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Their impressive size and fierce hunting skills have earned killer whales the title of "top predator of the ocean." Their distinctive black and white coloration — disruptive coloration — may enhance their hunting abilities. This type of color pattern contradicts the killer whale's body shape and in the flickering filtering sunlight of the sea, other animals may not recognize a killer whale as a potential predator. Their diets vary from one region to another, but mostly consist of fishes, squids, seabirds (including penguins), and marine mammals.
Killer whales live in all the oceans of the world. They're most abundant in the Arctic, Antarctic, and areas of cold water upwelling where the nutrient-rich water is full of marine life to feast on. They live in pods — cohesive long-term social groups primarily composed of matrilineal groups that include a female whale, her offspring, and often her grandchildren.
Our relationship with these magnificent rulers of the sea spans decades, during which time some incredible human/animal connections have formed. Click here to learn more about our care for killer whales, and here to see how our research helps whales in the wild. It's with the whales in our care that you can see what truly sets SeaWorld apart. Their unique personalities and long-standing relationships with their trainers show that when you open your mind and heart to the languages humans and animals share, nearly anything is possible.
Treat your family or the animal lover in your life to an unforgettable experience—and a meal that will fuel your fun all day long. Join Shamu and his animal trainers backstage for one of our exclusive poolside dining opportunities, Dine With Shamu.
Q: How big do they get? SW: Adult killer whale sizes vary. At SeaWorld, the average length for adult males is just over 21.5 feet — taller than two stories on its side! Females average closer to 18 feet.
Q: Are they endangered? SW: Though killer whales are the top predator of the sea with no natural predators of their own, all killer whales are threatened by pollution and overfishing. The Southern Resident population of killer whales in the eastern North Pacific Ocean is officially listed as endangered.
Q: Why is the dorsal fin curved? SW: Killer whale dorsal fins come in many shapes and sizes; they may be straight, wavy, curved, or bent. The fins lack any supportive bone or muscle. An adult male's dorsal fin is tall (up to 6 feet!) and triangular while a female's shorter fin curves back.
Q: How many killer whales have been born at SeaWorld? SW: SeaWorld's first Baby Shamu was born in 1985. Since then, more than 20 killer whales have been born at SeaWorld parks. SeaWorld's unparalleled breeding success contributes significant information to studies of killer whale reproduction, growth, and development.


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There is no reason to save this for the bedroom. The Barbados Corset Top is a smart, fashion-forward design that seamlessly transitions from loungewear to sleepwear with a cool corset feature and gold hardware accents. Barbados is sleek luxury and pure style in soft, elegant mink.
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Religion and sports fandom don't allow you to trade away facts for unprovable opinion.
As David Roth pointed out in his brilliant takedown of Chris Berman's pre-election interview nonsense: "Sports radio sounds like political talk radio, and political talk radio sounds like sports radio, and all of it is awful – fake, cruel, dumb and loud." But there's a third arena of sweating blowhards to throw into that triumvirate of terrible: religious nuts.
This story out of Italy from last week inevitably merges the two: Fans of the Italian soccer club S.S. Lazio – the S.S., as you'll see, being coincidental at best, inciting at worst – attacked fans of the English soccer club Tottenham while shouting a whole bunch of anti-Semitic slurs. (Tottenham apparently has a pretty large Jewish following.) This really is an extension of the personality trait that can make the most rabid sports fan and/or righteous religious zealot: An ability to cast aside reality to fulfill a need to belong to "something bigger". When you believe you're rooting for the "right team", whether that's due to politics or being born in a certain sports franchise's media market or because your parents believe in a specific invisible higher power, you're allowed to trade away facts for unprovable opinion. It's just that, in the religious version, you can back that up with some deadly violence and feel right doing so. This life's just a precursor to the next, after all.
Onto the roundup!
- Before the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, a whole lot of shit went down: Iran told Pakistan to stop negotiating and just continue rocketing; Hamas staged fake deaths in front of news cameras; Israel made a hilariously bad and barely-viewed South Park-esque satiric cartoon; a whole bunch of rockets were fired; Hamas publicly executed six men accused of spying for Israel; a bomb was detonated on a bus in Tel Aviv, injuring 28 people. Also of note: A leading Islamic cleric deemed it an official sin to violate the ceasefire. As if that'll work.
- Afghanistan agreed to unblock YouTube, which has been shut down for the past two months since that Innocence of Muslims trailer/video/thing nonsense.
- Saudi Arabia implemented an electronic tracking system for women that sends their "male guardians" a text message alert if they leave the country.
- Thanksgiving was a particularly bloody day in Pakistan: A total of 37 people were killed in six separate attacks across the country, due to everything from gunmen to suicide bombers to remote-controlled explosives. Later in the week, six more people were killed after a bomb was detonated during a Shia Muslim procession.
- Not only does Thanksgiving mean it's officially time for radio stations to start broadcasting Christmas music 24/7, but it's also time for Christians to start going on and on about the make believe War on Christmas. The first shot-across-the-bow: Pat Robertson, who believes atheists "don't like our happiness."
- In Ireland, 31-year-old Savita Halappanavar died after being denied an abortion by her doctors because it's "a Catholic country". This tragedy led to over 10,000 people marching through Dublin to demand abortion law reform.
- Rev. Roy Bourgeois has been officially expelled from the Catholic Church after he continually supported the ordination of women. "The demand for gender equality is rooted in justice and dignity and will not go away," he said. A statement from the church, meanwhile, said that he was "ignoring the sensitivities of the faithful across the country" by supporting the equality of women.
- The Church of England had its own female-related problems after they voted to reject the appointment of women as bishops. The thing with this, though, is that female priests already account for one-third of the church's clergy, almost making this more damning as they can't use the old "tradition" excuse like the Catholics.
- The secret goings-on of a Christian-based prayer group in Kansas City – including a whole bunch of hot gay sex parties and some drugging and raping – were revealled following the suicide of the leader's wife. And by "suicide" I mean "maybe murder", seeing as one of the revelations was that the leader, Tyler Deaton, killed her and had his group cover it up. Also fun: Deaton's one of those "ex-gays" who demonises homosexuals.
- Doing some updating after the 2012 election, The Economist put together a map of gay marriage rights around the world. Not surprisingly, most of the countries that are mentioned regularly in this column's more-violent passages criminalise homosexuality. But what's possibly more shocking is just how many countries don't really give a shit, meaning the southern and middle parts of the US are technically some of the least tolerant places on the planet.
- Marco Rubio, most definitely in the conversation for the GOP's 2016 presidential nomination, said: "Whether the Earth was created in seven days, or seven actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries." Science replied: "Earth is about 4.4 billion years old."
- Buzzfeed has some screenshots from text books used in a Louisiana fifth-grade science class that make it seem like pretty much a coin-toss whether evolution or creationism is correct.
- Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving Islamic militant gunman from the 2008 attacks in Mumbai that resulted in 166 deaths, was hung in India.
- Eleven people died after a pair of car bombs blew up outside of a Protestant church in Nigeria.
- A lawyer who works for the Alliance Defending Freedom foundation – a nonprofit Christian organisation that hates the gays – decided to spend some non-billable hours taking a teenage girl to Canada and talking her into filming some underage porn.
- And Our Person of the Week: Alex Gibney, filmmaker behind Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, which is a documentary about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. While I've yet to see the film – send me a screener already, HBO Films! – Gibney's expansive interview with Movieline details a few of the horrific stories the doc examines.
Previously - The Collection Plate


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Discontinued Product
Black Install Kit w/ Filter & Point of Use
Sorry, the manufacturer is no longer producing this product.
Description & Highlights
Clover Black Install Kit w/ Filter & Point of Use - Black
Make sure that your water cooler is set up correctly when you use the Clover Black Install Kit w/ Filter & Point of Use (POU-B7-BLACK-IKF). This installation kit helps connect your cooler to the water line, which will give you unlimited amounts of water to cool you down. Included with the kit is a filter, which allows you to clear the water of minerals and residue that can be harmful to you and others. This kit will ensure you get the cleanest, coldest water available, and that you will never go thirsty again!
An included Point of Use (POU) conversion kit enables you to eliminate water pressure with the dual float valve. This prevents the risk of water leakage throughout several connecting parts within the water cooling system, and it also protects the water from gaining any airborne contaminants. POUs also help you reduce the cost of your existing water coolers, which can save you money on your overall bills. Ideal for any home or office, this kit will keep you and everyone around you safe.
Easy Installation:This kit helps connect the water line to your water cooler, as well as keeps the water flowing for a long time
Clean Water:An included filtration system ensures that your water will be the cleanest
Point of Use:The point of use system saves you money on overall water cooler maintenance and bills
NOTE: This unit is in black and is not the same color as pictured above.
- Model: POU-B7-BLACK-IKFClover Black Install Kit w/ Filter & Point of Use
- Brand: CloverComplete with conversion kit
- Helps get your water cooler runningComes with inline carbon filter
- Prevents bacteria contaminationReduces the cost of your current water cooler
- Dual float valve includedProtects cooler against system leaks


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UHF is funny, worth tracking down, $3 used on Amazon even.
