text: Corio Bay Setting out onto Corio Bay proved worthwhile for soft plastic anglers with such a mixed bag on offer. Fishing from the rock at Limburners boat ramp anglers crossed paths with numerous garfish that had a liking for small amounts of silver fish baited up under a float. On the spoil grounds just out from Limrburners pinkie snapper, pike and flathead kept anglers busy with 3 or 4 inch gulp minnows working a treat. Of note anglers have managed a few King George whiting on soft plastics over the past few weeks with worm style plastics the most effective. Nathan Wright made the most of the nice weather setting out on his kayak on the Grammer School Lagoon. Casting lures around the moored yachts Nathan landed a number of nice sized black bream that gave him a run for his money on light tackle. Nathan kept casting away and hooked something solid that fought a little different to usual bream, the culprit turned out to be a large estuary perch, a rare catch for Corio Bay.St Leonards Heading over to St Leoanrds and whiting captures only increased. The usual haunt Bourke St was a safe bet on the run in tide. If you're looking to beat the crowds over the Christmas break on the whiting all you need to do is find an area in depth of about 4 to 6 meters with some nice sand patches mixed with a bit of weed and keep moving if only 50 meters or so until you find a patch of feeding fish. Squid were on offer over most the weed beds between St Leonards Yacht club and the mouth of Swan Bay. Size three jigs in a white colour or King George whiting pattern did the trick. Fishing the deeper water out from St Leonard's resulted in a few gummy shark to about 6kg.Queenscliff Queenscliff held larger sized whiting on the grass beds but were more temperamental. The Harbour was productive for silver trevally and squid around a slack tide again soft plastics was an ideal tactic. The Rip at times saw Australian Salmon erupt on the surface in a feeding frenzy. Over the summer chasing salmon busting on the surface is exciting fishing, try casting 4 or 5 inch white coloured soft plastics into the feeding frenzy. Offshore Heading out off shore and reports have started to filter in of Kingfish with some respectable fish to 8kg being taken by those marking them over structure and then sending a knife jig down or well-presented squid bait down. Trelly's Geelong Kevin Hunter took a run off shore last week and boated a healthy bag of tiger flathead. There is also still plenty of snapper and gummy shark in the 30 meter mark.Out west all the estuaries fished well for bream, perch and even Mulloway. Off shore Portland had a few Kingfish make an appearance.Lake PurrumbeteLake Purrumbete shows no sign of slowing down with anglers snagging trophy brown trout. A variety of methods will work but trolling Tassie devils at first light along the East bank hard to beat. Using a down rigger during the day to reach the depths will increase your bite time. Mudeye under a float will be a great choice to boat a mixed bag of brown, rainbow and brook trout too. Tim Beusmans boated a absolute trophy of a brown trout of 4.45 kg just the other day.Lake Toolirook Just up the road Lake Toolirook still has rainbow trout snapping up Tassie devils on trolled lures.The Barwon River around Queenspark saw redfin devouring small hard body lures. If you want to try something different use a Megabass siglet which is a surface lure and great for avoiding the snags.Goulburn River The Goulburn River in the Nagambie region is still a little dirty but from the horse studs on North Rd to the Wineries is fishing well for Cod, most fish are around t he 45cm with the occasional 60cm plus amongst them. Trolling deep divers such as size 1 Stumpjumpers in colour 7 or 25, and small deep divers such as Old Mates and Codgers working well also, Casting 1oz Bassman Mumblers and 1oz 4 X 4's at the trees along the banks working well also. Bait fishing with Bardi Grubs, Scrubworms, Cheese and Yabbies working well also. Murchison to Toolamba is still dirty also, but probably the best area to try at the moment, Bardi Grubs are by far the best method and most fish are undersize, but with some patience, you should catch a Cod over 60cm. Surprisingly there are a few Cod and Yellowbelly caught on lures, not as many as bait, but still worth throwing some spinnerbaits and surface lures around. The River around Arcadia and Shepparton, besides being dirty, looks really good and certainly worth a fish and even though as few fish are being caught, it will be certain to fire any day now. Undera area is fishing well, just a little hard to get the boats in with the muddy banks, Purple Codgers and Bardi Grubs and Scrubworms working the best.SheppartonThe local lakes, Victoria, Kialla and Graigmuier are all fishing ok, some nice Yellowbelly on Jackal T/N 60's peacock colour and some nice Redfin on Red Tailed White 3 inch plastic grubs. Cod in the Main Eastern Channel on cheese anywhere from Pine Lodge and south to Dargalong Road.Rushworth / KyabramNo surprise that Waranga Basin is still the place to catch Redfin in our Region, still huge amounts of small fish, out of 150-200 fish, you might get a couple of dozen keeper sized fish, but great fun for the kids, Trolling RMG Crazy Deeps and small Balista Smokes in green or white working well, then Drop Bear Squidgys doing the damage once the schools are found. All the main channels are really dirty so bait fishing the preferred method at the moment. Some bigger Redfin at Greens Lake and some reports of Yellowbelly near the inlet channel on dark Jackal T/N 60's even though the channel isn't flowing.Lake Nillahcootie We are starting to get some really good reports from Lake Nillahcootie, fisho's catching up to 20 odd Yellowbelly and Cod in a session, and some fisho's even managing to find some Redfin. Mansfield youngfella's Colby and Sam have got Cod to 61cm on Yabbies, smaller Cod on the surface using Pomperdores, 40cm Cod on Old Mate Spinnerbaits and some nice Yellowbelly on dark coloured 50mm AC Invaders. The lake looks a little like a cup of Tea, but hasn't slowed the fish down, certainly worth a trip over the holidays.The Murray / Mulwala Steve (Trelly) fished with Rex Hunt up at Berri, besides all the banter, they had a great day on the water, catching any amount of Trout Cod and small Cod you wanted to, mainly on worms. Cobrawonga (Cobram to Yarrawonga) is fishing really well, once the river stops rising and dropping and settles, it's only going to get better, Old Mates in the Purple and Big Surface Lures are working really well. Plenty of good numbers of Cod being caught in Mulwala and Bunderlong, surface fishing the most productive with Andrew getting a 52cm on a Koolabung Codwalker and a 58cm on a Colour 9 Old Mate diver.Next WeekOver the Christmas break there so many options to choose from but boating a Kingfish from the RIP or Offshore from Barwon heads is some serious fast paced action. Whiting will bite all summer long off St Leornards. The Barwon Estuary is a great location to take the kids with pippie on a running sinker almost certain to work.


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WELCOME TO K4AVX'S HOME PAGE.Revised starting Jan. 13, 2016. New feature on #2 below.
Other activities now include:
KYN - The Kentucky CW Net.
Steve Morgan, W4NHO, has taken over the management of this Net.
It has been a mainstay
of my ham radio operations since I first got my general license. I hope to continue as a regular check-in and NCS.
QRP Operation - What I started out with was a little 15
watt input 6L6 borrowed from Woody Fugage, W4JDU, shown at the right.
Built several tube type little xmtrs with 6AQ5's usually, even a modulated one. Also, got the manual and some coils from Allied Radio, and
put together my own Ocean Hopper, not the kit. I have rediscovered QRP, and still enjoy building and using "little radios." I also
have participated in qrp contests and the qrp Fox Hunts, several times as the "fox."
Kentucky Mountains Amateur Radio Club - KMARC I have been a member for many, many
years, and still act at the
treasurer of this organization. I participate in most activities.
RADIO RELAY LEAGUE -ARRL - I have been a coutinuous member at
least 50 years, and have served as
Net Manager, EC, ASEC, ORS, and as a VE. I am presently serving as an Assistant Great Lakes Division Director, and
try to encourage membership, and helping clubs in the area.
CAROLINA VEC - I have been team leader in giving exams
for this organization in the Perry Co. Area, and
for any other place as I can. I like the lack of bureaucracy in this organization, and the personal attention and help
to the VE's locally. Many local hams are signed up to assist in exams.
CONTESTS AND DX - I have never been a big contester or
DX'er with the modest antennas I have always had. My
good friends helped me put up a mini-beam in the back yard on a light weiight tower, so I've entered a few contests,
and worked a little more DX. I'd guess I have about 150 countries worked. I am a member of the Kentucky Contest
else strikes my fancy! Like to help new hams, but that doesn't
happen too much any more.
These pages are rebuilding with the links showing up in the underlined sections above. Will undoubtably
take a while to update.
John Farler, K4AVX

subset: commoncrawl


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Laura O'Connor
Blank paper always awaits me, I adore to draw.
Laura O'Connor studied illustration and graphic design in New Zealand, where she grew up. After graduating she moved to Australia and worked as a freelance designer in Melbourne for three years. Now based in South Korea she continues to work as a freelancer whilst studying fine arts. Laura creates portraits using pencil and acrylic paint but adds the finishing touches digitally.
Wall art from £6.95
Delivered ready-to-hang
Curated designs


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I was commissioned to do a painting of a home. The painting is for a realtor to give a client as a thank you gift.
The home I painted is the one the family is leaving behind in the northeast. They loved this house so much.
Having never met the owner of this precious house I didn't know what style they might like.
I had a little extra time so did another one that would reflect my sometimes quirky style.
I had a wonderful time painting these and experimenting with two different looks.
The first one, the watercolor is the one that was chosen. It is framed and ready to go.
Hope they like it.


