Are You Feeling Lucky? It is that time of year again - the time when the air seems crisp, the nights are cool and you feel as though there is an extra bounce in your step. Halloween is just around the corner, and if you're planning to get dressed up for the festivities, you may want to consider dressing up a little outside the box for a great way to get some attention. If you are a dog lover, here's a bit of fun you can do with your pup: If you've got a cat and a dog, then you know that cat treats are great if you ever want to train your dog to avoid other cats or dogs. But since we've got a dog and a cat, maybe we can get them to hang out with each other for a while, which will make everyone happy. Here's how: When your cat sees your dog, treat him or her to a few treats (or your cat's food if it's hungry). If they don't take the treats, it might be because they don't want to get too close to the dog. At that point, stop giving them treats. If they still want the treat, pick them up and place them in a cat carrier (make sure to clean it first). Then bring the cat out to where the dog is and put him or her into the carrier. See, it doesn't even seem weird at all if you do it while you're playing a game of "doggie, where's the cat?" After a few moments of waiting in the carrier, take the cat out and release him or her. The dog will usually leap forward to greet the cat. You can give treats as needed, of course, but this is great fun for the dog, and he or she might even learn to play tug with the cat as he or she runs around. You can also try having a dog trainer around to tell you what techniques to use. Just be sure not to give treats or talk to the cat too much, as the cat might grow more and more afraid of the dog. For more about this, or other dog fun, just check out this article in our Dog section. You can get a dog collar at A Great Gift, and you can get cat toys too. Make sure to call us if you're looking for a great gift for the dog lover in your life. ]]> http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/pet-training-tricks-to-spice-up-your-saturday/feed/0The Amazing Life and Mysterious Death of Buddy Holly - Part 2http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/the-amazing-life-and-mysterious-death-of-buddy-holly-part-2/ http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/the-amazing-life-and-mysterious-death-of-buddy-holly-part-2/#commentsWed, 03 Oct 2012 00:31:05 +0000http://awritersdigest.com/?p=933The Amazing Life and Mysterious Death of Buddy Holly If you had told the folks of Lubbock, Texas in the late 1950s that Buddy Holly would be one of the most celebrated figures of his day, they would probably have told you to have your head examined. Holly was a teen idol of sorts, with plenty of hits on the radio and lots of records sold, but he was more than a little on the wacky side. He did strange and weird things and his own image was far from squeaky clean. That just meant that young people loved him and looked up to him as a sort of celebrity. If you’re interested in reading more about Buddy Holly, then head on over to Google Books where you can find some good books about him. You’ll even find his autobiography which is pretty interesting. Part 2 of 2 If you want to learn more about how it feels when a major public figure dies, take a gander at the obituary column in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. In this case, Holly’s girlfriend went into his room and found him. He’d hanged himself in his closet by the belt of his pants. Tragically, the death of a young star like Buddy Holly could hurt music fans. The Avalanche-Journal is still operating and they don’t have anything against women. They have written Buddy Holly obituaries all of their own, and one is really worth reading. ]]> http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/the-amazing-life-and-mysterious-death-of-buddy-holly-part-2/feed/0The Amazing Life and Mysterious Death of Buddy Holly - Part 1http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/the-amazing-life-and-mysterious-death-of-buddy-holly-part-1/ http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/the-amazing-life-and-mysterious-death-of-buddy-holly-part-1/#commentsTue, 02 Oct 2012 00:44:10 +0000http://awritersdigest.com/?p=928The Amazing Life and Mysterious Death of Buddy Holly Every year when I’m putting together my reading list for the fall, I look back and say to myself, “Buddy Holly should be on that list”. Why, you ask? Because he was a rock ‘n’ roll legend. Buddy Holly’s hit records, “That’ll Be The Day”, “Peggy Sue”, “Everyday” and so many others, still put a smile on my face. You can’t say that about any other rock star. Some have died, of course, but not with the same celebrity that Buddy Holly had. Buddy died way back in the 1950s, but as the years went by, he became a legend. As a bookworm, I’m always looking for new topics to write about. And this one just looks good. You can read up on how he performed and how he died. You can read how the rock ‘n’ roll movement began in the first place. You can learn about the lives of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and of course, The Who. (If you want to see who’s in charge of Google Books at the moment, it’s that guy. He’s got a lot of power, doesn’t he?) I really have no idea how old Buddy Holly was when he died, but I’ll bet he had a happy life. As a writer, you should learn more about him in case you want to write something about the music world, and the history of rock ‘n’ roll. It could be a great learning experience. I have done the research, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comment section, below. ]]> http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/the-amazing-life-and-mysterious-death-of-buddy-holly-part-1/feed/0I Love You, You’re Awesome – Part 3http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/i-love-you-youre-awesome-part-3/ http://awritersdigest.com/index.php/i-love-you-youre-awesome-part-3/#commentsThu, 28 Sep 2012 18:04:42 +0000http://awritersdigest.com/?p=911I Love You, You’re Awesome After you hear from my daughter at some length, you might be worried that you didn’t do a good job. I mean, no one wants to be told, “Wow, I’m sorry I didn’t do a good job,” right? But no one will feel that way, that’s for sure. I love when my daughter calls. I love talking to her and I love it when she talks to me. It might seem strange, but this is what happens in our house when my wife and I want to read a story to our children. My wife tells me the book. I do the reading. And I love it when she calls. It’s been like this forever. But here’s the point: If you don’t like your family, then you really can’t have it. And if you don’t like your spouse or your wife or your kids, then you should never quit your job as a