Waist-hip ratio or Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. It is calculated by measuring the smallest circumference of the natural waist, usually just above the belly button, and dividing by the hip circumference at its widest part of the buttocks or hip. The ratio is applied both to women and men.

The WHR has been used as an indicator or measure of the health of a person, and the risk of developing serious health conditions. Research shows that people with “apple-shaped” bodies (with more weight around the waist) face more health risks than those with “pear-shaped” bodies who carry more weight around the hips.

With this project, the only limit is a kid’s imagination. Whatever creature, shape, or theme s/he can think of could be living on top of his/her pencil!

Be sure to visit all of our back-to-school ideas including back-to-school crafts, school lunch recipes and great printable activities.

What you’ll need:

How to make it:

1. Start with two identical sized shapes, such as a circle or heart. Put glue around the border of one of the shapes, leaving about ¾” where you will insert the pencil.
2. Press the second shape onto the first, sandwiching them together. The glue will need to dry for several hours, preferably overnight, but you can decorate the outside now.
3. Decorate the outside of the craft foam shape using pom-poms, wiggle eyes, other foam shapes, glitter glue, sequins, whatever you like. We made a black bear using pom-poms for ears and a nose and a couple of wiggle eyes.  We also made a flower using several pom-poms and a bird using wiggle eyes and other craft foam shapes.
4. Once the toppers have dried completely, insert the eraser end of a pencil carefully into the opening.

Tips:

1. Drying time is important for this project. If you try to insert the pencil too soon, the glue may still be tacky and could pull away from the foam causing your topper to split open.
2. You can use white craft glue as we did, or you can purchase special glue made just for craft foam at a craft supply store.
3. Craft foam comes in convenient value packs in various shapes, sizes, and colors.

A home filled with reading material is a good way to help kids become enthusiastic readers. What kind of books should you have? Ask your kids about their interests. If they’re too young to have a preference, your local librarian can offer suggestions about age-appropriate books.

Here are some other tips:

Keep a varied selection. Collect board books or books with mirrors and different textures for babies. Older kids will enjoy variety: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry plus dictionaries and other reference books.

Kids can understand stories they might not be able to read on their own. If a more challenging book interests your child, make it something to read together. Younger kids can look at illustrations in books and ask questions as they follow along.

And don’t limit reading material to books. Kids might also enjoy:

* magazines (for kids)
* audio books
* postcards from relatives
* photo albums or scrapbooks
* newspapers
* comic books
* the Internet

Keep reading material handy. Keep sturdy books with other toys for easy exploration. Books near the changing table and high chair can be helpful distractions for younger kids at appropriate moments. Plastic books can even go in the bathtub. Keep books next to comfy chairs and sofas where you cuddle up so you can read after feedings and naps.

Create a special reading place. As kids grow, keep age-appropriate books and magazines on shelves they can reach in their favorite hangouts around the house. Make these shelves appealing and keep them organized. Place some of the books with the covers facing out so they’re easy to spot. Put a basket full of books and magazines next to their favorite places to sit. Create a cozy reading corner, and encourage kids to use it by setting up “reading corner time” each day.

Keep it appealing. Make sure reading areas have good lighting. Change the materials often — add seasonal books, rotate different magazines, and include books that relate to what kids are interested in or studying in school. Decorate the corner with your child’s artwork or writing. Place a CD or tape player nearby for audio books.

Encourage kids to create the reading. Set up a writing and art center and encourage kids to make books, posters, or collages that they decorate with their own pictures and writing. Kids love to read things they’ve written themselves or to share their creations with family and friends.

Other ways to encourage kids to read:

* Give your child quiet time every day to read or write.
* Limit time kids spend in front of a screen (including TV, computer, and video games) to help ensure that they have time for reading.
* Read together. Offer to read a book aloud, or ask your child to read to you from a favorite magazine. Make a habit of sitting together while you each read your own books, sharing quiet time together.

Smoking marijuana does help relieve a certain amount of pain, a small but well-designed Canadian study has found.

People who suffer chronic neuropathic or nerve pain from damage or dysfunction of the nervous system have few treatment options with varying degrees of effectiveness and side-effects.

Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to nerves that don’t repair, which can make the skin sensitive to a light touch.