One that sadly isn't on DVD is The Compleat Al, it's a mockumentary of Al's life into the late '80s that is a parody of The Compleat Beatles. When I met Al shopping at a record store back in the day (he was just there shopping with his ol' lady), I came up to him and said how I was a fan and dug UHF, he was like "whatevs" but when I mentioned "The Compleat Al", he perked right up and was much cooler with me.


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Anathema - Resonance Vol. 2 (CD)
With such a huge wealth of material existing in shades of light & dark, brutal and fragile, a two-part retrospective was the only way to do Anathema's panoramic musical vision the justice it deserves. This second part, Resonance 2 features the dark side of Anathema including 'Future Dreams' and 'Empty', as featured on the 1998 much sort after Alternative Future e.p. promo.
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By Brad Locke/NEMS Daily Journal
STARKVILLE – A season weighted with expectation is finally here, but Mississippi State isn't looking at the bigger picture quite the way it used to.
As he enters his fourth season at the helm – it begins against Jackson State at 6 p.m. today – head coach Dan Mullen has altered his offseason approach. In the past, part of MSU's preseason training camp has involved the incorporation of game-plan elements for opponents a few weeks down the road.
Not so this year. Mullen is worried more about fundamentals and player development, and he's also concerned that the retention level isn't high enough to justify working ahead on game plans.
"I thought it would be a lot more beneficial for us to focus, if we take 80 percent of our base offense that we know we're going to use, and we get really great at it, then the 20 percent game plan week to week, we can spend a little bit more time doing those things and making the adjustments we need to make for each opponent," Mullen said.
execution counts
He also pointed out that with teams changing year to year – new players, new coaches, new schemes, etc. – it's hard to get a good read on an early-season opponent just from film.
"So your No. 1 focus is if you go out and you execute at a high level, especially early in the season – you're clean, no penalties, no turnovers, you cut down on missed assignments and play sound football – you have a chance to be very successful," Mullen said.
Players have taken well to the change
"When we first started out we made sure we've got the foundation down first – the right footwork, technique and hand placement," offensive guard Gabe Jackson said. "Just the basic rules. Then when it comes to game week and you start playing different people, you have to learn to prepare for what you're going to go against for just that week."
This tweaked approach might also prevent MSU from looking beyond this weekend's game. Auburn comes calling a week from now and could be the most important game of the year for State.
"If you start worrying about two or three games down the line, further than that, you can get your mind too clustered," Jackson said.
Safety Corey Broomfield used an appropriate metaphor in explaining the importance of this approach:
"Little things make the big things happen," he said. You put your foot in the right place, a ball will come to you. You've got your eyes in the right place, your man won't get away from you.
"So you do the little things, and the big things occur. You can't build a stadium until you put the bricks in place."
Click here for college football news all day at the DJournal.com College Football page.


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I got the season 3 Ahsoka figure recently, and she comes with 2 lightsaber hilts for her belt, one short and one long. However, I cannot remember if she cross-draws her lightsabers or not. (That means she would grab a saber on her left hip with her right hand.) Most Jedi in the films cross-draw the way a knight would draw his sword (this is intentional on the filmmakers' part as a piece of cinematic language to express a small thing to the audience about the characters, subtly linking Jedi with Samurai, for example).
We know Ahsoka is predominately right-handed when it comes to saber-work, seasons 1 and 2 confirmed that. Season 3 images I've found online show her wearing the shorter saber on her right hip. But all the pics I've found from the show where she's USING both sabers have one saber out of frame, so it's hard to tell which one she's holding. The few promo pics online from Lucasfilm seem to contradict each other, some sites showing it flipped (she's fairly symmetrical from most angles, with only the head-tail necklace on the back showing a side preference, to the right in that case, but most images don't show it anyway).
It's also difficult in stills to make the sabers out from each other, the pommels are the same, as are the lower sections with the activation buttons, it's only the length of the forward part and the lack of the clips at the end which differentiates them (the shorter saber has no clips, the longer one has a clip on either side of the beam emitter).
So, does Ahsoka use the short saber in her right hand and the long saber in her left hand from a cross-draw? My guess is she does, but am not sure.
And if anybody confirms this from visual evidence, to take it one step further, does Ahsoka draw the short or long saber first? (Not that I plan a ton of Ahsoka drawing her lightsabers at the same time poses for the figure, but you never know when that pose might come up.)


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Debian released today! Woohoo! Time to apt-get upgrade a couple dozen boxes all over the place.
Some CUPS status: It builds. Tonight, assuming all goes well, I'll test for upgrade-cleanliness and the like, and upload to woody. I've got some other things to do, though, as well, so we'll see how far I get. I may just upload whatever I end up with tonight and invoke the "it's called unstable for a reason" excuse.
Noticed the Printing Summit stuff from advogato's article on the GPL. Wow. I think I'm going to try and play with some of this at some point - assuming I think it's more important than splitting pstoraster from the rest of CUPS and making straight gs a replacement for it. Assuming that's even possible.
It would be nice if prospective employers would return my phone calls when I ask for a status report.


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If you've never tried cooking pizza on the grill, give this delicious cheesy chicken version a try, made ultra-easy with refrigerated pizza dough.
You don't need to cook it yourself to get cubed cooked chicken. Look for 9-ounce packages of diced, cooked chicken in the frozen food department of your grocery store. Each package contains about 2 cups of chicken. You can also buy cooked chicken from the deli.
The baked Italian pizza crust can be found in the bakery department, the deli area or the refrigerated section of your grocery store. It is about 12 inches in diameter.
To bake pizza, place on ungreased cookie sheet; bake at 450°F. for about 12 minutes.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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sorry...I;m in California...only suggestion would b check the list of hunt test clubs in your area for training grounds
I got your name from another RTF member. I live in Livingston NJ and do most of our training in the area. For the most part we have some good land and water to work with but the only thing we are missing is a decent swim by pond. I was wondering if you knew of one either on public or private land? Thank you for your time. Best Regards, Brian Melvin


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Perceptor?!? He'd be the size of SideSwipe's emergency brake lever. I want an Alternators Megatron tank and Starscream fighter jet first before we get into that area.
Another thing I noticed that may have been wrong on the assembly of Energon Stormjet is the upper arms, there are chevrons and a general shape sculpted onto one side of each upper arm, but the assembly has that side facing in so it can't be seen except when the figure is raising his arms - I'm not ready to make the jump to tapping out pins, but I've already taken 2 different sections apart on just this figure so far.


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Turkey tenderloin marinated in citrus, oil, Worcestershire sauce and pepper, grilled to perfection and served with stuffing – a delicious meal!
Fresh summer produce can easily complete this meal. A good choice would be steamed green beans and a fresh fruit salad.
Jazz up the stuffing mix by stirring in one of the following: 2 1/2-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained; 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts; 1 apple, chopped; 1/2 cup
raisins; 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


text: I have a 1.8 year old yellow male. He has his junior title and working on Senior. Good breeding with all health clearance. My problem is my dogs barked off and on all night. They never do that. I can see kennels. I had to yell at them to quit numerous times. When I went out at 6 am this morning my male was "out of it". He just stood there. He wouldn't sit come anything. He is a food maniac and acted like he didn't know where his food dish was. I had to show it to him and then he ate. He usually plays with the other dogs but not today. He acted like he didn't know there were dogs in the yard. He just stayed right next to me and licking my glove. When I said no he just sat down and sat there. He wouldn't move. I had to coax him around. He didn't know what kennel meant even though he normally dashes for his kennel because he gets part of a milk bone when he goes into the kennel. When I finally got him into the kennel I tossed a milk bone in there and he didn't even react. I tried to throw bumpers for him and it's as if he didn't even see them thrown. I usually can't keep him from retrieving. Any help would be much appreciated. Just yesterday evening he was absolutely fine.


text: For quite some time I've been thinking where Star Wars should head once Episode III is finished. There is a ton of quality reading material out there in the SW EU. I think a good way to present many books in a short amount of time and on a limited budget (Lucas can't make every Star Wars story into live action) is to have an animated series based on these mediums. The SW saga would go on, and we could experience these great comics and books in a much more entertaining way. I would love to see how stuff like the Ulic Qel Droma, Kir Kanos, and Dark Empire stories translate to the small screen. What do you all think of this idea???


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It's been a while since I could return but I have. I wish to tell you of the truth of what is really happening. It's by way of a higher power I know what I know. Let me share with you .......
You are born into this world and whom of us hasn't wondered why ? What is the point of this all. Why am I here, why are any of us here and why is there so much evil everywhere. The questions are endless.
First off you are here as lower spiritual being. What is that ? It's a spiritual being whos ORIGINS once stood in the presence of the Eternal Knowledge aka GOD. Let's figure out what that means. let's start from the beginning.....the very beginning....
Let us make man in our image..... think about this for a moment it tells you a few things.
The eternal knowledge, aka god, is eternally good. With in it there would be no error found. Therefore no error could come from WITHIN it. Now Look at the grass the trees the water sun the moon etc there is no error within for they have been created directly from the source . Nature goes on and on in continuous harmony and Perfection unless disturbed by outer forces.
Ah....then it is said by "God" let us create man in our image.
