That's horrible. OP Don't follow this poster's example.

This is HORRIBLE! [2008-06-30]
You need to get as far away as possible. You have a computer, so how about emailing your local Domestic Abuse hotline and see what they can do. Perhaps you shouldbcc to your sister all emails regarding your home situation. Also send her any replies that you receive.YOU DO NOT WANT HIM TO READ ANY EMAILS REGARDING YOUR FEARS AND WANTS!!Maybe your area has an underground process to move you and the kids to a safe place.....hundreds ofmiles away. Everyone...don't assume that she is not telling the truth. Stress can cause one to forget dates, exaggerate, or even make up something. I would rather see that she goes into a shelter and not a grave!

This is HORRIBLE! [2008-06-30]
You need to get as far away as possible. You have a computer, so how about emailing your local Domestic Abuse hotline and see what they can do. Perhaps you shouldbcc to your sister all emails regarding your home situation. Also send her any replies that you receive.YOU DO NOT WANT HIM TO READ ANY EMAILS REGARDING YOUR FEARS AND WANTS!!Maybe your area has an underground process to move you and the kids to a safe place.....hundreds ofmiles away. Everyone...don't assume that she is not telling the truth. Stress can cause one to forget dates, exaggerate, or even make up something. I would rather see that she goes into a shelter and not a grave!

PS! The poster below was right about UTI's - [2008-05-29]
I lost my previous cat (a 4-year-old male) to acute kidney failure brought on by an obstructed urinary tract. In addition to being a male, which put him at higher risk, he was also a Persian, which get this more frequently than other breeds), and he ate ONLY dry cat food. Just would not touch any kind of wet food. Although I normally only fed him high-quality food by Royal Canin, I also made the mistake of letting him have Meow-Mix as a treat occasionally, for a change. That brand has apparently messed up other cats' pH balances, and I'll always wonder if I killed him by feeding him Meow Mix.... Although he never peed outside his litter box, he did start to pee more often, and in less and less amounts. It had been happening very gradually over about a week, and at the time I hadn't really noticed it. It was only in retrospect that I remembered... AFTER it was too late. Even though he was nearly dead when he was brought in, the emergency after-hours vet clinic saved his life the first time, and for a month he was completely back to normal! But then, overnight, it came back, and the next morning I found him lying in his litter box (another warning sign!) The second time at the vet's, they said the toxins from the first episode the month before had backed up into his system and basically destroyed his kidneys, so at that point I had him put to sleep. So, long story short, especially with a male cat, don't take any chances, and be sure to have your vet check him out. Be sure he's eating at least SOME canned (wet) cat food, and if possible, it might be wise to eliminate dry food altogether. If you do feed dry food, be sure it's a top-quality brand (with NO ingredients from China!) Once again, good luck and best wishes!

As the poster below said...if you are.. [2008-05-13]
havinga tough time making it financially, maybe there are better job choices out there for you. My pointwas that most people who whine about having no moneyusually have the brand new car or two and the payments, a huge mortgage, the latest tech gear, etc. We have a lot of nice things, all paid for, but we took our time getting them. We save where we can, but we arendecision that whatever we want to buy we will either save and pay cash for or charge it and pay it off the next month. As you get older you realize stuff is just stuff, it comes and goes, and the less you canget by on the better.

That's horrible. OP--Don't follow this poster's example. [2008-05-07]
A letter like this is probably the most inappropriate way to have dealt with the situation other than beating the kids up yourself. I'm going to assume this letter was also sent anonymously. Awful, awful, awful.

If you can get the materials like the above poster [2008-04-21]
It's easy to do yourself. I did the point system on my own and it worked really well. My daughter was on WW with me so that helped also. I lost 20 pounds, unfortunately put most of it back on and I'm at it again. My daughter on the other hand, became a vegetarian and lost 30 pounds in three months. Wish I could do that, but I like my meat too.

It may not but people who follow it will [2008-04-19]
We are not intimidated by the Bible. We are just sick of the people who think they are more rightous than others becase they wear their religion on their sleeves while they cram down our throats that they are better than us. If it gives a man comfort, then he will receive the same comfort if that bible is in his posession but not for all the world to see. How can you be sick of Christians always being in the wrong when they are given more rights than people of other faiths. If you want to talk about people being wronged out of their religion being able to be openly observed you should consider what the Wiccans have to go through. And for pittyHim out of everything. Your not the first to say it, I've heard it before and its absolutely untrue.

Ok, here's the link - unbelievable that people would follow this man!!! [2008-04-18]
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=7455894 you will have to cut and paste - sorry - I don't know how to link it

Have to agree with the above poster [2008-04-16]
While my mom is only in her 60's right now, my dad has already passed and I have NO doubt that when the time comes to take care of my mom, I will get little to no help from my 4 siblings. I think often the burden falls to one child and it would be in your best interest to get power of attorney and just do what you need to do. It It will just cause you more stress and as a result, more stress on your dad. When all is said and done, you will sleep well at night knowing you did all you could for your dad. Your sister will be the one who has to live with herself knowing that she didn't care enough to be there for him.

But you would have if you could have, and above poster did try (sm) [2008-04-04]
So why are you both saying parents don't owe their kids help with getting through college? Poster A tried to help hers and jlynn would have helped hers if she could.

As poster of daughter who misused college help [2008-04-04]
I did it cause I wanted to, not cause I thought I owed it to her. I told her from K that if she wanted a guarantee of college she better get the grades cause couldnt promise we could help her. I just happened to be in a position that I could help when the time came. I have already told DS not to expect the same as we did for DD, cause I was not going to throw my money away. Now, if he makes an effort to help himself, sure, I will help but I will not throw good money after bad. He also knows we are not going to buy him a car, as we did for DD, cause that was a disaster too. Some may say this is unfair, but I see it was a parental learning experience.

