Small dogs or lap dogs or comforters as they were once called have a very extensive history, encompassing several thousand years. Small breeds were often kept by nobility and given as presents to royal figures. It was also thought that small breeds were good for ones health. The Pekingees, pug and King Charles Cavalier Spaniel are three examples.

Many dog owners have a preference for small dogs over larger breeds, and for many different reasons. However, by virtue of their diminutive size, these dogs are much more affordable to keep, need less exercise in relation to larger breeds in general, and are simple to transport for example.

Many owners of larger dogs, and often those thinking of caring for a new dogs avoid smaller breeds, because of the perceived differences in their behaviour, in relation to larger dogs. It is thought, and wrongly of course, that smaller dogs are by nature, yappy, aggressive, possessive, over protective and demanding,, and so on.

If this assumption is not true, then why do so many small dog owners experience problems with their dogs behaving aggressively towards other dogs and humans and displaying possessive and demanding behaviours etc?

To get an understanding of the problem, we need to begin at the beginning. All puppies are cute and adorable, even the largest breed was small and cuddly at one time. However, the small breeds tend to retain their puppy looks and size, long after the cute Rottweiler puppy has grown and gained 50 Kg in weight, for instance

Researchers have found that humans have developed a biological response to ‘cute’ things, especially baby animals. It is thought the need to nurture and protect, perceived defenceless creatures is automatic.

This is where problems often begin; the owner over protects the dog, may carry him round, let him sleep on the bed or jump on the furniture when he chooses, and picks him up in the presence strange dogs, and gives in to his demands for attention. This is often done through the misguided notion that the dog needs protecting, by virtue of his size and ‘baby like’ qualities.

So how is this all worked out in the dogs mind? Although our domestic dogs are very different in many ways to his ancestor, the wolf, he has inherited much of his ancestors instinctual behaviours. A part of this instinctual blue print,comes the desire to be part of a group or pack. Although most dogs are more than happy to be the follower in their human pack, if their is no obvious leader, or the dog is getting signals from his owner that he is the leader of the pack, then the dog will have no option but to fill the role, as this is how life is played out in the dogs world.

Over time, the dog may show behaviours that to the experienced eye would be considered dominant, however, to the dogs owner these behaviours are seen as either breed specific, for example, ‘that’s how Chihuahuas’s are’, or part and parcel of the dogs personality, eg ‘he’s always been this way’. This kind of behaviour would be a cause for concern if seen in a larger dog, but somehow overlooked, or not considered serious in many smaller breeds.

There are a number of behaviours that are common to small dogs acting dominantly, so much so, that this type of behaviour observed in smaller breeds, has inherited the label ‘small dog syndrome’ or ‘little dog syndrome’. Some of the common behaviours that characterise ‘small dog syndrome’ are listed below.

• Your dog has developed the habit of sitting on you, or jumping on you, or next to you, when he pleases.
• Your dog does not allow you near him when he is eating or has a toy he is playing with
• Your barks excessively to get your attention.
• Your dog is over protective when other dogs or humans come near you.
• Your dog growls when you attempt to move him from his favourite resting place.
• Your dog is generally stubborn and refuses to follow commands given to him.
• Your dog displays an exaggerated reaction to being left alone, characterised by constant barking, or destructive behaviour.

Much can be done to turn this problem around, however, owners must first consider the role they play in encouraging this type of behaviour in their dogs. Owners must come to realise that their small breed dogs are in fact animals and not little humans.

Secondly, owners must understand that it is natural for dogs to be a part of a ‘pack’ and more importantly, a pack in which they would much prefer to be a follower, than a leader. Understanding these two concepts alone, will help greatlyreduce the problem.

In terms of retraining, owners must communicate to their dogs that they are the leader, provider, and protector of the team. This can be done by controlling all of the dogs resources, for example, food, toys, treats, walks, and favourite places of rest, and allowing the dog access to them when the owner decides.

All demanding behaviour, for example barking for treats or to be picked up and so on, should be ignored, and all appropriate behaviour praised.

