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Archive for July, 2010

The Playful and Inquisitive Dog: Cairn Terrier

Jul 30

Posted by Adriana in Terrier dogs | No Comments

The Cairn is assumed as one of the subcategories of Scotland’s terriers along with the Westies (West Highland White) and the Scottish, The Westies and the Cairns are highly related. For one, Westies are hybrids of white dogs crossed with Cairns of western Scotland. The Westie can be considered as the white variety of the Cairn who has a coat of any color but white. Scotties, however, have longer heads and bodies, have generally dark coats and are aloof than the other two. These dogs originated from the short-haired Skyes.

Cairn is the smallest breed among the terrier group. The name Cairn was coined after the small stone piles that marked borders of Scottish farms and graves. During the early times, this breed was used to guide small animals into these piles of stones. However, cairns are strong and sturdy but are not heavy.

This dog was already present during the 1500s even before it became popular in 1930, after the appearance of “Toto” in “The Wizard of Oz” as Dorothy’s companion dog. Presently, like the American pit bull terriers, Cairns are used as companion dogs. Among the variety’s talents are tracking, watching over the house, hunting, and performing tricks and sports regarding competitive obedience.

The following are some of the basic facts breeders would really love to know about Cairns:

Category: Terrier

Living Environment: indoors (highly recommended); outdoors (fenced yard)

Coat: shaggy and coarse outer coat and short and soft furry undercoat

Colors: any color except white

Height: between 9.5 and 10 inches

Weight: between 13 and 14 pounds

Temperament: like most terriers that were bred as hunters, these dogs are mischievous, alert, restless and high-spirited; also have a special connection with children age six and above

Breeders should note of the following health issues:

• Atopy, a type of allergy
• Cataract, or loss of transparency of one or both lenses of the eyes
• Cryptorchidism, wherein testicles do not descend into the scrotum
• Glaucoma, a condition that causes an increase pressure within the eye
• Patellar luxation, a disorder in the kneecap

Care and Exercise:

• Daily brushing is recommended to prevent tangles and mats.
• Hair around ears and eyes must be trimmed regularly.
• Do not over feed them as they gain weight easily.
• Their physique requires a regular exercise routine which includes a daily play time while on leash.
• They should be on leash while walking in public places because of their hunting instincts.

Origin/History:

As already noted, the Cairns were existent since around the 1500s. At around 1700s, the Isle of Skye and other highlands in Scotland were already producing lots of small terriers. Scottish breeds were separated into two: the Skye terriers and the Dandie Dinmont terriers.

The Dandie Dinmonts were categorized as a separate breed. The Skyes included the Scotties, the Westies, and the Cairns.

In the year 1912, the Cairns receive their official name based on their excellent ability to hunt down vermin such as otters, foxes, and badgers that were hiding in cairns. However, it was in the year 1913 when they received the official recognition from the American Kennel Club.

The Cairn terrier is one heck of an agile little dog that is very appropriate for the whole family. This breed is playful, prying, and is always ready to join the fun. If you are still not convinced, just reckon how Dorothy was entertained and accompanied by this type of dog.

Comprehending College Scholarship and Attain it Easily

Jul 27

Posted by Adriana in Scholarship | No Comments

Whenever a student enters college, especially those who belong in a family that earns an average income, the sole thing that pressures them is the expensive amount needed for the education, which almost crushes them financially to the ground.

Money, is the established traditional excuse for the financially unprivileged students to fail in pursuing their college education, it has always been the issue, worn out by time.

However, this issue is by far resolved when the scholarship became accessible to the disadvantaged. Through scholarships, the expenses for college became easy for the students.

To most people, the term scholarship is likewise used up by time. But how far do we really understand the term “scholarship”?

It is a fact that for most students and parents the term scholarship can still be confusing. Whenever they hear the term, they directly associate it to free tuition and fees, students’ loans, and grants.

But knowing the exact process of scholarship could save you and your parents’ purse from too much drainage of money, most probably tens of thousands of dollars, as the scholarship takes charge of your education.

