Nightingale

If you're worried only about the dog biting, that can probably be remedied by putting a muzzle on the dog. All I'm saying is to consider that: 1. having the dog around might not be the nightmare you think it will be 2. telling your FML that she can't bring it might create a huge rift between her and you, and your fiancee and you. Consider whether it's worth it, or if it's worth giving it a shot for an hour or so, and if you can't deal with it, then send the dog to a kennel or your FML to a motel six (they allow pets).

He said in his post that he doesn't like big dogs and they make him nervous. It doesn't sound like he has issues with small dogs, which can be more problematic than big dogs. I agree with you that his MIL is in the wrong here. However, I think he needs to consider his future relationship with her, and whether it's worth causing what might be a severe rift. He needs to weigh all potential consequences, because no decision is going to be perfect, and each choice will have consequences. It's easy for posters here to tell him "you're absolutely right. forbid her from bringing the dog." but they're not thinking about how important good relations with the in-laws can be. He needs to look at the potential consequences of all the decisions before deciding. I was trying to point out that having the dog around for a bit might not be as terrible as he thinks, so it may not be worth fighting over.

Of course, his MIL should respect that he doesn't want the dog there. What it comes down to, though, is that she isn't doing that and will probably be very upset if she can't bring her dog along. What he does now may set a future tone for all encounters with his MIL, and starting out on the wrong foot might not be the best idea right now. Sure, he can win this battle pretty easily by putting his foot down and not compromising, but he needs to consider the potential cost of that decision. He should also base his decision on facts rather than an irrational fear of the breed. A well trained dog isn't going to bite without cause, and will go outside to do its business. I get the feeling that he might not have posted anything if the dog in question was a chihuahua (which may actually be more likely to bite, because people tend to not train small dogs because their size makes them more manageable).

Well, you shouldn't be caring for the dog or walking it. That responsibility belongs to your FML. I think you're probably over-reacting. If the dog is usually walked by your FML, she's obviously able to handle the dog. A well trained dog isn't going to chase things like you describe. You can ask your FML if she'll consider putting a muzzle on the dog while the dog is outdoors (or even indoors if it will make you feel better). When you meet the dog, you'll know in the first hour whether the dog will be a bother or not. Expect a certain amount of excitement at first, but after a bit, the dog should settle down, and you can really observe it's behavior. Keep an eye on the tail. It's a good indicator of dog attitude and behavior, and listen to the dog. There are three kind of dog growls. A throat growl is a play growl, and says "lets have fun!" The tail will be wagging, and it won't show it's teeth. A dog doing that isn't going to bite you. A chest growl is deeper, and the tail won't be wagging, and you might see teeth. A chest growl is a warning, saying "back off, or you won't like what I'm going to do." A belly growl is what you really have to worry about. It's the lowest tone of dog growls, and means the dog is very likely to attack.

CD player? I don't own one, but the last things I downloaded for my iPod were "Sing" by the Dresden Dolls and "All the World is Green" by Tom Waits.