Wow - I am the poster above. I think this is a very good option [2008-03-17]
and I would definitely give this a try before my drastic option - good for you!

OMG that looks horrible [2008-03-07]
Sorry took awhile to reply to this message. I looked at pics of hordeolum and its not that - thank goodness...those look so painful and awful. Another post said chalazion and it looks more like that, though some pics donan eye on this. - How's that for humor. HA HA

then I would agree with another poster.. [2008-02-27]
you should probably find someone to talk to about it..with your husband.

That would be me (poster) and as a NY City person.... [2008-02-23]
and I HATE that press 1 for English and have told many corporations that - it should say *if you Creole press 2, Russian press 3, Hebrew press 4,Portugese press 5 and on and on and on so that we cover everybody....but for us, 3rd, 4th generation Americans, we should NOT have to press 1 for English - GALLS ME! I think in California, they do choose to isolate more themselves via their cultures.....I do not see this here in S. Florida any longer - it's much better today, I think, and JMO.....(no flames please *lol*) Oh, and if it's NOT a melting pot, it sure should be - and we should strive to live side-by-side, accepting of others choices (religion or any other personal choice as long as it doesn't hurt anybody), and all try to get along in a nation full of different cultures, religions, colors, languages.....just my opinion again....

I DIDN'T VOTE FOR BUSH. he is a horrible prez [2008-02-20]
anybody that puts their religion into their campaign that much is bound to try to force their views on us once in office. I don't think ANYBODY of any religion should do that. I hate to say it, but McCain has done his campainging very well, very tactful.

I think that is horrible advice. She should let herself [2008-02-15]
feel degraded (maybe) because she could run the risk of losing him to another woman? Wow.

Even if the poster is dead wrong and clearly to blame? nm [2008-02-15]
trudat

What?? Poster just pointing out discrepencies in [2008-02-14]
x

Follow the part that has the brains. : ) nm [2008-01-29]
x

Pertaining to health care in Cuba, which poster [2008-01-28]
xxx

Are you sister of poster with tax-welfare issues? [2008-01-22]
x

I believe poster was, how to say this?, bragging. [2008-01-20]
xxx

I agree with the other poster, (sm) [2008-01-17]
probably something dressier than regular business but not black tie, somewhere in between. Other poster is probably correct about them saying that to hopefully avoid too much sparkle and low cut or short skirts with the women. LOL.

The poster was right.... [2008-01-16]
you can't change your dad, just stay happy. But, you could invite your parents to go to church with your family - if they say no, just tell them the invitation is open at any time. You could also just cheerfully mention to your Dad that you saw such and such a job in the newspaper and thought it was something he might be interested in looking into. You're wise enough to know you can't change another person, but you can give him a little encouragement - plant a seed and see if it grows. Happy Trails to you.

My sons have been in Scouts for some time now...sm [2008-07-03]
My youngest (11 years old) was in Cub Scouts for about 3 years and crossed over into a newly chartered troop. My oldest son (17 years old) joined the troop also, mostly out of necessity (we needed his warm body in order to have enough boys to charter). My youngest loves it and my oldest is kind of lukewarm about it. I have also been a leader at the pack, troop, district and council level for over 4 years now. We are basically a scouting family and love it. With that said, however, I will say that scouting is not for everyone, and everyone does not get out of scouting what is there for them to learn simply because everyone is not interested in learning those things or because of poor leadership within the scouting unit. In your case, it sounds to me as if the latter may be true. You didn't say how old your son is or how long he has been in scouting, but it sounds to me like he has a very poor leader if he makes them camp this way. Some overly self-glorified scout leaders try to turn scouting into junior Army training which is not what it is meant to be. If there is another pack or troop in the area, you might consider changing and see if that improves his scouting experience by a new leader and better camping conditions. When we camp, each boy has his own tent (can be bought at Walmart for about $15) and we always have a campfire in a designated fire ring that burns pretty much all night. Each boy is safely enclosed in his own tent that zips up which greatly reduces the chances of spiders, snakes, bugs, etc. Of course the boys have to be trained to keep their tent flaps zipped closed at all times so that nothing gets in. My advice from a scouter's viewpoint is to talk to your son and then you and your son and husband talk to the scout leader and see what can be done to improve the scouting experience for your son as well as the other boys in the unit. If the leader does not want to chanage his ways to more closely follow the scouting ideals, then find another troop or pack to join. Sounds like there is a LOT of room for improvement here. Here is a link that may help, too. http://netcommish.com/askandy.asp

Her insurance didn't refuse to pay [2008-07-02]
I I asked very pointed questions, to which she either snapped at me or evaded answering. I said this before, but I think it bears repeating - an $800 hospital bill doesn The bite wasn I I think the OP is trying to make a mountain of a mole hill to make a few bucks. That Now, here I also think she knows she probably wouldn It If her daughter was so traumatized by it all, why hasn She was more concerned about setting up a college fund with the money she would win in court. The counseling was only an afterthought. If she wants to sue, by all means sue - after all, it is the American way. But don It all comes down to money. Read my other posts and her replies. I just happen to believe in calling something what it is, not sugarcoating it or beating around the bush. This poster knows what she Sorry, can't do that here.