Basically, scholarship are monetary grants given by the state government, public and private institutions and organizations, college, institutions, charitable foundations, guilds and the like for educational use.

Additionally, scholarship is different from student loans, the scholarship gives off money without the condition of repaying it. While the student loans involve the agreement of repaying the borrowed money to supplement the students’ college educational expenses at a certain time, and with the corresponding interests.

The following are the list of available scholarships:

- National Merit Scholarship
- Athletic Scholarship
- Career, Professional, and Trade-Association-Sponsored Scholarships
- Academic Merit Scholarship
- FASFA
- Work Study
- Special Scholarships
- Ethnic and Religious Scholarship
- Alumni Legacy Scholarship
- Transfer Student Scholarship
- Community Organization Sponsored Scholarship

With all of these available scholarships it became quite perplexing for certain students to recognize the scholarship that would fit best their qualifications.

Most often the problem lies on the searching process, which scholarship to apply for, and where will they apply.

The most possible answer for this setback is basically to know the proper resources. There is the college scholarship search engine; you can access it for free in the internet. Through this, you will not just save your time and money; you can also get recent updates.

On the other hand, it is suggested that you read carefully the requirements, if you think you are fitted then you can proceed on your application, if you think you don’t, and then try to look for another. Remember, as you apply for more scholarships, there will be greater chances that you will be able to win a scholarship or more.

Furthermore, most of the scholarships are based on the academic performances of the students, the ability for attaining and maintaining high-grades. While some are based on the students’ artistic ability, excellence in sports, or awarded to the students who excel in a specific field.

The facts presented in this article can be sum up to a specific thing, once you know how to accumulate the information, the process on applying for a scholarship, and where your qualification suits, it will only be easier for you to attain financial aid throughout your college years.

Teaching Tips: Making Math Easy

Jul 27

Posted by Adriana in Teaching | No Comments

I do not know about you, but when I was young I was pretty much intimidated with mathematics. There are kids that would have natural math skills, but for some children (like me), math could be difficult. Knowing this fact would actually help us have motivation to make math classes fun and interesting.

For some children, the biggest math challenge is becoming interested. The subject can be very boring since children find it difficult to understand, if they cannot understand something they would lose interest on it. But, you as a teacher, can make it different.

- Knowing basic addition and multiplication would go a long way. If your child knows how to add and multiply very well then it fractions and other math problems would not be of a big problem. If your child or your student is showing any sign of difficulty on this field, then make sure that they would be mastering this part first.

- Teaching math does not have to be just numbers. You can use different methods or approaches, math can be illustrated too. So you use different kinds of pictures to illustrate concepts. Children would easily understand if they can visualize it. This would be great if you are teaching fractions, addition, multiplication and other topics.

- Aside from using pictures and images, you could also use or incorporate games into your classes. You can determine a specific date of the week that you would be able to play games to exercise their math knowledge. You can give small gifts or incentives to students who have won. But to do not scold those who do not win, praise them still for their improvements.

- If you find playing games too rowdy and noisy, then another thing that could make math lessons interesting, is by encouraging students to answer a math challenges. You could also give them small incentives for taking part or answering the problems correctly.

- Sometimes, teachers tend to approach formulas in an imposing manner. They would force students to understand and follow the formulas, just explaining its basic concepts. But you could still make it interactive. You can encourage students to interpret and explain the formulas themselves. Let them share their opinions. They could learn a lot from their discussions with each other, compare to when you stay in front of them lecturing about formulas.

- Research is essential. Whether you are a teacher, tutor or parent, there are numerous ways or techniques that you can do to make learning fun for your kids and students. There are numerous books, websites and resources that can help you come up with your own teaching technique and style. Do not just rely on you school textbook.

- Tests and exercises do not have to be boring. You can create a different kind of exam like puzzles, riddles or brain teasers.

To be an effective teacher, you would have to love what you do. For math teachers, you can make the subject interactive, creative and fun if you really love the subject. For example, if you love doing something then it is natural that you would like to improve yourself in that field. The same applies with teaching. Your love for the profession will manifest on your lessons and how you strive to make your students learn something in your class.

