success_marker

My husband's cousin (let's call her Amy) is about 19 weeks into an unplanned pregnancy. This will be Amy's 4th child. Because she is unemployed and on government assistance,  my mother-in-law is very angry with her and has instructed my husband and myself not to get anything for the new baby or help her in any way. I am a bit disappointed in Amy for not using protection- we're in our mid to late 20's, and we all know exactly where babies come from. My husband completely agrees with his mother and isn't even speaking to Amy now. I admit that I facepalmed pretty hard when I heard the news- but there's noting to be done about it now that her decision is made.

I adore Amy. She is very nice, respectful and loves her family. I feel that, given the course she's chosen, why not make the best of it? I definitely plan on helping where I can, but how can I convince my husband and mother-in-law that shunning Amy isn't going to do anything good for anyone involved?

Also posted in Etiquette- but I know that forum doesn't receive a ton of traffic.

My bf and I throw a monthly game night at our apartment with friends, but one fellow in particular eats far more than his share. He is fun for the games and close friends with some of the other attendees. It's always a bit of a potluck and everybody brings either a 6pack or a dish to share and typically it would be plenty to feed the 6-8 people usually there and then some (usually enough for everyone to get a second serving). Last time we passed a platter of appetizers from the kitchen to him, as he was closest, to share with the table- he ate it all himself! When preparing/plating/eating food he'll stand just behind you and every now and again audibly smack his lip. Quite frankly, my dog is better behaved than this.

These are some really annoying behaviors that I want to address clearly, but gently if at all possible. I don't want him to feel unwelcome or that he shouldn't eat AT ALL when visiting. Just that there are other people to share with and eating enough for 3+ people in this setting isn't really acceptable. How should I approach this?

My bf and I throw a monthly game night at our apartment with friends, but one fellow in particular eats far more than his share. He is fun for the games and close friends with some of the other attendees. It's always a bit of a potluck and everybody brings either a 6pack or a dish to share and typically it would be plenty to feed the 6-8 people usually there and then some (usually enough for everyone to get a second serving). Last time we passed a platter of appetizers from the kitchen to him, as he was closest, to share with the table- he ate it all himself! When preparing/plating/eating food he'll stand just behind you and every now and again audibly smack his lip. Quite frankly, my dog is better behaved than this.

These are some really annoying behaviors that I want to address clearly, but gently if at all possible. I don't want him to feel unwelcome or that he shouldn't eat AT ALL when visiting. Just that there are other people to share with and eating enough for 3+ people in this setting isn't really acceptable. How should I approach this?

I have been seeing the same guy for nearly four years now, needless to say things were pretty serious. He lives in my apartment with me and my roomie.

I tried breaking up with him 2-3 months ago as things have been going down hill for a while. He freaked out threatened suicide, so I settled for designating our relationship as "open" i.e. we could date other people. But when I started casually dating another guy he freaked out again, had an emotional breakdown, panic attacks and I caved again and stopped seeing the other guy completely. I am really starting to disdain the bf just for what feels like boxing me in.

I care about him (bf) a lot and do not want to hurt him, nor do I want him to hurt himself- but at the same time I feel like this situation isn't fair to me at all. I gave him a date (last day of June) to be moved out, but he doesn't seem to be taking it seriously at all. Every time I mention it he starts to freak out again and I have no idea how to handle this situation without first getting a psych degree.

How should I handle this? I am getting so frustrated, I may fly off the handle and kill him myself! (Not really- but I am reaching my limits for temperance)

(Also posted in Singles & Dating- thought I may get a bit more insight here though)

I have been seeing the same guy for nearly four years now, needless to say things were pretty serious. He lives in my apartment with me and my roomie.

I tried breaking up with him 2-3 months ago as things have been going down hill for a while. He freaked out threatened suicide, so I settled for designating our relationship as "open" i.e. we could date other people. But when I started casually dating another guy he freaked out again, had an emotional breakdown, panic attacks and I caved again and stopped seeing the other guy completely. I am really starting to disdain the bf just for what feels like boxing me in.

I care about him (bf) a lot and do not want to hurt him, nor do I want him to hurt himself- but at the same time I feel like this situation isn't fair to me at all. I gave him a date (last day of June) to be moved out, but he doesn't seem to be taking it seriously at all. Every time I mention it he starts to freak out again and I have no idea how to handle this situation without first getting a psych degree.

How should I handle this? I am getting so frustrated, I may fly off the handle and kill him myself! (Not really- but I am reaching my limits for temperance)

I was updating my avatar today and looking through pets to see if Yahoo! ever added a great dane. No such luck- but on page 7, there is a doberman. Of all the dogs on the pets section of the avatars, it is the only one with a chain-collar and baring its teeth.

I thought the vicious doberman stereotype had pretty much died (albeit replaced with the vicious-pit stereotype :( ) Thoughts? Opinions? Do you think that giving Yahoo! feedback on this to change it would be constructive, or am I being oversensitive?