Cannabis pills have been shown to help treat some types of pain but the effects and risks from smoked cannabis were unclear.

To find out more, Dr. Mark Ware, an assistant professor in family medicine and anesthesia at Montreal’s McGill University, and his colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial — the gold standard of medical research — of inhaled cannabis in 21 adults with chronic neuropathic pain.

Investigators used three different strengths of the active drug — THC levels of 2.5 per cent, six per cent and 9.4 per cent, as well as a zero per cent placebo.

“We found that 25 mg herbal cannabis with 9.4 per cent THC, administered as a single smoked inhalation three times daily for five days, significantly reduces average pain intensity compared with a zero per cent THC cannabis placebo in adult subjects with chronic post traumatic/post surgical neuropathic pain,” the study’s authors concluded in Monday’s online issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Short study

Study participants inhaled the 25-milligram dose through a pipe for five days and then took no marijuana for nine days. Then they rotated through the other doses of THC.

The participants also reported improvements in measures of sleep quality, the researchers said.

The most common drug-related side-effects during the trial among those receiving the highest dose were:

* Headache.
* Dry eyes.
* Burning sensation in areas of neuropathic pain.
* Dizziness.
* Numbness.
* Cough.

“Because the study was short duration, the exposure was quite small and the patients only used each strain for five days, the question is what about longer term exposure?” Ware said. “Would they get better pain relief or would it plateau or would it fall off if they used it for longer?”
‘Trickle of evidence’

Those questions, as well as safety concerns, still need to be studied, the researchers said.

“The authors should be congratulated for tackling such a worthwhile question as: does cannabis relieve neuropathic pain? particularly because the trial must have been a major nightmare to get through the various regulatory hurdles,” Dr. Henry McQuay of Balliol College, Oxford University, U.K., said in a journal commentary accompanying the study.

McQuay concluded that the trial adds to the “trickle of evidence that cannabis may help some of the patients who are struggling at present.”

The commentary called for more research into whether specific pain mechanisms respond to cannabis.
‘I swear by it’

Amy Brown of Toronto did not participate in the study, but uses marijuana for the chronic pain and swelling in her wrist. She broke several bones, including in her wrist, five years ago in a car collision.

“I was very skeptical, but I tried it and it worked,” said Brown, who has a grower’s licence from Health Canada. “Now I swear by it. I won’t go back to any kind of pills for my pain.”

Brown described her pain as a sharp, burning, throbbing pain that just comes “out of nowhere.” Brown said she also feels pain when she uses her swollen wrist, such as for turning a door knob on a wet day.

The marijuana for the study was obtained from Prairie Plant Systems of Saskatoon and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The federal government awarded a contract 10 years ago to Prairie Plant Systems to provide a standard supply of medical marijuana. The company now offers a product that is 12 per cent THC, Ware noted.

Dr. Igor Grant, director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research and the University of California in San Diego, said smoking the drug raises other issues, including:

* Whether people who are non-smokers will tolerate the smoke.
* Exposure to second-hand cannabis smoke.
* The safety of lighting up near oxygen tanks in hospitals.

Grant is researching a vaporized form of cannabis to treat pain.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation funded the study.

McQuay declared being a member of advisory boards and consultant to several pharmaceutical companies. He also provided expert testimony and received lecture payments from drug makers and received royalties for a textbook on pain.

Most of us already know that eating less and moving more are the keys to dropping extra pounds. But if you’re already doing everything “right” and can’t seem to lose weight — or are even gaining it — you may have a hidden health condition that’s sabotaging your efforts. And the symptoms may be so subtle that even your doctor can miss them. Here, some possible weight-loss blockers — and how to get the help you need.

A Sluggish Thyroid
Your thyroid gland makes hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) disrupts your metabolism, as well as many other aspects of your health. Some estimate that as many as 10 percent of adults have hypothyroidism, which is more common in women and is most often diagnosed in the 40s and 50s.

Could this be you? Besides weight gain or an inability to lose weight, you may notice fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, joint pain and muscle weakness, heavy periods, increased sensitivity to cold, even depression. Many people with low-grade hypothyroidism just feel “off,” with no obvious signs of being truly sick.

