Sunday, June 30, 2013

Waifs of the Week - June 24, 2013 These pets are available for adoption today through Wayside Waifs.


Waifs of the Week - June 24, 2013
These pets are available for adoption today through Wayside Waifs.
Wilma is a wonderful dog! You'll fall in love with Layla! Meet sweet Sam!
Wilma
11 months
Female
Basset Hound
Hi everyone! I'm Wilma, an 11 month, 35 lb. Bassett Hound who hopes to have a family to call my own soon. I came to Wayside as a stray and, boy, was I glad to have someone take me in and care for me!
Being such a young dog, I don't have many life skills to survive on my own! While I was very timid and scared when I first got here, I've blossomed into quite the social butterfly.
I'm a friendly, sweet-natured and fun-loving dog who likes going on walks and hanging out with my human friends here at Wayside. I love being around people and have this cute (and very effective) way of snuggling up to my human friends when they're sitting on the couch, looking up at them with this adoring expression and - presto!-I'm rewarded with lots of petting and ear-scratching.
Being a young dog, I still have lots of puppy-like playfulness and energy, and so ideally my adoptive family will provide a moderate level of activity for me and some obedience training. I'm pretty friendly around other dogs, but if you have any canine members in your family you should bring them in so we can meet - just to make sure it's a good fit.
Oh, and I'm also okay with cats! One of the staff members here at Wayside took me to her home for a little outing, and she said I liked her cats. So if you're looking for a happy-go-lucky, friendly dog please come to Wayside soon so we can meet.
Love, Wilma
Adoption fee: $130
Layla
3 years / 6 months
Female  
Domestic Medium Hair
What'll you do when you get lonely, and nobody's waitin' by your side? Adopt a kitty, preferably me! Hello there. My name is Layla, just like the classic rock song. Eric Clapton wrote "Layla" about a beautiful woman and, as you can see from my picture, I'm quite the looker myself.
I'm a gorgeous, petite, long haired calico with super soft, luxurious fur. I was found as a stray, so I'm very thankful to be safe and cool here at Wayside, waiting for my forever man or woman to walk in here and fall in love with me.
People here at Wayside describe me as friendly, sweet, confident, loving and affectionate. I love being petted, especially scratches on my head. My Felineality is Personal Assistant. That means I'm a people-oriented cat who is medium brave in new situations. When we're at home together, I will want to be with you, helping you with all your household tasks, whether it's folding laundry, cooking dinner or working on the computer.
If you're looking for a pretty feline friend to put a song in your heart, come to Wayside and meet me, Layla!
Love, Layla
Adoption fee: $50
Sam
5 years
Male
Chihuahua
Please let me introduce myself: I am Sam, I am. And I am an adorable, lovable, cuddle-able mix of short-coat Chihuahua and Beagle, two breeds that blend together to make me and I'm just as unique as I can be (a Chihuahua and Beagle with the regal face of our canine's superhero, Rin-Tin-Tin).
I'm a perfect sized medium (23 pounds of me) and I'm at that perfect age (five) where I've settled into my personality and you know who I am (sweet, sweet Sam, I am).
I'm mostly tan with a sprinkling of dark color around my face and eyebrows-and you've got to look into these soulful eyes and see my distinctly marked, always-pondering "eyebrows." I've been called a "Teddy bear," although I'm not sure what that means. I want to please so I hope it's good!
I do know that I adore people and I love to be petted under my chin, on the tippy top of my head, over my ears, down my back-you could pet me until the cows come home-or until you decide that you like green eggs and ham.
I adore ear-scratching sessions, mine, of course. I thought I'd let you know that these are my favorite ways to be with you (although I would never be pushy about it! (1) standing next to you and leaning, oh, so gently in, (2) sitting next to you and leaning, oh, so gently in, and (3) laying next to you, while you're sitting and doing whatever appeals to you. Whatever it is, it appeals to me.
I'm an inquisitive, curious boy and I like to explore with you, sniffing the smells and taking in the sights. I came from another shelter quite a ways away because they ran out of room and Wayside took me in. I haven't been here long and I've already made lots of friends.
I don't know where I was before the other shelter brought me here but something might have caused me to be slightly afraid (for now) of loud noises and quick movements, nothing out of line but I would probably be better in a home with no children under five.
I can't wait to meet everyone in your family so I can show you what a precious boy I am. I'm a lovable, huggable, sweet guy with a huge heart. If you want a loyal companion who would follow you to the ends of the earth, I'm here waiting for you.
Love, Sam
Adoption fee: $130
Adoption Specials Going On Now!