Firstly The eternal knowledge is does not need consort with any being on anything it is simply a will and so it is pure energy at work, a force of expansion of its self. The essence of the eternal knowledge = the energy of LIFE.
The eternal knowledge is beyond that of a God a god is a deity, a very high level deity but none the less simply a GOD, (study up on it) . The new testament refers to a " Father in Heaven" not a god. The word God is very rare in the new testament.
Let us.... Sounds more like a plan an idea being agreed upon.....So Let's do it !
Our image.....What image. Shape? Would the eternal knowledge be shaped like a man? Why would it need to be. Would it need to own one form ? How about , In our likeness. Yes that's it !
Our likeness, like us !!!! And just what would that likeness be???
Heavenly beings with knowledge, self Awareness and error. But how could there be error in them if they were created by the EK. To go against the will of the EK is to be in error and To create while in error is to produce a flawed product. Error begets confusion confusion begets chaos and chaos begets many things. All bad. Have you heard it said, man was born into sin? Do you know what the word sin means? It means to be without. Without the EK the true father, per say . How can you be born into sin? because we were created without permission in turn outside of perfection. Therefore in error and therefore in sin and Therefore this is who you are. But mercy was taken upon you because not by your own will are you here. If a man has a son and that son later abandons the ways of his father and turns as enemy to his own good father and that son later has a child , if the (now) grandfather is wise he will know that it is his blood that flows through the veins of his grandchild. He will understand that it is no fault of the grandchild that they are here, nor whom it's father is. He will know that even though the grandchild may have some qualities of its father it may very we have some qualities like its grandfather. It will be a choice and quite possibly a struggle to overcome the bad traits of its father but the wise grandfather will not turn his heart against the child without reason. He will not place judgement on the child by fault of its father...
To be continued tomorrow
So what lyes within you, me, all of us is light and dark ,error and perfection, kindness and love, hate and revenge, selflessness and ego, empathy and division and every other opposite extreme that we have all known. And through it all we have of course, free will. Have you ever thought why did I say that why did I do that that was so mean it was so wrong? It's because though we are the work of a God , we are none the less a descendant of the Eternal One. It is your choice will you go by the way of error or will you follow the ways of your truest origins EK. This is why when the Pharisee who continually plotted to bring down the validity of the Christ, finally he said to them "you are of your father the devil" but to others he said...... "by your father in heaven". So therefore, y you will ultimately decide through your free will by whom it is you will be claimed.
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The Divine Fire
At that very moment, I felt some kind of fire in my heart. I feel my senses deadening and have no idea of what is going on around me. I feel the Lord's gaze piercing me through and through. I am very much aware of His greatness and my misery. An extraordinary suffering pervades my soul, together with a joy I cannot compare to anything. I feel powerless in the embrace of God. I feel that I am in Him and that I am dissolved in Him like a drop of water in the ocean. I cannot express what takes place within me; after such interior prayer, I feel strength and power to practice the most difficult virtues. I feel dislike for all things that the world holds in esteem. With all my soul I desire silence and solitude—Diary of Divine Mercy 432
The fire of God's love, the fire of the Holy Spirit, of purgatory, and the fire of hell, is all the same. It is God's love in all of its power. It is about our openness to grace and our embracing God's healing love in our lives, or not. Sister Faustian expresses it with these words:
"I am very much aware of His greatness and my misery. An extraordinary
suffering pervades my soul, together with a joy"
Even in our everyday lives, true healing is often accompanied by suffering. They seem to go hand in hand. God often seems distant and for good reason, for He can only show Himself to us to the extent that we can handle it. In the Old Testament, it talks about this when speaking about seeing God and not being able to stay in existence.
When we allow God's Holy Fire to enter us, it burns away all the dross in our souls. So that which is built on illusion (straw) burns away to ash. We are emptied of 'self' so that God can fill us and bring us to our true Selves, as children, beloved of God.
In my misery, I still fight God's love, but this fighting often comes from a place beyond my control. All I can do is to be willing and open to God's secret hidden work in my soul and to always trust and never despair. That is why Jesus says that we must 'trust' above all else.
What is the groaning of the Holy Spirit that prays within us? Perhaps the Spirit is expressing in part our pain, our understanding that we are often chained and in our waiting for freedom we suffer greatly. The Holy Spirit prays with us and for us. It is all about grace, but also in part, about our willingness to allow this fire to burn all to ash that keeps us from union with our Beloved. Yes, God is our Beloved, and we are God's Beloved, and slowly as we seek God's love, we allow His love to expand our hearts as Sr. Faustina's was purified in fire and her heart expanded. We are called to a life unimaginable to us at this time. Sister Faustina's inner freedom and growth in her love of God was a pure gift, all she need do is trust, never despair, and take one step at a time.
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For everyone that wants to know what dust orbs look like in order for you to know what you're videotaping. For educational purposes only.
THIS is what dust orbs look like.
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The Cthulhu Days Festival, Mardi Gras and Tango Contest was held on the 22nd of April… For those wondering why it took me so long to post this
Incident Report After Action Reviewarticle, the sheriff only just let me out following the events with the Balloon Beer Fleet…
As always the Festival began precisely at midnight(ish) the morning of the Festival, when the masses of fun loving festival fans, creepy cultists, moonstruck minions, zestful zealots and curious onlookers gathered deep in the heart of the Old Creepy Forest, at the ancient shrine to the Great Old Ones (not to be confused with the more recent clearing dedicated to the Grumpy Old Ones used for the Old Coots and Cootessess gatherings)… As the multitude of bonfires were lit, and the great Bronze Gongs were rung by festively painted and attired gangs of zombies, the Council of Mods representatives gathered on the platform high above the Great Central Pit (not to be confused with the many lesser pits, sinkholes and pot holes that abound in the forest), the combined choirs of Floggers, Henchmen (and women) and dungeon tour guides began the ancient chants some have described as "Gregorian Chants done by Rap Bands".
As the gathered masses enjoyed (or else) the chanting, merchants weaved their way through the crowd selling various beverages, various treats such as "cephalopod on a stick" and the ever popular kids treat "Chocolate Cthulhu Bunnies"…
At a signal from the combined Gongs, the chanting stopped (more or less in unison) and the Chief Mods began the arcane rituals needed to summon the Great Old Ones… They began by chanting the Forum Rules, then Switching to the Great Book Of Outer Mongolian Traffic Laws, finishing up with Performing UM's Unofficial National Anthem "I'm A Little Tea Pot"… A hush fell over the crowd as they waited with festive joy - and at the same time dread, for the appearance of the Great Old Ones… Slowly a vast cloud of indescribable color (and odor) rose out of the pit. The crowd edged closer in anticipation. Suddenly the cloud coalesced into the form of Shirley, Cthulhu's personal Office assistant. Her voice rumbled out: "I'm sorry. The number you have summoned is either no longer in service or busy. Please disconnect and re-summon. This is a recording." And the cloud vanished.
Muttering a few phrases and words that violated at least three of the Forum Rules (and laws of physics), the Mods gave a few pithy commands and all the performers returned to their start positions and the ceremony began again…
Five tries later, Great Cthulhu and his entourage finally appeared and assumed their position as Grand Marshals of the Parade. The festival goers were overjoyed to see that with Cthulhu were his former wife Idh-yaa and their four kids Gthanothoa, Ythogtha, Zoth-ommog and the crowd favorite: little Cthylla… This was the first time in eons (literally) that Cthulhu and his once mate were seen together in public and many people began speculating about a reconciliation between them, particularly when he wrapped a few of his tentacles around the parts of her that they could reach and seemed to hold her affectionately as they waved to the adoring crowds.. As you may recall (from mandatory UM History classes you were supposed to take) the pair had an acrimonious split back a few tens of thousands of years ago… She got the Palaces in R'lyeh, the planet Vhrool in the 23rd nebula and the green binary star system of Xoth – plus an undisclosed cash settlement. While he got to keep the trademark on his name, and the slime encrusted bungalow in Muncie, Indiana that he shares with his unemployed kids Nctosa and Nocathulu (by another mating).
As the Grand Marshals seated themselves upon their massive floats, the festival goers rushed in to take up the ropes and soon the hordes of straining fans were pulling the carts through the Old Creepy Forest along the Ancient Dirt Trail toward the Main UM Complex, to the accompaniment of the massed banjo bands of the Western Oubliettes …
There was one minor problem with the parade. When the parade began emerging from the Old Creepy Forest, the Balloon Beer Fleet from the Old Coot and Cootess Ball, Limbo Contest and Flea Market, made an unscheduled appearance overhead… They had been avoiding the elements of the UM Air Force that were sent out to "round the hooligans up", and – being on a week long beer binge – began pelting the parade with empty beer bottle and cans – before a strong gust of wind (an F3 tornado summoned up by the annoyed mods) blew them out over the Great Dismal Swamp – where they were last seen attempting to land to "gather up some more munchies and beer"…
The parade crossed the Great Outer Moat and as Cthulhu's float reached the center of the bridge, they paused to let Cthulhu greet his former pet Pookie the Moat Monster… Pookie was (as always) overjoyed to see his(?) former owner and possible creator and it was quite a while before Pookie calmed down enough to stop the earth tremors.. Finally with an affectionate tugging of some of Pookies Spinal Tendrils, the parade proceeded into the Main Complex.
