Alcoholism, the abuse of alcohol, has been a problem in our country for centuries.  However, with the current slump in our economy, it seems the number of the abusers is going up again.  It’s no secret with the rising unemployment rates and the somewhat bleak near future, that many people are turning to the bottle.  In fact that seems to be the only market that is experiencing an increase in sales; although we have to consider at what cost.

With so many Americans out of work, alcoholism puts a financial strain on both the country and the individual. There are many families and individuals that do not currently have private insurance .  When someone drinks too much and blacks out or suffers from alcohol poisoning and they don’t have insurance, the state has to pay.  There are also increased health costs for infants born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Not to mention the long term health effects of consist alcohol consumption including liver disease, brain damage, and even some types of cancer.  While addiction treatment centers are available, they are often very costly and put more financial strain on the family.  There are other more cost effective methods of addiction treatment, such as 12 Step programs and Alcoholics Anonymous; however, if dual diagnosis treatment is required there are not too many ways to avoid the cost.  The best method is to avoid the bottle.

Alcohol abuse also puts great pressure on the justice system by increasing crime rates.  When people drink there are more cases of domestic violence, as well as homicide and suicide.  Despite education and harsher DUI laws, drunk driving is still one of the number one killers in America.  Also of this combined requires more officers on the street, an increased cost for cities that are already financially strapped.

Perhaps if more people considered the potential health and financial risks to themselves and their families, as well as to the community and country they call home, our situation wouldn’t look so bleak.

The initial business African Americans engaged in before the Civil War usually involved a tie to their experiences as slaves.  Thusly, personal assistances and trade in crafts were usually the types of business that former slaves who had bought their freedom went into.  Because educational opportunities for African Americans were severely lacking in those days, their business training was nil, and often their jobs were very similar to those held as former slaves.   Research demonstrates how back then it was extremely difficult for African Americans to receive any kind of credit in order to start up a business.   More formal types of business opportunities, such as bookkeeping work, required higher education, which African Americans had no access to due to pervading negative ideologies maintained about them.

Yet in the 1850s this was not always the rule.  About twenty African Americans owned traditional businesses by this time.  Though a seemingly wretched number by standards today, it was quite a figure in those days.  These business owners were also  worth quite a bit of capital—around a hundred grand, with Stephen Smith the most successful of the bunch.  He has many operations and investments in his portfolio, including coal shipment, real estate ventures, lumberyards, and a bank too.

The Gold Rush of 1849 brought even greater accomplishments from the African American community.  It was quite the era for entrepreneurs.  Because of the demand for supplies and materials various kinds and because of the lacking supplies and materials, it was an immense prospect for African Americans to make their claim too.  In aiming at the larger white demographic, African Americans were able to flourish in many areas notoriously difficult to even maintain a subsistent lifestyle.  Their ways of doing business could be prime modules for modern sales training.  However, when the ration between supply and demand balanced out, African American again in history had difficulty procuring a part in business.

Hot tub shells are made out of different materials and knowing what material works best with what style and design of hot tub or spa is important in making a purchasing decision. Choosehottubsdirect.com knows this and other essential considerations in deciding on a hot tub and their various features and considers customer assistance an essential aspect of the purchase. Wood, fiberglass, ceramics and plastic are common components in the construction of home spas and tubs. A surrounding deck can be composed of the same or alternative materials, depending on its size and structural needs.

Fiberglass is an extremely well known though slightly understood material. One of its more famous applications is in the design of the body of a corvette. However it is actually used in many ways and for various purposes. It is composed of extremely fine glass fibers and its primary purpose is generally one of reinforcement. Today carbon fiber is often used in fiberglass construction. Glass reinforced plastic is one of the manifestations of fiberglass and amounts to a type of plastic that is reinforced with glass fibers.

Ceramic is an interesting non-organic material that is prepared through an alternating heat and cool process. It has been used in various art forms for centuries and today is used in the construction of many utilitarian items. One hot tub related use of ceramics is in the Japanese Soaking Tubs. These tubs are hand made ceramic works of art that are also functional. They would be the perfect accompaniment to a Japanese tea garden, which is a backyard feature that continually grows in popularity in the United States and other Western countries. Japanese tea gardens are also popular public parks and city landmark areas. The tea garden in San Francisco is just one of its beautiful and attractive features. Public hot tubs are also a popular feature of this great city, and others.

