Take Me Out To The Baseball Game

Baseball is the American pasttime, you may be surprised how very few people actually know the rules of the game.

I went to a baseball game a few weeks ago and had the misfortune of sitting next to a group of very young, very boisterous children. Not that enthusiasm in the game is unfortunate, but they kept cheering at all the wrong times. Like when the opposing team batted a run in. And they were home team fans--they were dressed in full baseball regalia from replica batting helmets like these: http://www.sports-collectibles-store.com/MLB_Batting_Helmets-p-1-c-21-ss2.html to the stirrup pants.

My point is here that many children nowadays don't understand how the game is played. They confuse offense and defense and cheer when the pitcher beans a batter. Maybe they just don't like batters, but for some reason I don't think that is the case. They do all seem to know the value of baseball cards, which is more than I can say for many baseball card sellers. Baseball cards are not in their heyday anymore, but they are still darn popular and are still worth a pretty penny (or couple hundred bucks!).

Well, while I was sitting and trying to enjoy the game, the kids kept asking their dad questions. The one question that I believe I heard no less than 8 times was, "What's the difference between wooden baseball bats and metal ones?" This question tickled me almost as much as hearing the poor father of these curious children explain it to them over and over again.

I say we get kids back into baseball. I mean football and basketball have been attracting children for years, but baseball has sort of been on the decline for awhile. Why not have baseball camps and sand lot games in the summer instead of sitting the kids down in the air conditioning playing video games and watching television?

Joshua Miller is a sports columnist from Idaho, who specializes in his favorite sports, baseball. If you would like to read more of his articles, please visit http://www.sports-collectibles-store.com.

Royal Accessories For Your Dog

Dogs are definitely mans best friend. It is very easy to see this today, because of the fabulous lives they lead. Who would not want to lie around all day, get scratched behind the ears, and eat all of the good food that humans get to eat on a daily basis? Not only do they get all of these wonderful things, but they also do not have to go to work, cook dinner, or clean the house. I would give anything to be a dog. If this was not bad enough, while visiting the mall I saw that dogs have quite a few accessories available to make their lives even better.

The only accessory that a dog had when I was growing up was a collar, if they were lucky. These collars were nothing fancy, usually just a piece of leather with a buckle on it to allow you to adjust it as the dog grew larger. Now I see collars in every shape, size, and color, and with all different kinds of decorations on them. I have seen collars with the dogs name on them, collars with gemstones on them, and even collars that will play a song when the dog scratches them. These collars are ridiculous, but they are not even the most outrageous extravagance that has been created for dogs lately.

Now a dog has the luxury of sleeping in a nice and soft bed. When I was a child our dog slept on our cold, hard tile, and she liked it just fine. Our dog now has a big fluffy denim bed that is more comfortable than the bed I sleep on. Dogs also have many different types of clothes for them to wear. My dog wears a sweater and actually has a jacket that she wears in the winter so she does not get cold. Whatever happened to dogs growing their winter coat so that they would not get cold? The warm clothes are bad enough, but now dogs have dresses, Halloween costumes, and even feather boas. What is this world coming to? I am not sure, but as long as my wife and others like her are shopping for dog accessories, I am sure that manufacturers will not stop making them! Now if I could just get her to buy ME such nice luxuries...

Visit http://www.hotdiggidydog.co.uk and treat your pet like royalty with our selection of dog collars, dog beds, dog clothes, cat beds and more!

Your Dogs Skin - Something So Simple Yet So Complex

A wrapping of fur is not all there is to your dogs skin. It is also a factory for vitamin D production, it protects the internal parts from injury, bacteria, and viruses, and it contains a sensory system that is unsurpassed. The network of skin nerve cells goes to work when your dog is cold, has a cut, or receives a pat on the heat. In cold weather, the hairs stand erect and form air pockets that insulate against the cold.

Healthy skin and hair coats are flexible, glossy, and free of excessive oiliness, redness, dandruff, scabs, eruptions, or parasites. Run you hand against the hair coat and check for growths or blemishes. There should also be no areas of hair loss. Each dog has its own shedding cycle, which may change from year to year. Some pets shed a small amount all the time, while others lose large clumps at various levels.

Pets can have freckles, concentrations of cells containing the brown pigment called melanin. These can be found anywhere on the skin and even in the mouth. Be sure to check the skins special alterations, the mammary glands, the foot pads, the claws, and whiskers.

Frequently check your dogs paws. The thick, pigmented, tough footpads are excellent shock absorbers. The pads are named for their location. Pets have sweat glands in the footpad area. If your dog gets excited at the veterinarians office, you may see sweaty paw prints on the exam table. Check the spaces between the toes. Since your dog walks barefoot and this is a very moist area, the interdigital area can be easily irritated and infected by briars, stones, foxtail, sand, and salt.

Your dogs whiskers or tactile hairs as some veterinarians refer to them, are long, stiff hairs located on the muzzle, upper eyelids, cheeks, and legs. They are used as feelers and are especially handy for navigation at night or in dark areas. There is a fable belief that a dogs sense of balance will be lessened if the whiskers are cut or shortened, but there is no truth to this at all. If any unusual changes or defects are found on your pet, do not hesitate to take him to the veterinarian, as changes can indicate an internal illness or parasite.

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed http://www.joncopets.com. On the site, customers can shop for the latest dog collars, dog clothes, pet supplies and more. Check them out at http://www.joncopets.com.