The Christmas Story

Jul 26

Posted by Adriana in Christmas | No Comments

The idea of celebrating Jesus’ birth was done to counteract pagan holidays celebrated in Rome during the Winter Solstice. Church leaders thought Christmas celebrations were more likely to be popular if they coincided with the traditional festivals and merrymaking during the Winter Solstice.

Although some Christmas celebrations are secular, the religious aspect of Christmas remains central to celebrations. This is evident in church services such as Midnight Mass and primarily in the many forms of the Nativity, or Christmas Story, presented wherever people celebrate Christmas.

That story started in Nazareth in Galilee about two thousand years ago.

Mary, a young woman, was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. An angel appeared to her one day and told her she was with child. She couldn’t understand how that could happen because due to her circumspect nature, she had not laid in bed with Joseph. The angel explained however, that the child would be special as he would be the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus. Mary and Joseph then got married soon after the angel’s appearance.. But about the time when Mary was to have the baby, the couple had to travel far away to Bethlehem, Joseph’s birthplace, to pay a special tax.

It was difficult for them to find a place to stay because many other people were in Bethlehem to pay their taxes. After many rejections, one innkeeper offered a room in his stable where they could spend the night. That’s where Jesus, the Holy Child and Son of God was born and then wrapped in bundles of cloth and placed in a manger for a cradle.

In the same hours that Mary was giving birth, shepherds who were in a field that overlooked Bethlehem saw an extremely bright star over the sky in Bethlehem. They had never seen anything like it and had feelings of curiosity and scariness. An angel appeared and told them the ‘good news’ that the Son of God had been born in Bethlehem.

The shepherds left their flocks to go to Bethlehem to find the baby. When they reached the stable, they were filled with immense joy at seeing Jesus. They fell to their knees and worshipped Him. They also told Mary and Joseph about the bright star and the angel appearing to say Jesus would be the Savior of the world.

The bright star was also seen by Wise Men in the east. The Wise Men, who studied the stars, learned that a new and great ruler would appear whenever an extraordinarily bright star appeared in the sky. Three of them therefore set out to find the new ruler. They first visited King Herod in Jerusalem because they thought the child would be born in the palace. But when they asked to see the child who would be the new ruler, King Herod was very worried as he thought he would be removed from the throne. King Herod told the Wise Men that when they found the baby, they should return and tell him so that he could also worship the baby.

The Wise Men used the star as a guide to go to Bethlehem where they found Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus who they worshipped and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Wise Men are celebrated in some Christmas celebrations on Jan. 6, known as the Epiphany to mark the date when they found Jesus. Later in the night the three Wise Men had a dream in which an angel told them that King Herod wanted to kill Baby Jesus. They left Bethlehem to return to the East but didn’t return to Jerusalem to tell King Herod where they had found the child. Joseph also had a dream soon after the Wise Men left in which an angel appeared and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because Herod had ordered that Jesus be killed. In an effort to kill Jesus after the Wise Men did not return to inform him of the baby’s whereabouts, Herod later ordered that all baby boys in Bethlehem should be killed. But by then Mary and Joseph had left with Baby Jesus.

Schools in Anime and Manga

Jul 26

Posted by Adriana in Education & learning | No Comments

Schools feature prominently in Japanese cartoons, or anime, and Japanese comics, otherwise known as manga. Some of the most popular series nowadays are slice of life stories that center around characters that are mostly students and their activities while in school. These schools serve as a fundamental setting, as well as sometimes being able to function as a character in itself that helps define some of the main characters and events of a story.

Most people who have watched a ton of anime will notice one thing about the depiction of schools in various series: they all look practically the same. One white structure that is wide and has a clock atop the central structure. Of course, some depictions are different. But, essentially, it’s really the stories and the narrative and how the school is utilized as a setting that makes it a worthwhile consideration.

Iconic schools hold some of the best scenes and memories that fans have of a particular series. For example, there’s Furinkan High School from Ranma ½, where much hilarity and action ensues in many episodes. A more recent example is the school in Lucky Star, home to the slice of life anime that showcases a group of young girls that reflect not only the culture of the youth, but also the culture of Japan as a whole.