I got my first SLR a few months ago and absolutely love learning all of its ins and outs and getting a decent handle on photography.

I am being limited however, by the insufficient built-in flash. Does anyone have anything to recommend? My camera is an Olympus E-410. I just need a starter something versatile, and relatively affordable as I continue learning and progressing. I am just feeling a bit overwhelmed with the selection!

It seems like everyone here is looking for answers to 9th grade biology homework. What gives? That is what the homework section os for. I am a biology major and used to love coming here for the mental stimulation- but now its just pure drivel.

Am I the only one taht notices this? Are there any other bio-nerds left here?

Like the title implies, I have never really worn much makeup, but am experimenting with some subtle use. I have gotten pretty comfortable with all other tools, except eyeshadow.

Do I choose it to compliment what I am wearing or to match?

What color(s) would compliment my eyes (brown)?

Which is first to consider when applying, eye or outfit?

As a bio major, I am usually pretty comfortable with multiple, interdependent variables, but this is uncharted territory for me and any advice/opinions is appreciated.

Hello again all! Now that my dane, Stein is nearly done growing (16 months old), it is time to think about sterilizing him and I was hoping to get some feedback on opinion of neutering vs a simple vasectomy.

Disclaimer before I get flamed: He is never off leash unless fenced in in my parents' yard when we visit. I was advised by my vet that neutering him at a too young of an age may slightly stunt the growth of a giant breed dog and that b/c of his breed- he would probably not make it to such an advanced age that cancer due to not neutering him was very unlikely (sad but true- for most giant breeds).

I love his boisterous personality. He is doing great with training and has never marked inside the house. He doesn't seem to have dominance issues. I know that one procedure or the other MUST be done. We would like to go to the dog park this fall, but that would be darn irresponsible as long is he is intact. My past dogs were all female, so I have never gone through the before and after of neutering a male dog. I read here on Y!A often that it will calm a male dog down- but he is pretty laid back- just a boisterous player and always happier to jog than walk.

I just love his personality and energy level as they are and do not want to put him through a procedure that could permanantly.

Okay- that was a little melodramatic of a title. But I am having severe problems with one group of neighbors and my dog, Stein, a 110 lb great dane.

Almost all of my questions here have been directed toward Stein, and thanks to some great answers, he is almost fully trained. He is finally great on a leash about 95% of the time. We are going to start meeting with a private trainer that did wonders for my mother's dog next month, as soon as there is an open time slot which we have already signed up for.

The problem is that the 5% of the time he is bad on a leash is largely due to a bad group that has been walking at the same time Stein and I do, this past week. It appears to be a family that always seems to be 100 feet or so behind us. The 2 boys about 17-19 shout and call at Stein, who, of course gets irrationally exuberant and tugs toward them, thinking that he just got a new group of buddies. There is an older woman that I assume is the matron of this brood and 2 young girls. One about 8 or so and the other maybe 4.

I have asked them to stop calling. That if they want to pet/see him, I can wait til they catch up. I always get no response and a few seconds more shouting and tugging from Stein. After about 5-10 minutes of this crap, even Stein gets bored (thankfully) and begins to ignore it. But if any of you have been on the other end of a giant breed's tugging, you know that I got a day's workout in 10 minutes or less.

I am ready at this point to just let Stein loose the next time they call him just to see one of them get knocked down- and most likely, see them crap themselves when they see this giant running headlong toward them. Then I think that the little girls didn't do anything wrong and they could actually get hurt by a dog this large and that it would probably end with animal control being called and me losing my dog, and Stein meeting an untimely end. :(

I probably sound like one of those irresponsible dog owners right now with "lion tamer's syndrome"- but I am getting pissed and am near my wits end with these idiots.

What would you guys do?

I am renting a 3 bedroom townhouse with my dog and an awesome laid-back roomate (thanks, internet!) but unfortunately the landlady is not so laid back. Upon signing my lease, I understood that my dog was allowed, and that there would be some level of privacy. I'll try to itemize this to make for a quicker read.

-She is from China, and though she speaks English much better than I could ever hope to speak Chinese, we still have a pretty hard time understanding eachother sometimes.

-Before moving in, she was told that I have a great dane. a then 90, now 110 lb dog. Somehow she got "small" out of this. She met my dog 3 weeks ago and seemed surprised at how big he was, but didn't mention any issues and even petted him and tried to get her grandson (2 yrs old) to play with him.

- She comes and goes as she pleases. She will come over as she apparently has some acupuncture clients in the area and will turn our living room into her office every couple of weekends.

-She left her acupuncture equipment out and my dane chewed on part of the head rest. Suddenly Large dogs are not allowed and he must go, my security deposit will oddly not cover the damage and I am told that I need to replace the piece out-of-pocket.