Some advice -- been there myself, [2008-07-02]
First of all, congrats on almost paying off that mortgage! I would love to have a $350/month mortgage payment. I watch a lot of financial shows on TV, so I hope some of the stuff I learned can help you. 1. Pay yourself first. I know this sounds hard to do, but if you put a little back each paycheck to a savings account, you can avoid getting caught in the credit card circle again. It doesn We do $40 a paycheckinto2 club accounts, $20 into a Christmas Club and $20 into a vacation club. This really helps out when those times of year come around. 2. Pay your highest interest rate credit cards first and/or lowest balance first. You say you have a credit card in the 20% range for interest with a balance of $200. Try to pay that one off ASAP, while still maintaining minimum payments on the others. Once that one is paid down, I would start on the next lowest balance (since 3 of your credit card interest rates are in the similar 20% range). You should put the money you were paying on the $200 card (after it 3. Try to make your payments as soon as you get your bill for that statement; don Interest is figured on a daily basis, so the sooner you pay it for that month, the less interest you'll end up paying. 4. The $5000 that you are planning on getting would probably be best used by paying off the credit cards for 2 reasons: 1) The interest on your house is probably a lot better rate than those on the credit cards. 2) The interest you are paying on your house can be tax deductible. If I were in your situation, I would start out with the first 3 suggestions. After you get the $5000, I would follow through with number 4. Finally, any remaining balances left, I would try to obtain a home equity loan. Home equity loans are not second mortgages. The closing costs are much less, usually not more than $100, if any. The interest on a home equity loan would be better than any of your credit card interest rates, and again, the interest paid on a home equity loan can be tax deductible. When shopping for a home equity loan, try to find one with a fixed interest rate rather than adjustable (the market You should be able to find one with a rate somewhere around 7%. Good luck to you!

Been there done that [2008-07-02]
I too have sent emails to wrong people, then have to contact people and tell them. It's a horrible feeling. If you ever have any question about an email you sent you could always look at your sent file. I have to do that often.

Unfortunately, your scenario is not [2008-07-01]
When asked if her insurance already paid the claim and what she would do with the money, she would not answer. She simply replied that putting the $800 in her pocket was not insurance fraud and that the dog owner should not benefit from something that she She also stated that it would be cheaper to pay her the $800 than it would be to have to go through homeowner's insurance. I Unfortunately, I think the poster is trying to take advantage of the situation. She

A lot depends on your daughter, not just you - sm [2008-06-30]
Is she sensible? There are not many 16-y/o that have not tried drinking or smoking, it is all part of trying new things,etc. and it will happen whether you like it or not. You have to learn to trust her to make smart decisions and to make her own mistakes but obviously to guide her and make sure she doesndate had MadDog, nasty stuff, and I got obliterated as I did not realize what that crud would do to me. Lucky for me my dad was out of the country at the time. My punishment was being forced to go to school with a horrible hangover (though I puked my guts out in my friendscares). I actually went and got on the pill while still a virgin so when it did happen I would be protected. --- is your daughter that sensible and with some common sense? I did a lot of stupid things along with the smart things I doing, just got lucky and came out of it okay. At 16 you want to experiment and have fun. All my friend and I were A/B students, 1 smoked and did all sorts of drugs. I would drink and smoke pot now and them (1 x a week or so), and again parents NEVER knew it. I remember one time my dad picked me up at school after play practice (was helping out with set design), I was stoned, had been slipped angel dust and had been hallucinating about an hour or two prior, was still pretty high. He wanted me to drive home for practice (I was 16), I turned him down because I was very tired.....he never knew, I crawled into bed the minute I got home. I was very, very good at hiding it from my parents, how they didn't smell it on me I never knew, unless they just ignored it. My best friend smoked and they new that so I guess that helped cover it up a bit. Despite all this I was very anti-drug (anything but pot) as I had seen too many people messed up on coke, crank, LSD, etc. I was furious with my BF's brother as he was the one who slipped me the angel dust, I got lucky as nothing bad happened to me. He is dead now, ended up addicted to coke, then alcohol, got hepatitis, car-jacked 3 cars for drug money, and ended up in prison with a 20 year sentence, got out after 8 years in 2006, then got addicted to painkillers, they found him dead in his apartment, killed by mixing alcohol and painkillers. This just happened about 8 months ago. He was only 42. Very sad as he was a smart guy but had many, many problems and never got his life together. Obviously this does not happen to everyone who does drugs, it all depends on the person and their upbringing. His sister (one of my BFs) is a successful therapist, drinks but quit smoking several years ago, never got into hard drugs like her brother. ---sorry for the rambling, but don't go overboard and lock her up, that will just make her go in the opposite direction. Obviously you need to set limits, etc, and try to know where she is and who she is with, and set punishments if you catch her doing it and let her know what those punishments will be, whether it is grounding for a month, or no cell phone, no TV, no driving, whatever, be firm and stick to it. I know that my brothers and I all did stuff, most of which we got away with, but it was shear luck and stupidity when I look back at it. Not all kids are so lucky. I hope you daughter is one of the lucky ones.

by the way, [2008-06-23]
pet stores will buy them from you, a lot of folks like the king snakes. Don't throw away those coffee cans! A lot of folks believe in keeping a goose around the yard, but I think I am more scared of them than the snakes, some of them are downright mean! and of course, it probably does not fly past homeowners association. I did not see the same show other poster was talking about, the one I saw was a rattler under a mannote to self, but I have no desire to actually touch one unless it is a belt or boot! homeowner: good times.

Thanks [2008-06-22]
I will suggest that to the man of the house. He said just call him and he will take care of it (he just leaves the huge spiders for me) HA HA. The snakes are not long at all, maybe 7 or 8 inches long and maybe bout as round as a pen/pencil (not real big). I had no idea about the poster that said even if you cut off a snakes head (poisonous) it could still bite you. Eeeks! Now that's scary.

While I totally agree re. depression...nm [2008-06-20]
to poster above who has done a fine job and counsels others on getting money into the bank, the stark reality is that no matter how much $$ one has in the bank, when depression hits - and it will - all that money isn't going to amount to a hill of beans that was covered by the floods in the upper states. The dollar bill has little value now, so when the depression hits none of it will be worth anything. Best stockpile on canned and paper goods (TP will be at a premium, I'm told by financiers) now with that $$ in the bank 'cause that's all you are going to have!