Don't fur-get about our grr-eat adoption specials all summer long at Wayside Waifs! From now until August 31, 3013, all longterm (30+ days in shelter), senior (7 years and older) and black animals are 1/2 price! Find your new best friend today!  #100KChallenge

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Black Veil Brides Announce Monster Energy Outbreak Tour/Harddrive Live Tour with Bullet For My Valentine

Black Veil Brides Announce Monster Energy Outbreak Tour/Harddrive Live Tour with Bullet For My Valentine

| Jun 24, 2013 | 0 Comments and 0 Reactions | Tags: ,

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Los Angeles-based hard rockers Black Veil Brides have just been announced as part of the upcoming Monster Energy Outbreak Tour/HardDrive Live Tour that will be pulling in to cities this Fall. The tour will be kicking off on September 28th in Los Angeles at Club Nokia and will run through early November. Currently, the trek is scheduled to wrap up in Portland, ME on November 3rd with more dates to be announced in the future. Joining Black Veil Brides on the tour are the Welsh headliners Bullet For My Valentine and other acts yet to be named.
“This is hands down going to be one of our best tours ever.  We can’t wait to see our fans out in force and show Bullet For My Valentine what the BVB Army is all about,” states frontman Andy Bersack.  “Black Veil Brides are excited to be a part of this one.”
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96,000 Jeep Liberty Strollers Recalled

96,000 Jeep Liberty Strollers Recalled


Heads up, moms! Kolcraft has recalled 96,000 Jeep Liberty strollers because the inner tubes in the tires can rupture and cause the wheel rim to fracture and fly off, Today reports.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says at least 18 people have been injured by the tire blowouts — including two children standing near the strollers — resulting in cuts and bruises to the arms, legs, torso, head, or face. The recalled strollers were sold at Burlington Coat Factory, Sears, Toys "R" Us, and children's speciality stores online from June 2010 through June 2013, the news agency reports.
To find out which models have been recalled and how to get replacement wheels, read the whole story at Today.
Source: Today
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“Faux” Fur is Often Real Fur from Real Animals. Don’t Buy It.

“Faux” Fur is Often Real Fur from Real Animals. Don’t Buy It.

“Faux” Fur is Often Real Fur from Real Animals. Don’t Buy It.
Are you opposed to wearing fur? It will be an unwelcome surprise, then, to learn  that you may have some hanging in your closet.
“Fur is back in a big way,” Jezebel has announced. Winter coats sport fur trim around the hoods, but that is just the beginning. Jezebel says that designer houses’ shows previewing their fall lines were heavy on fur, including those of BCBG Max Azria, Caroline Herrera, Ralph Lauren and J. Mendel.
Sadly it looks like time to break out the red paint again. But how can we distinguish between real and fake fur coats, and between people who knowingly bought real fur and people who thought their fur was fake?
People who oppose fur buy it accidentally because some clothing manufacturers and sellers are mislabeling it as “faux fur.” Much of it is from raccoon dogs (see the picture above). Both manufacturers and sellers know that Americans are less likely to buy fur if they think it came from a dog or cat, so they say it didn’t.
The fur of rabbits and other animals also winds up mislabeled as faux fur, perhaps because manufacturers realize that there is widespread opposition to using animals for fur and want to capture more customers than they could if they admitted the fur was real. I can’t think of any other reason businesses would mislabel clothing, especially since their inaccurate labels violate federal law.
An investigation into New York City’s popular discount department store Century 21 revealed real furs masquerading as fake both in the store and online. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and New York Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal conducted an undercover probe and discovered that garments with real fur lining and others with real fur trim were labeled as faux fur or were not labeled at all.
HSUS then went online and bought three Marc Jacobs jackets from Century 21′s website, which described the garments as having fake fur trim. When the jackets arrived, lo and behold — they carried labels stating that the trim was real fur from China. HSUS had the trim on one of the jackets examined and confirmed that it came from a raccoon dog. Under New York law both manufacturers and retailers are liable for mislabeled fur according to Rosenthal, who wrote the 2007 legislation.
Woody Harrelson narrates a video for HSUS that gives some very basic facts about how living animals are turned into fur products — don’t worry, they use a stuffed animal for demonstration purposes, no images of violence to real animals:
Video courtesy of HSUS
China is the largest source of fur in the world. Fur farmers there strangle, bludgeon, and electrocute some of the animals to death — the lucky ones. The rest are skinned alive, as described in the following graphic video, narrated by Olivia Munn.
Warning: this video contains disturbing images of cruelty to animals.

