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By Todd A. Smith

What defines a successful man? Is it financial status and prestige? On the other hand, is it using your God-given talents to make a difference in the lives of others? For former professional football player and actor Dexter Clay, it is leaving the world a better place than he found it.

Many people dream of one day having their names in the bright lights, but few realize those dreams. Clay is one of the few individuals who experienced the pros and cons of both Hollywood and professional sports, before dedicating his life to inspiring others by writing motivational books such as KatyNation.

‘We often look toward those whom we have elevated to idol status for support, like professional athletes. In reality, the real power of a community is the community itself,’ Clay explains.

While playing softball, Clay received an invitation to attend the Houston Sports Writers luncheon by his coach Joe Spiegel. At the luncheon, Clay met Houston Oilers wide receiver coach King Hill who offered him a personal tryout. Impressed by Clay’s athletic ability, the Oilers offered him a two-year contract.

Unfortunately, one week before training camp Clay fractured his left index finger and had to compete for a roster spot at a clear disadvantage. Oilers coach Bum Phillips placed him on waivers and the New York Jets picked him up.

‘The next year I found myself two weeks before training camp with the New York Jets. I fell through a moon roof, breaking my wrist and big toe and bruising two ribs. The Sunday before the Denver (Broncos) game, the Turk came knocking on my door.’

Clay finished his professional career playing for the San Antonio Gunslingers of the USFL.

He next found himself in Hollywood living out of a pickup truck, while working at a Beverly Hills restaurant. Nine days after walking away from the restaurant job, he ended up on the set of ‘Star Trek the Next Generation,’ and received his first acting job.

Clay’s meteoric rise from homeless to Hollywood is perhaps what motivated him to become active in the homeless community.

‘While in Los Angeles, I was the Executive Director of the National Homeless Plan. There are over 300,000 homeless men, women, and children in and around the Los Angeles area. We once rallied to bring attention to our cause. Our only resistance was the city riot police,’ Clay explains.

The former actor and athlete recently left Los Angeles, and has been back in Houston for over a year working on the inspirational story of the Katy High School football program in his new book KatyNation. Katy, Tex. is a small community west of Houston.

Clay believes readers will see themselves in his latest book.

‘They will see the development and the history of a small town that has found a way to become a community of champions. KatyNation is the history of a once-small community, more than it is a look back at America,’ the author says.

Dexter Clay says he focused on the Katy football program because it gives a blueprint to other programs on how to be successful. He believes it gives others common denominators that they can follow to be successful on the football field, as well as in life.

Anticipation for Clay’s book has been so great that it has received interests from film companies hoping to take the story to the big screen. Clay’s management team is now reviewing contracts.

‘To have a movie production deal on the table, even before the book is released, is quite frankly unheard of. This is the opportunity that I find myself blessed with,’ says Clay.

And, unlike many who find themselves the recipient of countless blessings, Dexter Clay is determined to pass those blessings on to others. He is adamant about using his gifts to better the lives of others, especially those who are less fortunate.

Clay uses the power of words to inspire those around him, because he knows how it feels to succeed against all odds, and his mission in life is to see all succeed despite the obstacles.

About the Author: Todd Smith is the web master for

Regal Mag

The preeminent Online Magazine for African American Men

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By Susan G West

The rustic country styling of Europe’s villas have often invoke images of sun-washed vineyards, stone farmhouses, wrought iron curtain rods, wrought iron furniture and crumbling stone walls. Popularized in lush timeless regions such Tuscany, the Spanish coast and the South of France, the architecture and ambiance of these locals is still treasured and sought after, even in more contemporary homes. The Appeal lies in its simplicity. A combination of comfortable, worn and sturdy materials can make any room warm and inviting, a down to earth and stylish look that is as well suited in a country home as in an old chateaux.