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So today was the last day of my first graduate course, which was based on eighteenth century literature. Now, because of this, today's post is going to be a little different. I want to reflect a bit on the class, some ideas I had in it, etc. You will, regrettably, not learn the difference between got and gotten (because I'm still trying to figure that out) or not and knot (because that seems too easy), or anything else today. However, you will gain a little insight of who I am. So today we're going to look at the eighteenth century and the blogosphere because–well–I want to.
Welcome to the blogosphere
If you haven't noticed, this is a blog. I'm allowed to say and do anything I want on this site within legal practices. If I want to totally turn this site around and make it about..I don't know…cooking, I can do that. You, my audience, may not appreciate that much, but I have that option. Some of you know who I am, but to the multitude my 100+ visitors-per-day, I'm an anonymous voice, an anonymous writer. You trust what I say, and you trust that I'm an authoritative figure. Like many bloggers, I chose what I wanted to write about–there are political bloggers, social commentators, religious bloggers, and whatever else. That's essentially the blogosphere. People writing about whatever they want to write about and other people reading it.
So let's go back in time…
to the eighteenth century and late seventeenth century. England was in political turmoil after the Restoration (read: after not having a king for some time, a king was reinstated, yay!) over who should be the next king. King Charles was in power, and well–let's just say he had several illegitimate children. There was no clear inheritance for the monarchy, so people fell into one of two categories:
- Tories, who believed Charles's Catholic brother, James, should be the next king
- Whigs, who believed Charles's illegitimate Protestant child, the Duke of Monmouth, should be king
This is known as the Exclusion Crisis and took place 1679-1681. I know you guys probably don't want to hear all the nitty gritty, but you need to understand the political fervor that was going on. It was a lot like the Obama v. McCain election–everyone had an opinion and everyone wanted a say.
Up until 1695, people didn't really have a say. However, in 1695, the Licensing Act of 1662 lapsed and wasn't renewed. That meant several censory measures that were in place from 1662 to 1695 were now gone. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but let me give you a couple of examples. During the Act, there was a limit of 20 publishers; afterwards, that ballooned to 75. Before, there was a limit on how many things could be published; after, a Tory could create a pamphlet and a Whig could respond by the end of that day because of the increase of booksellers and printers. There was a huge insurgence in publishing–pamphlets, newspapers, journals, letters, poems, and pretty much everything you could think of was published. Because many pieces were so politically charged, several were published anonymously.
Sound familiar?
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in England had a lot in common with what's going on today. There's little censorship now, things are published rapidly, frequently anonymously, and people generally believe what they read. For example, Alexander Pope–a renowned poet of the time (and also quite a jerk, but that's neither here nor there)–frequently belittled fellow writers or satirized them. To this very day, we hardly know the authors Pope blacklisted. They were removed from literary canon. People believed him, much like people come here and believe that I actually know what I'm talking about. There was a sort of blind faith in public opinion both then and now.
Not only was there this blind faith, but there were also literary and political "cliques" much like you see online today. Come on, you can't deny them. You have the "emo" people on myspace, "forum trollers" who just bombard every forum they can, "political junkies" who whore out every piece of political booty they can find, "gamers" who–well–game, and everything and everyone else. You had these cliques back then too–Pope lead what was known as the "Scriblerus" club and they wrote about everyone who wasn't a part of their group. Different literary circles would go back and forth and "battle" eachother–much like we see on forum communities today.
Lastly, but most importantly, is the sense of anonymity. It doesn't sound like such a big deal, but think about it. Ever read the comments under a political piece? Ever go on a gaming forum? The trash talk that goes on is unbelievable. Sometimes I have to stop and regain composure after reading a comment. Anonymity makes people far more brazen than they would ever be face-to-face. Remember how I said people frequently bickered through publications? Yeah, some of those pieces not only challenged the writer's intellect, but even claimed that some *cough*Pope*cough* were impotent. Ouch!
Final thoughts
Honestly, the bones of this Web 2.0 society that we know and love were formulated in seventeenth and eighteenth century England. It was a huge cultural explosion of literacy and knowledge–much like today. The forumla was there–increased publishing, political turmoil, anonymity, cliques, and blind faith surmised to an unretractable change of society. While I know today's post didn't necessarily teach you those nitty gritty grammar things that drive you nuts, I hope you were able to glean something from this post. After all, history very clearly repeats itself, as I've illustrated, and you never know when an era like this will come again. Good luck!


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Local Government Bylaws:
See Dog Control Bylaws for more information. Regulations and definitions vary by service area – we encourage you to download a copy of the Dog Control Bylaw(s) directly from your local government.
Links to other websites are provided here for your convenience only. K9 Control does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.
- [icon name=icon-external-link]Okanagan Humane Society
- [icon name=icon-external-link]Vernon & District Animal Care Society
- [icon name=icon-external-link]Responsible Dog Owners of Canada
- [icon name=icon-external-link]Dog Breeds Online
There are also many groups on Facebook that can help reunite lost dogs with their owners. Find a Facebook group in your area by searching for "Lost & Found", or "Lost Pets", or try searching for your favourite Dog Park by name.


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This Tweak Lets You Draw Over iOS Screenshots Before Saving Them [Cydia]
We've talked about the importance of screenshots time and again, and not just because a picture is worth a thousand words. Screenshots are a great way of getting your point across, especially if you're creating software tutorials or how-to guides for something, where they help you articulate the required steps in a highly effective fashion. We also talked about how bloggers find them of utmost importance. However, there can be times when you just need screenshots for taking note of something that you want to recall later, or for helping out a friend or family member in need of assistance. During such times, being able to write over the screenshot is a big help, but unfortunately, that's not always the easiest thing to do. On an iPhone, for instance, you can take a screenshot easily but not really edit it in real time. This is where the Cydia tweak, ScreenPainter, comes in. It's a small free tweak that allows you to draw and write over screenshots before they are saved to Camera Roll.
The tweak, which is being distributed through the BigBoss repo in Cydia, is available for free for jailbroken iPhones, iPod touches and iPads, and is compatible with the 64-bit architecture of newer devices. Once installed on your device, ScreenPainter is enabled by default and adds a Settings app panel of its own, where you can change some of the basic aesthetics of the app (mainly the screenshot flash and the brush color). The tweak's working is really simple – you take a screenshot, and instead of being saved to Camera Roll directly, you can draw on the image to identify and highlight any particular thing that you want to draw attention to. To get more options, you need to shake your device which will present an on-screen pane allowing you to add text boxes, erase drawing, change brush color, clear everything etc. Once you're done making changes, shake the device again, and now you can save the screenshot to Camera Roll, including both the edited and unedited versions.
While ScreenPainter is quite a useful tweak, there are certain areas that can be improved. For instance, the usage of device shake isn't the most effective one, making it a hit and miss at times to get the panel to activate. And since there's no other way to save the screenshot, you can end up missing everything. Also, there's an annoying nag for donation time to time, which doesn't speak highly professional.
Give ScreenPainter a try – since it's free, there's nothing to lose anyway.
1 Comment
Its nice but really needs a better (skitch-like) UI. This could almost be Greenshot on Windows but then on iOS.


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find out here Our Mission is to improve the well being and wellbeing of individuals in Ireland: by preserving folks wholesome; offering the healthcare folks need; delivering top quality providers and getting best worth from health system assets. By means of the series of actions over time, Pilates paves the highway to optimal power, flexibility, and posture to create an extended, leaner you. They provide a full physique workout with low lights, loud music and fast sprints – there is a motive Increase Cycle is among the most popular fitness communities in London. These morning HIIT courses are carried out to the beats of Kanye West and Busta Rhymes – getting you pumped up for the rest of your day. New Jersey's native and county health departments are neighborhood-primarily based public well being service and a first point of contact for questions about public well being providers or well being circumstances.
Well being can be outlined as physical, psychological, and social wellbeing, and as a resource for dwelling a full life. This class presents individuals with little to no boxing talent to expertise the benefits from the fitness the sport can bring. Squats permits individuals to enroll with specialists of their alternative to attain their health and fitness objectives. Our Freestyle Group Coaching is a seamless mix of the newest gym equipment and certified fitness workers who will information you each step of the way.
The latest information in Healthcare IT – straight to your inbox. "Health: What does good health actually mean?." Medical News At present. 11. OTHER POSTED GUIDELINES – Reasonable rules and rules may be posted infrequently concerning the health, safety, or safety of members and all Membership Agreements shall be topic to strict compliance therewith. They open 2-days prior to the scheduled class and shut 5-minutes after the start time. We'll be in contact very shortly by way of electronic mail with confirmation of the trial move that may allow your good friend to e book into and attend Group Fitness courses with you till thirty first July 2018.
Our mission is saving lives and bettering the health of the world's poorest and most susceptible individuals by closing the hole between information and action in public health. This excessive-depth interval workout will goal all main muscle groups and cardiovascular system using free weights and quite a lot of equipment. A Massachusetts man has been charged with stretching the spirit of the Planet Fitness Judgement Free Zone" slogan after allegedly stripping on the entrance desk of a gymnasium and exercising within the nude.