Retarded [2008-06-19]
The poster is obviously the retarded one.

My heart bleeds for her - yeah right! [2008-06-17]
She should stay in jail and rot! What she did was so horrible and inconceivable (not sure if that's the right word - I mean I can't even imagine what was going through their minds when they were doing that - which is a good thing I guess). I remember when that happened in 1969 (I think that was the year) I was about 9 years old living in Conn. I had nightmares because of what happened to them. Mom & dad tried to keep the stories away from me, but it was everywhere. Every night my mom and dad would show me they were locking the doors and I still woke up crying afraid people were going to break in and kill us. Just because she has brain cancer doesn't change what she did to those poor innocent people. The horror they must have been going through during their final moments of life, especially Sharon Tate being pregnant. Horrible horrible tragedy. I think she has no rights to ask to be set free. If she has brain cancer, when it gets worse who knows what will be going through her mind and what she will do. In my opinion I think she should stay in jail. Hey maybe we should ask Roman Polanski if he thinks she should be let go. Anyway...that is my lowly opinion.

My dad [2008-06-17]
My dad was a very easy going guy. He drove truck through the week and sometimes gone for weeks on end but when he was around we got along great. Mom was okay. In teenage years of course I don't think I was the easiest to get along with. Mom was the disciplinarian of the home (i.e. punishment giver). Dad lectured - and boy could he lecture. I would sit literally sometimes for over 2 hours with my dad lecturing. I could remember thinking...sheesh, just spank me and get it over with. Mom would have to tell him after 2 hours she thinks I got the message. I did fight a lot with my mom, but again I think it was because I was a horrible teenager growing up. Whatever time dad was home I loved it. Both parents were loving and fair. I never really thought of getting along better one over the other, but my dad and I had a connection I didn't have with my mom and my sister had a connection with mom she didn't with my dad (even though she was always protecting dad when he wasn't around and mom was trashing him to us).

excuse my lack of knowledge, but [2008-06-17]
I thought medicinal marijuana was legalized in CA some time ago. What a horrible situation, this calls for an uprising, let the power of the people be heard. That is exactly why this stuff is going on - we let it.

Wow. I am in the same position but with three kids BEGGING me to... [2008-06-17]
divorce their day. He is absolutely horrible. He is verbally abusive, mentally abusive, emotionally abusive, horrifically financially abusive, etc... I could go on and on and on. I had the same question when my three children were young. They are all a year apart. I knew if I divorced him when they were very young, he could partial custody or certainly visitation rights. Now, I don't care. They are 14, 13, and 12. I am going to give them the choice of whether or not they want to see their dad, which from what they tell me, they say they won't be happy until he is dead. Sad situation for those of us in it. You are in my thoughts. It's a brutal situation to be in. I know...I am there.

We should have no mercy on her [2008-06-16]
Hopefully she has repented, but there's no way she should be turned loose. She was sentenced to death and since that was overturned, she should remain in jail until the day she dies. The murders were so horrible that justice must be served.

I have nothing personal.... [2008-06-14]
against pit bulls in particular. I think all dogs can be dangerous given different circumstances. I don't think it is right to single out a particular breed and just take away an animal from its home without just cause. However, my elderly mother, who suffers from MS, has been plagued by horrible neighbors with many dogs. They do not keep their dogs in their own yard. Not only do they tear out my motherher back yard as their own personal bathroom. Their one dog bit their own daughter and nothing was done. They are always barking at us when we are in my mother I had one come at me and I picked up a shovel that was thankfully near meto protect myself if the dog continued it advance. Their little dog frequently gets under my mother We have called the Humane Society and they will do nothing. I personally think that people should have a right to shoot any dog on their property that shouldn If it weren A 60-some, widowed woman with health problems has no rights to keep destructive, mean dogs off of her property but hey....don Sad when a mut as more rights than my mom. Any irresponsible owner shouldn I will get off of my soap box now. LOL.

Same problem here [2008-06-14]
I have colored my hair for quite a few years now, because if I dongrandma you look like you are losing your hair there. Well, that reminded me that what I saw in the mirror was not a figment of my imagination, it was real!! Out of the mouths of babes:) Kids notice the things you don't want to notice, and are painfully honest. I also had beautiful hair at one time, but now I take extra good care of my hair and I do condition my hair to keep it soft and shiny. I use products from the Ojon Company that are wonderful for hair, and then follow my shampoo with a leave-in hair volumizer, which also shines the hair. I swear by their products.

Terrible terrible loss [2008-06-13]
I'm in shock. What a horrible loss for all of us. He was the voice of reason and spoke it like it was. My heart goes out to his family and friends. You can hear how everyone on the news is in shock. The news will never be the same without him.