Please keep in mind that dogs are individuals. Don't condemn an entire breed of dogs based on what you read in the paper. Pit bulls are often abused and trained as fighting dogs, and usually, those are the ones that bite people. Any abused animal might bite, but since pitbulls are more often the target of abuse/fight training, they bite more often. Pit bulls aren't an evil breed that bites for no reason. Many larger dogs can be less destructive and annoying than smaller dogs, mainly because larger dogs must be trained simply because of their size, and larger dogs tend to have less energy than little dogs. Read up about the breed, and make a decision based on education rather than fear. Also, please be aware about passing on your fear to your daughter. Children have a tendency to copy their parents' phobias, and a fear of dogs can really affect your life. I grew up with an extreme phobia of dogs that really affected my life. I wouldn't go visit friends who had dogs (even little ones), and would end up hysterical if a dog got anywhere near me. It took me a long time to get over that, and now I'm mostly okay with dogs and am thinking about getting one. I've learned that there's a big difference between phobia and healthy respect for an animal with teeth bigger than mine. That said, it's your home and your decision. You have a lot of factors to consider, the main one being your future relationship with your mother in law. You've got a few options: 1. MIL can come without dog. 2. MIL can come without dog, you pay kennel fees (might cost more than you think) 3. MIL can come with dog, you give it a try and if dog isn't well behaved or becomes a nuisance, you pay for kennel for rest of visit 4. MIL can come with dog. I think you're better off with option 2 or 3. Option 4 doesn't leave you an out if the dog is obnoxious, and option 1 indicates a lack of willingness to compromise. Option 3 probably represents the best compromise if you're at all willing to give the dog a chance, and it might not be as bad as you think. Insist the dog is on a leash (at least at first) and make sure the dog gets enough attention from MIL that the dog won't be jealous of the baby. Get a book on pit bulls and read up on the breed before the visit, so you know what to expect. Option 2 is probably the best compromise if you're completely unwilling to have an animal in your home, but you do risk alienating your MIL, and maybe costing yourself a lot of money if she picks a fancy kennel. Some of the snooty kennels around here can run $70+ a day. The issue here isn't just about allowing a dog into your home. This could set the tone of your entire future relationship with your MIL. You need to make the choice that all of you can live with.

I've got a winchester defender 20ga. I picked up the 12ga, but it just didn't feel right. It was heavier and more difficult to handle. The difference between a 12ga and a 20ga in a home defense situation is pretty minimal.

Jiu Jitsu is a pretty solid martial art. The issue I have with it is that it's not the best to use if you have multiple opponents because grappling arts demand more time used than striking arts. If you've got one opponent, grappling them into submission might be a good way to go. If you've got two opponents, it's probably in your best interest to use strikes instead of grappling, because it keeps your hands and feet free to deal with both. Which takes longer? - grappling/wrestling someone into submission, or just giving them a solid reverse punch to the throat and then dealing with the guy coming up behind you? (note: I'm talking about a life threatening situation. don't use throat strikes unless you intend to kill). If you're looking for a sport, jiu jitsu is great. However, as a street art, I believe that its weakness against multiple opponents outweighs its strengths. When I was training regularly, we had quite a few excellent jiu jitsu guys, who realized the weakness the art has against multiple opponents come into our studio to learn striking for exactly that reason. Grappling has its place, but you can pretty much always use a striking based system wherever you could use a grappling based system, but you can't always use a grappling based system in every situation that you can use a striking based system. Basically, you can almost always strike when you can grapple, but you can't always grapple where you can strike. Striking probably saved my life in a situation where grappling probably wouldn't have. Grappling based systems can have a lot of benefit, but they're not as flexible as striking based systems. edited to add: I'm guessing that you don't have prior experience with martial arts in general, or jiu jitsu specifically, so head over to www.martialtalk.com and ask questions. Ask about the instructor, because a good website doesn't mean that the instructor is a good teacher or an honest guy, and people in that community will be able to tell you about the instructor's reputation.

I thought poles where for strippers

When Indy (the little cat) was about 6 months old, he fell in the toilet and somehow managed to close the lid when I wasn't home. I came home and heard this god-awful cat howling echoing everywhere, and I spent about 15 mins looking for the cat, and finally went into the bathroom. The toilet lid went thunk, I opened it up, and there was this soaked little kitten sitting on the shallow part of the bowl... he looked up at me and went "mew" and I about fell over laughing. Cat was not happy when he was removed from toilet water and promptly deposited in the bathtub for a thorough scrubbing.

I tried the toilet train the cat thing. It worked for a while for the little cat, but my 17 pound cat stepped on the trainer thing and pretty much bent it and fell in, and wanted nothing to do with it after that.

I was reading on a cat forum about it. people have tapped into sink lines (put a T connecter in the water line and the drain line) too, so location might not be a huge problem.

I had one of those littermaid boxes a few years ago. It worked pretty well, but stopped after about 2 years. The little containers were expensive, though.