One of the growing trends in hot tubs is what is commonly known as a swim spa. These unique hot tub designs provide not only the standard benefits of a hot tub but also the exercises and health benefits of a pool. Choosehottubsdirect.com is one of the leading providers of these state of the art home facilities. They are popular with families who have children involved in various sports activities at school. They are also a great way for growing teenagers to work off excessive energy.

One of the greatest features of these new hot tub spas is that they actually create various strength water currents that you can swim against for maximum cardio vascular work out and muscle development. Swimming has long been regarded as one of the greatest things you can do for your overall fitness and health, and to be able to achieve this in conjunction with your hot tub creates a double bonus. Also, the swim spa requires much less space than a standard yard pool, particularly one that is intended to be used for swimming laps. It is becoming increasingly popular for individuals and families to install a swim spa instead of a standard or designer swimming pool.

The hot tub section of the swim spa provides the best possible relaxation after a vigorous swim workout. The therapeutic quality of the hot tub, which often includes a surround sound stereo, is a great compliment and comfort to a tired body and mind, and it is not necessary to complete a workout before enjoying the calm of the tub, though that is a common sequence of experiences. Also, other people can enjoy a nice relaxing sit in the tub while someone else is swimming in the currents on the other side. They can also be used as part of an overall training system and are great for stretching and endurance workouts. Strength training is also a popular workout system with these spa packages.

We asked the best way to get to Singapore from Jakarta, and it turns out they are only ninety minutes by air, or as the crow flies, but we we not riding crows, instead one of excellent jet liners widely available these days. Since we had heard Jakarta is all about the shopping and the food, we were keen to get there and start. We had yet to make a reservation at one the Jakarta hotels and looked forward to doing so when a fellow from the area of Jakarta asked if he could offer some assistance. We told him we were all about the food and shopping blah blah blah and this Mr. Kumas wore a slightly faded blue ruffled shirt and greased back hair and had an unlit Camel cigarette between his teeth. “Best place for you,” he said slowly and with some significance, “is to try the market on Surabaya Street You have heard?” We had not heard, and we had to leave for the airport toot sweet, so we of course invited him for a pre bon voyage drinky-poo so we could pump him for info. Turns out a quick wi-fi scan of Surabaya Street reveals a half mile long lane of crowded overstuffed sellers selling stuff like you wouldn’t believe, from jade green Buddhas to humidors to whatever may have washed ashore that day. “Ah, very good,” said Mr. Kumas (is that an Indonesian name?) as I handed him the little screen on my Internet device. He nodded at the little scene and said we should go there and see and, more importantly, buy, buy, buy. We had just about finished out julep like minty drinks when it was time to part ways with our Mr. Kumas, who shook our hands warmly and gave us the name of a restaurant we should try when we got to Jakarta. Armed with this knowledge and slightly buzzed to boot, I was ready to hit the skies and get busy.

The first two days of our holiday was spent  doing absolutely nothing. That was heaven for us. The weather was beautiful, sunshine, blue skies and a couple of days chillaxing by the pool.  It was my 39th birthday, so my husband had room service make me a special birthday cake, my favorite: double chocolate with chocolate butter icing and raspberry filling. He also had them prepare a marvellous meal, with all my favorite dishes: mushroom and chicken risotta, ensalda caprese and all washed down with a bottle of champagne, which he brought from home (quite a feat that). Those two days, all we did was eat, drink, relax, read and down some Chianti, Italian beers as we lounged any where that would let us lounge.

Making a reservation at one the top hotels Florence Italy, in my opinion, is the best way to enjoy your time in Italy. Our friends always rent a villa, but then you have to do your own cooking, cleaning and other things that stop one from just lounging and interchanging lazy days by the pool with day trips or go sightseeing in the nearby villages and towns. For me hotels or the best way to go.

We planned our trip to Florence via the Internet. There are so many sites to choose from, it can seem overwhelming, but we just stuck with the sites listing on the first page and figured we couldn’t go wrong. We were right. It doesn’t take long to get from Florence airport to a hotel. The instructions which our care hire place gave were excellent and it took us about a little over an hour, because we included a stop to sight see here and there and refresh ourselves with a beer.  Our hotel was gorgeous, it was set in a valley and it was surrounded by greenery and the pool had a sundeck. The rooms inside were modern with a separate bedroom area and a balcony which over looked the country side.

After our lazy two day, we continue to do the regular tourist stuff and we had such a lovely time, I wish we had more time here.