Video courtesy of PETA
The only way to be sure you are not buying real fur is not to buy anything represented as faux fur either. If you think you have found an instance of mislabeling, contact HSUS.
Take Action: Sign the petition against mislabeling faux fur.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/faux-fur-is-often-real-fur-from-real-animals-dont-buy-it.html#ixzz2XjtVpjWi
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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Rat Poison Manufacturer Challenges EPA Ban of d-CON Product

Reckitt Benckiser wants to keep selling product despite risks to children and wildlife
March 7, 2013
Washington, D.C. — 
On January 29, 2013, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it was cancelling registration of a dozen d-CoON Mouse and Rat Control poisons based on the risk that they pose to children and non-target wildlife like bobcats, raptors, and foxes. On Wednesday, March 6, D-Con manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser filed a challenge of EPA's decision in an effort to keep these dangerous poisons available on the U.S. market. This is the first such industry challenge to a decision by EPA to cancel a pesticide based on harm to the environment in more than 20 years.
Gray fox suffering from rodenticide poisoning. (Courtesy of WildCare by Melanie Piazza)
Gray fox suffering from rodenticide poisoning.
(Courtesy of WildCare by Melanie Piazza)
The public interest law firm Earthjustice is reviewing Reckitt’s challenge and may seek to intervene in the Reckitt action to help defend EPA’s cancellation decision. The matter will be heard by an Administrative Law Judge with EPA in Washington, D.C.
Earthjustice is also currently representing a number of groups in a challenge to many of these same rodenticides in California. Earthjustice filed comments with the state Department of Pesticide Regulation opposing continued permitted use on d-CON and other “second-generation anticoagulant” rodenticides in California on December 7, 2012. In response to those comments, California is expected to propose significant restrictions on all second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides in April.
Earthjustice attorney Greg Loarie, who is helping to lead the California challenge, had this comment in reaction to the latest development:
“Reckitt Benckiser’s goal is to keep pushing products that are poisoning our children and decimating our wildlife, despite the fact that many safe alternatives for controlling pests exist. We’re not going to sit back and let Reckitt put corporate profit over public welfare.
“The health and environmental advocates who fought to remove this dangerous poison from the market will also meet this new challenge to make sure that the EPA ban is upheld.”

Contact:
Greg Loarie, Earthjustice, (415) 217-2000
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NAACP, Medical, Public Health and Environmental Groups Urge Court to Uphold Clean Air Safeguards