Aggressive and possessive behaviour towards other humans by the dog can be dealt with by having a place for the dog to go to when the owner is interacting with others. This may be to his crate, or a cushion in the corner of the room for example.

Owners should be aware that retraining takes time, especially in the case of dogs who have been allowed to display this kind of behaviour for a long time. With patience and repetition however, the dog will be content to become a follower, rather than the leader, of his human pack.

Circle Lenses aka ‘big eye contact lenses’ are soft contacts that are larger in diameter than ‘normal’ clear or colored contact lenses and hence give the appearance of larger and usually brighter eyes. They were created in South Korea several years ago and have become a fashion staple in Asia. In fact, the Korean Herald estimated that Circle Lens contacts represents more than 30% of the entire contact lenses market in South Korea. Many Asian celebrities have sported the doll-eye circle lens look and have had a huge impact on spreading this new cosmetic lenses fashion trend.

In the USA most large media outlets ran stories on the circle lenses phenomenon after Lady Gaga debuted big eye contact lenses (or perhaps just computerized special effects) in her Bad Romance video and gave her credit for making them popular in America. Others credit Michelle Phan and her viral YouTube video showing young girls how to get the Lady Gaga big eye look by wearing a wig, applying eye makeup and topping it off with a cool pair of color circle lenses contacts.

Although this author agrees that Stefani (that’s Lady Gaga’s real name) and Michelle have had a big influence in spreading the circle lens style he also feels that it’s just a matter of time before these cosmetic lenses become common place in most modern parts of the world. They are hugely popular among teen girls and those young single adult females who are into the night club scene.

In today’s relatively small global world of communications, grass roots marketing and self published YouTube videos any style or fashion that has a strong following in one part of the world is likely to migrate much more quickly than even a decade ago when Internet use was not yet a part of daily life. Some fashions or styles may be fads and others may not stick due to cultural differences but for young woman the appeal to enhance their eye color and create the illusion of larger, sexier eyes seems to be universal and transcend cultures.

This trend of dressing up the eyes isn’t uncommon as Halloween contact lenses are already popular among vampire fanatics and also average people during Halloween season to complete the ultimate costume. The use of larger, colored contacts is also gaining in popularity among those who engage in cosplay, short for costume play, and still other young woman trying to simulate the Japanese style or look of Anime.

Just because the US FDA hasn’t yet approved them does that make them more dangerous than regular contacts or is the real danger the fact that because our FDA hasn’t approved them young woman and girls in the US are choosing to buy them online without a prescription? The KFDA, Korean Food and Drug Administration, that cares for the safety and health of the citizens of South Korea has approved these lenses, are they wrong? Would a government body approve something that was dangerous? Should the FDA approve these new larger contact lenses and let our companies make and distribute these lenses and allow Doctors to properly fit them? The current reality is that circle lens contacts will be worn and purchased by young American woman even without approval.

Perhaps the best and safest approach the US FDA could pursue would be to encourage a large US based lens manufacturer to create safe circle lenses and expedite their approval so that US woman could purchase these lenses in the states and get them properly fitted and receive a valid prescription. Unless the FDA is already reviewing these lenses (and it’s unlikely given that Karen Riley the FDA authority interviewed by the New York Times in 2010 admitted she didn’t even know what circle lenses were) any future approval request of circle lens contacts in the states is likely to move at a bureaucratic snail’s pace typical of FDA approvals for medical devices which is the classification that all contact lenses sold in the US are a part of. Today the very same lenses can be sold in other countries without a current prescription.

Until such time as FDA approval of Circle Contacts becomes a reality we can recommend one specific pair of Circle Lens contacts that are in fact FDA approved and available from several popular online contact lenses retailers, you just need to know what to ask for… visit Circle-Lenses.net for more information on FDA Approved Circle Lenses.

The game of softball was invented in 1887 in Chicago. Because it was originally played indoors, it was referred to as “indoor baseball” until 1926 when the game was officially called “softball.” The name suggests that the ball is soft but, in reality, a fastpitch softball is as hard as a baseball. Slow pitch softballs can be slightly softer.