How to get tested: Ask your internist to run a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) screening. In general, the higher your TSH level, the slower your thyroid is. “While traditional ‘normal’ values are between .45 and 4.5, if your level is above 2, you might still struggle to lose weight,” explains Dr. Jamie Kane, M.D., medical director of Park Avenue Medical Weight and Wellness in New York City. Your doctor may also want to check your levels of T-3 and T-4, the two main thyroid hormones. But hypothyroidism isn’t always a straight numbers game; more and more doctors are now treating the symptoms, not just the blood-test results. “If a patient isn’t feeling well, it’s often because her thyroid isn’t functioning as well as it should for her body,” says Dr. Erika Schwartz, M.D., an internist in New York City.

How it’s treated: Your doc will usually start by prescribing a low-dose T-4 thyroid hormone like Synthroid. If your symptoms don’t improve, discuss upping your dosage or switching to a combination of T-3 and T-4.

Out-of-Whack Hormones
As many as 1 in 10 women of childbearing age have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition in which a woman’s ovaries produce an excess of male hormones. In addition to causing ovulation problems and infertility, PCOS may go hand-in-hand with insulin resistance, a glitch in the way your body processes blood sugar, which is often associated with excess fat storage, especially around the waist. Left untreated, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Could this be you? You may have irregular periods, excess facial and body hair, acne, some male pattern balding, and trouble getting pregnant, along with unexplained weight gain (though not everyone with PCOS has weight issues).

How to get tested: Your gynecologist or internist can test your levels of sex hormones for an imbalance of testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen, says Dr. David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. She may then test your blood sugar and insulin levels or perform an ultrasound to check for cysts on your ovaries.

How it’s treated: Lifestyle changes are usually the first step. If you’re already eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, you may have to kick it up another notch to see results. If you have insulin resistance, Katz says, you’ll also want to cut out refined carbs and added sugars. If you’ve made these changes and still don’t notice a difference, your doc may prescribe a drug called metformin, which is used to treat insulin resistance as well as assist with ovulation (if you’re trying to get pregnant).

Trouble-Making Foods
Most people know if they’re allergic to certain foods like nuts or shellfish, but many aren’t aware of food intolerances. While a true food allergy results when your immune system mistakenly identifies a food as harmful and mounts an immediate response, food intolerances can have a variety of causes, including lack of a certain digestive enzyme (as with lactose intolerance) or sensitivity to food additives, and tend to manifest over time, says Dr. Elizabeth W. Boham, M.D., R.D., a family practitioner at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. Eating a “trouble food” — the most common being dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, corn and nuts — can lead to bloating and water-weight gain, among other symptoms. Experts estimate that food intolerances affect as many as 1 in 10 people.

Could this be you? You may regularly have bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation — as well as seemingly unrelated symptoms like mild asthma, eczema, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue.

How to get tested: An internist or gastroenterologist can help you diagnose the problem, but you can begin to figure it out for yourself through an elimination diet. Boham suggests that you start by removing gluten and dairy (these are the biggest culprits) from your diet for two to three weeks. If you don’t notice a difference, also eliminate eggs, corn, soy, and nuts, and consider nixing additives such as food coloring and preservatives. After a few weeks, slowly reintroduce the possible culprits, one at a time, noting any reactions.

How it’s treated: If the reaction is severe, you’ll need to cut the offending food from your diet. For mild reactions, try a daily probiotic supplement, which restores the good bacteria in your gut necessary for digestion and can help prevent bloating and water weight gain. Boham recommends one with at least 10 billion live bacteria per pill.

Pills That Pack on Pounds
Weight gain can be an unwelcome side effect of some drugs, including antidepressants, steroids, and, more rarely, birth-control pills (due to a temporary increase in water retention).

Could this be you? You may notice weight gain within a few weeks of starting a new medication, though it could take several months before you see any effects, Kane says.

How to get tested: No special test is needed; you know if you’re gaining weight.

How it’s treated: Talk to your doctor, who may be able to prescribe an alternative. In the case of anti-depressants, bupropion has been shown to cause less weight gain and possibly even lead to weight loss. With birth control pills, switching to a version with a lower dose of hormones might minimize weight gain. But remember, treating the condition you’re taking the drug for is your biggest priority, so you should never go off any meds on your own.

What could be as alluring as a lady in red? A gentleman in red, finds a multicultural study published Aug. 2 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.