Allied groups support cleaning up toxic emissions from power plants
February 22, 2013
Washington, D.C. — 
Eighteen national and state medical, public health, civil rights, environmental, and clean air groups filed a brief late Thursday with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals defending the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) against industry lawsuits aimed at dismantling those rules, and blocking long-overdue reductions in highly toxic air pollutants including mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and acid gases from existing coal- and oil-fired power plants.
Soot. (Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice)
Coal- and oil-fired power plants are the largest industrial source of air toxics; power plants account for approximately half of all the nation’s mercury emissions.
(Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice)
The groups assert the lawsuit has no basis, and should be dismissed. Under the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act, these standards already were more than a decade overdue when the EPA finalized them in December 2011 and are based on successful control measures already in place in many plants.
“With elevated rates of lung cancer, asthma hospitalizations and deaths, mercury poisoning from subsistence fishing and more, for African Americans the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards provide lifesaving protection from the myriad life-sapping toxic chemicals we have been exposed to for decades since we bear the brunt of living near coal fired power plants,” said Jacqui Patterson Director, Environmental and Climate Justice Program for NAACP. “The NAACP’s civil and human rights mission compels us to stand behind the EPA and make sure this rule is upheld as a mechanism for protecting the rights of communities to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live on uncontaminated land.”
The NAACP has highlighted the civil rights issues related to clean air, citing the fact that 68 percent of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Also, an African American family making $50,000 per year is more likely to live next to a toxic facility than a white American family making $15,000 per year.
“Power plants spew corrosive acid gases, carcinogens like formaldehyde, and toxic metals—a long list of hazards that rain down on nearby communities or travel miles downwind,” said Janice Nolen, Assistant Vice President, National Policy, for the American Lung Association. “We need these standards to protect not only our children, but older adults, people with lung disease, heart disease, or diabetes, and the poor from toxic air pollution. They cannot protect themselves.”
Coal- and oil-fired power plants are the largest industrial source of air toxics, annually emitting more than 386,000 tons of 84 separate toxics, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, selenium, acid gases, and mercury. Even in small doses these pollutants cause serious, often irreversible risks of cancer, birth defects, neurodevelopmental problems in children, and chronic and acute health disorders to people’s respiratory and central nervous systems including nerve and organ damage. They also cause serious harms to wildlife, including reproductive and behavioral disorders, and to ecosystems, including acidification of our nation’s waterways.
Power plants account for approximately half of all the nation’s mercury emissions. Many waters with mercury-based fish consumption advisories have no identifiable source of mercury other than airborne emissions, and many of these waters supply food to subsistence fishermen who have no other alternative but to eat contaminated fish, thereby further harming an economically disadvantaged population. Mercury exposure threatens prenatal development, infants and young children. The EPA has estimated that every year, more than 300,000 newborns may face elevated risk of learning disabilities due to exposure to toxic forms of mercury in the womb. Mercury contamination in fish also causes serious damage to wildlife.
EPA’s MATS requirements will annually prevent up to 11,000 premature deaths, nearly 5,000 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks. Additionally, the standards will help avoid more than 540,000 days when people have to miss work because of health problems associated with power plant pollution. These “sick” days diminish economic productivity and raise health care costs.
Attorneys for the Clean Air Task Force filed the brief Thursday on behalf of the coalition of public health and environmental organizations defending the MATS rule.
Groups submitting today’s legal arguments, and their counsel, are the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Lung Association, American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association and Physicians for Social Responsibility, (represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center); Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Clean Air Council, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Sierra Club (represented by Earthjustice), Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, Conservation Law Foundation, Environment America, Izaak Walton League of America, Natural Resources Council of Maine, and Ohio Environmental Council (represented by the Clean Air Task Force), and the Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Waterkeeper Alliance.
Read the brief.

Contact:
Raviya Ismail, Earthjustice, (202) 745-5221
Maggie Kao, Sierra Club, (202) 675-2384
Ben Wrobel, NAACP, (202) 292-3386
Tom Zolper, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, (443) 482-2066
Jay Duffy, Clean Air Council, (215) 567-4004, ext. 109
Mary Havell McGinty, American Lung Association, (202) 715-3459
Kathleen Sullivan, Southern Environmental Law Center, (919) 945-7106
John Walke, NRDC, (202) 289-2406
Sharyn Stein, Environmental Defense Fund, (202) 572-3396
Stuart C. Ross, Clean Air Task Force, (914) 649-5037

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Rare Release of Florida Panther Could Help Save Species

Rare Release of Florida Panther Could Help Save Species
Florida panthers were among the first to go on the Endangered Species List back in 1973 when there were as few as 20 remaining individuals. Today they are still in great peril with as few as 100-160 in the wild, but biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) successfully released one female Florida panther into the Picayune Strand State Forest recently with the hope that she will become a successful mom.

The female panther and her brother had been raised at the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee since they were 5 months old. The FWC rescued the two as kittens after their mother was found dead.
“This panther is healthy and has grown to a size that should prepare her for life in the wild, ” said Darrel Land, FWC panther team leader. “The goal of any panther rescue is to be able to release the animal back into the wild to aid in the recovery of this endangered species.”

