Writing Penpals Is A Great Hobby

Many hobbies can be expensive and sometimes require equipment before you can start to follow your chosen interest. All you need to get started in penpalling is a pen, notepad, envelope and a stamp. You can write letters almost anywhere and at any time, so it’s easy to fit this hobby around a busy life. I began writing to penpals when I was eight years old, and have twelve of my original penfriends.

A penpal can become a lifelong friend, and will help you to discover more about other countries. Sharing the ups and downs of life with a friend through letters can be immensely therapeutic. Its much easier to confide in people who live hundreds of miles away.

The fastest and easiest way to get started in your quest to find a penfriend is to go online. There are hundreds of websites offering penpals, but it pays to do a little research before committing yourself. http://www.interpals.net/ and http://penpalsnow.com/ are two very good places to look for penpals online.

The free sites often look attractive but paying a small fee may allow you access to people who are serious about finding a penpal rather than just looking for a date or future spouse. You can either choose to write to one or more of the people listed, or enter your own details for potential penpals to write to you. Websites which allow you to state your age and hobbies can help you attract penpals you have something in common with. Writing people with similar interests is often a good idea, if you do not plan on investing time researching.

Another good option is to look for penpal sections in print magazines. Many specialist magazines, for example on the topics of horses, stamp collecting etc, have small adverts for penpals and having a shared hobby can be a great starting point for a friendship. Found my first penpals in the back of a horse magazine. These penpals made me lots of friendship books “fb’s” slams and cram sheets, which got passed around the world. Each person affixed their address label so I could write them. When the friendship book got filled, the last person to have it, sent them home to me. I always specify long letter pals because I enjoy reading a long letter. In a few months I began receiving gifts from around the world, and became hooked. Its so much fun getting the mail each day and wondering if there will be a gift inside.

After you’ve found your penpal, you can get started. The first letters are often the hardest to write, as with other friendships, you’re finding common ground to start with. It can be tempting to launch into a full description of yourself and your life story, but try to keep back some information for future letters. Lots of people decorate their envelopes with stickers or glitter. Part of my penfriends are swappers. They trade stuff like stationary, fridge magnets, stamps etc. Heavy swappers trade lots of items.

Once you’ve exchanged a few letters, it’s nice to swap photos to put a face to a name. You could also exchange postcards of your home towns and local area. I only give photos to the people I write snail mail through the post office. People who write you a hand written letter, are in it for the long haul generally.

Please do not feel you have to write back to your penpal immediately after you receive their letter. Wait a few days if you can, so you have more news to share. I usually send my penpals one letter a week. When I was 8-16 I mailed them a letter right after I received theirs. With the climbing prices of postage some penpals want you to send them their stamp back for reuse. Do not put glue or tape on stamps so you can use them over and over. This practice is illegal.

1. Do be aware of your safety, particularly in the early stages of a friendship. Obviously, you’ll be giving out personal information, but it’s best not to mention details such as information about your school or job.
2. Don’t feel you have to confine yourself to penpals who are very similar to you. Part of the fun of penpalling is discovering more about other countries and cultures. Someone of a different age or with differing family circumstances can still be a fascinating friend.
3. Do ask some questions in every letter. It’s not being nosy; it’s a way of keeping the dialogue going and learning about your new penfriend.
4. Don’t be tempted to write to too many people when you first start out. You might be very enthusiastic to start with, but could find yourself overwhelmed and with little time to reply to everyone. Nobody likes getting a short reply.
5. Do give your penfriend a fair chance, but don’t feel tied to the friendship for life. If you feel the penfriendship isn’t going anywhere, write politely and perhaps explain that you’ve become too busy with work or things at home and unfortunately won’t be able to write anymore. This is kinder than simply not writing back to them at all.
6. Don’t fall into the trap of standard letters. Some penpals do write a general letter on a computer and send this out to everyone. If you personalise this with some paragraphs written just for that penfriend, most people won’t mind. But no one likes to feel they’ve received a round-robin newsletter in place of a personal letter. Once I got to sending out form letters and lost half my penpals.
7. Do enjoy the experience of communicating with new people around the world. Once you get started, this is a hobby you might keep for life.