Black wrought iron and rustic metals are perfect to set the tone in a rustic themed room. Rusted wrought iron furniture, light fixtures, and worn wooden accessories add depth and a casual ‘lived in’ feel. The Tuscan villa style is inspired by elements of nature, and it’s important to pull these elements into your home. Warm, richly colored country curtains; punctuated by bright black wrought iron curtain rods and window treatments, frame any window in a pastoral and inviting manner. Terra cotta or marble flooring add wonderful lines and vintage appeal that will compliment these wrought iron curtain rods and wrought iron decor. This hand crafted authentic look will fit beautifully in to your home. You’ll be surprised at how even small accents such as intricate wrought iron pieces and worn wood furniture can bring a touch of old world charm into your modern home.

At Wrought Iron Haven we have many customers asking about extra wide window treatments and how to go about designing for them. With today’s window treatments in the market place, it is quite difficult to find wrought iron curtain rods that are longer than 130 inches. No matter where you look, they just are not being made today. This poses a problem for those beautiful homes with a lot of window area. So why can you not find these extra long curtain rods? Discussing this in length with a manufacture, we have come to realize that after a certain length the wrought iron starts to bend, even with a support.

So what is one to do with a huge window area? We have devised a design that will work well with windows that require these extra long wrought iron curtain rods without having them look undesirable. With this design idea you can decorate a window treatment as wide as you need.

For bigger window treatments just use two rods or even three! A two rod, two finial combo will work fine. Because wrought iron curtain rods separate into two equal parts, you can mix and match them to create the combination. By using one ball finial curtain rod and one other decorative finial rod, like the leaf, you are able to interchange them so the two ball finials meet in the middle and the two more decorative finials are on the end. This way the break in the rod is hardly noticeable. But remember that you will need a center bracket for the middle of each of the two rods. This however does make it difficult to have only two curtains within the window treatment because the rings will catch on the center support bracket so you will be wise to have a curtain set that will fit in between the grooves.

About the Author: Our star writer Susan West is a Wrought Iron specialist when it comes to

wall hooks

and

wrought iron curtain rods

.

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By David Shoemaker I.

Strong HR managers work to influence organizational leaders and correctly align human resource strategies. They use diversity and inclusion to increase profits, develop a talent management culture, and engage employees. Leadership development training offers HR managers the opportunity to learn more about motivating and engaging employees. Each organization has its own unique practices that are essential to their success. However, most companies require HR employees to have a human resource management certificate.

HR managers take on the responsibility of developing and executing a strategy that is in line with organizational goals and that also matches the company’s goal to deliver tangible outcomes for an organization’s employees, customers, and shareholders. Such a strategy is based on transforming HR from a “business partner” to a “business leader,’ which requires in-depth knowledge of advanced and emerging HR topics. As a leader, an HR manager plays a significant role not only in developing human capital, but also in determining how those assets can contribute to the execution of organizational and business strategies. Obtaining a human resource management certificate allows the individual to develop the leadership competencies required make this transformation possible.

Leadership development training will help HR managers learn to focus on the drivers for transforming HR into a world-class function. Specifically, managers will understand how to influence strategy and organization, align HR strategy, and use diversity and inclusion to achieve bottom-line results. Managers strive to develop a work culture compiled of talented individuals, build strategies for employee engagement, and measure employee impact on business outcomes. Training courses explore each of these topics in depth, with a particular emphasis on the role of the HR leader. Courses focus on industry best practices, and involve short projects that focus on the application to trainee’s particular organizations.

Effective human resource leaders look beyond managing the HR function. Managers do not stop at building the talent pool of the organization; instead, they operate at the most senior levels and play a strategic role in the organization. It is their responsibility to take an active role in influencing the strategic planning process. Since they fully understand the goals and values of the organization, they ensure alignment while managing the process to ensure greater outcomes.

A human resource management certificate offers managers the opportunity to fully understand what goes into creating an organizational strategy for the company. HR managers are not there only to hire and fire employees; they are leaders in the company who are responsible for making sure that strategy is implemented and proper goals are achieved.

A human resource management certificate will add value to an organization’s HR manager. The skills learned during this training will increase proficiency in employment law, employee relations, selection and staffing, and performance management. Additionally, as a leader, HR managers will be able to take an active role in organizational strategy and performance follow up. Human Resources is an evolving and dynamic field that challenges the ability of even the most seasoned professionals. All managers can highly benefit from a combined effort by obtaining a human resource management certificate and completing leadership development training.