Many more fans and spectators lined the Grand Processional Way to witness the parade, and the fans were not disappointed. Leading off was the South Eastern Society of Raptor Wranglers, leading and riding their award winning Velociraptors, and tossing candy to the crowds… Behind them came the Massed graduating class of the UM Tuba Tuning School, performing "The Flight of The Bumblebees" on their tubas. Following the Tuba Band came the ever popular Precision Drill team of Marching Zombie Nixons and Churchills, led by their director (the zombiefied) Charles DE Gaulle… A series of floats followed representing the various guilds, unions, associations and therapy groups from here at UM, then the Grand Marshalls floats passed by followed immediately by the combined UM mental health workers to ease the disturbed and battalions of Lawyers handing out disclaimers, statements absolving UM and its staff from any liability (real, imagined or arcane)… At last came the float honoring the winners of this years Tricycle Race, Demolition Derby and Chili Cook-off.. Team Puce rode proudly on their float which was a representation of their winning strategy – a massive, record setting bribe after the fact… As always the fans love to both cheer and boo the persons honored on this float.. Bringing up the rear was the world renown UM Kazoo and Snare Drum Marching Band, playing their signature song of "Louie Louie"
Following the final floats and marching bands, came the hordes of zombie street sweepers, trash picker-uppers and pothole replacers – which as always received the biggest cheers of the festival.
Due to last minute schedule changes, some freakish bad weather, the delay in starting the parade and an outbreak of various severe – and embarrassing - diseases, the Tango Contest was postponed to later this summer, to be featured as its own event….
Next month is a quiet month here at UM with no major festivals or events scheduled. It is a time of maintenance of the Oubliettes, dungeons, torture chambers and Public Library… Those interested in assisting (and not already ordered to do so anyway) are encouraged to speak to their buildings Chief Flogger – or an available Inquisitor. We can always use an extra set of hands to help spread the slime, muck, mold and mildew in our sleeping areas… Remember, participation in this event is seen favorably by most parole officers! See you there!
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What you selling?
Nah, man... that don't work right away takes forever but controls you way to hard.
^bless is 1/2 of that so you are already 1/2 natural bless^
Bless...er. What?
^you got 1/4 bless
Do I got a quarter bless?
^bless yourself by -Do (multiplied by) -¿tone?
I got quarter bless
^bless flip real soon, got truckers atlas that roads itself, and got your own 4 corners
Like that perpindicular some say is cross.
^bless yes see king arm crossed stand high proud/see king arm crossed same pose but on back -pride +++telling his princes about clouds and stars
And I'll flip it now bro sis and say quarter turn either way I see queens rule then 180° or turn two corners and queen tells man carry this ^bless for me
.....QuoteKain: The Pillars don't belong to them, Raziel... they belong to us.Raziel: Your arrogance is boundless, Kain.Kain: There's a third option, a monumental secret hidden in your very presence here. But it's a secret you have to discover for yourself. Unearth your destiny, Raziel. It's all laid out for you here.Raziel: You said it yourself, Kain... there are only two sides to your coin.Kain: Apparently so, but suppose you throw a coin enough times... suppose one day, it lands on its edge.
--soul weaver ii
/hip connect to hop, thigh sinew connect to main, and come and cover (jacob 2 iarael Etymology Mix reprise)
And we count heads, tails, edge, and alloy. Who has a head and a tail? Then perfect balance for that side inbetween both light and dark, right and wrong, this and that not this vs that, then you have noble within known as goddess annointed or deity powered.
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We had a chance to participate in an elk study of the vast herd of Aspen Ridge, high (9500 feet) in the White Mountains of Arizona.
Every day, without fail, we would be rewarded with a great view from our perch on a ridge overlooking a large meadow.
This video [2:51] shows a herd of about 65 beautiful animals. We especially enjoyed to young ones playing and running.
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In an earlier entry I mentioned that I am not actually "happy" and that society seems to interpret this as saying that I am a miserable person, which I am not.
In that light I also say the same about esteem; I do not have a "high" opinion of myself nor do I feel worthy/smart/capable or whatever the popular buzz-words are these days. I do not feel optimistic nor do I feel that I actually "matter" to anyone. That said it is natural that people in this society think that I must therefore be depressed and that I live a horrible life of endless despair.
Well, no, this is not true. I do not harbor the feelings of esteem that many kids and adults are told they must feel in order to be happy individuals. I do not feel important and I do not feel that the world improved or gained because of my birth into this world. I do not see myself as brimming with intelligence or proclivities and I certainly do not feel optimistic about my life.
So how DO I feel? The short answer simply is "I don't know.". Everything we are told we are supposed to feel is completely subjective, arbitrary and relative. I am not intelligent and I have no "gifts" or special abilities. I do stuff. Period. I do not feel the need to be unique or special because I am not, this statement is not meant to illicit feelings of pity or sorrow for my condition because none of it is needed or wanted.
For example, I like cats...so do millions of other people. I also love dragons as do millions of others. Sometimes I do some manga-style sketching as do millions of others. I am very skeptical of any claims of psychic abilities, contacts with aliens and spooks and any claims that rely, not on science or evidence, on blind belief in order to be thought of as valid. So do millions of others.
I am trying to learn another language...so are millions of others. There are even others who have my name and ,probably by some odd twist of coincidence, also have my last name too. Do these facts bother me? Pfft! Of course not. Why would it? I am just one in 7+ billion people, the idea of uniqueness kinda became obsolete and irrelevant decades ago when I realized the mass-mind job that was being done to us kids in school.
Anyways...how do I feel about myself? I already know what society claims I should feel (this self esteem idea is not shared by all countries, you know) but what I do know is that I am just a person. Period. All that I am is based on what others tell me including my "skills", I am only considered "good at" something because the very concept relies entirely on the perceptions and judgements of others. I can prance around claiming I am "good" at sketching but if the input of others tells a vastly different story then maybe there is some truth to their claims.
Point is that I do not feel I am worthy or deserving of anything in particular; this is not to imply I won't necessarily say something if I was cheated out of something or accused of something I didn't do but at the same time I can only do what I can and if I don't succeed or get hired then I don't succeed or get hired.
Naturally we are expected to prop up ourselves and others because collectively we hate being seen as average; after all we have been told all through our growing years (most of us anyways) how wonderful and exceptional we are and that we are all supposed to think of ourselves as such. Sorry. Won't happen here. Not with me. No exceptionalism here. I fully acknowledge that there are millions who are tons better at everything than I am and this does not bother me one iota.
I am not an unhappy, miserable wretch. Just a human that refuses to think of oneself as special or unique and does what it can to get by. Nothing more. I do stuff and if I somehow manage to succeed then fine and if not then nothing is lost and that is just fine with me.
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Once you decide to take the 1st step of preparation you're going to want to put together a small bag that you can keep in a place that makes the most sense for you; at work, in your trunk, in a closet, or your garage. Now there are many variations for these types of bags; get home bag, go bag, bug out bag, whatever you want to call it, it's just a bag to help you get by when a situation arises where you need to move from A to B or even just an assembled bag to have what you need when you need it even if you're just staying put.
Before you go out and buy a huge expensive pack that's intended to use to hike Everest, you may want to decide what you're going to put in it. When you decide what you need, gather it up and figure how big of a bag you really need, a small book bag may be all you need, or maybe not. I do suggest that it is a size that you are comfortable carrying when it's fully loaded for at least a few miles.
For instance, I use a small dark brown backpack of good quality, but doesn't scream, hey I have stuff that you may want to take from me. Here's a list of what's inside, just for ideas. Keep in mind I live in an urban area with desert and mountains not too far away depending on which way you choose to go. I travel often from San Diego to Sacramento, CA about a 550 mile trip one way, or from San Diego to Phoenix, AZ about 350 miles away. So I like to be prepared if I have a break down in my car and have to spend the night in an unknown area. There's a whole lot of nothing on either of those trips that I make at least once a month.
Contents of my back pack:
1 skivvy roll (shirt & underwear rolled inside of a pair of good boot socks)
1 beanie, bandana, lightweight jacket & 1 pair of hiking pants
1 filled 32 oz aluminum water bottle & 1 empty collapsible water pouch, 32 oz
Food, jerky, granola, nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit leathers
First aid kit, Chap Stick, sun block, water purification tablets
Fire making materials
Multi tool & a fixed blade knife
Flash light & a headlamp, with spare batteries
Emergency blanket, the sleeping bag kind
Pen, note pad, ear buds,
Spare wallet with $100 in small bills, and an ID
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Tim and Mrs. Hickory were in a forest. They were walking with Jane towards a castle because some nice little squirrel had told Jane it was a good idea. They didn't remember the hospital or how they knew each other. They just knew that they must have been good friends because they got along so well. The forest was just beautiful too. It was filled with lush evergreen trees and there were no briars or brambles or any scary animals. And Tim discovered that he could always hear the river nearby; it flowed parallel with the path to the castle. So, there was no way they could even get lost in this forest. Tim was having a wonderful time.