If you would like to further educate yourself on this issue [2008-06-12]
INTERESTING ARTICLE I realize this is very long, but as an expert in this field, I want to re-post information I sent, in September, to another blogger concerned about the Best Friends summit. I want to emphasize that the following information is based on years of dedicated research, and decades of dog training experience. I do not simply pass along information I've heard or read somewhere...which is sadly what most people, on all sides of dog-related issues, do. I recognize that some of your readers may find parts of it quite controversial. That's okay. Facts are facts, even if they conflict with some other [expert's] unresearched opinions. As such, I've opted to leave those sections in, because they're vital in refuting unfounded notions about dogs, canine genetics, and dog behaviour, which lead to myths about canine aggression. Any individual point of controversy should not take away from the overall message of fact and reason that does not support the view that any entire dog breed could be considered dangerous. Only once people stop repeating inaccurate information (no matter how good it may sound), will we ever hope to get to the heart of this issue, and start reducing the number of unprovoked dog bites. The following was written off the top of my head, in response to concerns about the Best Friends' agenda. It is not a composed article meant for publication. Please also keep in mind, it has a decidedly Canadian perspective, although there is ample U.S. data referenced. This is what I wrote (with a few minor clarifications): Dear (blogger), As you know, I am an expert in Canadian dog bite statistics. After years of research, there are a number of interesting facts I right here, in one place. The situation with unprovoked dog bites is not what nearly everyone believes it to be. If I had one pet peeve, it is that most people merely repeat things they�ve heard or read. They don�t really know if what they�re saying is true or not. They merely �believe� those things to be true, and that�s enough for them, I guess. You know what I say, �No matter how often or loudly a myth is repeated, it is still just a myth.� Some people simply like agreeing with others. Some like to pretend they�re especially knowledgeable or have unique insight. Whatever the source for so many of these myths, years of research has proven the majority of beliefs I encounter about dogs are simply untrue. Whenever discussing the issue of dangerous dogs, it's always important to remember a few key points about the dog bite statistics (especially as they pertain to Canada): 1. The most dangerous breeds in Canada are, in order: German Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, Rottweiler, and Golden Retriever. Why do I say this? Well, this is not dog bite data, but rather dog attack data based on the reporting information from the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP). The CHIRPP members (hospitals, and reporting physicians and nurses) have no reason to lie about the information they receive, surrounding the breed of dog that has attacked. Why do I say the most dangerous? Well, because the CHIRPP data only applies to the most severe dog attacks (i.e. those injuries serious enough to require treatment in hospital). These are not little nips that can be treated with ice or even a band aid. These are severe dog bite injuries that need to be treated in hospital. The dogs that cause the most serious injuries in Canada belong to the above-mentioned breeds, more than any others. Unlike municipal dog bite data (where any bite, no matter how inconsequential, or even against other animals, is counted), the CHIRPP data only relates to the most serious dog attacks against human victims. 2. 'Pit bulls' are rarely in the #1 spot in dog bite statistics. Any measures to restrict or ban the #2, #5, or #37 'breed' of dog in the dog bite statistics, but not #1, is pure hypocrisy. As faulty as the logic may be, if you're going to ban or restrict a type of dog in an attempt to reduce the number of dog bites, then it must be the ones who bite the most and/or cause the most serious injuries. Either way, that 'breed' is not 'pit bulls'. 3. There hasn't been one confirmed death of a child attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history. (There has been one unconfirmed death.) 4. The very first human fatality attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history occurred in May of 2006. Until then, every insinuation or claim about Canadians being in danger of being killed in unprovoked attacks by 'pit bulls' was totally unfounded. (In the Ontario case in May, the dog was actually only part 'pit bull'. It was a Labrador Retriever/'pit bull' cross, and the dog's owner was the victim.) (It should be noted that there have been at least two human fatalities in Canada attributed to unprovoked attacks by Labrador Retriever crosses, yet this was the first for a 'pit bull' cross.) 5. Municipal dog bite statistics often combine reported dog bite data against both humans and other animals. While I don�t have any problems with doing so, those citing combined statistics must be aware that the majority of the dog bite reports aren�t against people. To imply otherwise is, at best, misleading and, at worst, dishonest. For example: Toronto has arguably the largest municipal �pit bull� population in Canada. In 2004, 12 of the city�s estimated 30,000+ �pit bulls� had been reported for biting. (That�s about 0.04% of the population, by the way; leaving 99.96% of Toronto�s �pit bulls� completely innocent of such allegations.) However, the majority of those reported bites were against other animals. Only 2 of the 12 could even begin to be called �attacks� against humans. So, when 2 out of at least 30,000 dogs of a loosely-defined type are involved in attacks in an entire year, is that really justification for not just trying to ban or restrict them, but for making sweeping generalizations about all the rest? 6. No matter what dog �breed� tops the dog bite statistics, the vast majority of bites are still attributed to other breeds. To better help people understand the absurdity of a breed-based approach to dog bite prevention, let�s imagine that �pit bulls� are responsible for a virtually unheard of 10% of bites in some Canadian city. That still leaves 90% of biting dogs unaffected by any breed-based approach. This is the primary reason why breed bans have been such a colossal failure wherever they�ve been tried. The majority of biting and attacking dogs are not affected, so their owners are free to continue to behave negligently. 7. All dogs can bite. There is no such thing as a breed of dog that has never bitten, never attacked, never maimed, or never killed (a person or other animal). 8. It is the size of the victim, not the dog, which best predicts severity of injury in an attack. While even the very smallest dog breeds have killed humans, the very largest dog breeds are rarely involved in attacks. 9. Adults are rarely seriously injured by dogs of any size, while children are the most common dog bite victims. Their attackers range from the very smallest to the very largest dog breeds. 10. The dogs actually involved in attacks are not genetically related in any meaningful way. This goes right to the heart of common, yet completely unscientific, baseless claims about allegedly inheriting aggressive behaivours or being bred for aggression. In short, the dogs involved in attacks are not closely genetically related to one another. This tends to refute the idea that the attack was due to some aberrant inherited gene. Think about it. What could the Dalmatian that bit off a boy�s nose 10 years ago and the Golden Retriever that left 76 stitches in a girl�s face, just a few years ago, possibly have in common, from a genetic standpoint? Is anyone really trying to suggest they�re genetically related, and both inherited some sort of as-yet-undiscovered �attack gene�? Even the Rottweiler that killed a child in New Brunswick and the Rottweiler that killed a child in Ontario don�t share any common ancestors in their pedigrees; making the whole notion of a shared genetic cause for attacks completely ludicrous. Put simply, the individual dogs involved in unique attack incidents are not genetically related in any way other than that which makes them dogs. 11. Psychology defines aggression as learned behaviour. I�ve been researching dog biting incidents since 1999. I have yet to find