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Kara Lawson Video Study – Part II
"I have treasured Your word in my heart so that I may not sin against You."
-Psalm 119:11
It's hard to decide what Kara Lawson is most known for.
SEC fans remember her as the All-American from the University of Tennessee who led the Lady Vols to three Final Four appearances between 2000 and 2003. Followers of the WNBA know her as a key member of the 2005 league champion Sacramento Monarchs and now as the starting point guard for the Connecticut Sun. Still more recognize her as a member of the ESPN college basketball broadcasting team through which Lawson serves both as a studio analyst for the NCAA women's tournament and a color commentator for men's games. And fans of the Summer Olympics would most likely know her for the gold medal she won with Team USA in 2008.
With four major outlets of fame all stemming from the hardwood, the name Kara Lawson means something different to almost every basketball fan. But to a different group of spectators, Lawson has become famous for something bigger than basketball: her faith in Jesus Christ.
Today, we're continuing our four-part video devotion series based on Lawson's recent interview with FCA's Sharing the Victory magazine. To access the video, click the link below to watch or download the clip. After you've watched the short video, take a few minutes to answer the questions below and read the related Scripture.
1. What are your views on technology? Do you find it more distracting or helpful? Both?
2. Have you ever considered how technology can bring you closer to God?
3. What are some ways that you can use your phone, iPod, computer, iPad, etc., to study the Word and reach others with the love of Christ?
4. List three ways you can employ your personal communication devices to reach others with the gospel or connect with the Lord personally.
Luke 9:6
Hebrews 4:12
To learn more about other athletes and coaches who compete for Christ, subscribe to FCA's Sharing the Victory (STV) magazine at www.sharingthevictory.com.


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Qompendium is an evolving and ever-changing platform for philosophy, art, culture and science, represented by a series of print publications: magazines, books and monographs. Furthermore, it is enriched by a gallery concept, a work shop and a fast-moving online portal.
Born in 1966 in Dalian, China, sculptural artist Yang Maoyuan alters classical sculpture by a painstaking process of grinding and smoothing to reduce them down to their simplest elements. In Indian thought, the sphere- a three-dimensional embodiment of harmony-was the preferred symbol for the perfect expression of reality. Connected to these Indian thoughts, in Chinese culture, the round is the perfect and not the edge. Yang explores the contrast between Chinese and western classical sculpture; the smoothness and simplicity of polished marble that ultimately becomes reflective, giving a sense of introspection to the viewer vs. the idealized, highly detailed portraiture of Western classical works.
Yang Maoyuan graduated from the Central Institute of Fine Arts, Beijing, China in 1989. Yang lives and works in Beijing, China.
Monday, 21.04.2014
12:45 (Cet)


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Here's a pair of good quality leather vintage harness boots. They're customized with lace up sides and holes where spurs were once added. There's scuffs and wear, see photos for condition.
they look size 8-8.5
11 1/8" long
3 7/8" wide
10 1/2" long on the inside
check our other shoes and boots https://www.etsy.com/shop/sidvintage?section_id=18788368&ref=shopsection_leftnav_10
Payments are made securely through Etsy Direct Checkout.
We ship worldwide by USPS.
International Shipping-
* Shipping does not include customs fees. You are responsible for any customs charges.
* We cannot alter customs forms, we use a computerized system.
* Australia charges 10% tax on orders under $1,000 starting July 1, 2018
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
All Sales are Final.
Please check the measurements, read the description and look at the photos before buying.
We recommend comparing the measurements to a similar item already in your closet.
The photos are considered part of the description and may show small details or minor flaws.
Feel free to ask for more information.
Sid Vintage
PO Box 405
Chicopee, MA 01014
Please check the measurements and read the description before buying.
We recommend comparing the measurements to a similar item already in your closet.
To see how we measure, go to our blog site page, sidvintage.wordpress.com/measuring


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Folder Engineering's degree
|Document tree
Display documents
The Public document server is used to store documents accessible to all UIS users, including those not registered. To administer this server common Document server tools in Personal administration are used. This page shows the documents and subfolders present in a folder Engineering's degree.
The following folder shows a list of subfolders (1 - 7 of 7).
Enter folder
Information for Students
Enrollment for Study
|State finals
Operation, Management and Professional practice
|Engineer's Thesis Topic


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The fund owned by the influential billionaire George Soros has sold most of its shares in the Chinese online retail firm Alibaba.
Soros Fund Management now holds just 60,000 shares worth $4.88m, according to a regulatory filing.
That is down from $370m worth of shares at the end of March.
Alibaba listed in New York last September. Its shares hit record highs in November but since then have fallen by 37%.
Last week, the company disappointed analysts on Wall Street with its latest quarterly results, reporting its slowest quarterly revenue growth in three years, up 28% to $3.2bn.
Mr Soros's firm also sold shares in the Chinese online search engine Baidu, but bought shares in Time Warner and Facebook.
Mr Soros, an investor and philanthropist, came a joint second on Forbes' list of highest-earning hedge fund managers this year – bringing in $1.2bn in 2014.
He is famous for speculating against the pound in 1992, contributing to its collapse and exit from the EU exchange rate mechanism (ERM), the forerunner of the euro.


text: If you are organizing a local sporting event inMotion NETWORK will be pleased to consider your request for paramedical on-site coverage. The clinic is affiliated with Sports Physiotherapy Canada (SPC) Manitoba Athletic Therapy Association (MATA) and all staff members are active participants with recognition of post-graduate training in sports injury rehabilitation. A minimal cost is incurred by the organizing committee which essentially covers the cost of any materials used (taping supplies etc.). We are proud to support local events in this manner.