-When the headrest incident occurred, she stated that I must also pay to have the carpet cleaned as my dog has had too many accidents on it. This is where I almost lost it. Stein has never had an accident since he was 10 weeks old. Her daughter that lived there before me had 4 bichon frises. I'm pretty sure that if my dog had peed, you wouldn't be able to cover the stain with a 3x5 card. You'd need a freakin' posterboard.

-Every time she visits- she tells me that I need to be cleaning more. That she has clients here and cannot have it looking dirty. I mean- there are never dirty dishes out, I sweep daily and vaccuum weekly- but I am not paying her rent just so I can be her office maid. Not unless it cheapens my rent anyway.

I know this was really long- but I am at my wit's end and am ready to belt this woman. It has gotten to the point that I am leaving the townhouse and visiting friends or family each weekend just to avoid her b/c I know I will end up telling her off.

Thanks to all that have answered my questions about Stein in the past. He is becoming a very well behaved dog both on, and off his lead.

Today's question is regarding his weight. He is a big guy at 108 lbs, but I feel that he needs to put on a little more weight. His ribs are visible and hips easily palpable. I have tried different feeding schedules for him, as well an switching him from Pedigree to Natural Choice (but I am told I could have chosen a better dog food?). He has had a full workup from the vet and given a clean bill of health.

He is just over a year old- obviously, this is my first giant breed dog. But he just will not fill out, and actually looks sickly because of it. I do not exercise him rigorously. Just standard walk/fetch.

http://i495.photobucket.com/albums/rr315/Lpfirman/... It doesn't really show how skinny he is- but I don't have any shots from above at the moment.

I just want him to look as healthy as he is happy!

I have never heard of removing an animal's dew claws until today and am flabbergasted by the idea! I like to consider myself informed, even if I do not support a cosmetic pet-procedure, but this one slipped under the radar somehow.

I have a BIG dog- a great dane- and when he used to have a jumping issue he would dig that dewclaw in for a grip while giving unwanted "hugs". This was trained away with stern words and a squirt bottle, but I can't imagine actually removing his claws. Or is it for another reason that people remove the dew claws? I am terribly confused!

I am hoping to get a teddy guinea pig in the next month or so. I have kept Americans for quite a while, now. I am having a hellish time finding a breeder! All the sites I visit that feature Teddies haven't been updated in a year or more!

Of course, because adopting is always preferred over buying, I have already scoured Petfinder and rescue groups, both local and ones that would require a road-trip.

Anybody have any ACTIVE links or know any decent breeders/cavy groups that may be able to lead me in the right direction?

Firstly, thanks to everyone that chipped in and helped give advice for my dane's behavior and mainly walking/tugging issues it really helped and he is nearly perfect on a leash now! He still gets a little excited though and only needs a soft tug to remind him who's in charge. That leads into the tale...

Last night I was walking my Stein after dark (it is HOT here in Georgia). We had a good walk, and by the time we were on our street, I loosened up quite a bit on the leash and out of nowhere, Stein just TAKES OFF. He is heading for a neighbor and his dog. Most dogs don't react kindly to 106lbs of furball trying to play out of nowhere, and this dog sounded viscious. I ran over as fast as I could and heard the neighbor say "He's a rehabbed fighting pit! Get him! Get him away!" after I got Stein back (no harm thank goodness) and apologized for letting him get away from me the neighbor said "Yeah, well, I bring him out here at night so I don't have to put him on a leash".

I recently moved out of my parents' place along with my great dane. He has some basic obedience and does alright on a leash as long as there aren't too many distractions. But every time he sees a person or dog, he immediately perks up and tries to start toward them. He doesn't mean any harm, and just seems to think that everyone wants to be his new best friend and this is just not the case. Now that I don't have a yard for him to run in, we go on 2-3 30 minute walks every day, but this behavior buts my new neighbors on edge (as it would most people when a 110lb dog starts toward them) and makes a nearby german shepherd furious (though we've never gotten within 15 ft of him- he looks like he's ready for a fight: growls and snarls).

The problem is that Stein (my dane) can very nearly overpower me. I only outweigh him by about 20 lbs and am pretty sure that he has more muscle lb for lb than I do. If I don't get this under control, I feel like it is only a matter of time until disaster.

I have upgraded to the Moto Q and am giving my Blackberry Curve Curve to my bf over his Razr (yes- I am a motorola whore). I have my personal and work email on i tand need to remove it, but am having trouble going about this... Any tips?

Anyone know any good spots for noodling in GA? I live just south of Atlanta, but don't mind a drive. I have never been but am looking forward to my first noodle!

I was horrified as I got the BSoD yesterday and I can not really find anything on my error codes. I am just an everyday user and have no idea what to do now, but really don't want to take it to the shop for repair if it is something I can do. I was working on it yesterday when the screen just went to colored vert. lines. Then to b/w block pattern. Now it will go to blue screen, dump the memory and stay on the b/w screen. Anyone seen any of this before?

It is a Toshiba Tablet, Tecra with Windows XP. The codes are:

0x0000000050

0xFC33B014

0x000000000

0x804D90AA

0x000000000