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Using a Dog Life Jacket

Posted on June 10, 2009

After going on the fishing trip this weekend, I learned on thing: dogs need lifejackets too.  In fact, I almost took things for granted when it came to that, but my buddy brought a dog life jacket for Billy (my dog) and we put it on him.

He didn’t like it at first, but after a little mishap (where we submerged the canoe), it ended up being a good choice.  It took us nearly twenty minutes to get the canoe righted again and I don’t think my dog would have survived if he had to swim that long (since he is a little fat).

Take a look at this video to see how they work:

I would have to say that it is definitely a good idea for any dog owner who takes their dog out on the water – even though they may be good swimmers, it would be very sad to lose a friend.

You can find a selection of dog life jackets below:

Kyjen Pet Saver Life Jacket for Large Dogs Kyjen Pet Saver Life Jacket for Large Dogs
Sale Price: $18.99
Average Rating:

The Kyjen Pet Saver Life Jacket for Dogs is a high performance dog flotation device for boating, water sport adventures and other outdoor activities with dogs. Provides flotation and ultimate buoyancy with bright orange color for easy visibility...

East Side Collection Pink Floral Fashion Life Jacket Preserver Pet Water Safety Dog Vest X-Large East Side Collection Pink Floral Fashion Life Jacket Preserver Pet Water Safety Dog Vest X-Large
Sale Price: $27.99

Keep Pets Looking Good While Keeping Safe on the Water! The stylish way to keep pets safe around the water. Fun floral prints and bright colors look great and improve pet visibility. Safety features include two layers of floatation material, reflective stripes and trim, and two quick-grab handles for easy water rescues...

ASPCA Canine Dog Safety Preserver for Large Dogs w/Reflective Strip ASPCA Canine Dog Safety Preserver for Large Dogs w/Reflective Strip
Sale Price: $15.99

Keep your dog safe in and around water. The canine safety preserver's design allows for a flexible comfortable fit. Quickly and easily adjust the size around the neck and waist and you're done. Made of buoyant, durable nylon, the preserver's reflective strips are visible up to 600 ft...

Outward Hound Designer II Life Jacket, Large, Assorted Colors Outward Hound Designer II Life Jacket, Large, Assorted Colors
Sale Price: $22.60
Average Rating:

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Paws Aboard L Yellow Dog Life Jackets 50-90 LB Paws Aboard L Yellow Dog Life Jackets 50-90 LB
Sale Price: $15.99

Constructed to provide buoyancy, along with a cozy secure fit, the Paws Aboard Doggy Life Jackets features an advanced breathable mesh underbelly for proper draining and drying, which provides your dog more comfort and healthier conditions than traditional pet life jackets made with neoprene, which can cause heat exhaustion and chafing.

Flotation Jacket Medium Orange Flotation Jacket Medium Orange
Sale Price: $35.49

Our floatation jacket has an attachable chin float. Human floatation jackets keep your nose out of water, so why wouldn't one for canines? This feature is so revolutionary that we have a patent pending on it: Features: Variable thickness buoyancy cells...

Taking an Early Canoe Trip

Posted on June 4, 2009

I know that it hasn’t been long since the snow was on the river, but I think that it is time for the first canoeing trip of the season.  I love to spend time on the water, just me, nature and my paddle, and it gives me some good time to take a break from my hectic life.

So a good friend of mine and I will be going out canoeing this weekend for a short 100km trip down the river.  We are taking 3 days (which is way too long for the trip), so we should have some time to get some fishing in.

It will be nice to finally have some time away from the computer – seems I have been spending more time on it than doing what I truly love.

So, I’ll try to post after I get back, but I might just take a break from the computer and the blog for a bit – I deserve that much, right?

Taking Mother Out for Her Birthday

Posted on May 11, 2009

Well, today is the 31st anniversary of my mother turning 29.  Yes, my mother is one of those people that has chosen not to age past the magic age of 29, so we humor her.