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Question for all of you – would you like to view photos, or the photos in a streamed video?
Let me know!
Vintage tin and wood frame wall hanging, with 5 hooks for hats, coats, or many other just your prim decor!
This is an adorable handmade prim birdhouse, and bears, along with a beautiful handmade cross stitched fall scene, professionally framed.
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Children come into the world biologically designed to educate themselves. Their natural curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and planfulness were shaped by natural selection to serve the purpose of their education. Joy lies in the manifestation of these drives and in the discoveries and increased skills that result from them. Here, as illustration, is a sample of the typical kinds of comments made by parents in a large-scale survey of unschooling families (homeschooling families where the children directed their own education):
"The most obvious benefits are children who are full of joy, full of love of learning, creative, self-directed, passionate, enthusiastic, playful, thoughtful, questioning, and curious."
"Watching our daughter relax and enjoy her days is immensely satisfying, especially against the background of her past few schooled years. The freedom from school and its expectations, the freedom to be, to live, has been liberating for all of us."
"The biggest benefits have been witnessing our daughters' creativity blossom full force, their ability to think outside the box, their resourcefulness and their genuine desire to ask questions and learn as much as they can about the world around them."
"[Removing my children from school] led to a huge reduction in stress for them and for me.. ... My children got to live as free people and blossomed as individuals! They had time to figure out who they are and what they enjoy and are interested in."
[A full report of this survey can be found here in the Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning, Vol., 7, Issue 14.]
OK, Self-Directed Education creates a happy childhood and adolescence, but does it lead to a happy, satisfying, productive adulthood? Can these people go on to higher education, if they wish, and do they get good jobs? The answer to all these questions is yes.
The most compelling evidence that Self-Directed Education works, in the sense of preparing people well for adult life, comes from follow-up studies of adults who were in charge of their own education, outside of traditional schools, during what would have been their K-12 school years.
A survey of graduates of the Sudbury Valley School (one of the most well known schools for Self-Directed Education), led to the following conclusion:
"Although these individuals educated themselves in ways that are enormously different from what occurs at traditional schools, they have had no apparent difficulty being admitted to or adjusting to the demands of traditional higher education and have been successful in a wide variety of careers. Graduates reported that for higher education and careers, the school benefitted them by allowing them to develop their own interests and by fostering such traits as personal responsibility, initiative, curiosity, ability to communicate well with people regardless of status, and continued appreciation and practice of democratic values."
[The full report of this study can be found in the American Journal of Education, Vol. 94, pp182-213.]
Other, more recent surveys of graduates of the same school, published as books, have came to similar conclusions.
[The books are Greenberg, D., & Sadofsky, M., Legacy of Trust: Life after the Sudbury Valley School Experience; and Greenberg, D., Sadofsky, M., & Lempka, J., The Pursuit of Happiness: The Lives of Sudbury Valley Alumni.]
A survey of adults who had been unschooled led to the following conclusion:
"A sample of 75 adults, who had been unschooled for at least the years that would have been their last two years of high school, answered questions about their subsequent pursuits of higher education and careers. Eighty-three percent of them had gone on to some form of formal higher education and 44 percent had either completed or were currently in a bachelor's degree program. Overall, they reported little difficulty getting into colleges and universities of their choice and adapting to the academic requirements there, despite not having the usual admissions credentials. Those who had been unschooled throughout what would have been their K-12 years were more likely to go on to a bachelor's program than were those who had some schooling or curriculum-based homeschooling during those years. Concerning careers, despite their young median age, most were gainfully employed and financially independent. A high proportion of them—especially of those in the always-unschooled group—had chosen careers in the creative arts; a high proportion were self-employed entrepreneurs; and a relatively high proportion, especially of the men, were in STEM careers. Most felt that their unschooling benefited them for higher education and careers by promoting their sense of personal responsibility, self-motivation, and desire to learn."
[The full report of this study is here in Other Education: The Journal of Educational Alternatives, 4, 33-53.]
Because of changes in the economy, Self-Directed Education is even more valuable today than in the past. We no longer need many people to do the kinds of tasks that our schools are designed to teach. We don't need people who can memorize and regurgitate lots of information; we have Google for that. We don't need many people to do routine, tedious tasks; we have robots for that. What we do need, and will continue to need, are people who think critically and creatively, innovate, ask and answer questions that nobody else has thought of, and bring moral values and a passionate sense of purpose into the workplace. These are precisely the kinds of skills that are continuously honed in Self-Directed Education.
Self-Directed Education is becoming ever easier to pursue. One reason for this lies in the increased numbers of families taking this route and, consequently, in the increased acceptability of Self-Directed Education in the culture at large. The availability of schools and learning centers designed for Self-Directed Education has been increasing, and the number of homeschoolers engaged in Self-Directed Education has likewise been increasing. Today, in the United States, approximately 3.5% of school-aged children are officially listed as homeschoolers, and an ever growing percentage of that group appear to have adopted the "unschooling" (home-based Self-Directed Education) route.[1]
As Self-Directed Education becomes more common, as more and more people, including education authorities, know young people taking this route and see their success, the social barriers to it are decreasing. One of the purposes of the Alliance for Self-Directed Education is to help people who are pursuing Self-Directed Education find one another, and find or develop learning centers in their geographical area, so they can support one another in their pursuits.
Another reason for the increased ease of Self-Directed Education lies in technology. Today, anyone with a computer and Internet browser can access essentially all the world's information. Self-directed learners who want to pursue almost any subject can find articles, videos, discussion groups, and even online courses devoted to it. They can gain information and share thoughts with experts and novices alike, throughout the world, who have interests akin to theirs. Students in standard schools must study just what the school dictates, in just the ways that the school decides; but self-directed learners can find subjects and means of study that match their own particular interests and styles of learning.
Self-directed learners are not held back by the slow pace of a school course, nor are they rushed ahead when they want more time to think about and delve deeply into any given aspect of the interest they are pursuing.
The schools that we call "standard" or "traditional" are not a product of scientific understanding of how children learn and become educated. Indeed, their methods run counter to everything we know about how children best learn.
Our standard, coercive system of schooling is a product NOT of science and reason, but of history. It emerged in the 18th and 19th centuries for the explicit purpose of obedience training and indoctrination (see here) and was well designed for that. Over time, progressive educators have tried to expand the purposes of schooling to include such goals as the promotion of curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking, but this has never worked because the basic design of schools has never changed and is incapable of being put to these ends. As long as students are all expected to learn the same curriculum, at the same time, in the same ways, schools remain primarily places for indoctrination (memorizing spoon-fed information) and obedience training (the only way you can fail, really, is to refuse to do what the teacher tells you to do).
Decades ago, schools were tolerable primarily because they didn't take too much of young people's time. Children and teens had much time after school, on weekends, and all summer for self-directed pursuits. But over the years the power of the school system has dramatically increased. It has intruded increasingly into family life and taken more and more of young people's time.
- The length of the school year has increased (in the U.S. it now averages 5 weeks longer than in the 1950s).
- The number of years of required attendance has increased.
- The amount of homework has increased immensely, especially in elementary schools.
- Recesses have decreased or even been abandoned.
- Teachers have been given less freedom to depart from the standard curriculum, and ever greater pressure has been placed on children to score high on standardized tests.
Children now often spend more time at school and at homework than their parents spend at their jobs, and the work of schooling is often more burdensome and stress-inducing than a typical adult job.
Schooling today is not only a massive waste of children's time, which children could be using to pursue their own interests and truly educate themselves, but is also a major source of psychological damage. Here is just some of the documented evidence for such damage:
- A large-scale study involving hundreds of students from many school districts, using an experience sampling method, revealed that students were less happy in school than in any other setting in which they regularly found themselves.[2]
- Verbal abuse from teachers is a common occurrence. In one survey, for example, 64% of middle school students reported experiencing stress symptoms because of verbal abuse from teachers.[3] Another study revealed that nearly 30% of boys are verbally abused by teachers in kindergarten, and the abuse increased in years after that.[4] Surveys of adults indicate that between 50% and 60% recall school-related experiences that, in their view, were psychologically traumatic.[5]
- In a study in which 150 college students were asked to described the two most negative experiences in their lives—experiences that negatively affected their development—by far the most common reports (28% of the total) were of traumatic interactions with school teachers.[6] In a study in which adults were interviewed to find out about positive, peak learning experiences occurring in their schooling, few could recall such experiences, but many recalled negative experiences, which interfered with rather than supported their development.[7]
- Hair cortisol levels in young children were found to be significantly higher in samples taken two months after starting elementary school than in samples taken two months prior to starting elementary school.[8] Hair cortisol level is reflective of chronic stress, the sort of stress that can seriously impair physical growth and health.
- A large-scale national survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (reported here) revealed that U.S. teenagers feel more stressed-out than do adults and that school is by far the main cause of their stress (noted by 83% of the sample). In the same study, 27% of teens reported experiencing "extreme stress" during the school year, compared to 13% reporting that during the summer.
- The rate of emergency mental health visits leading to at least one overnight stay (the sort of visits that derive from serious breakdowns or attempted suicide) at a children's medical center was found to be more than twice as high during school months as compared to summer vacation months (here).
It is not unreasonable to say that standard schooling is a state-sanctioned, and in some cases state-mandated, form of child abuse. More and more people are coming to that realization and that is why more and more people are looking for ways to remove their children from the schools. For more about the harm done by standard schooling, see here.
Next: How Do People Practice
[1] National Center for Education Statistics. (2013). Parent and family involvement in education, from the national household education surveys program of 2012. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
[2] Csíkszentmihályi, M., & Hunter, J. (2003). Happiness in everyday life: The uses of experience sampling. Journal of Happiness Studies, 4, 185–199.
[3] Irwin A. Hyman & Donna C. Perone (1998). The Other Side of Student Violence: Educator Policies and Practices That May Contribute to Student Misbehavior. Journal of School Psychology, 36, 7-27.
[4]Brengden, M., Wanner, B., & Vitaro, F. (2006). Verbal abuse by the teacher and child adjustment from kindergarten through grade 6. Pediatrics, 117, 1585-1598.
[5] A. G. McEachern, O. Aluede & M. C. Kenny (2008). Emotional abuse in the classroom: Implications and interventions for counselors. Journal of Counseling and Development 86, 3-10.
[6] J. M. Branan (1972). Negative human interactions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19, 81-82.
[7] K. Olson. Wounded by School. Teachers' College Press, 2009.
[8] Children's hair cortisol as a biomarker of stress at school entry Groeneveld et al (2013). Stress: The International Journal on the Biology of Stress, 16, 711-715.


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Enjoy the beautiful nature of Iceland by ship and hikes on shore.
Take a step into the countries stirring past and find out about the Sagas. While on the Island of Flatey we can explore rural Iceland, with a stroll through the meadows and a peek at the bird colony. Join us in our new adventures in this gorgeous country.


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Commissioner wrote:UNC Wins It All!
Sorry Tar Heel, that's all I've got.
I think this was the most boring tournament I can recall, and I've watched a lot. Final was close, but I didn't find it a very interesting game, either.
Nation's longest winning streaks:
Grand Canyon 7 (This could be a money maker in bar trivia)
North Carolina 6
St. Peter's 4
Northwestern State 3
Savannah State 3
Commish, this rendition of "One Average Moment" is dedicated to you:
http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show- ... -sudeikis/


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Equations of Weststrate et al for Estimating the Waist-to-Hip Circumference Ratio (WHR) in Dutch Children and Adolescents
General content (available to all)
|Weststrate et al developed equations for predicting the mean waist-to-hip circumference ratios (WHR) for a Dutch pediatric population. The WHR is one measure of body fat distribution and an increased value correlates with central obesity. The authors are from the Agricultural University Wageningen, The Netherlands.
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.


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To help coordinate and assist #OpHomeless, there are various different groups within social media, please search for local groups near to you – if you can't find any, then start a group!
There are also Anonymous chatrooms to help facilitate this Anon Op.
People are dying on our streets because they are homeless. Our governments have failed us, they have also failed the most vulnerable people in society. Please do what you can and help!
To enter discord Anonymous Operation chat for #OpHomeless, click here.