Simply wearing the color red or being bordered by the rosy hue makes a man more attractive and sexually desirable to women, according to a series of studies by researchers at the University of Rochester and other institutions. And women are unaware of this arousing effect.

For another way to attract women, or at least grab some attention, you’ll need a Game Pad.

The cherry color’s charm ultimately lies in its ability to make men appear more powerful, says lead author Andrew Elliot, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. “We found that women view men in red as higher in status, more likely to make money and more likely to climb the social ladder. And it’s this high-status judgment that leads to the attraction,” Elliot says.

Why does red signal rank? The authors see both culture and biology at work. In human societies across the globe, red traditionally has been part of the regalia of the rich and powerful. Ancient China, Japan and sub-Saharan Africa all used the vibrant tint to convey prosperity and elevated status, and Ancient Rome’s most powerful citizens were literally called “the ones who wear red.” Even today, the authors note, businessmen wear a red tie to indicate confidence, and celebrities and dignitaries are feted by “rolling out the red carpet.”

Along with this learned association between red and status, the authors point to the biological roots of human behavior. In non-human primates, like mandrills and gelada baboons, red is an indicator of male dominance and is expressed most intensely in alpha males. Females of these species mate more often with alpha males, who in turn provide protection and resources.

“When women see red it triggers something deep and probably biologically engrained,” explains Elliot. “We say in our culture that men act like animals in the sexual realm. It looks like women may be acting like animals as well in the same sort of way.”

To quantify the red effect, the paper analyzed responses from 288 female and 25 male undergraduates to photographs of men in seven different experiments. Participants were all self-identified as heterosexual or bisexual. In one color presentation, participants looked at a man’s photo framed by a border of either red or white and answered a series of questions, such as: “How attractive do you think this person is?”

Other experiments contrasted red with gray, green, or blue. Colors were precisely equated in lightness and intensity so that test results could not be attributed to differences other than hue.

In several experiments, the shirt of the man in the photographs was digitally colored either red or another color. Participants rated the pictured man’s status and attractiveness, and reported on their willingness to date, kiss, and engage in other sexual activity with the person. They also rated the man’s general likability, kindness, and extraversion.

The researchers found that the red effect was limited to status and romance: red made the man seem more powerful, attractive, and sexually desirable, but did not make the man seem more likable, kind, or sociable. The effect was consistent across cultures: undergraduates in the United States, England, Germany, and China all found men more attractive when wearing or bordered by red.

And the effect was limited to women. When males were asked to rate the attractiveness of a pictured male, color made no difference in their responses.

Across all the studies, the influence of color was totally under the radar. “We typically think of color in terms of beauty and aesthetics,” say Elliot. “But color carries meaning as well and affects our perception and behavior in important ways without our awareness.”

In earlier work, Elliot documented that men are more attracted to women in red. But the red effect depends on the context. Elliot and others have also shown that seeing red in competitive situations, such as IQ tests or sporting events, leads to worse performance.

A first date can be a nightmare of anxiety. You want to make a good impression, so you agonize over what to wear, or you rehearse intelligent things to say. So for God’s sake don’t ruin it all by ordering some foolish food at dinner that is likely to make you a source of comedy or embarrassment for the rest of the night. What are these danger foods, you ask?

We’ve helpfully compiled a list of the Top 10 foods that any sensible person should avoid when dining with a new companion. And don’t let the title of this post fool you. These rules are in force for every meal until you and your partner first hook up, and they apply just as much to business meetings.

?10. Spaghetti
Yes, we all saw Lady and the Tramp, but that was a cartoon and they were dogs. In the real world, spaghetti is a romantic deal killer. There’s nothing remotely sexy about watching you Hoover up wayward strands of pasta or listening to the constant screech of your fork against spoon or plate. And by the end of the meal, that hot outfit you’re wearing is guaranteed to be splattered with flecks of tomato-basil sauce. You still want pasta? Order the ravioli.

?9. Soup
No matter how delicious, it’s a dating disaster. Like spaghetti, it’s impossible to eat gracefully: the slurping, the backsplash. Good lord, if you want to make a fool of yourself just stick the flatware up your nose and be done with it. When your server asks, “Soup or salad?” the answer is salad. Always.