My cats are strictly indoors. It's not safe for cats outside around here. Cars, coyotes. My parents lost two cats to coyotes, and one to a car. Mine stay inside.

Not as an undergrad. The sorority girls were a bunch of brainless snobs. I'm in a legal fraternity now, and its fun. Phi Alpha Delta.

completely different system. the comb isn't near the litter until it's cleaning it. apparently the thing actually hooks into the plumbing and flushes it all away, so there's nothing to empty.

anyone have any experience with this? www.catgenie.com if it works as claimed, seems like it would be the most amazing invention for cats since canned catfood.

I buy organic because it's better for the environment, but mostly because it tastes better. Put an organic tomato next to a regular grocery store tomato, and you can usually actually see a difference.

This is the important part: "The Contracting Parties, Having considered the declaration made by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 96 (I) dated 11 December 1946 that genocide is a crime under international law, contrary to the spirit and aims of the United Nations and condemned by the civilized world, Recognizing that at all periods of history genocide has inflicted great losses on humanity, and Being convinced that, in order to liberate mankind from such an odious scourge, international co-operation is required, Hereby agree as hereinafter provided: Article I: The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish. " We've promised, by signing this, that we will try to prevent genocide. So far, we haven't made much of an effort.

It's in the national interest to go there because we signed a convention saying we would. We need to keep our word. Stopping genocide is good for the entire world, not just the USA. After the holocaust, people said "never again!" After Rwanda, people said "never again!" Can we say it this time and actually mean it?

You mean like making an effort to stop the atrocities of the tyrant Sadamm Hussien? The libs are really supporting that humanitarian effort. Um... I thought we went into Iraq to find the weapons of mass destruction? At least, that's what they told us when they started that whole mess. Of course there was stuff going on in Iraq that was horrible, but we didn't obligate ourselves to go into Iraq by signing the Genocide Convention. We HAVE obligated ourselves to do what is necessary to stop the genocide in Darfur. General Dallaire is right. It's Rwanda all over again. We know there's a genocide going on, and nobody's doing anything to stop it. They're busy debating semantics while people are being slaughtered.

If we were only going to act in our own national interest, we shouldn't have signed the Genocide Convention. Stopping genocide is in the interest of the world as a whole. Stopping the atrocities in Darfur is the job of any nation with the ability to assist. General Dallaire's book would reveal a lot of what went wrong in Rwanda, and, if you're familiar with Darfur, you can draw your own correlations. Standing by and watching people get slaughtered when you can do something about it is abhorrent. We did it then, and we're doing it again.

With enough troops, he might be able to stop it. Have you read "Shake Hands with the Devil" by Lt-General Romeo Dallaire? Lt-General Dallaire feels that history is repeating itself in Darfur. He's seeing Rwanda all over again, and I think that out of all people, he'd know. "Nobody feels the blood nor the sin of it all," said General Romeo Dallaire, former commander of a small United Nations force in Rwanda. He did not have the manpower or the orders to intervene. He sees history repeating itself in Sudan and says intervention is already late. "No-one wants to get involved again. The... casualties [are] still there and I think the most catastrophic affair is [that] there's nobody who's giving the UN the teeth to be able to do something tangible on the ground. And that, to me, is the scandal of it all...To me, the whole exercise in calling it genocide or not is nothing more than political semantics, and so the Americans have just used - nearly flippantly - the term genocide and they've done absolutely nothing on the ground in regards to conducting an operation to stop genocide. "The term is something that people are using as simply a statement, but no commitment to it."

You don't see many people actively campaigning against necrophilia, though.

I just bought a paintball marker, actually. I don't have a problem with adults doing whatever they want, and I don't really have a problem with parents raising their kids however they want. I may disagree with their methods, but I'm not going to legislate how to raise their kid just because I don't like what they're doing. However, when I have kids, they won't play with guns either. As soon as they're old enough to understand, they'll be taken to the range and taught a healthy respect for firearms, and see a demonstration of why guns are not to be played with.