If you use a non-proprietary app (I use handcent) for text messaging, you could shut off alerts in your phone's main settings, and just turn on the text alerts in the separate text messaging app. I don't have it set that way on mine right now but have done it in the past...

Maybe you didn't see the links on page 1 before dismissing the stories as baloney. Both of those stories, including the one on the chimeras, have at least some truth to them. http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/12/31/1472023/chinese-company-eyes-boise.html http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0125_050125_chimeras.html

Of course, no problem!

If it helps, I've had two indoor/outdoor declawed (on the front only) cats and they both did wonderfully - not only climbing trees with ease, but also hunting AND holding their own in catfights (we had an ornery neighbor cat). Being a cat lover, I'm sure you know...in a fight, cats "spat" with their front paws but when it comes down to it, they disembowel each other with the rear claws. That said, I have heard it's terribly cruel to declaw an adult cat; my vet told me that when they remove the claws they also remove to the first knuckle of the toes. Which sounds just awful to me...

Well, I can't make any guarantees about this, so there's my disclaimer. I just got the product 2 days ago and don't know yet if it's helping. Our cat (14) has started peeing on things; whatever's soft. Laundry, pillows, backpacks, folded towels, etc. I took her to the vet thinking she's probably losing her kidneys and I'd have to put her down. I can't have a cat that's ruining everything she encounters; I won't. The vet says bloodwork shows her kidneys are fine. So it's probably that she's stressed out. We do have a pup that we got about a year ago who chases her whenever she sees her. I figured they'll settle down and didn't really think anything about it. We thought it might be a sudden dislike for the litter box...so we doubled up on cleaning it, put out 2 litter boxes, etc. (our two cats are indoor/outdoor). Doc recommended this stuff. I don't know if it'll work. But the instructions also claim that it'll help with clawing damage: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=feliway I got a plug-in diffuser plus six refills, and a bottle of the spray. It's an artificial pheremone, imitates the pheremone that they rub on when they rub their face on something. It marks it as something they love and possess as their own. They (supposedly) won't damage something they've marked. The only reason I bought into it, is when we were at the vet's office, our cat was calm, and purring the whole time. I couldn't believe how well behaved she was. Normally she hates going anywhere, esp the vet. Well, he's got the stuff plugged into the exam room...so I feel like it must work, because she'd normally have spazzed out something wicked. So I love this cat...and am willing to give the stuff a try! Hope the info helps.

I didn't mean to sound harsh but it aggravates me when someone looks at a title and pooh-poohs it without checking into it. Maybe there's some validity to the article (like in both of these cases). Maybe not, but at least one could educate oneself. With google, nowadays that's pretty easy to do. Especially when someone goes through the trouble to actually start a thread on the subject.

Thank you, he really wants it badly - but he's broke and is thinking of just going into the Army instead; their standards are a lot lower in terms of things like that.

My son had some blackwork done on his arm just before he decided he wanted to join the Marines. They permit tattoos, but the tattoo can't extend beyond the wristbone, and naturally his does. He started laser treatments about a year ago and has done 6 treatments at $500 apiece. The tattoo is faded but still visible and the Marines won't even talk to him until it's gone. That said, his tattoo is fairly big - and it's all blackwork, which is hard to remove. It's a tribal pattern that extends across the top of his forearm down his wrist onto the back of his hand. So it's about 10" long and maybe 1.5" wide. He's run out of money now and is considering excision (having it cut out by a plastic surgeon) which is a whole 'nother animal!

I've often wondered this - are we not confusing "race" with "ethnicity" with these terminologies? When someone is African American, is that not like someone who's Irish American, or Italian American? i.e. their ancestors came from Africa? Black, white, etc. are racial descriptors that in my mind should be unrelated to what country the person's ancestors came from, no? I work with a gentleman from Trinidad, black as ebony. Yet he's constantly called "African American" and he detests it...because he's not from Africa...

Is it so difficult to do a google search before dismissing something out of hand as pure conspiracy? http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/12/31/1472023/chinese-company-eyes-boise.html Oh, and: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0125_050125_chimeras.html "...Scientists have begun blurring the line between human and animal by producing chimeras—a hybrid creature that's part human, part animal. Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit eggs. The embryos were reportedly the first human-animal chimeras successfully created. They were allowed to develop for several days in a laboratory dish before the scientists destroyed the embryos to harvest their stem cells..."