?8. Veal
There’s nothing difficult or embarrassing about eating veal. The problem is it’s made from calves raised in crates the size of a shoebox. Depending on the politics of your date, ordering that osso buco is basically like saying, “I believe in torturing baby farm animals.” It’s a conversation starter, sure. But not a conversation you want to have.

?7. Garlic
Here’s a surefire way to guarantee your date ends in a handshake instead of a kiss: Order the garlic shrimp. Or the garlic bread. Or the pizza with garlic. Ain’t no amount of furtive breath mints gonna mask your stanky breath. Not tonight, and probably not till Tuesday.

?6. Watermelon, corn on the cob
Admittedly these don’t come up much on first dates. But if you’re getting together at a picnic or a friend’s backyard barbecue, better keep these off the list. In the history of the world no one has eaten a watermelon without looking like a slobbering goof. And if you’re looking to impress a date, avoid food that requires you to slide your face across a buttered surface and is guaranteed to lodge kernels so deep into your teeth you can’t remove them with hydraulic tools.

5. Ice cream cone
A refreshing little cone of Double Chocolate Oreo Mint might seem adorably romantic on a summer day, but it’s a disastrous idea for three reasons. First, your date will be judging you from the get-go (Does plain strawberry mean she’s too conservative? Does bubble gum prove he’s immature?). Second, the minute you step outside, the laws of thermodynamics become your implacable enemy, and your rapidly melting Raspberry Mocha Swirl turns you into a frantically licking moron. Which brings us to reason three: On any first date, avoid foods you have to lick. No guy needs that kind of pressure. No woman wants that kind of attention.

?4. Spinach dip, tabbouleh, pesto sauce
You say you’ve climbed the highest peaks on five continents? You recently returned from rebuilding Haiti? You just sold the film rights to your novel? Doesn’t matter. You have a little green leaf stuck between your teeth. You’re a doofus.

?3. Burgers
First of all, on a first date, never order food you eat with your hands. Hamburgers are messy. After three bites your arms are covered in a revolting slime of mayo, grease, and special sauce, and your tomato is hanging precariously from the back of your bun. If you’re lucky it will land on your plate. Second of all–burgers? Really? Why don’t you just announce to your date: “I am not a provider.”

?2. Barbecue, chicken wings, fried chicken
What did we just say? No hands food! You may love a good plate of ribs or buffalo wings, but by the time you’re finished you’ll look like a 3-year-old in a high chair. You could try using a knife and fork, but then you’ll just look like a priss. No. Hell no.

?1. Mexican, Indian, Szechuan, Thai food
What? This is nuts, you say. Whole categories of dining off limits? But think for a minute: What do all these foods have in common? Spice. And what does spice lead to? Come on, we’ve all been there: You’re out with someone you like and respect, eating Thai food just the way you like it–hot and spicy–when all of a sudden you’re seized with dread, and you realize: It’s begun. A slow rivulet of snot is inexorably descending from your left nostril. It doesn’t matter if you catch it in time. More will follow. Rivers. Gushers. Your nose has become the Deepwater Horizon of mucus, and no napkin on earth can help you now. You start snorting like a hog. You pray your date will look away so you can wipe your sleeve. Please! you beg to the patron saint of dating nightmares. Just look away! Nice going, Romeo. You’d have been better off with the veal.

Despite all of the innovations and investments in solar, wind, energy efficiency, and the smart grid, the reality of cutting carbon emissions out of the U.S. energy portfolio will rely on natural gas. A report released out of MIT today and reported by the New York Times estimates that natural gas will one day grow from 20 percent of the energy market in the U.S. to 40 percent.

That growth in natural gas will be at the expense of coal, and is largely due to recent discoveries that the U.S. has a whole lot more reserves of natural gas in shale deposits. A geophysics professor at Stanford University (and a personal friend of mine) Mark Zoback, told me recently that through better technology and recovery tools, we’ve discovered that the U.S. now has an estimated resource of over 2,000 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. That’s — in a word — massive.

Zoback told me he thinks that the newly discovered natural gas resource will help to stabilize the price for natural gas, making it more attractive for both the gas producers and utilities (fluctuating prices has deterred more use of natural gas for power production). And Zoback pegs that price around $6 per million BTUs. That could help natural gas beat coal on price, meaning natural gas could actually be an economic replacement for coal power.