There are so many great things to do and see when visiting Perth, Australia it can be very difficult to make up your mind. Of course there are visitors centers and agencies that exist for this very purpose, though many tourists staying in one of the Perth boutique hotels prefer to design their own itinerary and also to leave it open for potential new experiences. One attraction that remains consistently popular with tourists and residents alike is the Perth Zoo.

The Perth Zoo is a major facility of research and conservation as well as education. This is of course on top of the intended visitor fascination tours and school programs it has developed. The intent of the zoo experience is to bring greater awareness of these animals as well as respect and appreciation for them. Sometimes a face to face encounter plays a major role in establishing empathy and respect for a species and the zoo is well aware of this. To encourage the connection between human and non human, the zoo does everything in its power to make the experience a positive one. This includes every aspect of the zoo, right down to the tour design itself.

One of the more prominent current projects is the Sumatran Orangutan Open Sanctuary. This ground breaking project was intended to establish an open sanctuary at Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Sumatra and as of February of this year, it has reached its goal. In that month the sanctuary received its first residents. The aim of the project was to provide care and a safe rain forest living environment for orangutans that had been abandoned as pets and for those who had become orphaned at a young age and do not possess the proper life skills for existence in an unprotected environment. The ultimate goal is to care for and nurture the animals and eventually release them back into the park. If this is not possible, then hopefully their offspring will be able to released into it.

What is good customer service?   Is it offering price-slashing sales, or promotions or bargains?  Sometimes, but it is so much more.  For sales and good deals may get people in the door for the first time, it does not necessarily mean that they will be back.  Businesses rely on repeat customers, and in order to have that happen, those customers must return time and again, even when there are no promotions currently being offered.

There is a tiny restaurant in the Chicago neighborhood of Lincoln Park, called Via Carducci.  This restaurant has customers that come in a couple times during the week.  One customer comes in while doing business in Chicago.  He lives in San Francisco now, and when he’s in town, he stops in for a meal, and then takes a platter of pasta which he freezes and takes back to California with him.  He must, for just as he loves the pasta so his wife does as well, and if he shows up without it back home, his wife becomes terribly upset.

That is the result of the great product and the great customer service that the restaurant’s owner and his staff have provided for people for the last fifteen years.  This is a concept that Steve Barbarich  is very well aware of.  Having had the experience himself, of being treated poorly by a customer service representative, he decided to form his own business that specialized not only the products that they manufactured, but in the utmost of standards when it comes to how to treat those who come to him with their concerns and with their accolades.

For the repeat customers are more than just the financial gains that keeps the business running, they show, or are a testament to the integrity of the staff, and to company itself, as providing not only the most quality merchandise but that they serve in the most honorable way, their customers.  Repeat business is more a kin to just trustworthiness, and in this day and age, bad businesses will crash fast.  People are watching where they spend their money, and to be in business and to stay in business, quality customer service is vital and necessary.

There is so much conversation about the use of social networking in business today. Advertising models going from pus to pull going from tell to let me hear. The changing face of this landscape is fascinating to observe. Networking sites are introduced and  over night they seem to be house hold names. Well no it doesn’t really happen over night, but the time in the fringes when the company is virtually unheard of it seems like over night everyone is talking about it and it is all over the media. One such site I can think of is Facebook where the explosion of college students using the site for networking growing from hundreds, to thousands to tens of thousands of college students. This popularity has continued to grow with celebrities, artists, buyers sellers and managers have taken up to establishing a Facebook page. This diversity has grown to encompass companies like Transglobal Property Management setting up fan pages. Many other social networking sites and blogging sites exist as well in the arena. One such site is for photo sharing Flickr showing pics from Transglobal Property Management pictures of vacations, family shots, artists paintings, jewelry that was hand created, pictures of company picnics, gorgeous professional work and so much more. The saying a picture speaks a thousand words lives among the sites such as these. It is an interesting world of on line communities where straight of social networking is building relationships across borders, getting first hand information and referrals for business and traveling decisions as opposed to relying on advertisements alone. The ability to reach a large audience with out gaining the approval of a gate keeper of the information. People are able to share their expertise and knowledge, thoughts and ideas freely instantly and across borders.

We flew into Denpasar airport very late in the evening and managed to catch a taxi to Kuta. It was pretty dark when we found accommodations at a hotel in Bali Indonesia, luckily they had a room available, because it’s high tourist season in Bali. We didn’t make reservations, we’ve grown complacent through all our travels where we thought we could just show up and there would always be a room available at a decent price, but Bali was really in full season. So, we were quite lucky indeed.