The male panther will also be released soon but in a different area which will be carefully chosen to avoid conflict with other territorial males.
“One of the causes of death is interspecies aggression and putting the young male panther in a territory with other males would put him at a disadvantage,” FWC spokesman Kevin Baxter explains.

Five other kittens of similar ages have been raised at White Oak and released in south Florida.
Brought to you by the Harmony Fund international animal rescue charity.
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Wild Babies Turn to Bush Nanny for Help (Video)

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/rare-release-of-florida-panther-could-help-save-species.html#ixzz2X2mRnl5h
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How to Fix Common Discipline Mistakes Moms Make


A few weeks ago I wrote an article called The Common Discipline Mistakes Moms Make (and Regret). When the article was shared on the Circle of Moms Facebook page, there was some interesting feedback that I could so easily relate to as one of the mistake-making moms I was writing about.
One mom wanted to hear about the things parents are doing right. Another mom suggested it would be helpful to provide some answers about how to fix the discipline mistakes we are making.
Both comments really hit home. After all, we help our kids feel good about themselves by telling them what they are doing well, and if they are making mistakes, we give them strategies to help fix them. Don't moms deserve the same?
With that in mind, Circle of Moms members chime in to help us all learn to fix some of these common discipline mistakes.
Keep reading.
The Fix For Disciplining For Normal Kid Behavior
Although Kelly R. complained that her 9-year-old son's strange sounds and rambunctious behavior were irritating, she also came to the realization that "he acts like . . . well . . . a 9-year-old."
Moms say three factors in fixing this discipline mistake are knowing kids don't come with an automatic understanding of what behaviors are appropriate in which situations, they don't always have the maturity to control themselves, and you need to use age-appropriate discipline.
Grandmother Kat points out that it's important to give kids verbal cues letting them know when their behavior isn't appropriate and to provide them with more socially acceptable alternatives. Mom Angie K. says as her kids got older, she could eventually use a "code word" in public to let them know their behavior was inappropriate.
The Fix For Yelling and Screaming
Unlike mom Bobbi P., who says yelling seems natural to her, I'm not a yeller, but I understand the impulse because I'd really like to yell more than I do. In over a decade-and-a-half of parenting, I've learned that getting very quiet is sometimes more effective than amping up the volume.
It doesn't come easily, though. I frequently take Circle of Moms member Dora W.'s advice to "take a deep breath right before you are about to yell at them." If that doesn't work, I take Alison L.'s advice to take a step away to regroup. And, if I end up yelling, well, it's not the end of the world. I just try to apologize for not speaking calmly, and we can all move on.
The Fix For Inconsistency and Not Following Through
Sometimes it seems so much easier to give your child "just one more chance" or to lift a consequence when they're following the rules again, but as mom Carla A. explains, staying consistent in your actions lets your child know you are in charge and they are accountable for what they have (or haven't) done.
That's not to say it's easy to stick with it. Carla says it best: "Almost all kids have to have the rules repeated, over and over, and over and over, and over and over until you are reciting them in your sleep. They are going to try and test you, to see if you really mean what you say. They NEED to know you are going to be the same yesterday, today, and forever."
The Fix For Thinking Discipline and Punishment Are Interchangeable
One of the things that seems to trip moms up when it comes to making this distinction is thinking that if you look at discipline and punishment as separate things, then you can't provide consequences for your child's actions.
Circle of Moms member Tricia L. points out that discipline is "teaching and re-teaching the appropriate behaviors in a wide variety of nuanced situations," while Carrie B. explains that punishment often is a penalty or restriction that aims to deter but isn't directly related to the behavior at hand.
Once you keep in mind your goal is to redirect, teach, and connect consequences to specific behaviors, it becomes clearer. If your child is throwing a toy, taking the toy away isn't a punishment; it's discipline teaching the direct consequences of their actions. Grounding a teenager from going out one night for breaking curfew the night before is also discipline.
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Saturday, June 22, 2013