Read more at Suite101: Start Penpalling Today!: Find Friends Around the World With a Letter-Writing Hobby http://hobbies.suite101.com/article.cfm/start_penpalling_today#ixzz0v10zjEhU

Researching The Worlds Best 100 Universities

1 Harvard UniversityUnited States 100.0
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 98 International Faculty Score 85 International Students Score 78 Citations per Faculty Score 100
2 University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 99.6
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 98 International Students Score 96 Citations per Faculty Score 89
3 Yale UniversityUnited States 99.1
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 85 International Students Score 77 Citations per Faculty Score 94
4 UCL (University College London)United Kingdom 99.0
Academic Peer Review Score 98 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 96 International Students Score 99 Citations per Faculty Score 90
5 Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom 97.8
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 98 International Students Score 100 Citations per Faculty Score 80
6 University of OxfordUnited Kingdom 97.8
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 96 International Students Score 97 Citations per Faculty Score 80
7 University of ChicagoUnited States 96.8
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 97 International Faculty Score 77 International Students Score 83 Citations per Faculty Score 88
8 Princeton UniversityUnited States 96.6
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 96 Student to Faculty Score 82 International Faculty Score 89 International Students Score 81 Citations per Faculty Score 100
9 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) United States 96.1
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 89 International Faculty Score 31 International Students Score 95 Citations per Faculty Score 100
10 California Institute of Technology (Caltech)United States 95.9
Academic Peer Review Score 99 Employer Review Score 72 Student to Faculty Score 87 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 89 Citations per Faculty Score 100
11 Columbia UniversityUnited States 95.6
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 97 International Faculty Score 28 International Students Score 89 Citations per Faculty Score 92
12 University of PennsylvaniaUnited States 94.2
Academic Peer Review Score 96 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 85 International Faculty Score 82 International Students Score 60 Citations per Faculty Score 98
13 Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States 94.1
Academic Peer Review Score 98 Employer Review Score 79 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 28 International Students Score 71 Citations per Faculty Score 99
14 Duke UniversityUnited States 92.9
Academic Peer Review Score 95 Employer Review Score 97 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 29 International Students Score 62 Citations per Faculty Score 93
15 Cornell UniversityUnited States 92.5
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 85 International Faculty Score 28 International Students Score 73 Citations per Faculty Score 94
16 Stanford UniversityUnited States 92.2
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 71 International Faculty Score 25 International Students Score 96 Citations per Faculty Score 100
17 Australian National UniversityAustralia 90.5
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 91 Student to Faculty Score 75 International Faculty Score 99 International Students Score 92 Citations per Faculty Score 74
18 McGill UniversityCanada 90.4
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 97 Student to Faculty Score 92 International Faculty Score 67 International Students Score 95 Citations per Faculty Score 61
19 University of MichiganUnited States 89.9
Academic Peer Review Score 99 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 85 International Faculty Score 57 International Students Score 52 Citations per Faculty Score 81
20 University of EdinburghUnited Kingdom 89.3
Academic Peer Review Score 97 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 84 International Faculty Score 93 International Students Score 86 Citations per Faculty Score 65
20 ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)Switzerland 89.3
Academic Peer Review Score 97 Employer Review Score 80 Student to Faculty Score 55 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 94 Citations per Faculty Score 99
22 University of TokyoJapan 88.9
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 97 Student to Faculty Score 98 International Faculty Score 28 International Students Score 42 Citations per Faculty Score 70