Right away we went to check out Kuta. It’s awash with surf shops and bars. We headed down to the beach and even in the dark, we could easily see the size of the crashing waves. It was too late to catch a proper meal, so we ended up sharing some nachos! I ordered the Indonesian beer, Bintang. It was pretty good.

In the morning, we had breakfast and headed to the beach. It was this huge expanse of sand and we noticed the sea was too rough to do anything unless we didn’t mind being beaten by the waves. We did enjoy watching all the surfers trying to ride the beastly waves as we leisurely sunbathed. We took a break from sunbathing to get some lunch at what the locals call a warung, then we headed back down to the beach. It was odd that rather than the beach crowd thinning out as it got dark, the beach was becoming all abuzz with a nightlife. We decided after we watched the sunset to get some dinner. We found a lovely open air restaurant located around this water garden. The chef was Balinese and the cuisine was delicious and better than anything we’ve eaten during our stay here. We went back down to the beach and walked around checking out different bonfire parties. Only after we noticed the crowd on the beach was thinning did we realize it was 4am!
We headed back to our hotel room and watched the Bali sunrise from our balcony.

Driving through the deserts of Arizona I am taking a day to myself to see a friend that lives in a small mountain town called Yarnell. It is actually a ’settlement’ as the area is unincorporated, meaning there is no local government. The first level of government over the are is the county. Yarnell sits at the top of Yarnell Hill, as it is called. The hill is climbed by driving up a 5 mile 6 to 7 percent grade. At the top of the hill your at 5000 feet above sea level, the air is cooler here than on the desert floor some 3000 feet below. I try and get out of town for relaxation on a regular basis, thinking it will clear my mind. I suppose it does, what generally happens is I began to remember things I need to do that have been put aside due to being so busy. Like just now I remembered I had not booked my accommodation for a trip I will be taking next month. Making a quick note I write it in the list of the things I will do once i return home. Breaking over the crest of this hill I come into the sleepy little settlement first settled by those of European decent in the very early 1800’s. Yarnell probably has a population of several 100 and not a whole lot more. There is no home mail delivery, you have to go to the post office to get your mail. There is no grocery store, a small general store instead. The closest places for shopping in large grocery stores is some 30 mile drive away. My friends place in Yarnell is a great place to get away. Quiet and serene his house sits in a knoll where wifi and cell service are challenged at best forcing me to unplug and take time away from business.

The best French Fries I’ve ever eaten and the best shoe shine I’ve ever had was Hong Kong.  The fries I ate was at a place called New York Fries located in Harbour City, which is an upscale mall in Tsim Sha Tsui. I’m not sure why they named the place New York, but I do understand why they followed it up with Fries. The potatoes were freshely cut and fried in olive oil and sunflower oil. Before I left and checked out many other Honk Kong restaurants, I just had to go back there and order some more fries. The fries were so fresh and believe it or not, healthy tasting. I’ll let you know to don’t expect to find a seat, because there are only 5 small tables in the store. But, there is an outdoor balcony next door with tables and chairs if you don’t mind eating outside. Actually, I recommend it, because while I was enjoying my second helping of fries, I got to watch a nice view of the harbour. They do sell hot dog, but really, skip the dogs and go straight for the fries.

Now, as for my best shoeshine, I couldn’t help but sit in a impromptu makeshift shoe-shining chair and watch a man in his 70’s shine my shoes. I’ve heard that the shoe-shiners are doing this without a license for years and lately, the government has been pressured to legalize the trade because they have become an integral part of Hong Kong’s landscape, but what I’ve noticed is they do a find job with one of the best shines I’ve ever had. So, legal or not, I recommend getting your shoes shined at least once while you’re in Hong Kong.

I have to tell you, leaving Hong Kong, I was very satisfied, my stomach and my feet were very happy.

Singapore is known for many things, such as the fact it is made up of 63 islands. The seasons here vary little throughout the year. It has your typical tropical rainforest climate with daily temperatures quite warm and very humid. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is one of the prominent rainforests. Singapore’s economy is based on several things, such as tourism, which draws millions of visitors each year, bringing millions of dollars into the economy. Many tourists coming for the Singapore Food Festival. And there is manufacturing, especially electronics. As one of the busiest ports in the world, the export business flourishes and is a major factor in the economy. It is also one of the top foreign exchange and financial trade centers in the world. With the many, many national corporations located here, it is also ranked one of the highest for employing blue-collar workers throughout the world.