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With a big chunk of its business rooted in home repair and remodeling, you'd think Fortune Brands would be one of the major casualties of the housing crisis. But you'd be mistaken.
Fortune, with a diversified set of businesses ranging from faucets and cabinets to liquor to golf balls, is holding up just fine as far as Cramer is concerned. CEO Bruce Carbonari said on Wednesday's Mad Money that the housing downturn is by no means the kiss of death for Fortune. The company is "riding the rhythm" of the trend, he said.
To that end, Carbonari said Fortune is continuing to introduce new products on the home furnishings side in order to keep consumers excited.
It is also consolidating its liquor exposure by selling its wine brands to Constellation . According to Carbonari, the wine business, especially the low end, didn't prove profitable because people don't show the brand loyalty they do with spirits. A Jack and Coke is one thing, but when was the last time you heard someone ask for a glass of Sutter Home?
Fortune lost the bidding war for Absolut, which Carbonari said was because he wasn't willing to pay up to acquire the brand. Organic investment still garners the best returns, he said.
Cramer remains bullish on Fortune. And when housing finally rebounds, he thinks this stock could rocket faster than anything else.
Questions for Cramer?
Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? email@example.com


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"Na Ponta dos Pes" (On Tiptoes) is a ballet project in the Alemão favela complex in Rio de Janeiro, created by Tuany Nascimento – a 23-year-old dancer who represented Brazil at international events during a flourishing career that was abruptly cut short by a lack of resources.
Rather than letting her head drop, the setback strengthened Tuany's determination to help troubled communities through dance. Tuany started teaching classes in the Morro do Adeus favela, where she lives. It's one of the roughest parts of Alemão, which is currently at the centre of a rolling feud between rival drug cartels and the military police.
Many students in her group of girls, aged 4-15, come from families caught up in narco turf wars, and are afflicted by the chronic crisis of opportunity and urban poverty in the Favelas. With an average 20 incidents of weapons fired every day in Rio, last year saw more than 100 police deaths – as well as hundreds more civilians, many of whom are caught in the crossfire of confrontations in their local areas.
Intensifying violence in Alemão heightens Tuany's motivation to find support for the construction of a community centre, which will give her girls a safe space to dance and study. After the challenges of her own career, Tuany knows her students can't all become pro ballerinas – but the discipline she teaches will transcend the act of learning to dance, setting them up with a better chance to escape the bitter cycle of hardship which swallows up so many young lives in Brazil.
During one of her lessons in a basketball court in the centre of the Morro do Adeus favela, a shootout between rival gangs breaks out, with innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. Tuany is forced to put the ballet school on hold due to escalating violence until they can raise money for the new community centre, which will give them a safe space to practice.
Follow the link below to help Tuany and "Na Ponta dos Pes" (On Tiptoes) build a safe community space in the Morro do Adeus favela, Rio de Janeiro: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ontiptoe


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CAJ condemns seizure of Journal de Montreal reporter's computer
OTTAWA, Sept. 23, 2016 – The Canadian Association of Journalists adds its voice to those of its Quebec colleagues in criticizing the Surete de Quebec's seizure of Michael Nguyen's computer.
The computer was seized as a result of an investigation being conducted by Quebec's judicial council based on Nguyen's reporting of Quebec Court Judge Suzanne Vadeboncoeur behaviour published by the Journal de Montreal in June. The SQ are seeking information on the source of a video used as the basis for the reporting.
"Journalists are not police officers, officers of the court or part of law enforcement – to be so would threaten journalists' independence that is vital to public-interest reporting," said CAJ president Nick Taylor-Vaisey. "In this case, a journalist did his job in bringing a matter of immense public interest speaking to the integrity of those serving on the bench to light.
"Rather than seize this journalist's materials, the public interest would be better served if investigators focused on the subject of Nguyen's reporting."
The computer in question is under judicial seal until a judge can rule on the validity of the search warrant used to obtain it. The CAJ hopes it will be excluded as necessary evidence and returned to Nguyen promptly.
The CAJ is Canada's largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing nearly 500 members across the country. The CAJ's primary roles are to provide public-interest advocacy and high-quality professional development for its members.
For further information: Nick Taylor-Vaisey, CAJ president, 647-968-2393, [email protected]


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Sweet Water Outreach is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to water purification in third-world countries.
Sweet Water was started around the kitchen table of the executive director, John Blevins, and is still very much a kitchen table organization. John Blevins is a civil engineer and worked for twenty-five years building wastewater and water treatment plants in America. In 2012, as he was becoming increasingly aware of the dirty water crisis in third world countries, he was offered a chance at an early retirement. The summer he retired he traveled to Africa for the first time and tested multiple sources of water. Confirming the statistics that he had seen, every test proved positive for bacteria. This bacterium, at best, is creating stomach difficulties for the mass population, and at worst, is carrying serious diseases like cholera and typhoid. John became convicted to use his skills to bring clean water to those living in third-world countries like Africa. Together with his family and a few close friends, he began his journey. He researched and read and the doors opened wide for him.
In the summer of 2013, John and his daughter Mary-John, headed to Africa for two months with water filters and high hopes in tow. As they endeavored to teach the African people the importance of clean water, they learned an equally significant lesson in the importance of community and patience. That summer they installed several small household filters and a few larger ones for some of the churches they had contact with in America. Halfway through the trip, Mary-John became very sick with a bacterial infection. Immeasurable lessons were learned that summer, and John and Mary-John became immersed in the problems of hygiene, healthcare, and water in Africa. Now John and his family were personally invested and willing to scale the overwhelming difficulties. They had experienced the realities first hand and could not now ignore them.
Once home, John started a non-profit for the specific purpose of water purification and at Mary-John's request, named it Sweet Water Outreach. While sick in Africa, Mary-john read Exodus 15:25-26, and knew that Sweet Water was to be the name of the project. In 2014, John, his daughter Maggie and a friend, Phoebe, spent two months in Africa to continue Sweet Water's work. Sweet Water is working primarily in Kisii, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; striving to become a part of these communities. In 2014 Sweet Water Outreach received their official 501(c)(3) status, making Sweet Water a tax deductible organization.
Sweet Water has chosen a grassroots approach; they are a kitchen table organization. Not just the Blevins' family kitchen table, which is where Sweet Water was born, but also the kitchen tables in the communities they serve. Sweet Water's goal is to become a part of the community, producing a project that the people will take ownership of – a project they are willing to protect and maintain. It is important for clean water to become a part of the education system and with the support of the local community and the international community (you) – to be successful in creating a new local mindset about water, while also creating access to clean water. Allowing community education to be the forerunner to our construction and installation projects, Sweet Water's hope is to create a sustainable project that will continue to grow long after our work is finished.


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In My Kitchen – June 2016
I have just been looking through photo's of all the things that were going on In My Kitchen in May as it's that time again for the monthly round up. On reflection my kitchen saw a lot of action!
In My Kitchen were the "Peach Blossoms" in the photo above. I bought them at the fete at the the girls school. I had never heard of the them before but apparently they are famous in these parts and when I shared the photo on Facebook there was a great discussion about how they are made – there is no peach involved whatsoever! They are little sponges rolled in jelly crystals and coconut with cream in the middle and they are decadently delicious as well as being pretty. To think I nearly didn't buy them because I don't like peaches! Have you heard of them before?
In My Kitchen was my weekly haul from the local growers markets. One of the benefits of living in the tropics is the selection of exotic and interesting produce. Starfruit, dragonfruit & rambutans were still in abundance well into May & avocados are in season all year round. A clever lady has a stall where she sells her Kokedamas – a Japanese way of wrapping plants up in a ball of twine, I've started a collection of them now, in my kitchen! See that yellow melon in the back of the photo? Well Farmer Fred (that IS his name) has created this hybrid himself and is waiting for it to be given an official name.
Apparently you have to register any new type of food and then the government body (not sure which one) names it. This one tastes like a sweet rockmelon, I'm not normally a rockmelon fan but this, I loved. I'm naming it Farmer Fred's Marvellous Melon because I think Farmer Fred should get naming rights, don't you?
We had some of GT's family around on Mothers Day for afternoon tea and it was one of his Aunt's birthday so amongst the delights of the afternoon was this Chai Spiced Carrot Cake that's gluten and refined sugar free. I hadn't made it since Mothers Day two years before so it was worth trawling through the blog archives to find the recipe! (Don't worry there were lots of other properly sweet treats too!)
In My Kitchen were some fabulously retro Orla Kiely Cake tins a lovely friend gave me as a thank you present for having them to stay.
In My Kitchen was the Donna Hay "Fresh & Light" Magazine so I tried out some recipes from it. The Pear & Brasil Nut (gluten free) Loaf was a winner. The Matcha & Lime Popcorn not so much!
In My Kitchen was my Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth that I used in Straciatella and all the other soups I've been cooking up lately including this Leek, Cauliflower & Chicken Soup, a quick and easy favourite of mine.
In My Kitchen was my first "book club" since moving up here, I wrote a post about what we ate and didn't actually read!
In My Kitchen was a morning tea with some Mums from school but my Apple, Cranberry & Green Tea Loaf didn't rise like it was supposed to and normally does, so…
I cut it up and called it a slice!!
In My Kitchen was a biscuit bonanza when I revisited an old recipe for Jaffa Cookies.
I could go on but that's probably enough!
I join in with a group of fabulous foodies from around the world who share each month what has been going on in their kitchens. It's kindly hosted by Maureen, The Orgasmic Chef, pop on over to take a peek into the delights of other people's kitchens too.
Also because it's Tuesday I'm linking in with #IBOT (I blog on Tuesdays) on Essentially Jess.


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Evolution of Mom Dancing With Michelle Obama | Video
Watch Jimmy Fallon and Michelle Obama Perform the "Evolution of Mom Dancing"
Michelle Obama stopped by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday night, and the first lady did not disappoint (does she ever?). To help promote her Let's Move campaign, she joined Fallon in the "Evolution of Mom Dancing." If you liked Fallon's "Evolution of Dad Dancing," then you're in for a treat, because round two is even better. Watch as Michelle upstages Jimmy with moves like the "Where's Your Father? (Get Him Back Here)," "The Sprinkler," and the "Out of Sync Electric Slide."
Watch the clip when you read more.


