If you’re an employer yourself, this might seem like counterintuitive advice. You’re the boss. You’ve got the problem with the employee. Shouldn’t they listen to you?  They probably should. But as an employer, no one’s disputing your ability to hire and fire your staff—the idea is to avoid and resolve conflict so it doesn’t become a hiring and firing situation. An unhappy employee usually has a reason to be unhappy. While it isn’t always a good reason, there’s usually a reason. It might not have anything to do with you. It might not even be work related. But there’s little chance for you to solve the problem at all if you don’t know what it is. It isn’t enough for an employee to know that you’re dissatisfied in some general way. They need to know specifically what to do to make you a happier boss.  For example, don’t say:  “We’re having trouble with your attitude.” Instead, try:  “I noticed you having some trouble with that customer yesterday. She said she thought you were rude, and I think I know why. I know you’re not a rude person. In the future, always use ‘m’am’ and ‘sir’ when you’re talking to anyone over forty. It might not mean much to you, but it goes a long way with them.” As much for your sake as the employee’s sake, you need to apply the same rules consistently across the workplace. If you tell an employee one thing, but then they see you permit the same behavior from others, it sends a signal that your request really isn’t something you prioritize.  Imagine how you might feel if you were one of your employees, you were reprimanded by your boss, then saw your boss permit the exact same behavior from someone else. You’d probably resent the person who reprimanded you. While you need to record any disciplinary action you take against an employee, it’s just as important to record what was said as it is to record that something was said. Not only does it help you understand what the employee has failed or succeeded in addressing, it also helps you know what you may have failed to explain.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Listen to the employee. Give specific, concrete suggestions about how they can change their behavior. Don’t be arbitrary. Keep a record.


Taking a lot of art classes in high school is a great way to get started as an artist. Most high schools require you to take a class or two, but take more if you can. Begin building a portfolio that you can use to apply to college art programs and jobs.  Once you’ve mastered the basics, enter any advanced drawing classes your school offers. Ask about independent studies. Your teachers may do this for you or at least point you in the direction of someone who can. There are many specializations that lead to a fine arts degree, but yours should be in visual arts. Find a school that has this focus and start working towards your bachelor’s degree. Studio classes, where you receive direct feedback from a professor, will improve your artistry.  Talk to your high school teachers to learn about which colleges offer quality programs. Spend time online researching the programs colleges offer. Pick one that seems right for you and then set up a visitation date with the university. Reach out to other cartoonists, if you can. They may be able to recommend a good program. Take classes where you’ll discuss current events, as these shape your ideas about what subjects to satirize. They’ll teach you a lot about the people around you, the environment they experience, and how they think, all of which is useful for showing wit in a meaningful way. Courses about past history may also be useful for you. These courses can help you understand how people throughout history responded to what’s around them, including using satire. Satire cartoonists are both artists and writers. To cover current events, you need to learn how to control language effectively. You can started by working hard in your English and writing classes in high school. Once you get to college, take journalism and creative writing courses. Most colleges don't offer specific classes for satire, but feel free to incorporate satire into your writing assignments. Many cartoon satirists digitize their work to post it online. It’s never a bad idea to take some extra computer courses in college. Digital art classes are useful for learning about how to create computer-made work and upload art. Web design, coding, and blogging classes are great for figuring out how to set up a place to post your work online.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Take art classes in high school. Pursue a fine arts degree in college. Take political science classes in college to learn about global politics. Spend time taking writing classes. Take some computer education courses.


Describe in detail what you are observing to your vet. Take your horse's temperature and heart/breathing rates.  Every horse owner should have a working stethoscope and rectal thermometer available, and know how to use them. If your horse is showing signs of lameness, do not force him to exercise. If he is a significant distance from home, you should transfer him by trailer. Lay down a deep bed of shavings (4 or 5 inches) in his stall. These shavings will provide padding for your horse, helping to relieve some of the pain. Taking the following measures before your vet arrives will make their job easier and give your horse some much-needed relief.  Use cold therapy. Cold therapy is much the same as it is in humans. You ice down the horse's feet just as you would an injured knee or ankle in a human. You can either use a muck tub with ice and water or use ice boots to apply the ice to the horse. Do not leave it on for more than 30 minutes.  Provide an NSAID painkiller. These types of painkillers help relieve pain, of course, but they can also help with inflammation. You can give your horse Equioxx, Danilon, or Phenylbutazone ("Bute"), for instance. These are not to be given if the horse is on steroids, as the two drugs are contra-indicated together and can be a fatal combination. Always speak to your vet before giving any prescription medication to your horse. Treatment for laminitis can vary, depending on the severity of the condition, but the mainstay for years is to get your horse started on a regimen of Phenylbutazone, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory.  That, along with proper and supportive footing, are two of the treatments used in helping to alleviate the pain/disease. Your vet will check for the symptoms listed above by examining the horse, though she is better trained to spot the symptoms. Your vet may also want to take x-rays to examine the interior of the hoof. Ask how long you should provide anti-inflammatories to your horse. When you are giving your horse some of these drugs, such as Bute, you may need to skip a day after about a week. This drug can increase blood flow to the laminae, which helps the condition in some cases. It can also sedate your horse to some degree, which will keep him calm and less likely to injure himself further. They may be able to take some of the pressure off the foot by clever use of special shoes. They can also assess to horse to see if sole-pads are appropriate. Be cautious about applying any measures yourself because if you get it wrong you could tip the angle of the hoof and possibly precipitate the pedal bone punching through the sole of the hoof. You can cut a piece of thick foam to the size of the hoof. It should be a couple of inches thick to provide padding for the horse. Laminitis is sometimes caused by a horse being overweight and eating fresh pasture but not always. Other diseases can bring on bouts of laminitis. Research is still on-going concerning this disease, as its mechanisms and best modes of treatment and prevention are still not fully understood. One important test when looking for the cause is to test the blood sugar level of the horse, as too much sugar in the system is one risk factor for this disease.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Call your vet immediately. Do not force your horse to walk or move. Take some palliative measures while waiting for the vet to arrive. Allow the veterinarian to diagnose the condition. Ask about acepromazine. Get an orthopaedic farrier (one with an additional qualification in treating conditions like laminitis by corrective shoeing) to assess the horse. Investigate the possible causes of the disease to prevent it from occurring again.