About the Author: David Shoemaker is Vice President of Learning Solutions and Innovation at eCornell. For more information on

human resource management certificate

,

leadership development training

, or eCornell, please visit http://www.eCornell.com

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Home Rehabilitation; Floor Sanding

by

Jasper Kirksen

Do you need your floor to have that fresh look? Are damages becoming noticeable on your floor? If that\’s the case, then you need to renovate your floor by means of the floor sanding method.

Floor sanding is among the numerous home improvement methods you may do to your floor. This process improves and provides your floor a fresh look, in addition to remedying all of the problems you may have on your floor (e.g. noticeable cracks and other damages, etc.). This also keeps your floor safe, as most worn-out or damaged floors have become loose and nails might have come out already, which might lead to injuries. By employing floor sanding techniques, you not just improve your floor s looks, but additionally protect your family, especially your kids.

If you want to use floor sanding services from a home remodeling company, you should take these things into consideration:

Always opt for the best home remodeling company. You may check this by evaluating their previous transactions from their clients. You may also visit their site and check out the testimonials they\’ve obtained from their previous customers. A good feedback, certainly, means that they\’re professionals in their area.

Check the services they offer. Remember that there different floor sanding methods for various kinds of floors. Make sure that they\’ve the right materials to use for your flooring type. Using the wrong materials may further damage your floor, bringing on more expenses (they will still require you to pay).

Get companies which offer cheap service fees. For these services, you\’ll want to save a lot, especially as this could be very costly. But, keep in mind that their home remodelling skills is a lot more crucial than a cheap service fee. Most companies do that in order for them to get more customers, but they usually do unprofessional services. Opt for cheap, yet expert, home renovation companies always.

Floor sanding is a simple job which could be easily done, especially if you have adequate experience in home renovations, etc. But if not done correctly, it can lead to permanent injury to your floor, which in turn means more expenses (as you\’ll have to employ a professional to fix these). If you are not confident enough with your home renovating skills, you need to contact a specialist floor sander to do these tasks. With expert floor sanders working on your home, you could be sure that your floor will look better than before!

Find out more visit us at

Gulvafslibning

.

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Norfolk Venue Finding Agency And Hotel Accommodation

by

Mandy Chagger

When planning a business function for your most important employees and clients, many considerations must come into play. Almost assuredly, business trip planners will be looking to do the best with a budget, provide a great time for all the people there, and make life as simple as possible for clients and employees alike. This is why many businesses choose to use a venue finding agency and hotel accommodation search service. This type of service can help turn an average conference or function into one of the best business trips of the year.

The best company planners know that a lot of things go into making a great trip or conference. For example, a venue finding agency and hotel accommodation service might decide that Norfolk venue is one of the best places to hold a conference because of its location. Location is one of the primary considerations when choosing your given venue for a business conference. It shouldn’t be too far from your business office, so you can effectively get your employees and clients to the function. There must be a delicate balance, however. The most experienced venue finding agency and hotel accommodation agency would know that it is important to get away a little bit in order to create a vacation-like feel for the event.

Location isn’t the only consideration worth taking into account, though. The most experienced planners might choose Hampshire venue, because there is much to do in this type of location. Though business conferences are primarily about business and getting work done, that isn’t going to consume 100% of the time that your clients and employees are there. When they get finished with work and meetings, they might want to take the time to play a round of golf or have a nice meal. Depending upon what type of business you have, there might be some people in the company that would like to check out the town’s nightlife. Having a good balance of things to do is important if you want to keep clients and employees happy during the conference.

Many companies will choose to use a venue finding agency and hotel accommodation expert, because they want to find the resort that offers the most comfort and convenience. A business meeting or conference is an important time for any corporation. There are undoubtedly some very important things to go over in meetings, so there must be ample meeting space for the entire employee and client base. Size isn’t the only thing to keep in mind, though. One must think about the staff and reputation of the hotel or resort. Are the people kind and do they take great care of business people while they’re in town? Do they enjoy making life easier for everyone in your business? These are questions to consider before choosing a resort to hold a conference.