Natural gas has significantly fewer carbon (and toxic) emissions than coal. Zoback estimated that by replacing 30 percent of coal-fired generation with gas (without CCS) it would get the U.S. almost to the point of what the current climate bills call for: a 17-20 percent reduction of carbon emissions by 2020. With carbon capture technologies, gas power could cut carbon emissions even more.

The abundant natural gas reserves could also be used for vehicles — something T. Boone Pickens has been advocating for months. While I’m not convinced the natural gas vehicle market will ever take off outside of enterprise fleets, trucks and buses, natural gas vehicles could play a significant role in cutting carbon emissions. Here’s how the economics of natural gas vehicles works.

While natural gas is less fun to talk about than buzzy startups like Bloom Energy or EEStor — and yes it still emits CO2 — it’s one of the dominant ways that the U.S. will realistically move away from coal and toward a clean power future. Consider it a “bridge technology,” too a carbon-free future.

10 Reasons Not to Buy a Puppy From a Pet Store

Most dog lovers know about the often horrid conditions of puppy mills, the unregulated breeding facilities owned by disreputable breeders. Dogs are often bred far too frequently, are kept cramped together in squalor, and are not socialized with humans. In addition, these breeders do not always care about the health and strength of the breed, which often results in genetic illnesses, poor health in general and unlikable personality traits. But many of these same dog aficionados, who have t-shirts and bumper stickers denouncing puppy mills, don’t know that most puppies sold at pet stores come from there.

There are some pet stores that buy their puppies from commercial kennels regulated by the Department of Agriculture. However, even these pups tend to be unhealthy and unsocialized. This is partly due to the fact that commercial kennels tend to breed many different breeds in one facility and they breed for quantity, not quality. Therefore, their interest does not lie in the healthy promotion of a certain breed but rather in how many sales they can get. So, before you buy that cute puppy in the window, consider the downsides of pet store pups:
10 Reasons Not to Buy From a Pet Store

1. Bad Health: Because so many pet store pups come from puppy mills, they are not the result of careful breeding and they are usually not well cared for before coming to the store. Some common illnesses and conditions are neurological problems, eye problems, hip dysplasia, blood disorders and Canine Parvovirus.

2. Behavioral Problems: Because breeding is indiscriminate, behavioral problems are not weeded out generationally. You’ll also find that a pet store’s staff is not likely to have any training in dealing with behavior issues so the puppies continue to do the wrong things, which become habit.

3. No Socialization: Pet stores pups are often pulled away from their litter at far too young an age, often at only four or five weeks. The earliest a puppy should be separated from his pack is eight weeks and most reputable breeders will say at least 10 weeks. This lack of time socializing with his siblings means that puppy will not develop important canine skills. Likewise, a puppy who has not been handled by people from about three weeks will not naturally socialize well with them.

4. The Downfall of the Standard: In a broad sense, purchasing a puppy from a pet store and then breeding her means you are ruining the standard of that breed because the previous breeders were not concerned with it.

5. Lack of Information: A member of a pet store staff is not an expert on a breed and often not on dogs in general. Purchasing a puppy from a store means you will not get the lowdown on that breed or likely help with any behavioral or other questions.

6. Return at Your Puppy’s Peril: Most pet stores do offer a warranty of sorts where you can bring the puppy back if he has problems. They don’t tend to tell customers that the puppy’s fate, once returned, is usually euthanization.

7. Housebreaking is a Chore: Pet store puppies have spent all their short lives in cages. They do not have the opportunity to develop the natural canine instinct of eliminating away from their food and bed. This causes problems when you try to housebreak them.

8. What You See Isn’t Necessarily What You Get: If you see what looks like a Maltese in the window, you may find, as she grows, that there’s a little Maltese in there somewhere but mostly she looks like a Terrier. There is no guarantee you will get a purebred dog if that’s what you’re after.

9. Poor Value: A puppy from a pet store generally costs between $400 and $2,000. This is often more than you’d pay at a reputable breeder who can ensure you get a healthy puppy and provide support afterward.

10. Questionable Pedigree: You’re paying for a pedigree, or AKC papers, when you buy a puppy from a pet store but it’s very likely that it’s not genuine. If the papers are genuine, it still doesn’t mean the puppy is a good example of its breed – you need a reputable breeder to prove that.