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A jūminhyō (住民票) is a registry of current residential addresses maintained by local governments in Japan. Japanese law requires each resident to report his or her current address to the local authorities who compile the information for tax, national health insurance and census purposes.
|Type of project
Once a jūminhyō has been registered with the local government, one can register for various social services including the national health insurance plan. When proof of residence is required, such as for opening a bank account or registering children at a local school district, one needs to obtain a copy of this record from the local government office. Jūminhyō registration is also required in order to officially register a name seal (inkan), which functions as one's official signature. The jūminhyō is different from a koseki, which is the formal record of a family's history.
Inclusion of non-Japanese residentsEdit
In February 2009, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced plans to amend the current jūminhyō system by 2012 to include non-Japanese residents, citing government efficiency for the change.[1][2] The change became effective on July 9, 2012, abolishing the alien registration system. From this date onwards, residents of both Japanese and non-Japanese citizenship are recorded in the same system.[3]
Honorary jūminhyōEdit
On February 12, 2002, Nishi Ward office in Yokohama issued an honorary jūminhyō to Tama-chan, an arctic bearded seal who took up residence in the rivers of Yokohama and Tokyo and became a national celebrity. This prompted a group of non-Japanese residents to paint whiskers on their faces and stage a protest march to demand their own jūminhyō.[4]
There have been other instances where local authorities have issued honorary jūminhyō to animals, as well as to statues, snowmen, and fictional characters. For example, Niiza, Saitama issued an honorary jūminhyō for Astro Boy.[5]
Until July 9, 2012, only Japanese citizens were allowed to be listed on a jūminhyō; residents of other nationalities were recorded in a separate alien registration system. This two-tier resident registration system was a source of controversy within the foreign community in Japan,[6] particularly among international families where non-Japanese family members were not listed alongside Japanese family members as being part of the same household. It was possible, however, to add a footnote in the "bikōran" (remarks) section to a Japanese spouse's jūminhyō indicating that their non-Japanese spouse is the de facto head of household (事実上の世帯主, jijitsu-jo no setainushi). This however was left to local governments to decide whether to grant this request.
After leaders of the Aum Shinrikyo sect were arrested for a Sarin gas attack, members of the group successfully complained that local authorities in several areas had refused to allow them to register, effectively preventing them from receiving government services, in order to discourage them from settling there.[7][8]
See alsoEdit
- ^ Foreigners may be logged in resident registry
- ^ Changes to the Basic Resident Registration Law
- ^ Alien system ends; foreigners to be issued resident cards Retrieved on July 10 2012
- ^ Foreigners seek same rights as seal
- ^ Niiza City registers Astro Boy as resident
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2010-03-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Aum turns to bar for help against closed localities
- ^ Aum members win ruling against city over residency
External linksEdit
- Information on obtaining a jūminhyō (Outdated—the new Foreign residents' registration system is similar to the jūminhyō)


