It's Been A While

Hey There!

So, I started this blog almost three years ago and I never really dedicated any time to it in those three years to writing any posts. I guess what they say is true about there being a time and place for everything. I was never really dedicated to growing this blog but now is the time to get this show started!

When I first started this blog I had no real direction for what I wanted to write about, but as time has gone by I have come into my own and now am ready to write. This blog will be my muse. I am going to write about anything and everything I am passionate about or have an opinion on. Since most blog writing is the author's opinion anyways, I want to be honest upfront and say that I won't always have facts to back up what I say. I just want to get my voice out of my head and in writing. So enjoy!

Nick

The importance of walking your dog...

Taking your dog(s) on a walk is one of the most important activities you can do. Even the smallest dog needs to be taken on at least one walk a day for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Walking has so many benefits to you and your dogs. A dog instinctually needs to feel like they belong to a pack. Dogs are also natural followers so asserting your position as the pack leader is crucial to you and your dogs well-being and the walk is the best way to do this. What a walk does is it provides exercise, discipline, and affection for both you and your dog. These three benefits are the recipe to a mentally stable and healthy dog. Exercise must come before discipline or affection if you want your dog to listen and respect you as the pack leader. You can't expect your dog to behave if you are not finding some way to release the pent-up energy inside them.

You cannot just simply throw a leash on your dog and hit the pavement running. You must "walk" your dog correctly. NEVER use a flexi-leash to walk your dog, especially a big dog. The flexi-leash is the one that can extend out 20 ft. Although you may think letting your dog have "room" to explore is nice, when you use a flexi-leash you lose all control of your dog and you put yourself and others around you in danger. The dog is in control with a flexi-leash and will not listen to you. Even if you think you have the most trained and well-behaved dog in the world, you still need to maintain control. Speaking of control, I don't care how awesome your dog is, NEVER walk them off-leash. One of my biggest frustrations when I take my dog on a walk is encountering someone else walking their dog with no leash. I have no idea how that dog will respond to the presence of my dog and you have no way of controlling your dog if they are not on a leash. The most beneficial way you can walk your dog is to have a strong, short leash that you can grip firmly if needed.

The dog must never walk in front of you while you are walking, this includes when you first leave and walk out the door. You are giving the dog control as the leader if you let them walk in front of you. When you leave your house you must always walk out your front door before your dog. The dog should walk directly to your side or slightly behind you. As you walk remember to always stay relaxed because the dog can feel any tension through the leash and will react negatively. If a correction is to be made swiftly jerk the dogs leash to the side then immediately relax. You can employ the help of a pinch collar but only as a means for training and never use a choker chain, especially on a pit-bull. If necessary, take your dog on short distance walks at first to practice these steps then slowly increase the distance as time goes on. Soon you will begin to notice your dog behaving better overall and you can focus on other behavior issues once you have mastered "the walk".

Twouble with Twitters

I came across this video on YouTube today...best explination of what Twitter is all about!!

Tweet

I am addicted to one word these days: "Tweet". No I am not talking about some new facination with little birds. I am refering to Twitter.com. Miniblogging is what they call it I guess but I am hooked regargless. Go get yourself a Twitter account and see for yourself what makes tweeting so addicting. Once you do, search for nickstud and follow me. Its boredom at its best!

WTF?