Mom Gives Birth to Twins an Astounding 87 Days Apart


A truly amazing set of twins in Waterford, Ireland, could break the Guinness World Record for interval between births. When her water broke prematurely at 23 weeks, mom Maria Jones-Elliot gave birth to one of the twins, Amy. That was June 1, 2012. Eighty-seven days later, Jones-Elliot's second daughter, Katie, was born.
As detailed on the Huffington Post, Jones-Elliot's 87-day interval, when substantiated by hospital records, will beat out that of the current record holder, Peggy Lynn, by three days. Still, Lynn's twins, born 84 days apart in the mid-'90s, are extraordinary in a different way: their birthdays span two years!
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Exclusive Video: Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine Discusses Gigantour 2013

| May 03, 2013 | 3 Comments and 0 Reactions | Tags: , ,

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In this exclusive video made for Revolver TV and RevolverMag.com, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine discusses Gigantour 2013, which kicks off July 3 in New Hampshire and ends August 11 in Toronto. Besides Megadeth, the tour features Black Label Society, Device, Hellyeah, Newsted and Death Division.
For more about the tour, including all the dates and info on tickets and VIP packages, visit gigantour.com.
Enjoy the video!


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7 Signs You're Overparenting


Can you be "too good" of a parent?
Circle of Moms member Katherine W. says she's worried she has been overparenting or pampering her kids. "I tried to do the very best I could," she relays, "taking them to parks and interesting places every weekend, reading to them, working in their classrooms and every school event, supervising homework every night, helping with Girl Scouts, driving them to after-school activities, arranging play dates, making family dinners a priority, and on and on." However, Katherine recently noticed that her child's friend, whose parent was not as involved, has grown into a more confident and self-sufficient person. "Did all that effort even make any difference?"
Keep reading.
How do you know if you're turning into an overbearing parent? If, like Katherine, you're wondering if you should be less involved, here we've rounded up Circle of Moms members' advice on signs that you may be overparenting.
1. You Praise Profusely
One of the tell-tale signs that you're being overbearing, instead of balanced, is when you notice yourself giving your child a profuse amount of praise. While children need encouragement, parents can go overboard, for instance, when they have an "unconscious, incessant need to praise and reward their kids," says a Circle of Moms member who calls herself "Chatty." She explains: "I think the only time extra praise is warranted is when children are very young; babies and young toddlers have to learn what is appropriate and what isn't, and praising them in an excitable manner when they master a new skill or act in an appropriate or desirable manner helps them to learn. But, if you're over the top and praise them every single time they do something, especially when it's repeatedly for the same thing they've already mastered and done 1,000 times, it's doing them a huge disservice."
As an example, Chatty says when first potty training her daughter, she and her husband gave her lots of "high-fives" and "good jobs." But once her daughter mastered the toilet, she "opened a dialogue with her about how it made her feel to be able to go to the washroom on her own." 
2. You Offer Too Many Material Rewards
Similar to offering an abundance of praise, some parents spoil their children with too many material things. Stephanie Y. came to this realization when one year her 9-year-old son "clearly expressed his utter disappointment in his Christmas gifts. He explained that he didn't get what he really wanted and poo-pooed what he did get," she remembers.
After unsuccessfully trying to impart a lesson about the spirit of Christmas, Stephanie realized she had been giving her children way too much. "I am the mom that would carry my kids' backpack for them, or buy the toy to bribe them to be good in the store! I needed to change, be more of a parent." Vowing that her children would never be ungrateful at Christmas again, she reduced the gifts her children were receiving all year round, and also reduced her children's candy consumption, so that they would learn to appreciate Halloween, too.
Charlotte R. is another mom who believes "kids these days have way too many things. When I was growing up we had one phone for the whole house and we had to limit our time to share with everyone. We never got to just sit on the phone and call our friends all the time, because we had household chores to do and our homework and getting ready for school," she says.
3. You Have Low Expectations
With the rigors of school and extracurricular activities, sometimes parents are hesitant to give their children too many responsibilities. But an ill-fated result of not expecting a lot from your children is that parents "do too much for their kids," says Tracy S.
Setting low expectations while assuming there will be big rewards is especially a common occurrence in school. "According to our local teachers, a helicopter parent is one who browbeats teachers into giving their kid good grades, even though they didn't earn them. That's what makes kids feel 'entitled,'" says mom Jane S.
Tracy S. says her 15-year-old son sometimes would want her help spelling things and would whine if she wouldn't help him without him first making an attempt. "I would tell him that if he can't try it himself, then I don't know how close he is to begin with." Expectations can be set low even before the school-age years, Tracy S. warns. For instance: "How come even when I take my daughter (she's 2) to the store and a store associate is nice and gives her a little something (sticker, sucker, candy, etc.) and I tell my daughter to say thank you, the associates proceed to tell me that she doesn't have to?" she asks. "Too many parents think that kids aren't capable and don't expect things from them. I expect a lot from my children. I expect that they learn to be productive and contributing people who can care for themselves when they are 18. The only way to get from here to there is to teach them along the way."