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At WonderCon last weekend, Adam Chitwood and I sat down and interviewed 'The Walking Dead' creator Robert Kirkman. We asked him about how his life had changed since the success of the TV show, how they're planning to up the zombie kills in season two, the upcoming video game, as well as his other comics projects like The Infinite and supporting new comics like Witch Doctor.
How has your life changed after the huge success of the first season of The Walking Dead?
ROBERT KIRKMAN: Not very much. I guess in all of the obvious ways. I can afford more diapers for my children. If I want to buy a complete set of Garbage Pail Kids on Ebay I don't have to ask my wife so hard. For the most part, it's mostly the same. I keep my head down and I just work on comics for most of the time. I've relocated to Los Angeles to work on the second season. So I'm living there for year. I'm like on a trial basis. I'm going to the writer's room everyday and that is very different. Otherwise, I'm just working on comics, and that is pretty much the same.
What is your relationship to the writer's room? Do you function as a kind of show runner or are you in there with the other writers spit balling ideas to each other?
KIRKMAN: Yeah, Frank [Darabont] is definitely the show runner and he is in the room everyday too. I'm an executive producer on the show, but I just consider myself to be one of the writers. I sit there with everybody else and I throw out ideas with them. I haven't had to shoot anything down thankfully, but everybody in the room shoots things down. So it's not like I'm sitting there going, "We can't do that!" and everyone else is going, "Oh, what the hell. It's Robert! Okay!" That just doesn't happen. Everyone in the writer's room is really well versed in the comics. They know what the show is and they know what the show needs to be. So it's really like 8 people sitting in a room talking about the show and coming up with cool ideas for it. It's really a lot of fun.
Is the story for every episode broken down in that room?
KIRKMAN: We start with the season and then we work our way down. So we go, "This is what we want the season to be. This is where we want to start and this is where we want to end. This is where we want each character to start and end." We then start breaking that down by episode. Where did all of these events take place and in what episode do they fall in? Then, we sit down and once we have done that we are like, "Okay. This episode is a little light. We need more for this and more for that." We start beefing up each individual episode. Then, we go off and make the episodes. That is how the process is.
We talked to a source who said that the writers and you had gone to KNB to see what effects Greg Nicotero has coming up.
KIRKMAN: Yeah, it's actually been a lot of fun. We went to KNB and did a tour of their facilities. We talked to Greg Nicotero and saw some of the cool stuff that he has planned for the second season and just different zombie stuff. We discussed with him all of the key zombie moments that we have thought of for the second season so far just to give him a head's up on what kind of stuff he is going to have to do. I do have to say that maybe because it's just 13 episodes instead of 6, but it seems like there is twice as much zombie stuff going on in every episode even though we do have a lot more character development and stuff too. I think the second season is going to be really cool. Aside from taking field trips to the KNB effects studio, we also have had the actors coming into the room. We have had Andrew Lincoln, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jon Bernthal, Steven Yeun, Laurie Holden, and Norman Reedus. Every time an actor is in L.A., we have them pop by. We just sit down and discuss their character with them. We get their thoughts and insights on what they think about the character because apparently actors make up all kinds of stuff to help them act. They think about who their character is and it really is kind of remarkable. I mean, Andrew Lincoln came in and he had this entire back story for Rick with like who his parents were, what happened in his daily life, and just stuff that he came up with to inform his decisions on how he portrays Rick. It's all actor's stuff. It was really cool and I was blown away. I was like, "I've never even thought about who his parents were. I don't even care." But that is really cool, you know? So I'll probably use that in the comic. It's a fun process and I really enjoyed being in the room.
You came up with some great zombie kills in season one. Have you planned out how you are going to raise the bar in season two?
KIRKMAN: I can say, sitting here knowing what I know about the second season, that you can't even see the bar because it's been raised so much. There is all kinds of crazy stuff that is coming up. I'm really excited. I mean, you get 8 guys that like zombies that know they are doing a T.V. show like The Walking Dead, and they know that you can get away with the kind of things that we got away with on the first season. It really becomes just an effort to just find that thing that AMC is going to make us change. So we all sitting there going, "Oh, they are going to make us change that!" So there is a lot of cool stuff coming up.
Have you been surprised by the amount of leeway that AMC has given you in regards to the violence and gore?
KIRKMAN: Definitely. I worry that we are getting a little too like, "Oh, yeah. They will let us do anything" just because they have been so accommodating and seemingly breaking their own rules by allowing us to put this kind of stuff on T.V. It's really kind of shocking, but I think it's a testament to how successful the show has been that they have been willing go to that extra mile. They are allowing a zombie show to be a zombie show. They are not pulling punches at all, and I think that is a big part of its success. People who like zombie movies can sit down and watch this, and not feel like they are getting a light version of a zombie movie. We plan to stretch those boundaries to the test on the second season.
Could you talk about your upcoming comic book series The Infinite? What do you have planned with that and where did the idea come from?
KIRKMAN: The idea came from Rob [Liefeld] and I chatting about how much we wanted to work together. Eventually, I was like, "Let's do something with time travel. Let's do a science fiction thing." I think that too often people set out to do a time travel story and they basically do the same kind of stuff that has been established as if time travel is a real thing. I was like, "Nah. If you think about how time travel works there is all kinds of different things you could do that you really haven't seen." So we are trying to push the boundaries of what you can do in a time travel/science fiction story and kind of mess with people's heads. There are going to be a lot of things where you are going to be like, "Wait a minute. That guy planned that and did that thing, and we haven't seen him do that yet, but it's already done because there is time travel?" It's going to be a lot of fun. Working with Rob is an absolute blast. I've been a fan of his since I was quite young. You know, I was in my early teens. Getting to actually write pages and then getting them back from him and just seeing all of the cool gear and energy he brings to the page – it's just a whole lot of cool stuff. I'm a huge fan of all of that. So it's a treat to be able to work him.
Is it difficult to plan out a time travel story when comics come out monthly? How is it structured to help readers understand the story?
KIRKMAN: We are telling a finite story with The Infinite, but it's a regular monthly series. It will go for a duration and then the story will complete much in the same way of a Vertigo series or the Luna Brothers' series at Image would. We are still mapping out exactly how many issues it's going to run, but it's going to run for awhile. The point is when you get to the end of the story I'm imagining people will go back and will want to read the entire story again knowing where it goes because there are all kinds of different things that lead to the end of the story that you aren't going to know that you saw. It takes an extreme amount of planning. I don't think I've ever had a series this thought out before this early on. I know how the last issue is going to go and I know what I need to do to set up what happens in the last issue. It's extremely complicated, but it's fun. I like doing the work.
Is this series being planned to come out in digital form too?
KIRKMAN: Yeah. All of my comics at this point will be launched in print and in digital at the same time. I've been doing The Walking Dead day and date for almost a year now and the sales for the digital and comic just keep going up. Invincible has been digital for a briefer amount of time, it's about 5 or 6 months now, and I'm seeing the same thing happen. I know that retailers sometimes get worried about that stuff, but I think that right now the digital and print audiences are different. I like to think that the digital audience will eventually be the half a million people that were buying comics in the 90s that went away when there was a bust. I think some of those people are coming back because of the convenience of digital comics. I have high hopes that we will eventually get to a point where print comics are selling basically what they are now, if not a little more, because digital comics are driving people to it, but the digital comics will be selling equal to the print comics. I think that will possibly be a kind of boom for the industry. So I'm excited for that.
Given the success of The Walking Dead, I assume you are being flooded with offers and you have all of these new opportunities that have opened up. How does it feel like to be flooded by all of these utilities that you now have at your disposal?
KIRKMAN: It's good. I feel kind of…I'm doing things like Skybound. I feel like I have a responsibility to use my power with great responsibility or some shit. So I don't know. I'm taking some of the resources that I am getting from The Walking Dead and I'm using it to help promote books like Witch Doctor and things that I think deserve an extra set of eyes. I take press opportunities and I will be like, "Oh, yeah. I will do an interview, but you have to talk to these guys." I get more people to talk about their book and hopefully that will get that book to sell better and be a bigger success for Brandon [Seifert] and Lukas [Ketner]. I think those guys are really talented and that book deserves to be a hit. Other than that, I'm doing other stuff that nobody knows about. I can't really talk about that stuff. But I'm trying to take my resources and shift it into different areas because The Walking Dead doesn't really need to be built up by all of the different things that I am getting to do. So I am trying to shift that over to other projects. I am trying to use that rising tide to raise all of the ship, and I'm not even making sense at this point. I'm trying to take advantage of all of the things that are coming to me for the benefit of comics. We will see how that works out in a couple of years. It will probably be a massive failure.
What is your level of involvement with The Walking Dead video game that is being developed?
KIRKMAN: I just had a meeting with them yesterday. I'm not writing the video game myself just because I don't have time. I can say that I picked Frank Darabont for the show and I picked Telltale Games because they are very familiar with the comic book and they know what makes the comic book good and what makes the comic book "The Walking Dead" as opposed to just as, you know, zombies running around and cutting people's heads off and stuff. If you want to buy a game where you run around and kill zombies with an uzi – that game exists and there are more of those games coming out. They are fun games and everybody likes them, but we are not going to try and compete with those games. We are going to try to do something a little different that is a little more true to The Walking Dead. Knowing that they are that invested in changing what you might expect from a zombie game and really brining the emotion and drama of The Walking Dead to video games makes me trust them. But I'm overseeing everything.
What kind of genre is the game going to be?
KIRKMAN: I don't know what the technical name is. I know what the game is, but I don't know if I can talk about it yet. I don't know what the technical name for it is and I don't know if I can say if it is. I do know that the game will have shooting. It just won't be the focus of the game.
Will they be releasing it episodically like how they did with their Back to the Future games?
KIRKMAN: I do know, but I don't know if I can answer that. They do that with all of their games, though, right?
I think that is their plan, but I don't know if they wanted to do a standalone game.
KIRKMAN: I'll let them announce it.
Do you know how many episodes you will be writing for the upcoming season of The Walking Dead?
KIRKMAN: We are still working that out. It will probably be more than one.
Is there anything you wanted to do in the first season that you weren't able to do because of time or budget restraints?
KIRKMAN: Not really. I mean, there are different ideas that Frank Darabont had for different episodes from the beginning of the first season. He has ideas for the third season. We talk about the third and fourth season a lot in the writer's room, which haven't been picked up by AMC, but we have high hopes. So there is a lot of long term planning. Anything that we couldn't quite fit into the first season will just kind of happen in the third season. There was actually a scene shot for the 5th episode that I don't know will ever be released in some way. It was a target practice scene where Andrea is shooting her gun. That actually got cut from the 5th episode just for time and it didn't fit with the episode. That is just something that we will probably touch on in season two. It will be like that. We will just move stuff back.
Georgia recently had its film credits renewed. There was a question about whether the tax credit would be renewed or not. Is the show going to continue shooting in Georgia?
KIRKMAN: Yep. We already have the locations set out for the second season. It's all in Georgia and we know our areas. It all looks pretty cool.
Do you guys have anything planned for Comic Con? Last year, the response was so huge with just getting a sneak peak of the show.
KIRKMAN: I am hoping that we will be in a bigger ballroom for our panel. We were in the second biggest last year, and I hope that we are in Hall H this year.
I think Comic Con would be wise to move you guys.
KIRKMAN: I'm a Comic Con geek so I'm like, "Oh, man, if I had a panel in Hall H. That is kind of cool" I don't think most people in the world give a crap about what hall their panels are in, but I would love to have a Hall H panel. It will be all empty and I will go, "This was a mistake. Why did we do this? Noooo! We couldn't fill Hall H! It was too soon!"
There will just be one guy in a t-shirt with a little flag going "Yay!"
KIRKMAN: Or just a bunch of people in Twilight shirts waiting for the next panel. I think everything that they did with the big booth with the dead guy set up, the big banners, and everything else that you saw – they did that when they didn't know the show was going to be a hit. So I'm not aware of everything that AMC has planned at this point, but I think that this Comic Con will be even bigger. They will probably have a seven story tall zombie walking the street in front of the convention center. You know, spaceships with "The Walking Dead" flying over. I mean, who knows?
Studios are starting to see that genres seem to rise and fall. I think we are, fingers crossed, heading towards the decline of the vampire genre for now. More zombie films seem to be going into development with such films as World War Z, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and Zombie vs Robots. What do you think makes The Walking Dead stand apart and appeal to audiences in a different way from other zombie franchises?
KIRKMAN: All zombie movies, books, and comics to a certain extent focus on the characters because you can't really make a zombie a main character. I think what The Walking Dead does differently is that it takes that focus on the character and magnifies it by tenfold. There are issues of The Walking Dead that don't even feature zombies and there are going to be episodes of The Walking Dead that will barely have any zombies, if any in them, eventually as we get through the seasons of the show. It's really just about the characters. The zombies are much more of a backdrop than they seem to be in other things. I think it's that intense focus on the characters, their struggles, and how they deal with the zombies. It's not really about how often they hack a zombie's head off. It's about how they sad they are after they have to hack a zombie's head off. That is really the key to it that I think we are doing.
October is too far away, dammit.


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Here are some ideas for label bags. You can download, print and used them as your own.
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- You can reach us by phone, email, or chat with us online!
- Call or text us Toll-Free at: 877-211-5878
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Liberal hippies who happen to be gun owners are leading the resistance against a new gun ban in Boulder, Colorado.
The city banned the possession and sale of numerous semi-automatic firearms back in June and is now demanding residents who owned such weapons prior to the ordinance to "certify" their guns with the police department.
However, many of Boulder's gun owners are Democrats who are refusing to comply.
Prior to the ordinance, activists hosted well-attended gun rallies in Boulder, such as this one:
"I would say the majority of people I've talked to just aren't complying because most people see this as a registry," Lesley Hollywood, a Colorado gun rights activist, told the Washington Times. "Boulder actually has a very strong firearms community."
And Boulder is one of the most liberal cities in Colorado.
Residents had until Dec. 31 to comply, but since there's been a spate of cars driving around Boulder with "We Will Not Comply" stickers produced by Hollywood's group, Rally For Our Rights.
"The firearms community in Boulder — they may be Democrats but they love their firearms," Hollywood added.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!