Along with the economic influences of the large tourism, manufacturing and export businesses are the banks. A private bank of Singapore will offer the highest in excellence when it comes to personal and financial service. The standards of operation in which these banks adhere to cannot be challenged. Over the years, these services have been fine tuned with the exceptional financial knowledge to maintain the accounts of even the wealthiest of the wealthy. Wealth Management Institutions, known as private banks, have highly trained staff with exceptional skills and knowledge in both customer interaction and the financial intricacies. Private banks are becoming more and more a financial force to be reckoned with. Among the many services offered, you will be professionally assisted with credit, business and personal loans, investments and mortgages, just to name a few. There is great pride in the private bank sector as they have the confidence, the skills, the knowledge and the desire to attend to every customers need in the most professional manner possible.

Museums are an essential aspect of most societies, cities and cultures. Whether they are historical, archeological, scientific or art based, they serve a major function in each society and also attract numerous tourists who visit the city or region every year. Singapore is no exception, and the Singapore Art Museum is located in a landmark building that is as intriguing and beautiful as its most prized possessions found within it. Guests staying in one of the Singapore luxury hotels are almost always attracted to this and other major museums and landmarks found in Singapore.

The Singapore Art Museum first opened its doors in the month of January of 1996. It continues with its original intention and mission to preserve and display the great artwork created by some of Singapore’s, as well as other regions of Southwest Asia, greatest artists. In fact, this progressive and highly ambitious museum as been able to acquire the world’s largest collection of Southeast Asian art and its exhibits and thematically oriented collections continues to increase and grow throughout the years.

The collection at the museum contains various art genres and mediums including paintings, photographs, installation series, as well as prints and drawings. It contains at least 7000 selections from Southeast Asian and Singaporean artists, and well over 8000 pieces in total. The Tyler Print collection itself includes over 1000 works and remains one of the museum’s more popular collections. This series features the work of some of the most prominent international artists of the 20th century. In addition to its fabulous works of art, the museum itself is located in a restored mission school from the 19th century. This adds to a sense of historical importance to the overall ambience of the museum. The museum has partnered with major museums from around the world, including the Louvre in Paris and the Guggenheim in New York City.

Sentosa is a the number one-stop tourist destination when visiting Singapore. Everyone can have a wonderful time and be able to entertain just yourself on this island without having to ever go into the city. Sentosa has three beaches, the Tanjong Beach is a quiet and relaxing environment, Siloso Beach is a perfect place for any sports enthusiast, like canoeing or volleyball, Palawan Beach is the ultimate entertainment zone with plenty of bars and wireless Internet access. Sentosa also has plenty of tourist attractions, like the Underwater World, the Mount Faber Cable Car or the Merlin statue.

Underwater World Singapore is famous for it’s unique aquariums, which houses some 2500 exotic marine life from over 2550 species from around the regions, provided fun and creates a nice leisure and educational experience. The dolphins are spectacular, cut and pretty darn smart. You’ll have a marvellous time with getting to experience various Dive programs, or you can choose the ever popular and enjoyable swim with the dolphins. Underwater World Singapore is an exclusive place filled with precious experiences and fun for every type of tourist.

If that doesn’t suit your fancy, if that sounded boring and you’re tired of the same type of dinning experience, then you need to experience Mount Faber Cable Car. It’s the best, whether you just take it for looking at a spectacular scenery of the city and the harbor, or you have a romantic side and choose to dine with your loved one at 70 meters above sea level. You’ll have a wonderful time eating while glancing at the world below and staring at the breathtaking view.

The Merlion statue is the most well known trademark for Singapore. Merlion statue has a head of a lion and the body of a fish. Merlion is half lion, half fish. In the ancient language of Sanskrit ‘Singapore’ or ‘Singapura’ means ‘Lion City’. The Merlion statue stands just over 28 feet tall and weight over 70 tons. It was designed in 1964 by Fraser Brunner as the Singapore’s Symbol for the Tourism Board.

There’s still so much more to do on the island, you’ll have to make reservations at one of the Singapore Sentosa hotels for a few days just to get a taste of what the island has to offer you.