4. You Dole Out Few Responsibilities
Setting expectations for your children includes holding them accountable for age-appropriate responsibilities, Circle of Moms members add. From a very young age, Ellen B. says, "many kitchen tasks are fair game," and that kids are capable and often willing to bring their dishes to the sink when done, set the table, take the garbage out, and help cook. "And, yes," she adds, "teach them to clean up their messes." Once parents "get over the perception the only you can get things done on time, you will find training them is a time-saver."
Increasing responsibilities and "doing less for them can give them the best possible chance" at becoming self-sufficient, independent adults, mom Ellen explains. "The more children learn to do tasks and make good decisions on their own, the better odds they have of living a productive life," she says.
When you educate your children about their responsibilities, just be sure they understand that they're not being asked to do things because "'mommy is task master,' but rather [because] 'we live together, and share both the work and the pleasure of having our own home,'" Lisa R. notes.
5. You Repeat Yourself Frequently
Once they assign responsibilities, overbearing parents often make the mistake of repeatedly telling children what to do. But parents are not raising robots that should follow every order, mom Angelique A. says. She admits she is sometimes guilty of this with her 14- and 15-year-olds and finds herself constantly telling her own children "to do this and that." She adds: "I mean when will it register that if you see something that needs to be done, just do it?" Still, Angelique knows she needs to lay off if she wants to raise responsible adults. "I was taught independence at a very young age. When I had to, I knew what to do when my parents were away."
6. You Help Without Being Asked
Most parents would help their children at the drop of a hat, but several Circle of Moms members advise that parents would be wise to step back and wait to offer help until children ask for it. As a teacher, Pamela W. says she sees today's parents doing too much for their children when it's not necessary. "I see parents carrying their children's backpacks for them, etc., around the school campuses. I also see far more moms and dads who accompany their children into the classroom at the kindergarten level and spend time before the bell rings," she says. 
"It's hard not to helicopter," Shawnn L. admits. But as someone who works at a university, she doesn't support it: "It is extremely frustrating to watch [parents] be overbearing and [make choices] for adult freshman student[s]. It is extremely frustrating to speak to the student and have the parent answer. It is even more frustrating to watch a student make excellent choices with regards to his/her studies, only to see the parent undermine every choice because they either weren't involved enough, or didn't agree."
Lucy L. summarizes: "Don't do something for your child that he or she is capable of doing for themselves."
On the other hand, when parents let children make more decisions and help themselves, they often find that their children are more resourceful than they initially thought. Ann F., for instance, recently encouraged her children to sell their unwanted toys to make some money. "When I checked on them in the playroom, they had a whole pile of toys they wanted to sell and were in the process of lugging them out front." Ann's gut reaction was to stop them, but she had a second thought and asked what they wanted to do with the money they earned. "They said they wanted to donate it to an animal shelter or children's hospital. The whole situation reminded me that sometimes it really is best just to get out of their way, not be overbearing, and when they are making their own fun without any parental involvement, to just let them be," she says.
As a Circle of Moms member who calls herself "Vegemite Cheese" says of parenting, "It's not always what you do for your kids but what you teach your kids to do for themselves."
7. You Try to Prevent All Mistakes
Of course, when making their own decisions, children will make some mistakes, but Lisa B. says it's healthy to let mistakes happen in a safe environment. "Both my kids are extremely careful about touching hot objects and getting their little fingers caught in doors/drawers. That's because I've let them try it when they were 6 months old. As soon as they were able to open and close a drawer, I've allowed them to close it (not too strongly, though), on their own fingers," she says. "Rather than preventing them from doing something dangerous, I let them experience the consequences (provided it isn't health/life-threatening). They know what it's like to touch a hot drink. When they fall, they know they have to get up and dust themselves off, all on their own."
As another example, Lisa adds that her son once had a bad habit of putting his fingers and toys in his mouth. "After reminding him several times that it was dirty, I waited to see what would happen. He caught a very painful mouth sore. But now he knows the consequences of putting dirty objects in his mouth," she says. Of course, she offers the caveat that she always tries to reinforce good behavior.
Ultimately, moms and dads can avoid overparenting by being supportive of their children, but not being overinvolved, Circle of Moms members say. "There is such a thing as being too involved, too loving, too praising, too in-tune with what your kids are doing . . . just as the other extreme suggests an unhealthy relationship with kids (no affection, attention, encouragement, etc.). Balance really is the key component of all facets of humanity," Jamie B. says.
"Being over-protective is an easy and common mistake that parents make," admits mom Riana F., noting she sometimes closes her eyes and says, "World please be gentle with this child of mine." But, she realizes, "The world will never be gentle, it will only ever be real, and if I try to protect my children from its challenges I will also be protecting them from its rewards."
Source: Shutterstock
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World Fails to Ban International Trade in Polar Bear Parts