The group was nearing the edge of the forest when they heard a loud thump. The squirrel who was following them, scurried off to hide. Tim, Jane and Mrs. Hickory walked toward the sound. It was in the direction they were already heading. It wasn't long before they saw some brush moving on the side of the path. They drew nearer and discovered a woman lying there, moving her arms and legs slowly. Tim thought she was trying to get up.
"Hey, are you alright?" Tim asked. "Need some help?"
"No. I'm fine." The woman in the brush struggled harder.
"You don't look fine to me, Lady." Tim replied.
The woman said something Tim couldn't understand and then she managed to lift herself onto all fours. Tim, Jane and Mrs. Hickory stepped backwards as the woman in the brush caught her breath and got on one knee. Then used her recovering strength to stand on her feet.
"See, I'm fine. Wait…Tim? Mrs. Hickory? And is that…Jane? What are you guys doing here?" The woman in the brush inquired.
"We're going to the castle but first we have to get through The Peaceful Forest; that's what I'm calling it anyway." Jane said.
"A nice little squirrel told Jane to go to this castle and then she found us so we all decided to follow her. The Peaceful Forest is so pretty isn't it?" Tim added.
"How do you know our names?" Mrs. Hickory demanded. "We never told you."
"Yes, you did. At the hospital." The woman answered.
"What hospital?" Tim, Jane and Mrs. Hickory asked simultaneously. The squirrel came out from the trees, running and short of breath.
"We have to go. Come on, hurry!" The squirrel said and sprinted towards the edge of the forest and the castle beyond. Tim, Jane and Mrs. Hickory followed suit. The woman in the brush, whose name was Ria, stood still for a moment. She looked at the dark castle and knew she had made it back. This time, she was going to make it to the castle and nothing was going to stand in her way, especially not those three idiots and their dumb squirrel. But for now, she would play nice with them. Who knows what existed in this world, it would be wise to stick with a group. She ran towards the castle after them. Back in the forest there was another thump, but no one was around to hear it except for the trees and one lonely deer.
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I know there are a lot of skeptics here.
You don't believe in God, or ghosts, or aliens, etc....to each his own, and I totally respect that.
But something I've come to believe directly from my experiences in my job, and other personal experiences, is that the mind of a human being is exceptionally powerful.
I have seen people who should of died, remain alive by sheer will. Or...a cancer patient not exhibit any symptoms until they are told they are sick.
People in comas wake up at the touch of that one loved one who they needed contact from.
The mind is intrinsically connected to the body and it's well being in ways I feel the majority of people are unaware of....almost a divinity within.
I largely blame religion for this loss of knowledge. And technology. (I suspect that the majority of people find it hard to believe because it's too 'out there' or intangible.)
You can will things like changes in blood pressure and heart rate. Healing. One study even found you can will things like weight loss. I truly feel this is an untapped power that needs further exploration.
What is my point?
To be aware of your inner dialogue at all times. I'm not talking about a militant, OCD type of self patrolling, but more of a gentle redirection when your thoughts stray into negative territory. I have employed this is my own life, and thinking positively isn't merely some new age cliché. You become what you think.
The placebo effect is a well known documented phenomenon most people are familiar with, and I have been witness to it myself working in facilities that perform clinical trials. I hope as we continue to 'practice' medicine that more physicians will trend towards incorporating meditation on well being into treatments.
But you don't have to wait for that, you already have the power now.
Have a wonderful week,
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When I was abducted.
the purple flower was the only different species of it's kind and all the othe flowers would bring it down saying it didn't belong...but the purple flower was the most outstanding and of course one of kind who had been picked by a beautiful young lady who absolutely loved poetry, and would tell the purple flower a sad love story every day.
I died on the operating table after having an arrow removed. It came from a powerful Crossbow. They snipped the metal tip from my back and yanked out the arrow from my chest. Then I died. A hospital security warden wheeled my bed to the morgue and left me through the door. Feeling like an alien I jump off the bed and caught the door from closing as he never noticed a thing from leaving the door to close. I made my way through the hospital exit with nothing but a hospital gown on and made my way home with my ass showing
Event : Clubbing Courtney Place. Wgtn NZ
Incident: Outside main door Burger King
Time of actually happening: New Years 12:10am
Reason: Unknown
Hospital: Lower Hutt Main
Hospital exit door: In corrodoor via cafe kitchen
Story: Fact ..
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How the fur, scale and feather kids aka pets got their names:
Ruby came named but mom did middle name Ruby and that's Jean. She's named after a lovely friend of moms who passed years before I got Ruby.
Little Keg aka Cassie: came from Animal welfare league with no name. She started off as Rosie then Chelsea (my niece who's now 16) renamed her Cassie after her Cabbage patch doll she had at the time. Then she got fat in grandmas care and became Little Keg.
Cooper: We had Smudge (tans and white Mini Fox terrier who had a heart murmur) and knew when he passed we'd need to get a new addition to the family because Smudge was dads sidekick and went almost everywhere with dad. One day I was in mom and dads room with them looking through a alcohol catalogue just as a joke and saying different names, Brandy sounded too girly, Bundy (as in bundaberg rum) but that made me think of Ted Bundy too much. About to walk out of their room the tin of Coopers home brew beer and said what about Cooper? When dad brought him home I cuddled Cooper and said you're Cooper.
George: From Loony Toons the Abominable Snowman that liked bugs bunny.
Snow aka No no: White bunny so snow stuck and no no because he does this head shake from time to time like he's saying no.
Honey: Partly her colour and partly oh you poor honey needing help. Had to call her something when she first came before we knew she was staying.
Bun: Poor little bunny needing help, same as honey.
Ralph: Chelsea, Katie (my sister/Chelseas mom) were talking names and Chelsea said what about Ralph? I like the name Ralph and it stuck. Partly Ralph perfume and partly Simpsons is where she got it from.
Aussie and Belle: Aussie because he's an Eastern Water Dragon (native but was not taken from wild) and Belle because it popped in my head.
Monty: Partly short for monitor and partly Monty Burns from the Simpsons.
Fang: Was Jack when we had a 2nd turtle with him named Jim. Brianna (niece) and I named them. Jim passed so Jack became fang.
Chirpy: We couldn't think of a name that suited and he chirps a lot. I said to dad one day why not Chirpy since he's always chirping.
Birdie: Again couldn't think of suitable name. Tried white fang but sounded odd for a bird. When we talk to him it's always birdie and so the name stuck.
The other lizards dont don't have names they look the same so can't tell apart.
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For centuries, there have been reports of strange events where the sky is perceived to spit out blood. Today, this abnormal occurrence is known as "Blood rain" or "Red rain"where the rain showers, from the sky, have a peculiar red colour. In the ancient past, this phenomenon was considered to be a bad omen where some apocalyptic events were to come.
This event is present in ancient literature like The Illiad, the Polchronicon and the poems of Hesiod. This rain generally covers very small pieces of land. It can last for many days or a short period of time. Till the 17th century, people believed the red colour of the rain was due to the fact that the water which fell from the sky was actually blood. When this phenomenon happens it has the capacity to coat cars, furniture and houses along with stain clothes. After the rain dries, it leaves a thin layer of dirt, which maybe red in colour.
The recent developments in technology enabled the scientists to properly study this phenomenon. Theories to the cause vary greatly. One suggestion is the rain is caused by the aerial spores of Trentepohlia annulate, a microalgae. The spores of this algae are release into the air where they accumulate then are caught in precipitation and disposed to a large area in Another theory is the sand particles of the desert are picked up by the violent winds and they combine with the moisture which is present in the clouds. These particles cause the rain to turn red resulting in the abnormal event. Some also say that these rains could be caused caused by the dust of meteors and extraterrestrial life.
There have been many incidents reported in the past involving blood rain The most modern known case is said to be the one that took place in Kerala, a southern state of India in 2001. It began on 25 July and ended on 23 September 2001. The rain is said to have deposited nearly 110,000 lbs of red particles in the state.. Blood rain also fell in Monaragala, Polonnaruwa and Sevanagala of Sri Lanka on November 14th and November 15th 2012. A recent of red rain took place in the province of Zamora in Spain during the autumn months of 2014.
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Around the world, people are celebrating the Chinese New Year and the start to the Year of the Dragon. This got us wondering: Where did the myth of the dragon come from in the first place? Scholars say that belief in dragons probably evolved independently in both Europe and China, and perhaps in the Americas and Australia as well. How could this happen? Many have speculated about which real-life animals inspired the first legends. Here's our run-down of the likeliest suspects.
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Remember that girlfriend I mentioned in a previous blog? Well it wasn't long after that blog was posted that we broke up. It was doomed to fail from the beginning. I don't even know why I said yes when she asked me out. I am in no position to have a girlfriend. It's too bloody expensive and time consuming. Frankly, I have better things to do at the moment. So in a way, I'm glad the relationship ended. Yes, she came to my life at a time I needed someone to save me from the darkness and I found comfort in her arms. But we didn't have a lot of time to spend together so as soon as she left, I was alone in the dark again.