a dog involved in an attack that didn�t have a known history of aggressive behaviour. Aggression has to be learned and practiced before it is perfected. I have yet to come across a case of a dog that attacked unprovoked, without ever having barked menacingly, growled, lunged, snapped, or what have you. This completely refutes the (quite silly) urban myth that �some dogs just turn�, or that dogs can be THIS unpredictable. (i.e. friendly family pet with no history of ever having behaved aggressively one minute; then savage, unprovoked attacker the next) As an experienced dog trainer (one who has spent many of those years SUCCESSFULLY re-training aggressive dogs), I can attest that dogs are not all that unpredictable. Sure, they might do something out of the ordinary, every now and then. However, for a dog to suddenly behave aggressively in a way that is truly threatening or injurious, it must have practiced those behaviours in the past. This is the nature of all learned behaviours. Only practice makes perfect. (I can elaborate more on that, if you wish.) It�s as though people can�t imagine any other form of aggressive behaviour, other than biting. To help them along, I must point out that aggressive behaviours follow a fairly predictable scale of escalation. It may begin with staring or raised hackles (all merely indicating discomfort with a situation). That can lead to raised lips, growling, stiffened body posture, menacing barking, lunging, and attempted bites. Long before an unwarranted bite ever occurs, there are a litany of warning signs that the dog will eventually bite. Even the most die-hard dog fighting breeders admit they have to start their puppies very young (often at six weeks), to turn them into superior fighters. When asked why they have to spend so much effort training their (allegedly bred-to-fight) dogs, none can provide a scientifically or practically sensible response. Most use made-up terminologies to emphasize what they believe are inherited traits, while playing down the daily training they force on the dogs. Yet it is clear that, without this ongoing encouragement, the dogs don�t become proficient fighters. I�ve researched so many cases where the owner has allegedly claimed the attack was the first time the dog behaved aggressively, I now pay little heed to such statements. The neighbours almost always tell a very different story. To use a more famous case as an example, little Courtney Trempe was killed by a dog the owner claimed had never behaved aggressively before. The owner went on to say he �couldn�t have known� the dog would attack, because it had never tried to bite a person. Well, it turns out the dog had not just attacked previously, but had actually killed two neighbourhood dogs in the past. That is an aggressive dog, by anyone�s standards. But it does bring me to my next point� 12. Aggression is aggression is aggression. The idea that aggression can be species-specific is not based in any kind of scientific, statistical, or practical data. It seems to be little more than wishful thinking. Those perpetuating this notion tend not to have even attempted to validate this theory in any way. There is a very disturbing myth being promulgated by a number of groups that should know better than to perpetuate unfounded myths. The idea that aggression towards other dogs is markedly different than aggression towards humans is scientifically and statistically baseless. (But I realize a lot of people learned this myth, and repeat it as though it is true.) I have to point out that the real-world data, in no uncertain terms, clearly refutes such theories. Of the dogs involved in their first aggression incident towards a human, the vast majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past. Of the dogs involved in their first bites against humans, where the dog had no history of aggression towards humans, the majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past. Of the dogs whose first bite against a person resulted in that individual�s death, and where the dog had no history of aggressive behaviour towards humans, every one of the cases I�ve investigated involved dogs that had behaved aggressively towards other dogs in the past. (see the Trempe case example, above) So, while some aggressive dogs may, for now, limit their aggressive behaviour to other animals, it in no way guarantees it will remain that way forever. Most, if not all, the first-time human biters had only behaved aggressively towards other animals, in the past. Their owners, having believed the myth that aggression is species-specific in dogs, are always surprised when their dog-aggressive dogs bite someone. Again, dog-aggression could remain contained, for a number of social and environmental reasons. Statistically, these dogs are equally as likely to bite a human, one day. Dogs with histories of aggressive behaviour (towards either humans or other animals) are almost exclusively involved in unprovoked biting incidents. 13. Nearly all unprovoked dog bites would not be prevented by dog control laws. Since dog control laws typically only apply to the conduct of owners (and their dogs) when they�re on public property, it completely negates their ability to affect the circumstances that lead to the vast majority of unprovoked dog bites. When it comes to total dog bite numbers, almost all take place on the owner�s property. When it comes to reported dog bite numbers, the overwhelming majority take place on, or directly adjacent to, the owner�s property. Supervised dogs in a public place account for less than 1% of all bites. This makes public restraint laws especially ineptly-aimed and ineffective in reducing dog bites. Most unprovoked biting incidents involve (typically an unsupervised) dog known to the victim. Whether or not the victim knows the dog, the bite usually takes place on the owner�s property (where the dog is either loose or tethered), or directly adjacent to the owner�s property (where the dog was either allowed to venture off the owner�s property, or �escaped�). Very few unprovoked biting incidents involve a supervised dog. Simple supervision appears to be very effective in preventing dog bites. When bites take place far from the owner�s property, the dogs involved were most likely loose, roaming, unsupervised dogs. Simply put, public restraint laws don�t target the situations that actually lead to unprovoked dog bites. 14. Cities that address the real causes of unprovoked dog bites (i.e. lack of supervision & lack of socialization and training) are hugely successful in reducing the number of dog bites. Calgary is the best example we have in Canada. They reduced dog bites by 70%, even during a period where the population doubled. Calgary�s approach was to first enforce existing laws. They strictly enforce licensing, and boast a licensing rate of 90% (compared to most cites� 10-20%). In this way, they have a better handle on the dog population in their community, which helps in making decisions and drawing conclusions. They also have a zero tolerance policy for acts of aggression. (Something I�m personally totally in favour of. Dogs are not weapons, and anyone who unethically uses a dog for that purpose shouldn�t be allowed to own one.) Any report of aggressive behaviour of any kind results in a visit from animal control and a warning. City officials are clear, in that they agree one of the biggest aspects of their success was the creation of ample off-leash areas for dogs to be exercised, socialized, and trained off-leash. With reportedly the largest number of off-leash parks in Canada, it�s no coincidence that Calgary also has the lowest dog bite rate of any major city in Canada. Several years ago, I made this prediction, �When the studies are done, we�ll find the cities with the best access to off-leash parks are also the cities with the lowest percentage of dog bites.