Due to softball’s original indoor location, the original dimensions of its playing area were smaller than that of a baseball field. The size has remained constant: the bases, at the corners of a diamond, are 60′ apart compared to baseball’s 90′. Consequently, the distance from the pitcher’s rubber to home plate is also shorter: 46′ for men and 43′ for women as compared to 60′ 6″ in baseball. Regulation fastpitch softball games are 7 innings long compared to baseball’s 9.

Fastpitch softballs are slightly larger than baseballs and may be 11″ or 12″ in diameter. A baseball is about 9″. When softball was invented, a 16″ ball was used and the fielders did not use gloves. That tradition carries on today in Chicago. Fastpitch softballs weigh 6.5 ounces while baseballs weigh 5 ounces. While softballs may be white like baseballs, since 2002, the official color of the fastpitch softball has been “optic yellow,” similar to tennis balls.

Unlike baseball, fastpitch softball bats may not be made of wood. Regulations require the bats be made of aluminum. (Fastpitch) softball gloves are slightly larger than baseball gloves in order to accommodate the larger softballs.

One of the obvious differences between softball and baseball is the way the ball is pitched to the batter. In fastpitch softball, the pitcher delivers the ball in an underhand, or windmill, motion. But the speed of the ball and the challenge it presents to the batter is amazingly similar to baseball! It’s common for fastpitch softball pitchers to reach speeds of 60 mph or more with their throws. At the 1996 Summer Olympics, a pitch was recorded at 73 mph and, at the college level, speeds of 65-70 mph are common. Fastpitch pitchers can also make the ball move in many different ways like a baseball pitcher; pitchers at the high school level and higher can throw underhanded curveballs and sliders. Because the fastpitch softball pitching distance is 14″ or 17″ shorter than the distance for baseball, a softball traveling at 60-70 mph allows the batter about the same reaction time as in baseball. By the way, in both sports, the batter has about a half second or less to decide whether or not to swing!

Slow pitch softball is more widely played than the fastpitch variety. The pitches are slowly tossed at the batter in a high arc which makes contact easier. The game requires less skill to play than fastpitch softball. Moreover, rules may be modified to make the game more accessible to folks of all abilities and age groups.

At the collegiate level, the NCAA governs play between universities. From July 11-14, 2013, players from around the world competed in the 2013 World Cup Of Softball which is a fastpitch tournament involving 5 countries: Japan, Canada, the U.S.A., Puerto Rico and Australia. This was the eighth World Cup and the games were played in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

While a softball is slightly larger than a baseball, a fastpitch softball is not necessarily easier to hit. The shorter pitching distance, comparable ball speed and variety of pitches make the duel between the pitcher and batter of both sports very similar. There is a world of difference between slow pitch softball and baseball but the gap between fastpitch softball and baseball with regard to the pitcher/batter matchup is negligible.

Buying an A3 printer scanner certainly has its advantages. The main purpose of buying them is in order to have a machine that is capable of printing and scanning in large formats. However, you should be aware that these printers have some features that will not be beneficial in some cases. In this article, we will go through the things that will make owning this machines an inconvenience.

An A3 printer scanner is typically larger compared to an ordinary desktop printer. This is mainly because of their larger parts that will allow them to print larger on larger formats. To be specific, A3 printers should be able to print on 11″ x 17″ pages. Because of this capability, they have larger motors. Not to mention they have a cooling system that adds to the size. If you purchase this kind of printer, you should be able to allocate space in your home. Having these printers in the office will not be as hazardous since most offices have their own printer rooms.

Compared to smaller printers, large multifunctional printers are noisier. If you are using this printer at home, it may be bothersome for other members of the family if you are printing a lot. Therefore, if you are not using them, it is a good idea to keep them unplugged so they won’t keep on humming. Having these printers in the office do not offer the same inconvenience since offices tend to be noisy compared to homes.

Aside from the physical constraints, these printers have larger energy consumptions. Because they have larger motors and can operate at very high speeds, they require more power. If you don’t use this printer often, you should unplug them so that they will not consume energy. However, this is not noticeable in your electric bill if you don’t use them often.

