Kevin V

A bad storm with straight-line winds came through my area Friday night knocking out power and telephone lines, downing several trees and causing property damage.

One tree fell on my fence. The tree's roots are in a Home Owner's Association (HOA) Common area, and therefore maintenance of the tree is the responsiblity of the HOA.

As such, it stands to reason that the HOA is liable for the tree removal and repair to my damaged fence. However, when I asked them about this, the response I got was different.

"You will be responsible for the damage because it fell during a storm."

That was it. One line.

In the meantime, in the interest of a quick clean up and to have my yard usable again, I have a contractor removing the tree and repairing my fence to the tune of $1300. $500 is for the tree removal. $800 is for the fence repair (including materials and labor). This is less than my insurance deductible so I did not file a claim.

Do I have a claim against the HOA for all or part of the money I am spending to fix this? If I take them to small-claims court, should I worry about retaliation?

I've had blood in my stool for about 3 weeks and it's starting to really worry me. Stools are normally formed, no mucous. There's no pain, no itching. Blood is bright red, and typically only aligns to one side of the stool. I have noticed clotted blood as well, both on the stools and on the paper.

I've been self-treating with hemorrhoid cream, thinking of internal hemorrhoids, but again, there's no itching, and it's not resolving. What worries me is that it's 3 weeks.

I plan to see a doctor, but I'm worried. Could it be just hemorrhoids? Or could it be something worse?

I may be moving to the EU with my Schnauzer who has a docked tail. I am trying to find the regulations for this but not having any luck.

Anybody know where I can find this information?

I may be moving to the EU/CH with my Schnauzer who has a docked tail. CH has banned the imports of dogs with docked tails/cropped ears, but there are exceptions (eg for relocation, but it is not clear how to prove this). I can't find any info about importing dogs to the EU that include as much detail as CH.

What are your experiences with relocating from outside the EU with a dog that has a docked tail or cropped ears?

Our boss sent out a message saying that if we access WikiLeaks to view classified information either on work computers or on our personal computers, that we will lose our jobs.

I did a little research, but I can't find any case law to substantiate this type of censorship. I can't find any case law to support the freedom to view it either. But it seems that it would be protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution as Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press.

How can anyone, an employer or a government entity, attempt to censor WikiLeaks, or attempt to intimidate WikiLeaks' audience from viewing the information that is made available on a public source?

Is it censorship to say where I can and cannot get my information from? (seems like I should be living in China or Cuba)

I heard this song while in Russia in 1997. It was on the Evropa Plus loop tape so it was popular. I bought her tape at a roadside stand on the highway between Moscow and Vladimir and I LOVED it. Other songs were about a rose bouqet (very cliche) and saying to mama "Mama, ne grusti".

I've since lost the tape, and I cannot remember the exact song titles, or the name of the artist. An internet search has failed to come up with a list of popular songs during the Summer of 1997 to help me out. And Europa Plus' website doesn't archive such things.

Any help is appreciated.

I have had localized pain in my left leg for 2.5 years. When it started, I was very athletic, but the pain became such an inhibitor that I am now 30# overweight.

The pain is an omnipresent dull ache, but if pressure is applied to the site, the pain radiates outward to the knee and the hip and becomes a stabbing pain.

I've been to an orthopaedist. I've been to a neurologist. I've been to a chiropractor and I've been to physical therapy. Nobody has diagnosed the problem, and nothing has helped. I've had ultrasounds, x-rays, MRIs and other nerve tests. Everything is normal.

At first, one might conclude that it is referred pain from the lumbar, however, how does this address the fact that when direct pressure is applied to the site, the pain changes from localized, dull ache to radiating and stabbing?

My question for the group is, What is the cause of this pain? I would really like your help, because I think it's time to go back to the doctor, but I want to make sure I go to the right kind of doctor.

Thanks!

Should I be concerned about reprisal?

I have localized pain in my leg that has been on-going for 3 years. The pain is localized to the inside of my thigh, about midway between the hip and the knee. Pain is usually pronounced after exercise, and when pressure is applied, it is excruciating.

I went to an orthopaedist and to a neurologist for help. I've had MRIs, X-rays, CAT Scans and some kind of nerve test. Everything was normal and there was no ability to determine the cause.

My orthopaedist started me on physical therapy, and I saw that the strength in my affected quad was significantly less than in my unaffected quad.

I stopped exercising last year thinking that maybe the pain was a sign of overexertion. Even with losing muscle mass, the pain is still present without change.

I think I know the term for this condition, but I don't want to self-diagnose. What do you think it is?

Please help me understand the slang by translating/contextualizing this:

"So, instead of saying: “Please don’t hit me with that big thing,” you want to say, “I’mo bust a grape, peckerwood.”

So I'm on my way to obedience class last night, when I hear, "bleh bleh bleh BLEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" from the back seat.

My puppy who's never been car sick before threw up this nice paté with elements of plant matter and dog food all over the upholstery. If it was tofu and wheatgrass I would have been able to sell it at the organic market.

Fortunately I had some paper towels so I was able to clean out the bulk of the matter right away. But my question for you all is this:

How do I clean up the stains and the smell from the car?

I'm hoping some of you here have experience with kids and/or pets puking in the car and can lend some advice.

moved into a new building within the same apartment community. I've lived here four years, and never seen anything like this. In my new building, it seems as if everyone is afraid of my Schnauzer. They refuse to ride in the elevator with him. And it seems common, particularly among women, that they just shriek and throw their hands up in the air, and start to run away. This just makes him want to play, and only scares the person more.

I'm worried someone is going to file a "viscious dog" complaint against me, even though they're the one with the problem. We all know the dog is the one that loses in the outcome.

What proactive steps can I take now to educate my neighbors about controlling their fears of dogs, and understanding dog body language?

I moved into a new building within the same apartment community. I've lived here four years, and never seen anything like this. In my new building, it seems as if everyone is afraid of my Schnauzer. They refuse to ride in the elevator with him. And it seems common, particularly among women, that they just shriek and throw their hands up in the air, and start to run away. This just makes him want to play, and only scares the person more.

I'm worried someone is going to file a "viscious dog" complaint against me, even though they're the one with the problem. We all know the dog is the one that loses in the outcome.

What proactive steps can I take now to educate my neighbors about controlling their fears of dogs, and understanding dog body language?

I grow tired of seeing homework/test questions on here.

I purchased an orange tree seedling in 2002. It has spent its life in a pot. I have repotted it probably a total of 6 times in it's 7 year life. I can't put it in the ground because I live too far north. I think it was meant as a novelty because the meristems had been cut when I bought it. Nevertheless, it has grown to be about 4.5' tall.

This tree has NEVER bloomed. It has never even tried to bloom. It does, however, produce hearty, beautiful, waxy, scented leaves each year.

Is my tree doomed to a life of fruitlessness and dwarfism?

I'm srsy addicted to WoW and need major help getting off the smack. I can't sleep at night and have hallucinations of Draenei and Tauren killing each other in my living room.

I have a Standard Schnauzer that will be competing in Obedience, so I will need to determine jump heights/lengths. It's also good to know if he's within standard.