� Calgary certainly suggests my prediction was correct. Finally, Calgary increased the penalties for some transgressions. Combined with increased enforcement, the large percentage of licensed dogs, along with the higher fines, has led to Calgary�s animal control department becoming financially self-sufficient. It�s win, win, win, in Calgary, all because they addressed the real causes for unwarranted aggression in dogs. 15. Breed-specific approaches to dog bite prevention have failed. There isn�t one region that can claim a reduction in the number, or severity, of dog bites as a direct result of banning a breed of dog. In Winnipeg, officials promoting the city�s long-time ban on �pit bulls� often misleads the public by stating ��pit bull� attacks� have been eliminated. Well of course they�ve been eliminated. �Pit bulls� are banned in Winnipeg. You don�t have to be rocket scientist to figure that out. There are also no wooly mammoth attacks or saber toothed tiger attacks, either. When Winnipeg banned �pit bulls�, German Shepherds, and their crosses, were far and away the most common biters in that city. After �pit bulls� were banned, there was an average of close to 50 more bites per year, for the following decade. In addition to the rise in overall dog bites, the number of bites by German Shepherds and crosses, Labrador Retrievers and crosses, Terriers crosses, and Rottweilers and crosses, skyrocketed. Kitchener is another example. The city of Kitchener banned �pit bulls� in 1997, without ever having done an analysis on the city�s dog bite data. Only after �pit bulls� were banned was it discovered they were #8 in the 1996 dog bite statistics, �right behind #7 Poodles,� as it is commonly said. In what could only be a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, officials immediately halted the collection of dog bite data by breed. Even so, while we don�t know which breeds have been doing the biting, we can still determine if the �pit bull� ban has been effective in reducing dog bites in Kitchener. Every animal bite is required, by law, to be reported to the Medical Officer of Health. With a sleuthing, it was discovered that dog bites haven�t been reduced at all, since �pit bulls� were banned in 1997. They�ve remained pretty constant. According to a BBC report, hospitalizations due to dog bites rose 25% after �pit bulls� were banned in England. Officials from most of the cities that have repealed breed-specific laws have used terms like �ineffective� and �unenforceable�. 16. All dog breeds are genetically identical. Even DNA can�t distinguish between a Chihuahua, a �pit bull�, a Great Dane, and a wolf. (Yes, while there are occasional claims of in-roads, in this area, using markers, all dogs are still considered genetically identical.) Those rare individuals with the personal expertise necessary to accurately attempt to determine a dog�s breed based on appearance alone typically are not employed in the various occupations charged with enforcing most breed-specific legislation. This leaves the subjective determination of a dog�s breed to the very inexpert animal control and shelter workers. In some cases, police officers must decide the dog�s breed, yet not one police officer is trained to (accurately) differentiate between dog breeds. The same can be said of veterinarians. A veterinary license infers expertise in diagnosing and treating illness, for the most part. Neither practicing veterinarians nor veterinary students are required to prove any expertise in breed identification in order to obtain a license. Any expertise an individual veterinarian may possess, in terms of breed identification, or even dog training and behaviour, was most likely acquired outside the requirements of licensing. Because the people enforcing breed-specific laws are not dog breed identification experts, the likelihood of misidentification is unconscionably great. (In Ontario, several dogs have already been misidentified, under breed-specific ordinances.) 17. The public is not in danger of unprovoked dog bites. For instance, every recent dog-related fatality in Canada has involved dogs and victims residing within the same home. The same could be said for the majority of bites and attacks, as well. This is very important information, in terms of quelling the public�s hysteria. �The public� is rarely involved in unprovoked biting incidents. Most bite victims knew the dog and were voluntarily interacting with it at the time of the bite. Most bite victims are bitten by their own dogs. If you don�t own a dog, your risk of being bitten is very low. If you also don�t interact with dogs, or live next door to a dog that is routinely left unsupervised, or one that is known to behave aggressively, then your risk of being bitten is virtually nil. Even when we don�t account for contributing factors (such as proximity) you are still more than 100 times more likely to be hit by lightning than killed by a dog. (In Canada, the likelihood of being killed by a dog you don�t know or live with is virtually zero.) 18. �Pit bulls� are, if anything, less likely to bite. In the U.S., �pit bulls� are estimated to make up 9% of the dog population, yet they typically only make up 2-4% of dog bites, nationwide. In case your readers don�t understand what that means, it would be expected, purely on population alone, that 9% of dog bites would be attributed to �pit bulls�. Since less than half (even a third) of bites are reportedly caused by �pit bulls�, this suggests they�re much less likely to bite than should be expected. 19. �Pit bulls� are less likely to kill than people. In the U.S., even extremely conservative estimates suggest that only 0.00002% of the �pit bull� population has killed. This is much lower than the human population (men, in particular). Whatever someone�s views about �pit bulls� might be, it can�t change the fact that at least 99.99998% have never, and will never, kill anyone. 20. 99.9% of all dogs, from all breeds, will never be involved in an attack. Huge generalizations about dog breeds is not only unscientific, it�s not even practically accurate. I like to put it this way, �If any �breed� were genetically programmed to attack, certainly more than 0.1% of them would.� 21. The media. While I don�t want to get into a protracted discussion about the lack of honesty in media reports of dog bites, I will summarize by saying that reviewing media reports of dog biting incidents is not �research� because the media is extremely biased in regards to which stories it chooses to cover. The media reports dog biting incidents involving �pit bulls� to the near-exclusion of all others. In addition, they use other tactics to exaggerate the details, such as salacious language, or references to other dog biting incidents involving �pit bulls�. There are countless incidents of media bias. In Ontario, a �pit bull� killed another dog, and it was front-page news, that reappeared in the media for weeks. The owner was swiftly taken to jail. Around the same time, two Labs killed another dog, and attacked a �pit bull� without any real media interest. The owner of the Labs was not charged with any serious offence. There are other blatant incidents, as well. One weekend, two off-leash dogs (one of them being a �pit bull�) got into a squabble, and every major media agency reported the incident. That same weekend, a child was mauled by the family�s Golden Retriever, and not one media outlet covered the story. A child was mauled so savagely by his grandfather�s Labrador Retriever, he required treatment at two Ontario hospitals. Only one media outlet covered this story in just one broadcast. Again, relying on the media for the facts of dog biting cases is not advised. Naturally, I could go on. But there you have a pretty good primer (off the top of my head), regarding the facts about the who, what, where, when, how, and why dogs bite unprovoked. Because I kept encountering the same story, over and over and over again, in my research of dog biting incidents, I was led to create a dog bite prevention strategy that deals with the factors common to nearly all the cases I�d investigated. I made it simple, and easy to remember. And I made sure not to include anything that would require an individual to develop some kind of expertise. People who don�t own dogs or aren�t experienced dog trainers still have a right to protect themselves from unprovoked dog bites. The following is what I call, the �3 Simple Steps to Dog Bite Prevention�: 1. Avoid unsupervised dogs. 2. Never leave children unsupervised with dogs. 3. Ensure our own dogs are properly trained and adequately supervised at all times. By following these �3 Simple Steps�, we could virtually eliminate unprovoked dog bites in Canada. It is not just important, but vital, to know what ACTUALLY causes dogs to bite unprovoked, if we ever hope to reduce those numbers. Obtusely theorizing about possible causes or solutions is not helpful and, as in the case of breed-specific legislation, is often harmful to both humans and dogs. If you would like more information, please don�t hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Marjorie Darby Founder,