Most A3 printer scanners are expensive. The main reason for this is that there are only few available. This is governed by the law of supply and demand. If the supply is low, sellers set them at higher costs in order to maximize profit per item. Another potential problem you have with these kinds of printers is their maintenance. Since there are very few of these models, there are only a few service centers that are capable of maintaining them.

These printers are usually expensive because most of them are not only combination of a printer and a scanner. Most of these printers have other features such as copying, network connectivity and direct photo printing. Some even have facsimile features that allow you to send fax via documents or via computer.

It is important to note that all gadgets have their own advantages and disadvantages. They are only worth your money if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Therefore, if you are deciding on buying an A3 printer scanner, it is a good idea to sit down and list all the pros and cons before going to the store.

Chicken is thought to make boobs grow bigger. Sometimes chickens are injected with estrogens which are the female hormone, so that they can grow bigger at a faster rate. If you eat this type of chicken or eat the eggs from these chickens then you will notice an increase in your boobs, bum and thighs. This is because the estrogens tend to enlarge these areas. However the downside with this is that too much estrogens intake can cause the inhibitors in the boobs to kick in so that they stop growing at a certain level and too many estrogens may make you susceptible to certain types of cancers.

There is no miracle food to make your boobs bigger you have to add weight so that your boobs will increase in size as a result of adding weight. There are foods that will help increase your boob size. Milk is one of those things that will make your boobs grow bigger and it is also nutritious. However don’t consume too much as it will make you add weight everywhere.

Fruits and vegetables are also good for a bigger bust size as they contain phytoestrogens which contribute to breast fullness and firmness as they are similar to estrogens. Fennel is also rich in phytoestrogens and will cause an increase in boob size. Fenugreek is rich in phytonutrients so that your breasts will grow larger and firmer. It also stimulates milk production in lactating mothers. Fenugreek imitates estrogens so that your body develops new breast tissue that is firmer and it will increase your breast size. Be careful not to take too much as you may suffer from side effects such as nausea and abdomen pains.

Other foods that are good in this aspect are oats, tofu and wheat germ. If you are consuming a lot of chicken because of the hormones, it is good to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables as they are a good source of fibre and these will get rid of excess amounts of estrogens from the chicken that you are eating. Pregnancy and use of birth control pills will make your boobs grow bigger since the levels of estrogens in your body increase making your breasts become larger.

If you want to increase your cup size by as much as two cup sizes, then food alone will not give you the boobs that you desire. You may have to try a combination of natural breast enhancement methods. It will also take some time to be able to see the results that you desire because the foods work naturally to enhance the size and shape of your boobs and this takes time. You may also do weight training exercises so that your pectoral muscles grow bigger and your boobs will look bigger. You may also do exercise that lift the breast tissues so that they look firmer and better.

Is 5.5 inches enough to give a girl an orgasm? I’m not saying it’s too small for every girl out there, but for most women, it is a challenge to deliver an intense, satisfying orgasm with a smaller-than-average penis. I was only 5.5 inches once, so I know how difficult it is. However, I took action to become permanently larger and more satisfying, and any other guy can, too.

There are a couple reasons why 5.5 inches wasn’t enough for the women I slept with. First of all, most women get off on long, deep satisfying strokes during sex. They just come off as smoother, more pleasurable, and more satisfying. With a short penis, my strokes were always short, choppy, and spastic — not sexy at all to most women. Also, being short like that really limited which positions I could use during sex. I couldn’t maneuver into a girl from more creative positions, so after a while with the same girl, our sex life would get really stale.

So how did I take action to become permanently larger? I studied up on natural enlargement techniques and learned how to use my hands to put traction on the soft tissue chambers of my penile shaft. This caused my shaft to elongate and expand permanently and as I got bigger, my confidence swelled as well and now I can approach any woman for sex confidently, knowing there won’t be any issue at all when it comes to me being able to satisfy her. Best of all, once I took action with natural enlargement techniques, I started seeing size gains within about two weeks.

