4-H program that helps people as young as 8 years old gain practical work experience in the field of Veterinary Assisting. This basic job training program allows interested kids with professional ambitions do everything from feed and groom pet patients of the veterinary clinic, to doing more specialized things such as preparing vaccines and administering medicines.

Ruby Lira, one of the programs gifted participants says, “We have homework each week and have activities to complete, as well as the hours we work with the vets. Occasionally, I follow the lead vet, who treats the large animals,” Ruby said. “Then I get to see lots of cool stuff!”

Johnathan Rogers, a 4-H agent says, “The 4-H Veterinary Science Project is a five-year curriculum-based project with 100 lessons and 50 activities that gives youth interested in veterinary medicine opportunities to work in the field.”

According to the project description at The 4-H Veterinary Science Project  this is a program similar to many others around the country designed to give kids memorable experiences as they begin forming their critical thinking processes. When they’re older and looking for the right college, this type of program also serves as quite a resume booster.

So, if you ever wondered if you had the right stuff to do the job of your dreams as a kid, there might actually be a program in place near you, ready to explore!

Are you interested in veterinary technician courses? Find a great school near you that features that program, or check into this site and see if your local 4-H club offers something similar!
http://extensionvetmed.tamu.edu/VetAssistProgram.htm

Improve skills, lower your unemployment rate

Economist Charles Wheelan says that decreasing the national unemployment rate is not going to happen by the government “creating jobs.” Instead, he believes the government needs to focus their funds and energy into education. He says “a sensible government should help to create a skilled workforce and a decent business climate. If it does that, the jobs will take care of themselves.”

When broken down, the stats support this. According to the Department of Labor, the unemployment rate is:

• 8.2 percent for high school dropouts.

• 4.7 percent for high school graduates with no college.

• 3.7 percent for workers with an associate’s degree or some college.

• 2 percent for workers with a bachelor’s degree and higher.

So, by increasing your education and skills in your job field, you can decrease your own chances of finding yourself unemployed. Find out more about technical training programs to improve your professional marketability.

Read Wheelan’s full article here.

The Future of Independent Film and Filmmakers

A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle has got me thinking about independent film and whether I should go to film school. In “Independent Film Festival: Rebels in reel time,”  Jeff Ross, the founder of the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, discusses what it means to be independent in 2008.

Ross likens independent film to pornography, saying that you know it when you see it. But when he tries to pin down a definition it doesn’t get much clearer. He says, “There’s an aesthetic to indie films. It used to mean films like Clerks and Slackers, Jim Jarmusch, things like that. It doesn’t necessarily mean outside or inside the studio system.”
In other words, the term “independent” no longer has anything to do with whether or not a film was produced independently of a major studio. So what has happened to independent filmmaking?

Over the past 20 years, it became easier for smaller films with smaller budgets to get noticed. Look at El Mariachi, the 1992 film shot for $7,000 that won the Audience Award at Sundance and gave Robert Rodriguez his start. For a brief moment in history, any film school graduate with a camera and decent editing skills could shoot the next big little film, hoping to make a splash at Sundance, SXSW or their local film festival.

This all changed when the average moviegoer started seeing independent films. Hollywood saw a market for films aimed at an adult audience and wanted to cash in. And so, gave birth to the “independent studio” (an oxymoron if ever there was one).

Enter a slew of “independent” films backed by major studios like Sony, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox. With co-financing of films, it has become difficult to distinguish a small budget studio film from a truly independent one.

Even though major studios have co-opted the term “independent,” things are not necessarily bleak. Recent successes like No Country for Old Men (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) and Juno (Fox Searchlight) have proven that a market still exists for smaller, character-driven films.

Is it still possible for a student from an online film school or digital film school to get recognized on the film festival circuit? Sure. But it doesn’t hurt to be aware of the shifting expectations of independent film. Creativity and solid production values are still essential, but the target audience is widening.

“I think indie means thinking man’s entertainment,” says Ross. “Fun movies that aren’t spoon-fed but don’t feel like work. My shorthand is art films with car chases.”

All-girl team in auto repair tech competition

Shop class is not just for men these days! From MountainView High School and Peoria’s Sunrise Mountain High School in Arizona, two all-girl teams are practicing for a pit-crew challenge between teams from area high school auto shop classes. The pit-crew challenge will draw about four dozen teams of students from Arizona high school automotive technology shop classes.

They will compete by performing the following challenges as a team: rotating tires, torquing lug nuts, changing oil filters and replacing spark plugs. The fastest team wins a used vehicle for use in their high school’s  shop class.