And then who can forget the shifting and transforming school in Raijin-Oh? That school housed three powerful robots, and the sequence that shows the school making way to launch the robots is still one of the most memorable scenes from a fan’s standpoint. In this sense, the school as a setting acts not only as a place where the characters do most of their activities, but also functions as a tool used by those same characters.

From the title itself, you can tell that Cromartie High is an anime that is centered around a school. In this anime, the school (Cromartie) acts as a character in itself, which gives the various characters a sort of umbrella personality. It defines the expectations of the viewer and also shapes the perception the viewer has of the reality within which the events of the series unfold.

The school in the recently concluded anime Toradora, Ohashi Junior High, is practically the only setting apart from the houses of the main characters. The events of the series are shaped by the school in many aspects, such as a field trip that leads to revelations and a confrontation held in one of the school’s rooms. The school acts as a witness to both the anguish and the happiness of the show’s characters. In the end, the school provides an all-important device for concluding the series: the leading female character hides inside the locker where the brooms are kept, and the male lead character finds her there and finally utters his “I love you.”

Majority of the characters in the anime series Honey and Clover are students. What quite sets it apart from other school-based anime and manga is that the students here are not young graders or high school students.

In any case, schools truly prove to be important elements in any anime or manga that has them. They provide not only a setting, but also a permanent fixture that can sometimes be an important pivot point for characterization as well as an objective correlative for the lives of the characters in those series.

Islam End of World Beliefs

Jul 25

Posted by Adriana in End of the world prophecies | No Comments

Though the Qu’ran does not give specifics there are many signs given to show the end times are approaching.

Muslims believe when the day of judgement is near people will fall away from Allah and society will break down, Christianity will begin to rule. Many believe that Armageddon will begin in the Middle East and thus the events of the past 5 years have caused many to say it is near. Such minor signs include:

- When it will be regarded as a shame to act on Quranic injunctions.

- When untrustworthy people will be regarded as trustworthy and the trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy.

- When it will be hot in winter (and vice versa).

- When the length of days is stretched, i.e. a journey of a few days is covered in a matter of hours.

- When orators and lecturers lie openly.

- When people dispute over petty issues.

- When women with children come displeased on account of them bearing offspring, and barren women remain happy on account of having no responsibility of offspring.

- When oppression, jealousy, and greed become the order of the day.

- When people blatantly follow their passions and whims.

- When lies prevail over the truth.

- When violence, bloodshed and anarchy become common.

- When immorality overtakes shamelessness and is perpetrated publicly.

- When children are a cause of grief and anger for their parents.

The Major signs will occur near the end of time, then a great leader Imam Mehdi will come and Jesus will appear and urge his follower to become Muslims.

The Dajjal will come and lead a great army against Muslims but Muslims will triumph. In the end a trumpet will be blown and only Muslims will survive.

Who can help when you school your children yourself?

Jul 25

Posted by Adriana in Home schooling | No Comments

If you are thinking to school your children yourself, the best thing to do is to undergo a self-assessment test. This is to know if you are skilled enough to serve as your child’s teacher. Experts say that although all parents have innate ability to teach their kids, not all have the skill to do so.

But even if you don’t have the skill or the same level of ability that teachers in school have, it doesn’t mean that you cannot school your children yourself. You just need to be more patient and resourceful to ensure that you will be providing the academic needs of the child.

Alternative options

More than anybody, parents are expected to do teaching for their children. They are the ones who are supposed to monitor the academic status of the child and should also be there when help in terms of homework or projects are needed.

Sadly, many parents are not able to give this kind of help to their children because majority of them is working. Due to lack of time and hectic schedule providing for the family, they tend to neglect the needs of the children in terms of schooling such as tutoring the child in finishing his or her homework or understanding the lessons that have been recently taught in school.