The problems started very quickly. She began complaining about her family and her friends and even herself. Almost everything she said was putting herself down because of what someone else said to her. I tried to help her. To convince her that she was a good person; that these people were just mean and they didn't care. But she didn't listen. In fact, most of the time, she ignored me when she was feeling upset. Even after I did help her feel better many times. I began to expect getting the cold shoulder instead of a warm greeting text every morning.
When she told her family about me, that's when the real trouble started. They immediately rejected the idea of me dating her. They overreacted like we were in a Mexican soap opera or something. They would yell at her or sometimes just ignore her to try and make her break up with me but she couldn't do it. She wanted me to meet them so I agreed but they refused. Then I somehow got roped into meeting a friend of their family. That went about as smoothly as a rusty saw blade. I only succeeded in making our entire situation worse because of my awkwardness around strangers being misinterpreted as disrespect. It was at this point that I was beginning to give up.
Now we were forced to sneak around and see each other in secret at irregular intervals. It dwindled from once a week to every two weeks to over a month without seeing each other. That was when she cheated on me with her ex. Why she would want to go back to him, I still do not understand because based on what she told me and the screenshots of some of his texts to her, he was a complete grade-a douchenozzle. Harassment was just the beginning of the horrible things he did to her. And yet she still sought attention from him just because there was no way she could come see me because we were so far away. She couldn't wait. She couldn't text me back. She couldn't even have an intelligent conversation with me. She just couldn't be what I needed so I couldn't take it anymore.
The stress was too much when piled on top of all the other stress I was already dealing with. While I am happy for the experience, I regret every single second of it. I should have never let myself get that close to someone I barely knew. Someone I didn't even really like that much. The worst part is, I actually did grow to love her before the end of it. But I can't even think of her anymore without thinking of everything she put me through. And for that, I don't think I can ever love her again.
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This is a hit on the late side, but that doesn't harm anyone now does it. So seems this past year of school has been passing by at a much quicker rate than I had ever noticed before. It is my senior year and here I am looking at college, jobs, and so much else. Slowly have iI seen my pack grow as well. From new members to new lives. I am engaged to my mate, I have been doing better at being open about me being trans and that my name is Damon. I have figured out that I am actually more demi-asexual, someone who is only partially asexual, and that life has seemed to smooth out from what it used to be like. So as I am here I am going to announce that I am starting another blog section and it will be called Story Time With Damon. This is where I shall be posting past stories and stories that I will later be experiencing in life.
in regards to all this, spring break is in 9 days counting weekends. Not sure if I will be here or in Kentucky yet, but as it seems I will be here. In that sense I do hope to see Standing Fox as soon as possible since I need to pick up my pelts from him.
Expect to see me outside on Tuesday April 4th. This is a day for therians and otherkin to both go outside at 5:00 pm your time and make the sounds of your theriotype and kintype. To show that you are not alone where you live. So expect to hear my howls of my wolves and maybe even the roars and growling of my dragon, who will be talked about in my next entry.
another blog entry on here will be arriving soon this week or this month. For now this is Lunar Wolf signing off.
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So.... is it wrong that I am concerned that the current political situation in America is gradually spiraling into a religious stand off.
With Trump being strongly represented by,as well as being a representative of the Christian Faithful.
More and more I see, read, and hear religious quotes or people talking about prayer in regards to Trump. It worries me because segregation and feelings of rightful superiority for any race/religion is dangerous.
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I am currently dealing with a issue that has to do with my apartment. I believe the place to be haunted by a mimic. it has appeared as me or as one of my 2 daughters so far. seems harmless. it does have the ability to mess with the childs toys and it has reset my microwave. I will hear it in the kitchen messing with the pots and pans or the silverware. my grandson who is three ran terrified from the play area claiming he saw a large black bird in the corner. I am seriously seeking answers as to what this may be. it has become more active lately and I am not sure as to why. my son in law heard one of the childs toys going off in the play area and he went to investigate. he was recording from his phone trying to catch it when he became very cold and he was choked up with emotion to the point of crying and he has no clue why. I know a great deal about a lot of this stuff but I want an outside opinion on the matter. I am not sure if I should perform a cleansing. it has not harmed anyone only scared my grandson. this has been going on for 4yrs
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Recap: deadzones, something changed the routes out on the internet. AGAIN !
Will be back if it corrects itself and/or I happen to try again in a few months.
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He watched as the rising suns began to peer out over the distant hills to the far west, for Miradwin orbited it's binary suns "backwards" relative to other planets in the system, Valus didn't know the precise reason for this, something about the planet having been knock out of its original orbit billions of years ago. Ancient astro-history wasn't a concern of his, the fact that the suns had failed to reveal his herd of Drongas, however, was. The massive beasts were semi-wild, but very circular in their habits, dispersing into the forests at night and coming out into the fields of tube-grass in the mornings to feed. As Valus approached the edge of the tube-grass he could not spot the leathery backs of the Drongas which normally spotted the fields. He made his way to the fence and through the waist high grass, the fence was more of a formality, used to designate the edge of his property, Dronga could easily step over the fence. At twice his height, nearly six meters, Drongas were the largest animals in the region. Despite an impressive set of tusks and their large size, Dronga were very passive animals, Miradwin's early settlers found that they could easily milk the beasts without fear of retribution (Dronga nursed their young). Valus could see no prints in the grass, the herd hadn't even arrived yet. This was very troubling, Dronga milk was his family's main source of income, if his herd had wander too far off, or worse been slaughtered by poachers, his family would be out of a home! Letting out several short clicks, intended to resemble the calls Dronga young make when separated by their mothers, Valus tried to couch any beasts in the area to show themselves. Drongas never traveled in small groups, if he could locate at least on of his animals, the rest would be nearby. After a few minutes of searching the outer fringe of the nearby forest, Valus came across a gruesome sight, three dead Dronga, their massive bulk lay by the stream that trickled from the far off hills. As he got closer he could see that the smaller of the three, a female, had been partly skinned and beheaded. Valus let out a deep sigh, Drongas breed only once every two years, the loss of a female was a serious punch to the gut. He retrieved his comm-unit from his bag and contacted his oldest two sons to come and help him with cleanup, and to bring the gun. Valus didn't like having a gun around, he despised the damned things, but he had heard one too many stories of poachers who were willing to harm farmers.
After a couple of minutes his sons, Keah and Ralun, arrived. Keah, the oldest, had the gun slung across his back and carried the gas canister. Dronga were simply too big to bury, so it was customary to burn them when they died, considering how importuned the animals were to them, Valus though it was only appropriate to give them a funeral pyre. He began to douse the animals in fuel while Keah stood watch, Ralun walked up to the largest of the Dronga and rubbed his hands through the beast's patchy hair. "They got Skeevo, poor old Skeevo!" He said, kicking the dirt. "He never hurt anyone, and they killed him just to feed those ravenous maggots they call children!" Part of Valus sympathized with his son, but he also wished he would watch his words. While their people* were one species, they were divided into two very different races, Valus and his sons were members of the Nakandri race, who were shorter, more robust and more "wild" in appearance than the taller and slimmer Malvika race. The differences weren't just of the physical variety, Nakandri breed slower and took longer to reach maturity than Malvika. While Nakandri see themselves as closer to the ancestral type, Malvika saw them as "primitive", a throwback to a more savage time period. Miradwin was one of the few planets where Nakandri were allowed to live on somewhat equal terms as Malvika, who were both more populous and held more political power. And that showed no sign of changing.
The funeral was relatively uneventful, and after making sure that the bodies had burned thoroughly they began their return journey home. Aside from a few broken branches they saw no sigh of poachers, nor of the rest of their herd. While Nakandri were happy to trade Dronga milk to the Malvika cities in the east in exchange for supplies, many Malvika felt that they had a right to simply take what they wanted from the "lesser" race. It was a sad state of affairs, Valus thought, that his sons and daughters (of which he had three), would spend their whole lives being looked down apon by Malvika. The pain of a lost herd was at least lessened softly by the sight of Valus' homestead coming into view, a two story domed structure, composed of wood and various metals gained through trading, it was just big enough for their whole family, smoke ebbed its way out of the trio of chimneys and filled the air above the homestead and light shined out of the colorful glass windows on the upper floor. It was a welcoming sight to Valus, and he was reminded that, while their lives were an almost daily struggle, he at least had his family, many Malvika sons were recruited from a young age to serve in the armed forces, battling out on distant worlds, against alien enemies, likely to never see home again. Valus hated conflict and war, and it saddened him that his species were more concerned with slaughter and conquest than trying to find peaceful solutions to problems. He had taught his children that violence and force should only be used as a last resort. As they approached the homestead, Keah and Ralun went off to the shed to gather tools needed to harvest the day's supply of fruits, while they gathered Dronga milk to trade, Valus' family sustained themselves of fruits and fish gathered in the surrounding forests and streams. Valus himself headed inside, where he met Meva, his wife. She had the most beautiful hair, a light auburn color, like harvest grain. They hugged and he rapped his arms around her and brought her in for a warm embrace.