23 King’s College LondonUnited Kingdom 88.4
Academic Peer Review Score 91 Employer Review Score 98 Student to Faculty Score 90 International Faculty Score 92 International Students Score 88 Citations per Faculty Score 67
24 University of Hong KongHong Kong 87.5
Academic Peer Review Score 96 Employer Review Score 89 Student to Faculty Score 87 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 95 Citations per Faculty Score 56
25 Kyoto UniversityJapan 87.1
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 93 Student to Faculty Score 81 International Faculty Score 32 International Students Score 26 Citations per Faculty Score 85
26 University of ManchesterUnited Kingdom 85.7
Academic Peer Review Score 94 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 79 International Faculty Score 90 International Students Score 87 Citations per Faculty Score 58
27 Carnegie Mellon UniversityUnited States 85.6
Academic Peer Review Score 94 Employer Review Score 93 Student to Faculty Score 56 International Faculty Score 62 International Students Score 96 Citations per Faculty Score 88
28 Ecole Normale Supérieure, ParisFrance 85.4
Academic Peer Review Score 94 Employer Review Score 87 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 76 International Students Score 61 Citations per Faculty Score 53
29 University of TorontoCanada 85.3
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 96 Student to Faculty Score 63 International Faculty Score 82 International Students Score 51 Citations per Faculty Score 74
30 National University of Singapore (NUS)Singapore 84.3
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 96 Student to Faculty Score 40 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 100 Citations per Faculty Score 75
31 Brown UniversityUnited States 83.9
Academic Peer Review Score 88 Employer Review Score 85 Student to Faculty Score 67 International Faculty Score 53 International Students Score 55 Citations per Faculty Score 97
32 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)United States 83.5
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 98 Student to Faculty Score 46 International Faculty Score 21 International Students Score 33 Citations per Faculty Score 100
33 Northwestern UniversityUnited States 83.5
Academic Peer Review Score 86 Employer Review Score 97 Student to Faculty Score 78 International Faculty Score 28 International Students Score 100 Citations per Faculty Score 79
34 University of BristolUnited Kingdom 83.4
Academic Peer Review Score 83 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 84 International Faculty Score 85 International Students Score 77 Citations per Faculty Score 69
35 Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong 83.3
Academic Peer Review Score 89 Employer Review Score 86 Student to Faculty Score 84 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 99 Citations per Faculty Score 54
36 École PolytechniqueFrance 83.1
Academic Peer Review Score 76 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 63 International Students Score 95 Citations per Faculty Score 65
37 University of MelbourneAustralia 83.1
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 57 International Faculty Score 59 International Students Score 97 Citations per Faculty Score 61
38 University of SydneyAustralia 83.1
Academic Peer Review Score 99 Employer Review Score 97 Student to Faculty Score 58 International Faculty Score 99 International Students Score 95 Citations per Faculty Score 53
39 University of California, BerkeleyUnited States 82.7
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 25 International Faculty Score 86 International Students Score 34 Citations per Faculty Score 100
40 University of British ColumbiaCanada 81.2
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 93 Student to Faculty Score 51 International Faculty Score 34 International Students Score 60 Citations per Faculty Score 77
41 University of QueenslandAustralia 80.7
Academic Peer Review Score 94 Employer Review Score 95 Student to Faculty Score 47 International Faculty Score 99 International Students Score 82 Citations per Faculty Score 67
42 École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Switzerland 80.6
Academic Peer Review Score 67 Employer Review Score 70 Student to Faculty Score 92 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 100 Citations per Faculty Score 84
43 Osaka UniversityJapan 80.1
Academic Peer Review Score 92 Employer Review Score 73 Student to Faculty Score 90 International Faculty Score 24 International Students Score 33 Citations per Faculty Score 68
44 Trinity College DublinIreland 80.1
Academic Peer Review Score 88 Employer Review Score 96 Student to Faculty Score 72 International Faculty Score 98 International Students Score 83 Citations per Faculty Score 49