I never know whether a street I walking down in Singapore is going to be Chinese, Indian or Arab. Little India was all lit up for Deepavali and it seems that all of Singapore was celebrating. I had a wonderful Indian Dinner: paneer tikka, roghan gosht, a mixed fruit lassi and a Carlsberg beer, okay two Carlsberg. After all, I am on Holiday. After dinner, I went to a sweets shop and bought an interesting collection of Indian treats. Gifts to take home and give to my friends and family. I know, right? Indian sweets from Singapore?
 
I was near Desker Road, which are the alleys behind all that constitutes Singapore’s red-light district. Most of the ladies were lazily sitting in the doorways either reading a magazine or talking amongst themselves. There didn’t seem to be that much business going on, but I really didn’t scrutinized that closely. I also ran into some gambling artists. I never thought I’d play the shell game, but after watching it over a dozen times and getting it right every time, I threw down my SGD and ended up some SGD poorer. Silly me. I knew better, I guess I just wanted to give it a whirl.
 
I went back to my hotel room really tired and crashed until late the next morning. I went to Fort Canning, a once military fort on top of course, Fort Canning Hill. It’s not far from the city center. The fort is not in use anymore, but the tombstones, which line the hill, are a reminder of those who founded Singapore. I was pleasantly surprised to find a spice garden surrounding the path going up the hill. The National Museum had some historical dioramas, some interesting exhibits on war, and a small collection of modern paintings of a variety of birds. I found the abundance of school groups too much, so I headed out of there.  It was lunch time so I found  Orchard Road, which is a broad street lined with department stores, and found a restaurant which served the best sushi Singapore is known for. Then I walked back toward the city, managed to take a few wrong turns and ended up walking through Chinatown. I save that little detour for another blog.

When it was first announced that the 2010 World Cup Tournament was going to be held in South Africa, many people were concerned with the state of the political sector, the crime, the lack of adequate services be that transportation issues and enough boutique hotels.  South Africa was relying at that time on the taxis and minibuses, and that would not have been able to support the thousands of fans and spectators that will hit the cities of Johannesburg and Capetown for the games.

However last week, in the largest South African city, Johannesburg, the rapid transit bus system was rolled out.  The city had the goal of rectifying this problem far ahead of the date for the games, to ensure the prospective travelers and tourists of the world that yes, South Africa is safe and yes they are prepared.  The previous system was a bit sketchy as the buses themselves were run down and dilapidated, and were known for their large number of horrible crashes over the years.

The new buses are painted bright red and blue with detailed steel and metal work and glass.  They make quite a different impression than the older deadly fleet of buses.  The buses cost less to ride than the taxis, they are quicker, cleaner and safer.  These new buses were the cause of controversy when they were first in the planning stages, as the bus drivers and the taxi drivers threatened to protest.

This did nothing for the city of Johannesburg, and created an environment in which people from neighboring villages were afraid to come into the city.  But the opposition by the other drivers did not stop the city, and now the results are astounding.  The bus ride from the neighboring town of Soweto will now be almost half the cost that it was previously.  Now the city is working on still violent threats made by the taxi drivers, and their goal is to reach a solution far in advance of the beginning of the World Cup.

Just a couple days before we leave for our long awaited and anticipated vacation in Menorca, the sunny Spanish isle, for an Irish setter convention. The sight of Irish Setters running all over the Ciutedella and all over the lobbies of the hotels Menorca has that sparkle like jewels in the Mediterranean air and water and sand is enough to make to me want to giggle in my paella. Tracey carefully brushed our Irish Setter Champagne and put her in the dog travel crate along with a favorite blue chewy toy and instructions to “Be a good dog,” and Champagne looked out at us with her dewy doleful eyes and we could tell she wanted me to sing. Even though we were in the staging area of Heath-row airport in London (I preferredGatwick for such things) Tracey elbowed me and i began to sing in my best Tom Jones, singing the song “What’s New Pussycat?”  without trying to attract too much attention. This song Tracey and I trained Champagne  to relax to, and it always worked for the four years we had the dog , getting her as a little red puff of hair and snout from a breeder in Albany, New York. People started t look at us, and a few stopped and a little crowd of what looked like pensioners gathered round while Tracey just said to them that the song helped the dog relax and slowly Champagne nodded off to sleep, taking a big doggy breath and dreaming of the sand and surf of Menorca. We never used sedatives when traveling with our dogs, and always trusted they would have a good flight. We always got to our destination few days earlier than needed a to let our dogs get used to the air and recover from the flight. plus we always like to feed our dog the seafood of the region if they had any as this helped the coat to shine and was good for their joints.