"Is something wrong?" She asked him, and he told her the whole story about the Drongas. She placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to comfort him, "We can find a new herd, or gather enough fish to trade!" She said, trying her best to cheer him up. "I can't take it anymore!" Valus said, raising his voice, something he rarely did. "They treat us like dirt, steal from us and threaten to take our land if we don't have enough to trade with." Valus had lived almost his whole life on Miradwin, but he was at the end of his ropes, after everyone had gathered to eat, he announced to his family that they would take everything of value and trade it for an inter-planetary ship. "And just where do you suggest we go?" Meva asked him. "I once heard of a small, watery world, on the far edges of the Imperium, it already had a sapient species present, so it was only lightly colonized. We could start fresh, no poachers, no fear of eviction hanging over our heads." He explained to her. While it was true he wasn't sure if that world was even real, he knew that sometimes you just had to hold your breath and dive into the metaphorical waters. It took a bit more convincing before Meva finally agreed. "That settles it then, tomorrow me and Ralun will head into town to find us a ship and someone to fly it." He said, hoping for all their sakes his plan would work.
*Zylottans a reptomammalian species, roughly 5-9 feet tall at the shoulder, with their necks adding another two, they have a snakelike head (lacking external ears and with only vestigial nostrils), thick muscular tails, tipped in a small venomous spur, and barrel-shaped bodies. While they are bipedal by choice, standing on their collumn-like legs, they can "revert" to a quadrupedal stance when running. As they are not as "leggy" as humans, with arms and legs being of about equal length. Due to their evolutionary nature of being amphibious, they have webbed hands with each finger (a thumb and three fingers) encased in a claw up the the second joint. Their feet are vaguely circular, with only three claws, the fourth being vestigial. The end of the tail is flexible enough to rap around objects. They are covered head to toe in "hair" (actually modified scales) that can range in color from brown, to blonde, to red, to black. Eye color is typically brown or blue, with green appearing in 1/1000 births. Zylottans are a long lived and slow growing species. They are primarily carnivorous, but can and do eat fruits from time to time. The dental forumula per jaw is 4 pointed incisors, 1 canine, 3 premolars and 4 molars. No teeth are visible when the mouth is closed, although the canines may be large enough in some individuals to poke out between the lips. Sexual dimorphism is minimal, females are only slightly smaller and slimmer than the males.
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I love mysteries... probably a little bit too much. I've been so curious of the unknown, that I've tried to :
1). summon demons
2). talk to the dead
3). do magic spells
the list goes on... (maybe I have too much time on my hands)
Anyway.. I was researching information on the ouija board and I've always been skeptical about it. I saw that the prices range from about $15-$30. I was watching videos of people disproving it and finally came to my senses. As a 21 year old man, I am VERY CHEAP. I hate to spend money. And if there's anything I hate more than SPENDING money is WASTING money. I came to my senses and now I'm laughing at myself for even thinking about buying a cardboard game, only to end up talking to this cardboard and having it not reply.. Then I'll be sitting there looking stupid and angry about wasting my money on a kid's game.
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Some of you know that I volunteer for a sort of advocacy group, mostly focusing on lower income and illegal workers, both legal and illegal. For over a year now, it has mostly been about prostitution, homelessness, unemployment, the usual thing one thinks about when one thinks about these things.
But things have changed. And the change is scary. I am scared. I am seeing it happen, right in front of me, real-time.
Two weeks ago, I received a call that a woman I know who has been working as a housemaid in the U.S. for 14 years had been arrested by ICE and was going to be deported. I had to go pick up her children at her home, because the children had been taught not to open the door for strangers, and that the people outside were police officers did absolutely nothing to reassure them. The only reason they came out for me was because they knew me personally, and because I convinced the Child Welfare lady to send the cops away.
Here's the thing: The Child Welfare lady let me take the children. She let me take them to someone else I knew who was an acquaintance of the arrested lady. I'm not sure how many of you have ever worked with Child Welfare, but they don't do that sort of thing without knowing every little detail about it. Most of them truly do care about the welfare of the children. And, I suspect that is why the lady let me take care of them. Because wherever she was meant to take them, she decided that the kids would be in a better place where I took them.
What about their mother? She was arrested at the police station. She was there because she was filling out a witness report to a crime she saw happening to someone else. I'm still working with the legal rep. They want to deport her to Mexico. She's from Venezuela. She's currently in a cell with a woman who shot another woman over a boyfriend. At least that woman has a different bar regarding what should be considered illegal behavior.
Some people here like to argue politics as a hobby. They like to think of these things theoretically. They don't think they do, heck, they have even sometimes convinced themselves they really sincerely care about the topic, and that they are personally affected by it. But here's the thing: How are you being affected? What have you seen? What has affected you personally?
Last week, I was talking to the pastor at a little church. He needed advice on the tunnels he was digging out of his church to a nearby building. He wanted to make sure his safe room was safe and hidden. Why? Because sometimes, homeless immigrants came into the church seeking shelter, or simply because they needed spiritual support, and since they did, ICE decided to wait by the watering hole, to catch and question them on the way out.
Do you understand what is happening in this country, right now? Churches are building escape tunnels.
What for? Is it just so they can avoid the front door and then carry on happily in that neighborhood? No. Once you are targeted, you need to get out of the country. Not the neighborhood, not state, the country. Because ICE doesn't give a damn about you or your family. They will separate you and send you to Mexico, and if that rips you away from your kids, oh well, you will catch them later probably, or not.
Canada is receiving refugees from America. Refugees from America. Let that sink in. People are so scared of their families being torn apart by American law enforcement, that they are hiding in tunnels and traveling across the entire freaking country to escape to Canada. They are literally crossing deserts and snow fields, at night, to escape.
That is what America has become. A country of hidden rooms and tunnels to protect refugees. Of Child Welfare agents willing to look the other way, so that families have a chance of staying together. Last week, American citizens were required to show their citizenship papers to get off a plane that had neither departed nor landed from a foreign country. Muhammad Ali Jr, and his Grandmother were approached by LEO and questioned about their religion. Do you think that having legal papers will save you? The president signed an EO that detained legal visa and green card holders. This is not about having the legal papers. That's just the excuse.
What is it going to take? What is your cut-off?
If the private prison corporations start building temporary camps for illegal immigrants, is that going to be okay? Beats putting them in actual jails, right? We don't want to be uncivilized about this.
How about we use those camps for marijuana users as well? Sure, the government is talking about going after marijuana users as well, but they aren't criminals, right? They would be safer in camps, rather than prisons, right?
Where is your line, people? Where?
Are you willing to carry and show your papers on demand, like the people on that plane did? That happened. It isn't theoretical. It happened.
Are you willing to be questioned about your religion? It is happening. Right now, as we speak, there are police officers questioning people on the suspicion of being Muslim. Where is your line?
There are secret safe houses for good people who are trying to keep their families together. There are secret escape tunnels to keep those people away from law enforcement trying to send them away to a country they may or may not be a citizen of. That's happening.
It may not happen to you. If you are white, it won't happen. But maybe it'll happen to a friend of yours. Maybe you don't even remember that they aren't white, just because you've know them for so long, and their race just isn't an issue with you. How involved are you? How much in danger are you? Is it just politics, or is it actually a part of your life?
When I went to talk to the housekeeper, ICE demanded to see proof of my citizenship. I was born in California. I have an Associates, a Bachelors, and a Masters degree. I served as both enlisted, and as an officer, in the U.S. Navy. I have fought in two wars for this country. None of that mattered. The only reason I was approached and questioned was because my skin is brown. The only reason I was not detained was because my day job is with a federal analyst group, my boss outranks the ICE captain.
This isn't politics for me. This is my daily life. I get stopped. I get questioned. I get detained. People I know are having their families torn apart. People I know are trying to escape the country. And people, like the pastor at the church, and the lady from Child Welfare, they also know things are happening, and they are doing what they can to help. They knew where the line was, and when that line was crossed, they took action.
What's your line? Have you even thought about it?
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So...hello everyone! I have been away...very away from this site for some reason. I can't actually remember why, but it was probably just on my own accord. How's everyone been doing these past 5+ years I've been away? The site looks nice and all, and from what I remember of it, it looks almost the same really.
So, I've been doing ok. I've started college and I've been trying to get on with what I need to do and sometimes, life comes back around hard. I really used to love this place and for some reason, I left. But hopefully, I can get back into the swing of things and get back to making posts and all of that good stuff. Not sure what else to say, but I hope people do remember me from back then posting here, but if you don't, Hey! I hope to get re-acquainted with the site and post some stuff and whatnot. Hello to all those new members that I don't know and Hello to those of you who remember me from back then.
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Hello, hello yes, I am back finally ( even though no one probably looks forward to me posting stuff on her ). But I am back and I have had some fun since I've been off this site, not saying that this site is fun to look at. I have had some troubling times too, especially with school, but I won't go into that. My therian life has been going well, except for the explaining. I have had to ekplain to my mom and cousin what a therian is, my mom gets it pretty well and is chill with me being a therian but I will have to explain more to her as time goes on. My cousin says it makes no sense which makes me pretty sad, and she believes in Greek gods and that they control the things that they empower, so me and my friend will have to explain more to her, mainly my friend because he has been a therian for 11 years. There is just an update on my life, and my therian life. Signing out ~Serenity Moonlight
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No matter if you're single or attached, chances are you will go on or have gone on a blind date at some point in your life. Keep in mind these tips if you are in such a situation again.