45 Monash UniversityAustralia 80.0
Academic Peer Review Score 98 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 56 International Faculty Score 95 International Students Score 96 Citations per Faculty Score 42
46 The Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong 79.6
Academic Peer Review Score 87 Employer Review Score 77 Student to Faculty Score 77 International Faculty Score 97 International Students Score 79 Citations per Faculty Score 55
47 University of New South WalesAustralia 79.0
Academic Peer Review Score 96 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 39 International Faculty Score 82 International Students Score 93 Citations per Faculty Score 62
48 Seoul National UniversityKorea, South 79.0
Academic Peer Review Score 99 Employer Review Score 69 Student to Faculty Score 92 International Faculty Score 29 International Students Score 33 Citations per Faculty Score 47
49 University of AmsterdamNetherlands 78.9
Academic Peer Review Score 93 Employer Review Score 81 Student to Faculty Score 73 International Faculty Score 71 International Students Score 32 Citations per Faculty Score 62
50 Tsinghua UniversityChina 78.9
Academic Peer Review Score 98 Employer Review Score 83 Student to Faculty Score 95 International Faculty Score 45 International Students Score 34 Citations per Faculty Score 34
51 University of CopenhagenDenmark 78.8
Academic Peer Review Score 84 Employer Review Score 67 Student to Faculty Score 100 International Faculty Score 71 International Students Score 73 Citations per Faculty Score 48
52 New York University (NYU)United States 78.4
Academic Peer Review Score 94 Employer Review Score 94 Student to Faculty Score 75 International Faculty Score 26 International Students Score 52 Citations per Faculty Score 53
53 Peking UniversityChina 78.4
Academic Peer Review Score 100 Employer Review Score 93 Student to Faculty Score 89 International Faculty Score 24 International Students Score 30 Citations per Faculty Score 35
54 Boston UniversityUnited States 77.8
Academic Peer Review Score 87 Employer Review Score 87 Student to Faculty Score 68 International Faculty Score 25 International Students Score 89 Citations per Faculty Score 67
55 Technische Universität MünchenGermany 76.3
Academic Peer Review Score 73 Employer Review Score 90 Student to Faculty Score 92 International Faculty Score 56 International Students Score 74 Citations per Faculty Score 58
56 Tokyo Institute of TechnologyJapan 76.3
Academic Peer Review Score 81 Employer Review Score 79 Student to Faculty Score 72 International Faculty Score 31 International Students Score 49 Citations per Faculty Score 80
57 Heidelberg UniversityGermany 76.2
Academic Peer Review Score 90 Employer Review Score 47 Student to Faculty Score 77 International Faculty Score 58 International Students Score 80 Citations per Faculty Score 58
58 University of WarwickUnited Kingdom 75.7
Academic Peer Review Score 86 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 63 International Faculty Score 85 International Students Score 97 Citations per Faculty Score 39
59 University of AlbertaCanada 75.4
Academic Peer Review Score 88 Employer Review Score 71 Student to Faculty Score 65 International Faculty Score 91 International Students Score 66 Citations per Faculty Score 52
60 Leiden UniversityNetherlands 75.3
Academic Peer Review Score 89 Employer Review Score 58 Student to Faculty Score 35 International Faculty Score 74 International Students Score 40 Citations per Faculty Score 97
61 The University of AucklandNew Zealand 74.7
Academic Peer Review Score 95 Employer Review Score 96 Student to Faculty Score 36 International Faculty Score 93 International Students Score 99 Citations per Faculty Score 45
62 University of Wisconsin-MadisonUnited States 74.7
Academic Peer Review Score 90 Employer Review Score 76 Student to Faculty Score 44 International Faculty Score 29 International Students Score 36 Citations per Faculty Score 87
63 Aarhus UniversityDenmark 74.5
Academic Peer Review Score 83 Employer Review Score 51 Student to Faculty Score 65 International Faculty Score 69 International Students Score 66 Citations per Faculty Score 75
64 University of Illinois, Urbana-ChampaignUnited States 74.5
Academic Peer Review Score 92 Employer Review Score 66 Student to Faculty Score 23 International Faculty Score 72 International Students Score 49 Citations per Faculty Score 93
65 Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium 74.2
Academic Peer Review Score 94 Employer Review Score 80 Student to Faculty Score 35 International Faculty Score 55 International Students Score 55 Citations per Faculty Score 73
66 University of BirminghamUnited Kingdom 73.9