A great conference is one that isn’t difficult to get to. This should also be considered when choosing the perfect location for a business conference. If it is at all possible, choose a location that is within driving distance of your company’s headquarters. This way, your people can get to the conference without a whole lot of cost, and they don’t have to worry about the headache of heading to the airport. This will also help improve the overall flow of the business conference, as people don’t have to worry about missed flights, delayed flights, or the inevitable lost bag of luggage. These things are extremely important to keep in mind if you plan on hosting a great conference.

There are many things that go into planning a business conference. It doesn’t matter if the business is huge or small; considerations have to be taken into account to make sure that each member of the business party has a fun and productive time. Since there are so many things to know and consider, most companies will consider using a venue finding agency and hotel accommodation expert. These people have been around the block and know everything there is to know about the various resorts throughout the area. They also know what to say to get the best rates available and make the conference a profitable one.

Price, location, outside entertainment, and comfort are all things to keep in mind before choosing a venue. There are lots of suitable business conference locations out there that have to be discovered. If your company’s needs are kept in mind when the planning is done, then everything will be good when the conference comes around. People will be ready to get a lot of work done, and when the work is done, they will have many options for things to do. If everyone is happy in a business, then more work gets done. The bottom line demands that a great conference be planned.

visit

jigsawconferences.co.uk

+ 44 (0)8700 490000 FREE call back serviceFree Hotel Accommodation Reservation Service UK & Worldwidevisit

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Pilates Lessons for Beginners

by

Samantha Dale

Pilates lessons for beginners provides an introduction to this form of exercise to those with little or no experience of Pilates. The use of Pilates can help with the development of core muscle stability, as well as the strengthening and lengthening of muscles. For sports people and dancers who are recovering from injury, Pilates is a popular choice as it provides the means to improve suppleness and tone up muscles, with less likelihood of causing the injury to flare up again.

About Pilates

Pilates is a form of exercise that was originally developed nearly one hundred years ago. With a focus on resistance exercise and the use of toning and limbering for rehabilitation, Pilates has a long connection with dancers and sports people who have a need to maintain physical fitness as much as possible if injured. The exercises in Pilates can also be a great form of exercise in their own right, as well as in treatment of injury. Resistance exercises are great for toning and improving suppleness in muscles without adding bulk. This is great for those wanting to improve their figure and it is for this reason that many dancers find Pilates such a useful exercise technique.

Pilates for beginners

Pilates for beginners starts with simple techniques, focussing on the development of core muscle strength and toning of abdominal muscles, legs, back and arm muscles. These foundation exercises allow the individual to improve posture and also form the basis for strengthening the body to advance to more difficult Pilates exercises at a later stage. In the early stages, the Pilates exercises will use simple tools such as bands and large sports balls to improve balance, core strength and posture. As you progress past the beginning stages, there are more advanced exercise techniques and a range of Pilates machines that may be used in a more complex and physically demanding level of Pilates exercise.

Benefits of Pilates

There are a range of benefits to doing Pilates and Pilates lessons for beginners will provide the individual with an exercise regime to follow alongside physiotherapy if recovering from an injury; or alternatively it provides an exercise routine that supplements weight loss through diet and physical activity. For sports people and performing artists, the use of Pilates helps to maintain core stability and tone and lengthen muscles through a range of Pilates movements and resistance exercises. With the supervision of a physiotherapist and other medical specialists, this activity can ensure that no further damage is done to an injury, but the rest of the body stays in peak physical condition to help the dancer or athlete return more quickly to work.

Pilates is a versatile form of exercises and Pilates lessons for beginners allow you a chance to get a taste of this fun and physically rewarding activity. A wide range of benefits include improved muscle tone, suppleness and better core body strength and stability. Pilates will help with weight loss and can also help to reduce the incidence of injury by improving the overall fitness and strength of the individual.