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Varietal Facts
Wine Basics — Grape Varietals 101: Chardonnay
An introductory guide to Chardonnay wine. Everything you need to know about the grape variety including flavour, food pairings, growing regions...
Try Chardonnay Wine if You Like Viognier or Pinot Gris. Overview of the Chardonnay Wine Varietal Wide range of textures and profiles, from light bodied to full, low to medium/high acidity (depending on growing region), 13% – 15% alcohol by volume, aromas and flavours highly dependant on oak influence...
Wine Basics — Grape Varietals 301: Chardonnay
Now that you've read the introductory guide to the Pinot Noir wine varietal, it's time to dig deeper into the versatile Vitus vinifera grape...
Click Here for the Introductory Guide to Chardonnay Chardonnay (Vitis vinifera var âChardonnayâ) A neutral white grape variety, the Vitus vinifera Chardonnay originated in Burgundy, France and is now planted all over the world. Experience / Tasting Profile Of Chardonnay Grape Variety Appearance...
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About the Producer
Joseph Drouhin
Beaune, Côte-d'Or, France
DEDICATION TO THE DIVERSITY OF BURGUNDY With close to 90 different appellations, Joseph Drouhin offers a fascinating array of Burgundy terroirs in all their authenticity and subtle variations. A FAMILY HERITAGE For the last 130 years, Maison Joseph Drouhin has been in the hands of the Drouhin family....
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Pugliese Vineyards 2013 Pinot Gris (Grig...
Pugliese Vineyards
Pinot Gris (Grigio)
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Man In Space
- Video Online only
- Title Man In Space
- Released: 10/12/2009
- Length 00:13:56
- Language English
- Footage Type Music Clip
- Copyright NASA
- Description
Set to music, this piece covers various aspects of manned spaceflight - antique flying machine footage, early NASA launches, early manned spaceflight, EVA, separation and docking footage from space, astronauts on board Skylab, Apollo.
This NASA video includes the following, all accompanied by music:
00:05 The Wright brothers' airplane
00:24 Rocket launch
00:48 NASA Astronaut in space suit
01:02 Video from spacecraft of stage being kicked off, by engine firing
01:17 The Earth seen from space
01:30 NASA Astronaut in space in extra vehicle activity (EVA)
02:46 Spacecraft in space, not clear what it is exactly, with the Earth in the background
03:50 Astronaut in EVA
04:13 Firing launch vehicle, which is launched. Second stage being fired.
05:12 Second stage fired filmed from inside launcher
06:11 Earth seen from spacecraft
06:33 Spacecraft in space
06:48 Astronaut exit spacecraft capsule for EVA
07:31 Three astronauts seen in spacecraft capsule , on lunar mission
08:07 Moon seen from spacecraft near the Moon
08:15 Apollo Lunar Module in space approaching landing on the Moon
08:50 Landing on the Moon
09:19 First man on the Moon: Neil Alden Armstrong
09:30 Neil Alden Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (born Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr planting the US flag on the Moon, 20 July 1969, on Apollo 11
09:40 Lunar Roving Vehicle driving on the Moon on Apollo 15
09:58 Two astronauts on the Moon collects rock samples, and fix items to the Moon surface
10:10 Lunar Module takes off from the Moon and joins the Command Module, which had been circling the Moon while the Lunar Module had landed on the Moon
10:38 The Earths seen with the Moon in the foreground
10:45 Video form inside the Apollo Command Module with astronauts
11:24 Skylab in space
11:45 Video from inside Skylab with astronauts, and with images of the Earth from Skylab
13:10 Astronauts in EVA on Skylab
13:37 Skylab in space
13:57 The End


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The "save the planet" meme behind the United Nations / Rockefeller-funded ICLEI/Agenda 21 "sustainable development" mandate is clearly demonstrated in the curriculum changes in the public school system. As this article demonstrates, when legislation adds a curriculum requirement such as "Environmental Literacy," it takes time away from other studies. This article also addresses the "School to Work" issue that is the key component of the UNESCO-based Lifelong Learning that the US Dept of Education has been implementing since it was made a cabinet level department by the Carter Administration.
Maryland is the first state in the country to impose a new requirement to graduate from high school — something called environmental literacy.
Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/27/maryland-adds-environmental-literacy-in-high-schools/#ixzz1QgCMPOBN
Charlotte Iserbyt blew the whistle on the US Dept of Ed when she served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Dept of Education during the first Reagan Administration. Her 14 page article The Death of Free Will explains the origin and implications of Education Reform in this country that began when the Rockefeller Foundation set up the Southern Education Board in 1913 that evolved into the General Board of Education then the International Board of Education that merged with UNESCO after formation of the United Nations.
75 min video Charlotte Iserbyt: The Miseducation of America (Note: A transcript of this video is in process and will be available as a pdf shortly) ~LTG


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The Chicago Blackhawks placed forward Daniel Carcillo on injured reserve and recalled Ben Smith from the Rockford IceHogs on Tuesday.
Carcillo is having surgery sometime Tuesday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee; he sustained the injury on Jan. 2. Carcillo is out for the rest of the season.
Smith has played in nine games with the Blackhawks this season, scoring two goals. He has 12 goals with the IceHogs.


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Share on ThriftyFunThis page contains the following solutions. Have something to add? Please share your solution!
I am a mad 'critter' lover of all types, but have always had a problem with some methods of disciplining pets that I have read. I often consider them cruel. About the best, and most friendly (if that is the right term), is a simple spray bottle with plain old water and perhaps a drop of citrus oil.
My four dogs love playing in water, 'biting' water from the garden hose, and don't even mind a bath, but they "hate" getting squirted! Go figure. We have a busy home business and sometimes the dogs get a bit carried away when clients arrive, so a quick shake of the bottle, a stern "No barking!" and if necessary a quick squirt, and voila.
Now I only have to shake the spray bottle and all is quiet, butter wouldn't melt in their mouths! It even works well on my cockatoo! So results with absolutely no physical or mental harm done and no harm to the environment.
By Vicki Keong from Australia
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
After completing the basic pet training course at Petsmart, the most effective tool I came away with is to use a squirt/spray bottle to stop a dogs barking. Simply spray your dog in the face or better yet, the hind quarters, the rear end. It is useful to help stop other unwanted behaviors if you use it while the dog is in the act.
Before long all you have to do is say "squirt bottle" and the behavior comes to a halt. Basic training classes at Petsmart are well worth it. Keeping in mind that your consistency with your beloved is what will make or break your relationship with your pet.
By Debbie from Myrtle Beach, SC
I posted a tip about using a spray bottle to train your pet and to steer them away from bad behavior about a year ago on this board and the loyal Pet-Loving folks here on ThriftyFun really let me HAVE it! It seems pet owners consider this to be "pet abuse". While I don't think you should ever spray your pet in the face, I don't really think it's "abuse" to spray them either. It's like everything else out there in this world, it's all about moderation! I sprayed my cat in the hind quarters only 2 or 3 times and now I never need to do it again. All I need to do is LOOK like I'm going to reach for the spray bottle and he jumps down from the countertop! But, for those who dislike the spray bottle technique, I've found that clapping my hands 3 times quickly and loudly has the same effect. (I've also heard to never yell the pet's name because you should only use their name when they are doing something good. Otherwise it will confuse them).
I must say that I've often thought that using a spray bottle as discipline might backfire and help make your pet afraid of bath-time or of the water. It's worth a thought.
I once trained a cat to take weekly baths (for cat allergies) and she actually relaxed and enjoyed the baths! (I started her out when she was just a small kitten) and I know if I'd used a spray bottle as discipline, it could easily have undone all the work I went through to reassure her that water was "good" and not "scary". (01/15/2009)
By Cyinda
This would work good on a dog that is not nervous. Did this with my dog (who is very nervous and timid, he is Chu/mix) scared him to death. Now if you bring it out and spray him he runs with his tail between his legs and will not come out of his crate for a long time. On the bigger more sturdy dogs it will do wonders. (01/15/2009)
By wacky camper
This is definitely pet abuse. Positive training methods are better. I think that has already been said before but has anyone mentioned how dangerous this method is. Not all dogs are so passive when it comes to unpleasant consequences. Next time you reach for a spray bottle the dog might decide to stop you, ie attack you. (01/15/2009)
By Diane
It would be abuse to forcefully squirt the dog in the face or to scare the dog, but a little squirt in the mouth area wouldn't hurt if it stopped the bad behavior. I tried this with my German Shep, but she loved it and opened her mouth for the water and wanted me to keep squirting it in her mouth.
I find positive reinforcement really works best. In fact, I say "Good girl" before the command. For example, "Good girl, Angel, sit." It seems to work better with the compliment first. I guess it's her ego :) (01/16/2009)
By Stngray
I can't believe that you pet owners think that a squirt of water is abusive. Come on. The water can only be a distraction to get the behavior to stop. Unless you are using a power hose, how can water harm a pet?
I have a dog that has taken up barking lately. I am going to try the squirt bottle. Thank you Debbie for the tip.
By Shirley
I have had to do the spraying of water myself. All I have to do is just pick up the garden hose and my 4 dogs will run like the wind. Sometimes they think it is a game. (01/17/2009)
By Brenda
A squirt bottle is fine, but not directly into their face. I believe training should be on a positive basis where you wait and reward desired behaviours rather than a negative punishment. It takes a little more of your time and definitely more of your patience BUT it is FAR more effective. Punishment training methods often have relapse problems but positive reinforcement training rarely does!
By Shelter Worker


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HTC will be launching the One S Android 4.0 ICS based smartphone in India on June 15th. Previously, the handset was expected to be launched on June 8th. It is delayed by a week due to some reasons. The price in India of the smartphone is expected to be around Rs 33,000. Already, online retailers like The Mobile Store and Infibeam have started taking pre-orders for the device that is yet to be launched.
We reported that HTC will launch the smartphone in the country in May. The HTC One S is the lighter version of the One X that was launched in India last month. One S was launched in Taiwan with an over clocked single core Snapdragon processor of 1.7 GHz speed. There was a speculation that the Indian version will also have 1.7 GHz processor. But HTC is likely to launch the handset with 1.5 GHz processor in India.
The One S will run the Android 4.0 ICS operating system. It has an Adreno 225 graphics processing unit under the hood. It has a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display. The Gorilla Glass screen is scratch resistant. It sports an 8 MP camera that can shoot snaps of great quality. It also has a front facing camera to facilitate video calling. Like the other One series phones, the One S will come bundled with the Beats Audio.
The price in India of the smartphone is still not confirmed by the company. Do you think it will be launched for Rs 33,000?