Polar bearA U.S. proposal to ban the international commercial trade in polar bear parts was defeated last week by parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Countries voted to allow the destructive polar bear rug trade, primarily through Canada, to continue, despite strong support from Russia of the U.S.-backed ban.

About 800 polar bears are killed by hunters every year, primarily in the Canadian Arctic; half of these bears' skins end up in international trade. Because polar bears are coming under severe pressure from sea-ice melt caused by climate change, and are unlikely to survive under multiple threats, in 2012 the Center for Biological Diversity formally requested that the United States sanction Canada for violating the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears -- a treaty that prohibits polar bear hunting unless conducted under "sound conservation practices."

"The world failed polar bears today," the Center's Sarah Uhlemann said of the ban's failure in Bangkok. "But the United States has other avenues to pressure Canada to curtail its unsustainable hunt. We urge the Obama administration to act quickly to impose trade sanctions as required by U.S. law."

Read more in Discovery News and then take action today to save polar bears at SavethePolarBear.org.
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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Rescued Alligator Fitted with First-of-its-kind Prosthetic Tail

Rescued Alligator Fitted with First-of-its-kind Prosthetic Tail
Written by Stephen Messenger
If there appears to be a glint of gratitude in this gator’s generously-toothed grin, it just might be because he’s feeling whole once again.
When the 7-foot-long American alligator first came into the care of the Phoenix Herpetological Society (PHS), a group devoted to reptile conservation, it was clear that his young life was off to a bad start. Likely after a skirmish with a larger counterpart, the rescued gator found himself short a tail and in need of some assistance. Thankfully, PHS was able to provide help to the injured animal, and a new name: Mr. Stubbs.
“When we first got him, if the water was too deep for him to touch the bottom, he would roll over onto his back and could not right himself,”PHS President Russ Johnson says. “We had to teach him to swim by dog paddling, like you teach a child to swim.”
Despite his new canine-esque swimming ability, it soon became clear that Mr. Stubbs would never thrive without a tail. So, with that in mind, a team from the Center for Orthopedic Research and Education (CORE) was enlisted to help craft a prosthetic — the first of its kind in the world.
From Arizona’s CBS 5 News:
The CORE Institute created high-resolution molds of the alligator’s stump, as well as a full tail of appropriate size. The prosthesis was covered in Dragon Skin, a lightweight, flexible silicone material often used for special effects and animatronics in films, as well as prosthetics.
Next, a replica of the full tail was married to a mold of Mr. Stubbs’ posterior. The final step was creating a harness system to securely affix the new prosthetic tail to the alligator’s body without creating any pressure points that could cause discomfort or skin breakdown over time.
According to his rescuers, Mr. Stubbs seems to have taken to his new tail, though he still has some work to do.
“After almost eight years, we need to ‘unteach’ him the dog paddle so he can swim like a normal alligator,” says Johnson.
This post was originally published by TreeHugger.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/rescued-alligator-fitted-with-first-of-its-kind-prosthetic-tail.html#ixzz2WOUTlrq5
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