The girls are especially excited to prove themselves against the usual stereotype that girls don’t do auto repair tech because “it’s a dirty job.” One team member, Jessica Coolbaugh, likes auto repair tech because it makes her stand out as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

While some of the girls may continue on to further education in auto repair tech training to make a career, other team members did this as a hobby. For one, Stephanie Hilton-Acosta, “it’s a passion,” but she hopes to study to become a nurse after high school.

Technical-Schools-Guide makes a global impact!

Technical-Schools-Guide.com is going global!

Helping Americans change their lives by enrolling in a technical training program is our primary focus. But this month, we decided to try something new. We are now providing loans to small business start-ups in other countries through a website called Kiva.org.

This is such a great opportunity for us to extend our mission overseas to help people who otherwise wouldn’t have the funds to get their businesses started. We’ve strategically picked some entrepreneuers with interests similar to some of the trades for which we offer training. Check out Kiva.org and learn more about the people that we are lending to their futures! If you want, setup your own account and start lending – loans can be as small as $25, so anyone can help in this mission to decrease global poverty!

Top 5 best-paying jobs for your Associate degree

For years, the Associate degree has been looked upon as the starting point for higher education. Most people who complete their Associate degree at a technical school transfer to a four-year college or university. But there are many high-paying jobs available to Associate-degree holders.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has ranked the following careers as the highest-paying jobs typically held by those with Associate degrees.

Computer Specialist – $59,480
Computer specialists perform tasks ranging from managing network security to providing technical support to help-desk consulting. Career opportunities are expected to increase by 19 percent through 2014.

Nuclear Technician – $59,200
Nuclear technicians will probably experience a 14 percent growth in job opportunities over the next eight years. Nuclear technicians are needed to monitor radiation levels and operate nuclear test and research equipment.
Dental Hygienist – $58,350
Now that dental hygiene has taken a front seat in personal grooming, dental hygienists are in high demand. Aside from a 43 percent growth in job opportunities, they also enjoy high salaries. Dental hygienists assist with routine dental services, such as teeth cleanings and X-rays.

Radiation Therapist – $57,700
Cancer and tumor patients interact with radiation therapists on a regular basis. Radiation therapists are responsible for administering radiation therapy to cancer patients. Increases in the number of cancer patients should fuel the 26 percent projected growth over the next eight years.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist – $55,840
Organ monitoring tests that require radioactive materials are generally administered by nuclear medicine technologists. This field is expected to grow by more than 21 percent through 2014.

Why Wait to Build Your Technical Skills?

You may be at a crossroads as far as education goes. You’re thinking college. You may also be thinking technical school. Is there a way you can cover both bases before your decision? Any hands-on training with tools, electronics, computers or safety precautions can build your confidence and marketability, even after school. How can you get started to secure your opportunities?

The First Step

  Join a SkillsUSA chapter at your high school or community college!
  SkillsUSA chapters (which previously went by the name VICA) are free clubs to
  join for high school students, and is a low-cost membership organization for
  college students.

SkillsUSA helps students, educators and business and industry by keeping up with both employers’ needs and education mandates and trends. SkillsUSA also partners with the local chapter’s community and provides real work experience with community improvement sessions that extend from their technical training
  courses.

Who and What Is Involved

  More than 280,000 student and instructors join SkillsUSA annually, organized into more than 14,700 sections and 54 state and territorial associations. They also help you gain access to financial aid, in-kind contributions, and face-to-face involvement with professional people in official activities. If you are lucky enough to have one in your local community, SkillsUSA can teach you:

• How SkillsUSA participation increases student awareness of quality job practices,
    attitudes and employability skills.
• How SkillsUSA activities increase opportunities for employer contact and eventual employment.
• How students, teachers and industry can work together to ensure that America has a future skilled work force.
• How community-based industry partnerships help to strengthen and improve local technical training programs.
• How industry partnerships ensure that students enrolled in technical education are training in the skills needed by employers.

How They Help You Succeed

  Joining a SkillsUSA chapter helps you build and reinforce self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills. It emphasizes:

• Total quality at work
• High ethical standards
• Superior work skills
• Life-long education
• Pride in the dignity of work

Teach Yourself and Impress a College Entrance Board

  Through their Professional Development Programs, SkillsUSA also teaches 84 workplace skill competencies in a series of hands-on self-paced lessons. SkillsUSA also promotes understanding of the free-enterprise system and involvement in community service. All of these facets of this organization can either help make you stand out in a college entrance application, or ready you for advanced learning courses in any technical school. If you have a bit of free time to learn each week, SkillsUSA chapters may be just the thing to boost opportunities for your future.