Do I dare say...Lost in Space? lol Looking at it as an adult it's pathetic, but man, as a kid, it was mesmerizing! I enjoyed the Brady Bunch and Partridge Family as a child too. And I found there are lots of moral lessons to learn in each of these shows. Purely entertainment-wise, my son is a huge fan of Tom & Jerry and the Road Runner. (some of the material is not considered "acceptable" - we just explain to him about how some of the things they address aren't appropriate or could be downright dangerous.) Oh, and Pink Panther!

I'm not afraid of confrontation myself but more of what the consequences would be on the child after I chewed out the mom. She'd be that much more angry. That's the kind of thing that kills me; if this is public behavior, what's it like at that house? :(

:-/ Sorry, I don't know the protocol on that; didn't realize it was out of line. Sorry for the drift.

I guess I'll have to agree to disagree with you on this: "Redneck isn't a physical description or a race - it's an attitude if you will. So what I said is appropriate." And I said it was bigoted, not racist, to contribute to stereotypes of any sort. Doesn't matter what aspect of the person you're being bigoted about. If you speak with 1,000 rednecks and ask them what defines them as rednecks, I wonder how many will say "because I hate blacks." It's a rural mentality that defines a redneck, a simple lifestyle, in my opinion. And there's nothing wrong with that. Judging those folks by a stereotype is the same as judging others by another stereotype. But I maintain, as Reverend King would say, judge the person by the content of their character, not what you perceive at the outset. If you don't get to know someone you can't know what their intentions are.

Potentially lol However, I bring up the Che Guevara misrepresentation, as an illustration that...sometimes people do something for their OWN reasons, that might be perceived as offensive to others for THEIR own reasons. So perhaps the OP's friend has the flag displayed out of her southern heritage. But does it not make more sense, rather than judging her outright by the "stereotype"...to see if she displays racist behavior? And in my opinion, saying "Aren't most "rednecks" (stereotypical) racist?" is just like saying "Aren't most "black people" (stereotypical) criminals?" If you believe in stereotypes and judge by stereotypes then you're a bigot, even when you're arguing against racism. Just because someone chooses to live a more simple, rural life and not to become a part of "enlightened" (stereotypical) urban society doesn't make them a racist.

I see. So stereotypes are okay sometimes...but not others? Depends on whether or not the stereotype advances our cause?

I've seen kids walk around in Che Guevara shirts, thinking he was a feisty, rebellious youth, not realizing what he actually was... a terrorist and a murderer. I guess there's folks walking around making statements they're unaware of all over.

We've used hostmonster for several years and have been very happy with them.

I did this the other night and it was great. Not sure about the glutens, etc., if they're in this or not but... I heated a frying pan with some olive oil and browned the (6) legs briefly, then cut up a few (4) potatoes into ~1/2" chunks and added them to the legs in the hot pan. Then I took a cup of chicken broth (or water) and added 1/2 of a packet of onion soup mix, poured it over the chicken & potatoes, covered and cooked for about 25 mins or so (or until the chicken is done). I didn't have to add more liquid; it was still moist but not "wet" when it was finished. Messy to eat but quite good and super-easy.

I'm not from The South yet but my perception is flying the Confederate Flag is a matter of southern pride, not racism. There are those who say the Civil War wasn't actually about "freeing the slaves" anyway but that's a topic for another day...:001_smile:

My understanding is, for writing there are two processes that need to be learned separately: 1. How to put an idea into words 2. How to take dictated words and physically write them down At first, you write the narrations as they gather their thoughts and dictate to you (#1.). Here, they have to come up with the idea but don't have to worry about writing it down. In the meantime, you're dictating passages to them in the writing course to work on #2. Here, they're writing ideas down but don't have to worry about thinking them up. That's what I've gathered, anyway!

You'll want to note that it's also full packages, not individual grade levels. Like the one I committed to, is Light Blue grades 1-6. I committed to it once it hits 30% discount. Now, I had already bought grade 1A & 1B ($32), but even with that as a loss, it's still cheaper this way.

"Majority is experiencing..." You take out the "of nations" portion and see how the sentence works. You could also do what I usually do when something like this comes up and rephrase the sentence: "Most nations are..."

Here's what I use! http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

I rather thought it was a bargain to begin with! :D