I recently began these

pilates lessons

just to get some time for myself. For me

group pilates classes

make it more fun and motivating to try hard.

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Do you love pizza? If you are an American, chances are you do, and that you consume it at least once a month. From takeout to dine-in to frozen varieties, this delicacy is the ultimate convenience food in our fast paced American society. Toppings range from traditional to quite unique and fit almost every taste and preference. But where did this tantalizing dish come from? The answer may surprise you, or it may not. While pizzas have not always been called by their current name, flat breads topped with sauces and cheese have been made and served for centuries. As far back as the Neolithic age, historians have found records of people adding toppings to flat breads. Many people consider pizza to be an Italian food, and this is not far off. Flat breads originate from the Mediterranean region, including Italy and Sicily, and these were the origins of today’s modern pies. In fact, in Northern Italy, Tuscan tribes once believed that this dish held the spirits of deceased relatives. Yes, today’s popular food was once a part of ancient religious ceremonies. Flat bread alone does not make pizzas. It was the addition of the tomato that made the predecessor of the modern dish. Tomatoes originated in the Americas, so it was not until after the discovery of the Americas that they could be added to these flat breads. However, at first Europeans believed that these fruits were poisonous, just as other fruits in the same area. It was not until some time between the 16th and 18th century that they were deemed safe to eat and added to the top of flat breads, bringing this dish to life. The dish was wildly popular almost as soon as it was created. Tourists started traveling to Naples, where the dish was originally created, to buy pizzas from open-air stands and bakeries. In 1738, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples opened, and pizza historians often cite this as the world’s first pizzeria. By the 1830s, pizzerias were popping up all over Italy. It still serves today from the same historic location. These early pizzas were flavored with oil, tallow, cheese, lard, tomatoes, and anchovies. Yes, the smelly little fish that are a joke among modern eaters were one of the original toppings. The originals were marinara and margherita. The marinara pizzas had tomato, oregano, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil as its toppings, lacking the cheese most people believe to be a fundamental ingredient to this popular dish. The margherita pizza had tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. Both varieties are still served throughout Naples. Pizza followed the Italian immigrants to the Americas in the late 19th century. It was introduced first in large cities where it was sold on the streets in predominately Italian neighborhoods. The first official pizzeria in America opened in Manhattan in 1905, and the rest, as they say, is culinary history. By the 1940s and the international breakthroughs that came after the second World War, it began to spread outside of Italian neighborhoods and onto the tables of the modern American family.

They are great for when you have to leave your puppy or dog home alone. We all know how awful it is to come home to your things destroyed by your dog. It is also good for a dog or puppy to be use to a crate because when they have to be taken to the veterinarian it will not scare them. If you ever plan to travel with your dog then he will need to be crate trained.

The first step in crate training your puppy is to find the right crate. You do not want to get a crate that is too big or too small. Try to buy a crate that your puppy can grow into. If you know what type of breed your puppy is you can usually get an idea of how big he will grow to be. Buy a crate that will fit him once he is grown. While he is a puppy you can simply partition the crate off into a smaller section for him.

The second step is to introduce your puppy to his crate. You do not want to throw him in there lock him up and leave for hours. This could scare him so badly that he will only see the crate as a bad thing. Let your puppy explore the crate on his terms for a while. Put some toys or treats in the crate so he will walk in on is own. Be sure that you have a comfortable bed in the crate for him to curl up on.

The next step is to feed every meal to your puppy in his crate. Leave the door open while you do this. Once he is comfortable with that you can move on to closing the door with your puppy in the crate. Feed your puppy a treat while he is in the crate with the door closed. The next step is putting your puppy in the crate for ten minutes and shutting the door. After ten minutes open the door and walk away.

He will soon realize that just because the door is shut does not mean he is stuck in there all day. The next step in crate training your puppy is to start leaving him in the crate for longer periods of time with the door shut. Leaving your puppy in the crate for different lengths of time will keep him from worrying about how long he has to be in the crate. You can even put him in the crate, shut the door, and immediately let him back out. When he gets put in the crate he will think that you might just be going to let him back out again so he will be more willing to go into his crate.