So I know everyone post blogs about celebrities....I don't care. Here is another one :) What is wrong with Hollywood these days? Not only that, but what is wrong with society and their obsession for Hollywood? 2007 was a great year for the crazies so lets talk about them!! I don't really have to name any names because we all know who did what last year. All I can say is: Who cares? Not me and neither should you. I know we are all drawn to these peoples lives because they are broadcast for us to see everywhere or because we idolize their lifestyles and wealth. They are just people!!! Actors are just servers who couldn't serve. Seriously take a real close look at these peoples lives and you will realize that there is nothing special about them. Why should celebrities be any different then the rest of us? Because they entertain us? The majority of them don't even have college educations so how could we take their opinions on politics, religion, and life seriously? Everyday somebody is busting their ass out there trying to better themselves by getting an education, or working non-stop to find a cure for cancer, or pulling 12 hour days so we can have food on our tables. When did celebrities become above the law too? What, we don't want to see them go to jail because then they wont be able to entertain us? Get real. Every young dumb rich girl that gets away with driving while on drugs or drunk or, shoplifting only gains from the media coverage and somehow becomes more popular and likeable. ???? Does that make any sense? No!! If these were regular people, they would be punished to the full extent of the law and all the mothers and daughters of where they live will agree that they got what they deserve. Poor Britney, poor Lindsay...boohoo. My life is so hard because I have to give up my privacy in exchange for millions of dollars :( Now that is not to say that all celebrities are like that. There are a majority that do work hard and deserve the recognition because they are doing what they love and doing it well. Too much focus is placed on a celebrities life and it is time we as a society start recognizing the celebrities in our homes and in our lives day to day and stop obsessing over this Hollywood circus.

Cell phone frustration...

Okay so this is my first post on here and I wanted to use it to share my thoughts on the cell phone industry and hopefully give some insight into the usually confusing world of the cell phone. So I have been a Verizon wireless customer for a while now and for the most part they are great. As with every cell phone company though, they are a money driven industry with little care for their customer.

Let me start off with my first cell phone company, Pac Bell Wireless, which went to Cingular Wireless and now is AT&T Wireless lol. Back then cell phones were simple, fun, inexpensive, and basic. My first phone was a Nokia, which most people had, that was customizable and easy to use. The cell phone industry was fairly new and still growing so lacking service coverage was to be expected, but the plans were similar to what they are today only you got more minutes for your money.

Well I decided to go from Cingular to Sprint due to the fact that Cingular was an all digital company and did not offer phones that could roam, hence their clever "No roaming charges" marketing scheme. So once with Sprint I was pleased for the most part with their plans, phones, and coverage. Then the problems started arising... Well as it turned out, Sprint was great overall until you had a problem. Try calling Sprint's customer service and getting somebody that actually spoke English as their first language. Nearly impossible! Then their was the hour long wait times. I don't think I ever was on the phone with Sprint's customer service without having to be on hold for 20min at least! Anyways I finally just got tired of Sprint's awful lack of attention to helping their customers. Which lead me to where I am today, with Verizon Wireless.

So let me speak to the pros of Verizon Wireless first then I will go over the cons of them and all cell phone companies in general. Verizon Wireless has been great so far. They have a wide selection of some of the best phones out there and their service coverage area is, in my opinion, the best out of any wireless company. Now that's not to say they don't take advantage of that (they do). I recently upgraded my phone from the razr to the new LG Voyager and I am loving it (way better than the iPhone) but in regards to that let me talk about the cons. First, upgrading your phone is the biggest pain in the ass! Having to wait two years from when you get your phone before you can upgrade to a new one at a discounted price is ridiculous. This isn't a big deal for most people who just have a cell phone and only care if it works, but for the rest who like having the newest in wireless technology, it can be frustrating. It is frustrating because you have to wait two years to get a new phone, but a new phone comes out every 3 months! Not to mention, a typical cell phone only lasts a year these days. What do you do if you have to get a new phone? Well you have a couple options: you can make sure you have insurance on your phone and when your old one craps out, pay $50 for a refurbished one (lame), or you can pay full retail for a new phone (marked up 300% at least). Either way, they don't make it easy unless you wait that 2 years. For the most part, that is really the biggest problem you will see with any cell phone company. A lot of people complain about the cancellation fees if you cancel your account, say to go to another company, but in reality when you think about it, paying $200 is usually cheaper than waiting until your contract end date and having to pay your monthly fees until that date.

No cell phone company is perfect because they are businesses and are in it to line their pocketbooks. You have to chose one that fits your lifestyle and go through a trial and error process to find the right one. I know there are a lot of "unlimited" wireless companies out their also, which may sound good, but for now the coverage areas of those companies are seriously lacking. So do your research and chose the company that best fits you, because in the end they all have the same problems.

Welcome!

Hey all and welcome to my blog. I will be updating this blog on a regular basis with my thoughts and opinions on various topics. Look for new posts to come in the near future!!