Just had to tell you that yesterday I bought the apple cider vinegar s/m [2008-06-12]
tablets for severe unrelenting hot flashes. I felt bad all day yesterday and was hoping it was not due to the pills. I only took two because of that. Went to bed early and today I have had a total of 2 hot flashes so far and it is 12 noon. I would have literally had dozens of terrible hot flashes by now. Thanks to all of you who shared your thoughts about ACV and for the dear poster who told me it was available in pill form. I honestly think this may be my answer. I feel like a new person and pray this continues. I can THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

What happened to you.... [2008-06-10]
that made you such a mean and nasty person? Really, what We would probably all like to hear how it isthat you were elevated to your high horse. Iperfectly, as evidenced by your interactionswith this poster, who was merely venting her frustrations. Get a life!

Why do people get attacked on here? [2008-06-10]
You know I was just reading the below thread from the upset stepmom. I think it is so sad how so many people come to this board when they need support and during their time of need, they just end up getting attacked. Do these attackers ever think about their impact on the person who originally posted the thread? That person could be severely depressed and they are making them feel even worse. I just do not understand why these people who do not agree with the original poster just can The person is looking for support, not insults. Just like we are taught in kindergarten...If you do not have anything nice to say, then do not say anything at all. This is the most unfriendly and abusive discussion board I have even seen. There are much nicer MT boards and I am joining those. I am sick of the attacks on this board. These attacking posters have become mean, hurtful, hardhearted and noncaring. Maybe they are miserable in their own lives and want to trashtalk others on here. I personally think they should get a life.

The way I see it (and lived it) the biological parent [2008-06-09]
needs to step up to the plate and handle things. I'm sure of the woman who started this post had a husband that backed her up, she wouldn't be nearly as upset. I'VE LIVED/AM LIVING THROUGH THIS and my stepchild live with us 100% of the time (husband had custody). Sweet and first but things turned sour quickly. And guess what? My husband did very little in terms of taking care of his son, forcing him to be accountable for his behavior, etc. In turn, I ended up being the heavy and HATED for it (still am, and he's an adult now). I was very young when I married my husband and didn't know what I was in for, just as the OP. You think, how can this sweet child be anything but good? You honestly have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Especially when other people will tell you that they CAN make step-families work. I think they work when/if the biological parent is firm with the child and sets the boundaries for that child, and the stepparent doesn't have to. It's so difficult. I really feel for the orig poster.

I have the additional problem of [2008-06-06]
well water which yellows the gray (I may a become a blond at long last!). However, I use a shampoo by Regis, design line, color care silver shine shampoo for grey, blode, and highlighted hair that really helps with the texture and I usually follow that with a bluing rinse because of the well water. My mother's hair now is solid white like her fathers and is beautiful. all the beauticians tell her not to rinse or dye it, but I am not there yet.

I agree with not snooping unless you have reason [2008-06-05]
to believe something is going on, but like another poster said this really isn't any different than looking at their myspace page. We didn't even do that but other family members did it for us and we did it for them. Found out DS was possibly suicidal. We were dumbfounded. For the first time ever I snooped in his room and found a couple of other very eye-opening things. No drugs or alcohol but a possible eat-disorder. You just don't think about that when it comes to boys. He lost a classmate earlier in the year to the choking game. I wonder if his parents had snooped if they would have found something that might have prevented this. And BTW, couldnhis little girl.