Jan Groover was born in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1943. Ms. Groover pursued an education in art receiving her B.F.A. in painting in 1965, from Pratt Institute in New York then receiving her Master’s in Art Education from Ohio State University in 1969. After teaching art in junior high school then University of Hartford in the early 1970’s, she turned to photography. While she experimented with a range of styles and vision she is perhaps best known for her still life images of ordinary objects, kitchen utensils, plants but taking her images with vibrant color and larger than life close ups. She received grants from New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ms. Groover enjoyed a wide range of artistic expression. The larger than life imagery from her photography found expression in platinum-palladium printing, exaggerated images with brilliant color and luminance. She enjoyed writing and published “Pure Invention: The Tabletop Still Life” in 1990. She also taught at the State University of New York College before moving to France where she lives now.

We don’t know exactly what led Ms. Groover from a career of formal art to that of photography. She is quoted stating: “With photography I didn’t have to make things up, everything was already there.”

I was originally attracted to Ms. Groover’s photographs for their vibrant color and larger than life imagery. In her life, there is a sharp departure from photographs depicting motion, time, speed, and color to what perhaps she is best known for, simple everyday objects found in the home. One review states ‘she turned to her kitchen sink’ for new ideas. Many of her photographs depict kitchen utensils, knives, forks, and other subjects found in the home such as bowls, dishes, or house plants.

Her pictures were taken with a 4×5 view camera. Her photographs stressed and illustrated her influence and obedience to formalism. A favorite photograph of mine, “Untitled, 1979. JG #95.2′”, has a blend of shapes, curves, and lines that is almost hypnotic and yet when I first looked at it, it was easy for my imagination to see many other things. I see shell, and ancient ruins, and wares of a Roman triumph. Perhaps this is an expression of Ms. Groover’s alignment with formalism. Any shape can captivate.

Does any shape have gratifying qualities? Does any shape have special detail when we take the time to observe? The image above accentuates silver and yet we see tarnish drift to iridescence and mirrored reflection.

“According to Groover, the meaning of the objects is of no importance; only the shape, texture, and form that falls into a particular space is important.”

What a wonderful tribute to a photographer and a tribute to her art. Her ability to share and see illuminating quality in the most simple of things says much about her vision. When I reviewed Ms. Groover’s work, it is easy to mistake some of her photography with her prints. Her photographs possess some of the ‘larger than life’ color and detail… of a print that was privileged with additional editing. According to one writer, “Groover makes pictures that are interesting not so much for the things they show us as for how they show us these things”.

Ms Grover’s artwork can be found readily on many web sites but the images referenced in this article can be see at:

http://www.janetbordeninc.com/artists/Groover

One of the easiest ways of altering the size of a needlepoint design is if the original design is on a chart.By changing the needlepoint mesh size you stitch on, you will change the size of the design. For example, if your needlepoint chart uses a 13 mesh canvas for a finished design size of 5 inches by 5 inches, you can enlarge the design by stitching it on a larger mesh needlepoint canvas such as a 10 mesh. This will make the enlarged size approximately 6.5 inches by 6.5 inches.

To work out how much bigger your needlepoint design will become by stitching it on a larger mesh canvas you work out how many stitches there were across the original canvas. In this case you would multiply 13 by 5 which equals 65. Then divide this total by the new mesh size. For example, 65 divided by 10 is 6.5 which will be the new design width.

An alternative way to enlarge a charted needlepoint design is by stitching two stitches for every one stitch on the needlepoint chart. This will double the size of the original design.

If your design is printed onto needlepoint canvas, and you want to change the size of it, you can transfer the design to another piece of blank needlepoint canvas. To do this you will need to:

1. Make a color photocopy of the original design.

2. Enlarge or reduce this copy to the size you want it.

Then you can either;

Copy the new design onto graph paper by placing graph paper into the copy machine. You will then have a ‘charted’ version of the new needlepoint design to stitch from.