Things to do on a blind date
1. Bring 20 or so candles into the restaurant. During the meal, get up & arrange them around the table in a circle. Chant.
2.Wipe your nose on your date's sleeve. Twice.
3.Repeat every third third word you say say.
4.Lick your plate. Offer to lick your date's.
5.Order a bucket of lard.
6.Sacrifice french fries to the great deity, Pomme.
8.Refuse to communicate in anything but mime for the entire evening.
9.Recite graphic limericks to the people at the table next to you.
10.Take a break & go into the restroom. When you return to the table, throw a spare pair of underwear on the back of one of the chairs. Tell your date, with a straight face, "They need to air out."
11.Order your food by colors and textures. Sculpt.
12.Save the bones from your meal & explain that you're taking them home to your invalid, senile old mother because it's a lot cheaper than actually feeding her.
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Web Stories
Make a battery from fruit at holiday science lectures
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. · McDonnell Hall, Room A02
Posted December 5, 2011; 03:00 p.m.
The Princeton Center for Complex Materials will present two audience-participation holiday science lectures for chidren and families at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in McDonnell Hall, Room A02. Attendees will learn about electricity and make a battery from fruit. Registration is required.


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Serves 6
Serve these burnished purple pears with crème fraîche (with stirred-in orange zest and sugar or honey, if you like), ice cream, blue cheese, or gingerbread. It's best to prepare them ahead of time, so they soak up even more color and flavor from the cooking liquid. Using thick, syrupy molasses and honey removes the need to reduce the liquid prior to poaching the pears. Feel free to vary the type of honey; for instance, try Italian chestnut honey for a darker, more complex dish.
Combine the zest, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and peppercorns on a medium piece of cheesecloth and bundle into a bag, securing with kitchen twine. Set aside.
Stir together the rest of the ingredients except for the pears in the slow cooker, then add the pears, coating them with the sauce. Nestle in the spice bag. Cover and cook on low until the pears are very tender but still retain their shape, about 3 hours.
Carefully transfer the pears to a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish (where they'll later marinate in the reduced cooking liquid). Pour the cooking liquid into a medium saucepan, discarding the cheesecloth bag. Boil over high heat until reduced to a scant 1-1⁄4 cups, 25 to 30 minutes (the sauce should slightly coat the back of a spoon). Pour the sauce over the pears in the baking dish and turn to coat. Let sit, covered, in the fridge for at least a couple of hours (marinating the pears will give them even more color and flavor). The pears can be served cold, at room temperature, or warm. When ready to serve them, transfer two pear halves to each plate and top with some poaching liquid.
Photo: Andrew Hugh Purcell
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ACHICA > Jo Lucksted > Jo Lucksted - Moon Face Bottle Sculpture, Heart with Red Heart Motif, H9cm
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Jo Lucksted - Moon Face Bottle Sculpture, Heart with Red Heart Motif, H9cm
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Calming, tactile, intriguing and whimsical, each one of these genie bottles is unique and can hold a tiny single stemmed dried flower or feather.
If used as a gift, you can write a little message on a piece of paper and pop it rolled up in the opening - a personal message in a bottle!
Not glazed on interior so unsuitable for use as a vase or liquid container.
Height: 9cm.
Product Code JLMOONFACE1
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Results 11 to 20 of 23
Thread: New to Oscars
+ 1 to mizz
Any suggestions for oscar tankmates in a 50 or 75 gallon tank?]
Gas mileage isn't everything OIIIIIIIO
Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
Why pretend there are no stupid questions? Actually, There are many stupid questions: "Should I drink this bleach?" Is just one example.
Having said that, Just because it's a stupid question doesn't mean that it shouldn't be asked. It's better to know.
A warm beer is better than a cold beer. Because nothing is better than a cold beer, and a warm beer is better than nothing.
So why do your co-workers want an oscar?
I don't see all my coworkers often, as we work 12-hour shifts in 2 to 3 man teams, 4 on, 4 off, so I only really work with one person everyday, and they just brought this idea to me a week or so before I posted here. First they asked me about setting up a tank, I told them okay, and asked them to look up some fish that they might want. I started this thread cause my relief asked me when we are getting the oscar, then my coworker said that would be awesome. Next thing I knew, that is what everyone wanted. That or a shark.
Maybe I will just get a red-eared slider.
They need to research Oscars diet more than they have.. Just saying
It's far better to ask what needs to be asked - Than to not ask man, Don't sweat it.
Probably because it eats other fish.
Enjoy your turtle.
Last edited by Goes to 11!; 04-21-2013 at 12:30 PM.Gas mileage isn't everything OIIIIIIIO
Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
Why pretend there are no stupid questions? Actually, There are many stupid questions: "Should I drink this bleach?" Is just one example.
Having said that, Just because it's a stupid question doesn't mean that it shouldn't be asked. It's better to know.
A warm beer is better than a cold beer. Because nothing is better than a cold beer, and a warm beer is better than nothing.
+1 to the above.
Aside from the very questionable ethics you are ignoring - this may be of interest: http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fishfood/feederfish.php
Also, look up Thiaminase poisoning - possible when using feeders. Don't do it."Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." Carl Sagan
~ 350 Litre Tank Journal ~ ~ 30 Litre Tank Journal ~
I would worry that since you don't see your workers that often that they would take it upon themselves to see the oscar eat fish, and possibly any other food besides fish food.
I know you're just the middle man here. You have coworkers who want one thing, but are uneducated about it. Then on the other side you have us, experienced, opinionated aquarists giving you the cold hard facts about what your coworkers want. What we have failed to say up to this point is THANK YOU! Thank you for doing the research ahead of time and not just plunking a fish in some water and hoping for the best.
I don't think there is anything wrong with your coworkers being interested in the process of one animal eating another. That happens in nature every day and anyone who has ever owned a snake and many other types of reptiles will regularly provide them with live mice and other critters that they hunt and eat. It's just that in the case of fish, feeder fish are not recommended in any way as they have adverse health effects. A well rounded diet of commercial fish foods is available for this reason.
Here's what I would do. Tell your coworkers that they would love to have an oscar. Oscars are great fish. They are impressive, massive behemoths that are fun to watch and interact with. You'll need to tell them to think of an Oscar like a dog in fish form. They have personalities, they grow attachments to people, they greet you at the tank front and follow you as you walk by them.
This being said, the "entertainment" of feeding them fish is out the window. Your pet dog might kill and eat a rabbit, but we all still feed them the pelleted dog food that you buy in the store because it's safer and more ethical.
As long as you have an appropriately sized tank, and everyone agrees to stick to a posted set of rules for the fish tank, Oscar away! If they want to see multiple fish in the tank, it would be best to forgo the oscar and set up a nice community tank.
Also, if the 75 gal that your coworker's friend's cousin's brother's professor's former roommate has is not sufficient for an oscar and that's the route you want to go, check your local classifieds. You should be able to find an oscar appropriate tank for a low price.~Manna
120 gallon FW bowfront in progress
Questionable ethics? For feeding the oscar a possible poor food choice, or for letting nature take its course? If its the former, then I didn't know that before, but have been reading since. If it is the latter, then I don't feel I have any questionable ethics at all. I just see the world differently, and it is part of nature.
My main concern is someone might get the idea to clean the tank when they are bored in the middle of the night, or add water to the tank. One of the guys opposite of me is very reliable, so on my off days, he should be on, so he will be the one in charge of feeding on those days.
I will probably work within the confines of the tank, unless they bring in a 10 gallon. An oscar is probably out unless I am surprised with a big tank, or I find one for a good price.
I think that once I get the actual measurements of the tank, I will be able to narrow down the choices a bit. I am sure I can find something they will appreciate.
Thanks everyone for all the help.
In putting a fish in an oscar tank you are subjecting it to massive amounts of stress with no chance of escape. None. This is what I consider to be totally unacceptable and irresponsible as an aquarist. There is no need to feed oscars live food. They will readily take and thrive on processed fish foods, thawed raw fish, veggies and fruit. There is no rational justification for it.
Your personal gratification on seeing the spectical of "the chase" should not come into it if you have any conscience or awareness of welfare standards in animal husbandry. Causing unnecessary suffering to another animal is, well, unnecessary. Check your ego at the door."Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." Carl Sagan
~ 350 Litre Tank Journal ~ ~ 30 Litre Tank Journal ~
10-24-2014, 06:59 PM #20Member Swordtails
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Hey! So oscars are fish that are often given a very bad reputation, but especially with more semi aggressive species such as the jack Dempsey, it should do fine. That tank size is pretty good for a young oscar, when he gets older and larger, your probably going to want to get him into something a bit bigger, but Ive seen Oscars happily kept singly in 30-40 gallon aquariums. I would go for it, as long as you have powerful filtration then you should be fine with a smaller oscar and a few tank mates. Also, oscars will eat anything you put into the tank. Mine at first would only eat shrimp pellets, and then after a week was eating flakes, worms, and peas. Mine is pretty small, and hasn't ever bothered a fish in the 55, and Im waiting to for a few years to get a larger tank or build one in my college. But oscars are great fish with huge personalities, and will always beg you for food!!! They are very worth the expense!Work hard and have fun