One of my biggest frustrations with buying her a present is that she has everything that she needs, which means that it is really hard to get her something as a gift.  Three years ago, I decided that I would take her out for lunch on her birthday instead of getting her a present – that way we can spend time alone (well, with her and dad).

She certainly loves just having some one on one time with me since we used to spend a lot of time together before I moved out of her home.  Anyway, I should run – I don’t want to be late.

Using Income Tax Software for the First Time

Posted on April 25, 2009

After many years of paying an accountant a pile of money to do my taxes, I have taken it upon myself to do things myself.  Now, I don’t want to have to wade through a pile of books and write the thing out by hand, so I am trying my hand with tax preparation software.

It seems like there are plenty of offerings over at Amazon, and I picked up a copy of TurboTax for myself.  If you are in need of some tax software this year (or in the future if you are reading this next year), then feel free to pick from the offerings below – they are well worth the price.

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]
Sale Price: $25.00
Average Rating:

H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Deluxe searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund...

TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State 2009 + efile TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State 2009 + efile
Sale Price: $41.40
Average Rating:

If you own a home, made donations or have medical expenses, TurboTax Deluxe will easily get you every tax deduction you deserve. Get Your Refund Fast: Efile Your 2009 Taxes with TurboTaxHere's how efile works: Start your return and efile with TurboTax today...

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download]
Sale Price: $23.75
Average Rating:

H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Deluxe searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund...

H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]
Sale Price: $39.49
Average Rating:

H&R Block At Home Premium includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes...

TurboTax Premier Federal + State 2009 + efile TurboTax Premier Federal + State 2009 + efile
Sale Price: $60.00
Average Rating:

If you own stocks, bonds, mutual funds or rental properties, TurboTax Premier makes it easy to keep more money in your pocket. Get Your Refund Fast: Efile Your 2009 Taxes with TurboTaxHere's how efile works: Start your return and efile with TurboTax today...

H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]
Sale Price: $17.02
Average Rating:

H&R Block At Home Deluxe includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. With a new, easy-to-use interface, H&R Block At Home Deluxe searches for hundreds of deductions to get customers the biggest refund...

TurboTax Home & Business Federal + State 2009 + efile TurboTax Home & Business Federal + State 2009 + efile
Sale Price: $65.89
Average Rating:

If you're a sole proprietor, consultant, contractor or single-owner LLC, TurboTax Home & Business will get you the biggest tax savings. Get Your Refund Fast: Efile Your 2009 Taxes with TurboTaxHere's how efile works: Start your return and efile with TurboTax today...

H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download] H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] [Download]
Sale Price: $37.99
Average Rating:

H&R Block At Home Premium includes everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Everything you need to easily complete your federal and state taxes...

H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium & Business Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium & Business Federal + State + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]
Sale Price: $59.99
Average Rating:

H&R Block At Home Premium & Business is two complete, easy-to-use programs in one and includes everything you need to complete your personal and business federal and state taxes, plus five free personal federal e-files...

H&R Block At Home 2009 Basic Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut] H&R Block At Home 2009 Basic Federal + eFile [Formerly TaxCut]
Sale Price: $12.02
Average Rating:

H&R Block At Home Basic includes everything you need to easily complete your federal taxes, plus five free federal e-files. Ideal for simple tax situations and easy for first-time users, H&R Block At Home Basic guides customers through their return with a step-by-step Q&A in a new, easy-to-use interface...

Easy Way to Test if your Website is Down

Posted on April 20, 2009

Over the past week or so, my sites have gone down unexpectedly, and I had no idea that they weren’t working.  If you are counting on your websites to deliver some sort of income, missing a day or two can be costly.

Thankfully, there is some software that you can use to keep tabs on yours sites and get notified if there is a problem.  I just learned about it after reading a helpful hubpage about some free website uptime monitoring software.  I love the free part, and truth be told the software works pretty good.

Another idea for you is that you can see if it is a problem with your site or your Internet connection by using a free proxy site to test your site from another IP address.  If it works, then the problem is on your end, if not, chances are there is a problem with your hosting.

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