Although this case could be inevitable, it doesn’t mean that there are no other people to take on that role of teaching the child when at home. For parents who are torn in between working and their role in helping their child in school, the best way to go about it is to think of options where to get help such as asking help from older siblings of the child. Many parents do not realize it but an older sibling helping a younger one in tasks like homework will strengthen their bond.

Convincing siblings to extend help

In the beginning, this set up might not work since older children are busier ay school and even with their social lives. In fact, it might be hard to convince the older one to render help, enough and elaborate explanation might convince him or her to do so. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot ask older siblings to so some tutoring.

For parents to convince older siblings to help in home schooling the younger ones at home, make the teaching session appear as the best “bonding moment” for both of them. At times, siblings may tend to fight with each other when they are at home. Despite that, they still love each other no matter what. For the older sibling to be convinced in providing homework help to the younger one, convince him or her that tutoring the younger child will serve as a way to lessen their fighting incidents. You can also tell him or her that the child will be endeared to him or her if the older one is willing to help in minor tasks such as helping the latter in his or her schoolwork.

If you decide to school your children yourself and you are trying to get some help from the child’s siblings, you can also explain that they are helping not just the younger child but you as well. Older siblings are expected to understand that you are not giving him or her responsibility of teaching the younger child because you want to but because you cannot do it due to the fact that you are working for the entire family. If you explain very well how much you appreciate the help such as this coming from her or him, the older child will feel his or her worth to the family.

The Importance Of Waste Management

Jul 25

Posted by Adriana in Waste management | No Comments

Archeological evidence said that humans had a way of managing their waste even before landfills and incinerators were developed. In many archeological sites, dumping pits were discovered where early people were believed to throw in their waste. In the course of history, waste regulations were enacted. This suggests that waste management is not a modern principle but in fact a natural response to existence.

Humans naturally know what to do with their waste as evidenced by the instituted waste management systems in the pre-modern and modern forms. However, along with global industrialization and population explosion, waste production blew out of proportion, endangering the environment and threatening humans and other living things. With the environmental issues raised here and there, there seems to be a need to remind humans of the importance of waste management.

Education and awareness campaigns play a great part here. Not all people after all are aware that the one piece of waste material they are sending to landfills or incinerators constitutes a greater threat to the environment. Presently, calls to recycle and waste reduction are widely active. And various projects and campaigns are launched everyday, adding more noise to the earlier advocacies on proper waste management.

The good news is that a good number of the population is increasingly becoming aware of the importance of waste management and is getting involved. However, more need to be tapped. There are still who remain passive. This segment of the population probably knows that proper waste management benefits the Earth and consequently everyone and everything living in it. But only vaguely. The finer and more intricate details are probably not known to them.

Waste does a lot of things. When brought to the landfills, they emit greenhouse gas in the form of methane. Although methane can be used to make energy, it is generally hazardous to health. Wastes buried in landfills also tend to leach chemicals that can contaminate groundwater. Wastes can be incinerated, though. The problem with incinerators, however, is that they also produce greenhouse gas and other forms of toxin such as dioxin. Dioxin is found to cause cancer. Whether waste is brought to a landfill or incinerator, it seems like it is a potential source of pollution and threat to health.

Although indirectly, waste causes resource depletion. This is due to the common buying pattern: buy, throw, and then buy again. As the waste piles up high, the demand for more products also rises, almost exhausting the natural resources. This has a spiral effect, mainly involving threats to biodiversity, deforestation, pollution, and other environmental problems.

Waste management can be part of the solution in two ways: one is through waste reduction, and two through recycling. Consistent waste reduction and recycling activities mean there will be less waste materials to be sent to landfills and incinerators. As such, the emission of greenhouse gas and other forms of pollutant will be reduced by a large percentage. Reusing and recycling of used items will also result in less production of new products. And this helps in the conservation of natural resources.

There is a great need in understanding the importance of waste management because unless it is acknowledged by all people, waste management efforts will not progress to further heights.