Or;

Trace the new design onto blank needlepoint canvas. Go over the design outlines on the paper copy with a black, thick marker pen so you can see what you are tracing. Then tape the blank needlepoint canvas you will be using on top of this color paper copy. Trace the outlines onto the canvas using waterproof colored markers. Select marker colors that are similar to the underlying design colors so that the colors do not show through the stitched canvas. Use a gray marker if you cannot match the colors.

With this outline now on your needlepoint canvas you can start stitching by using the original canvas, or the color photocopy, as a guide. Alternatively you can hand paint the details onto your canvas. Geometric patterns or simple designs can usually be stitched without painting, but you might want to paint in more intricate design areas, or work from a ‘chart’ as explained above.

You can change the size of a needlepoint design in a few relatively simple steps. Some designs will take to being enlarged or reduced better than others, so before you proceed, assess your design and make sure it will still retain its flavor if it were made bigger or smaller.

There’s no better way for you to experience the fluidity of motion generated by ice than by heading to the ice rink. Skating on ice is one of the most loved winter activities ever. Oklahoma City has one just for its residents and the visitors who throng to the city – Braums Ice Skating Rink. Opening in front of the Civic Center Music Hall, on the Grand Lawn in December, the Braum’s Ice Rink is one of the most important additions to Downtown OKC.

Measuring 62 feet by 150 feet, the rink easily classifies as one of the largest outdoor rinks in the Southwest. It also means that the new rink is larger than last year’s. It was the immense popularity of the earlier version that prompted the creation of a larger rink this year. The additions this year include greater accommodation for guests. The larger area of the rink will help skaters display more of their moves. Shiny new skates are also available for rent for participants, from toddlers to adults.

For a two-hour session and skate rental the cost is $8. If you bring your own skates you’re only charged $5. Refreshments at the Braum’s Ice Rink Café include coffee, soda, hot cocoa, hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream. Visitors can enjoy action at the rink along with their friends and family. Group tickets are offered for private parties. The rink is open from noon to 10 PM everyday from November 23 through January 1 and doesn’t close on holidays.

The rink is also close to major hotels that arrange shuttle services to important destinations in the city. The Braums Ice Rink is only one of many Downtown in December festivities and attractions in Oklahoma City. The others include OGE Garden Lights at the Myriad Botanical Gardens, Holiday Lights and Oklahoman Mayors Holiday Tree at the Bricktown Canal, and many more.

The shopping malls have been classified by the International council of shopping centers. They have been classified into eight basic types. These include community center, neighborhood center, fashion center, specialty center, outlet center, superregional center, and a theme or festival center. When this list was published in 1999, it was made common for all countries. However, later this list was only meant specifically for the United States and then a separate list was published for the rest of Europe.

A neighborhood center

A neighborhood center is a small scale mall that serves a local neighborhood specifically. They mostly have a drugstore or a supermarket as an anchor. They are also commonly arranged in the format of a strip mall. These types of malls have a retail area of around 30,000 to 150,000 square feet. They also serve a primary area in a 3 mile radius.

A community hall

A community hall can be said to be larger than a neighborhood center. It also offers a very wide range of goods. They mostly feature two anchor stores that are extremely larger than that of a neighborhood center.

A regional center

A regional center is a type of a shopping mall that is designed in such a manner that it can serve a much larger area when compared to a conventional shopping mall. Thus it is capable of offering a much larger retail area and thus it can serve numerous customers at a single point of time.

Superregional center

This is a very large type of shopping center. It covers an area of over 800,000 square feet and this is a gross leasable area.

A fashion center

A fashion shopping center usually consists of upscale boutiques and apparel shops and these cater to customers who are rich or have access to a higher level of income. They also have a retail area that ranges between 80,000 to 250,000 square feet.

A power center

A power center is a very large shopping center that features a lot of big box retailers as anchors. They have a retail area that is in between 250,000 to 600,000 square feet and they also have a primary trade area of 5 to 10 miles.

Festival center

These types of shopping centers have a very distinct and unifying theme that is followed by individual shops and also their architecture. They are mostly located in the urban areas and cater to a large number of tourists.