What are our options other than pet store puppies? Find a reputable breeder or adopt your next dog from the local animal shelter or breed-specific rescues!

Reputable breeders are knowledgeable about the breed they represent and can help with behavioral and physical issues that might come up later. These breeders socialize their puppies early on, breed in good traits and breed out bad ones and they can show you your puppies’ parents and give you their history. Human Societies, local animal shelters and breed rescues are all good places to look. True, you don’t have the benefit of meeting your pup’s parents but rescued puppies are thoroughly examined for any illness or condition, are socialized by staff and trained early on. Also, if you adopt a mixed puppy you will likely find he is very healthy as mutts are often healthier than purebreds.

So the next time you see that adorable puppy in the window, pause and think about the downsides of pet store pups. Buying from such a store is, in essence, supporting them and the horrible practice of puppy mills. And it is also almost a sure bet that you’ll have a bad experience.

How Do I Win Rock, Paper, Scissors Every Time?

How can I win at Rock, Paper Scissors?
Have you ever gotten tired of being crushed by Rock, cut to shreds by Scissors, or smothered by Paper? Do you ever feel like you are fighting in a game of chance which fate developed to mock you? Well, here is some great news. The graphic above has information compiled about Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) from the World RPS Society, the masters of Rock, Paper, Scissors, to help you overcome your opponents and understand the strategies needed to win Rock, Paper, Scissors every time.

What are some RPS game winning strategies?
As its name implies, Rock, Paper, Scissors, like a really limited periodic table, involves three elements. Each one of these elements has a winning, losing, and tying combination against an opponent. On paper, this sounds like there is only ever a 1/3 chance of winning with each throw. But introduce a little human psychology into your game, and you have an edge and a game plan for winning. Eating a good breakfast before a big match or taking some healthy trim might even be a way to beat your opponent!

Where and when did RPS begin?
Forms of RPS can be found all over the world today, but the earliest known version of the game dates all the way back to the 1700s in Japan. The Japanese played a game called Jan-Ken-Pon, their version of RPS. This means the Japanese have been playing RPS longer than anyone else in the world. Maybe this is why Paper resembles a karate chop.

Today the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors is an officially sanctioned sport with its own international body of competitors. The World RPS Society hosts annually the RPS World Championship. Yes, there is prize money for winning RPS. You never bought into that whole ‘bragging rights’ thing that much, right?

How do I play RPS against a dude?
Males tend to come out aggressive with Rock on their first throw. Turn the odds in your favor with Paper.

What if my opponent is a pro at RPS?
Expect experienced players to throw Paper when they play against a newcomer. Showing Scissors should put him in his place.

Is there a trick to beating a newbie at RPS?
Because of their lack of mental stamina, when inexperienced players lose they tend to copycat the last winning throw. Crush them with its opposite.

In RPS, what should I do if my opponent throws two rocks in a row?
More than likely your opponent has noticed this trend too and will change his pattern. But this only leaves him the options of Paper or Scissors. Countering with Rock should do the job.

How can I predict my opponent’s next move in RPS?
Just like in the game of Poker, people will give away their next move subconsciously. Watch your opponent’s hands before you throw. Are all his fingers tense? That means he is thinking of throwing Rock. Throw Paper to win. Is your opponent’s hand relaxed with all the fingers loose? That is an indication that he is readying Paper. Give him Scissors. If just two fingers are loose or tight, Scissors is the diagnosis and Rock is the remedy.

Are there any stats that can help me win at RPS?
For the math-stats geek, or those who like to play the odds, paper is thrown the least often at 29.6% of the time. Rock and Scissors are thrown the most often, at 35.4% and 35%, respectively. When there is need for a changeup, use Paper as an unexpected option to surprise your opponent.

What can I learn by watching my opponent play others?
If you get the opportunity, do not shy away from watching your future opponents play others. Pay attention to the details. Do they give away any throwing tendencies? Does their play style or attitude suggest a pattern to their play? Observe, analyze, and counter accordingly!

I am getting smashed in RPS; are there any tricks I can pull?
As a last resort when all else is lost, you can always attempt to pull a fast-one on your opponent. Giving him the ‘Spock gesture’ is unexpected, highly illegal, but also impossible to counter.