Be sure to take your time when working up to a longer length of time. If you move to quickly you can scare your puppy and the crate will only be seen as a bad thing by your puppy. The longest amount of time your puppy will spend in his crate will be at night. When you get ready for bed, move the crate next to your bed so that he can see you. He will whine and cry but do not let him out.

If you take him out of his crate when he whines or cries then you will never get him trained. You also want to praise your puppy and give him plenty of treats when he stays in his crate without barking or whining. This will take some time and effort on your part but eventually your puppy will go in his crate on his own.

You may want to associate a word with the crate so eventually you can tell him to go to his crate. You could use something like “in your crate” or “time for bed”, it does not matter what you use as long as you make sure to say it every time you put your puppy in the crate. Never punish your puppy for behaving badly in his crate. Simply ignore the behavior and he will stop it eventually. When he behaves well reward him instantly and he will soon realize that bad behavior does not work with you.

byAlma Abell

Good dental care and health should be a concern for each and every member of your family. From the youngest member to the oldest member, being connected with a Dental Office in Stratford CT is the foundation of excellent dental health. Consequently, it is important that the dental office you select be able to meet the needs of all of your family members as well. Understanding what key factors to look for can help you with the selection process.

Family Friendly

The first thing to consider is whether or not the office is family friendly. Since each member of your family will be visiting the office, it is important that each one of them feel comfortable. While adults are much easier to adjust, your children need to be comfortable with the settings as well. You’ll want to be on the lookout for a safe environment in which your children feel both comfortable and safe. Consider taking your children to the office before their first appointment to familiarize them with the settings and allow them to meet the care team.

Multiple Treatment and Service Options

Another thing to consider is the variety of services the dental office is able to provide you with. Without question, it is best to work with a dental provider who can provide you with everything from a general cleaning and assessment to more advanced services like new implant installation. The more services the provider is able to offer you, the fewer additional dentists you’ll have to worry about visiting, because everything is under one roof.

Emergency Care

It’s also important to consider the importance of emergency care. When you visit a Dental Office in Stratford CT that does not offer emergency care, you’ll be left to wait in pain until the office reopens for regular business. However, when you visit an office that does offer this type of care, you’ll be able to get access to the care you need anytime day or night. In the event of a true emergency, this type of access is invaluable.

It would give you a lot of peace of mind if somebody had to do the screening background checks on the people you choose to hire. This is not an activity that a person does only with the lower rung of employees in this firm. This is done with probably every person who wishes to join an organization. Whether he is someone higher up in the organizational hierarchy or is just a new doorman you wish to employ, it makes a lot of sense to go ahead and do some background checks on potential employees.

In the course of screening background checks, you get to have a good look at the records that are maintained by courts and police personnel. If you are in doubt, you could even gain access to the information that is maintained by the FBI or any other such federal agency that needs to keep a close watch on the comings and goings of people into and out of a state. Apart from this, it is also important to know all the details of a person when you are thinking of giving him or her, a loan to buy a house or set up a business. In the case of the latter, the screening background checks would give you a clear picture about the creditworthiness of the person. It could also tell you if in the recent past, the person has been prompt in paying up all bills. It could help you make a wise decision.

Very often when an employer opts for screening background checks to be done on people, he worries whether he has intruded into the privacy of the person. This is something that has been hotly debated in many forums. People in support of protecting their privacy feel that these background checks should be done only when there is a doubt in the minds of the employers, regarding the past of a person who applies for a job. The contention of employers is: how do they get to know that a person could possible have a questionable past, unless they do a background check. This is dangerous ground that one has to tread on; tact and a respect for the privacy of an individual might be the right combination.

While doing screening background checks on people, it is very important for the agency that is doing the job to maintain absolute confidentiality. If the person feels at any time, that his personal life is being torn apart and is fast becoming public, then, he has every right to object to this kind of vetting process. Screening does not necessarily have to be thought of as a negative thing; it could also give a person an insight into the plus points of the individual who he is planning to employ. References and recommendations can probably be part of the report that is got during a vetting process.