Grooming Your Cat

Jul 25

Posted by Adriana in Cats | No Comments

No cat wants to be dirty, and it’s up to you to ensure that your cat stays clean. Grooming is very important, as it helps your cat remain clean and healthy. Grooming starts with brushing, as brushing helps to keep the cats hair from becoming hairballs. Brushing will remove loose hair, and help prevent the risk of hairballs. A lot of cats have trouble dislodging hairballs. If the cat isn’t able to get a hairball out, it could result in a blockage of the intestines. Blockages are very serious, and can quickly become life threatening for your pet.

Cats that have long hair need to be brushed and combed on a daily basis, while cats with short hair need to be groomed on a weekly basis. When you brush your cat, you should always watch for lumps in the coat and skin irritations. You should start brushing along the cat’s back, going from his head to his tail. Do this a few times on one side, and then switch to the other. Each area should be brushed a few times in the direction of the way your cat’s hair is growing.

When you brush your cat, you should always avoid brushing his face and paws. If a cat doesn’t like to be brushed, you can still groom him using another tool. The grooming glove is an excellent alternative to the brush, as most cats don’t mind it at all. Starting out young is the key to grooming, as it will get your cat used to brushing and grooming. Some cats that have started grooming when they were kittens grow to love it, many of which often look forward to their grooming time.

When brushing your cat, make sure that you check his ears, eyes, teeth, and claws. His eyes should be bright and clear with nothing residing in the corners. His ears should be clean, pink in color, and no sign of ear mites. Ear mites result from dirt built up in a cat’s ears, and can result in the ears shriveling up and your cat losing his hearing. Ear mites are very annoying for the cat, and hard for you as an owner to get rid of. The best way to get rid of them – is to ensure that your cat’s ears stay clean and healthy.

Each time you groom your cat, you should always aim to go a bit further with your examinations. When your cat remains still, you should always praise him and give him a treat. If your cat doesn’t cooperate and starts to struggle, you shouldn’t fight with him, but instead let him go and try the next day. Once your cat gets used to grooming he will look forward to it each and every day.

Dog Obedience And Socialization

Jul 24

Posted by Adriana in Dogs | No Comments

It is fun to keep a pet at home but it also calls for a couple of obligations to fulfill. Take note that what your dog does is always out of habit. Thus, if you tolerate his bad habits, he will not be able to outgrow them. It will be you who will suffer in the end. So, it is best to start early with the dog obedience lessons.

Puppies are but young and don’t have a mind of their own. They are simply dependent on you so it is your task to assist them let go of their bad habits and develop the good ones. You and your leadership skills will therefore guide your dog towards the right path in terms of honing his behavior, habits, and temperament. This is the main reason why dog obedience and socialization trainings are very much necessary.

Training Your Dog at Home

Separation anxiety often attacks young dogs. So, they normally cry, bark, chew, and do a lot of annoying things. You have to understand that it is also hard for him to adjust to his new environment. Thus, you should start with the house training activities by setting boundaries, introducing new areas, and letting him know those activities that you can tolerate and not.

Don’t be violent when your dog doesn’t seem to understand at once. Potty training, leash training, and the likes are never achieved overnight. You have to use lots of praises, rewards, and encouragement. It is always best to start as soon as possible so his old ways will be corrected. Incorporate fun sessions during the training. Use commands frequently. Whenever necessary, impose a punishment but not something that will agitate him and cause him to fight back. Say for example you didn’t like his behavior, simply ignore him. He will surely try getting your attention but be stern not until he does what he is told.

Leaning the Socialization Skills

The dog’s socialization period is said to fall in his first 16 weeks of puppyhood. It is the time when he develops into an adult dog. Therefore, you must expect that it is also the time frame when he changes his temperament, behavior, habits, and character. The socialization period is also the time that he gets adjusted to his family and the people in the household.

It is best to let him become familiar with the house and the people around. It helps to expose him to some animals too. This conditions him that it is not only him that exists in that area. Take him out for a walk so he will see what lies beyond the gates of your home. In this way, he will not go wild whenever he sees other objects, animals, and people apart from the members of his family.

During the dog obedience and socialization training, you should arm yourself with a doze of patience. Your pet lacks maturity so it is your own responsibility to handle the matter really well. He imitates what he sees so you better act accordingly.