Academic Peer Review Score 78 Employer Review Score 93 Student to Faculty Score 57 International Faculty Score 83 International Students Score 76 Citations per Faculty Score 63
67 London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom 73.7
Academic Peer Review Score 89 Employer Review Score 100 Student to Faculty Score 53 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 100 Citations per Faculty Score 29
68 Lund UniversitySweden 73.7
Academic Peer Review Score 84 Employer Review Score 59 Student to Faculty Score 55 International Faculty Score 57 International Students Score 62 Citations per Faculty Score 78
69 KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & TechnologyKorea, South 72.6
Academic Peer Review Score 84 Employer Review Score 52 Student to Faculty Score 77 International Faculty Score 47 International Students Score 31 Citations per Faculty Score 65
70 Utrecht UniversityNetherlands 72.4
Academic Peer Review Score 87 Employer Review Score 65 Student to Faculty Score 61 International Faculty Score 43 International Students Score 24 Citations per Faculty Score 71
71 University of YorkUnited Kingdom 72.4
Academic Peer Review Score 63 Employer Review Score 95 Student to Faculty Score 75 International Faculty Score 95 International Students Score 83 Citations per Faculty Score 61
72 University of GenevaSwitzerland 72.3
Academic Peer Review Score 68 Employer Review Score 36 Student to Faculty Score 54 International Faculty Score 97 International Students Score 100 Citations per Faculty Score 96
73 Nanyang Technological University (NTU)Singapore 72.0
Academic Peer Review Score 86 Employer Review Score 84 Student to Faculty Score 44 International Faculty Score 100 International Students Score 100 Citations per Faculty Score 44
74 Washington University in St. LouisUnited States 72.0
Academic Peer Review Score 57 Employer Review Score 50 Student to Faculty Score 95 International Faculty Score 30 International Students Score 53 Citations per Faculty Score 98
75 Uppsala UniversitySweden 71.9
Academic Peer Review Score 89 Employer Review Score 51 Student to Faculty Score 42 International Faculty Score 68 International Students Score 40 Citations per Faculty Score 80
76 University of California, San DiegoUnited States 71.5
Academic Peer Review Score 98 Employer Review Score 51 Student to Faculty Score 17 International Faculty Score 22 International Students Score 27 Citations per Faculty Score 100
77 University of Texas at AustinUnited States 71.5
Academic Peer Review Score 93 Employer Review Score 92 Student to Faculty Score 29 International Faculty Score 55 International Students Score 41 Citations per Faculty Score 65
78 University of North Carolina, Chapel HillUnited States 71.3
Academic Peer Review Score 72 Employer Review Score 78 Student to Faculty Score 72 International Faculty Score 23 International Students Score 26 Citations per Faculty Score 82
79 University of GlasgowUnited Kingdom 71.2
Academic Peer Review Score 73 Employer Review Score 83 Student to Faculty Score 67 International Faculty Score 58 International Students Score 60 Citations per Faculty Score 64
80 University of WashingtonUnited States 71.1
Academic Peer Review Score 83 Employer Review Score 46 Student to Faculty Score 45 International Faculty Score 25 International Students Score 36 Citations per Faculty Score 99
81 University of AdelaideAustralia 70.8
Academic Peer Review Score 78 Employer Review Score 87 Student to Faculty Score 38 International Faculty Score 87 International Students Score 96 Citations per Faculty Score 62
82 University of SheffieldUnited Kingdom 70.6
Academic Peer Review Score 65 Employer Review Score 97 Student to Faculty Score 70 International Faculty Score 81 International Students Score 76 Citations per Faculty Score 59
83 Delft University of TechnologyNetherlands 70.4
Academic Peer Review Score 78 Employer Review Score 88 Student to Faculty Score 57 International Faculty Score 84 International Students Score 73 Citations per Faculty Score 49
84 University of Western AustraliaAustralia 70.2
Academic Peer Review Score 72 Employer Review Score 81 Student to Faculty Score 50 International Faculty Score 99 International Students Score 87 Citations per Faculty Score 63
85 Dartmouth CollegeUnited States 70.1
Academic Peer Review Score 58 Employer Review Score 93 Student to Faculty Score 60 International Faculty Score 34 International Students Score 52 Citations per Faculty Score 100
86 Georgia Institute of TechnologyUnited States 70.0
Academic Peer Review Score 76 Employer Review Score 81 Student to Faculty Score 23 International Faculty Score 36 International Students Score 77 Citations per Faculty Score 99
87 Purdue UniversityUnited States 69.8
Academic Peer Review Score 83 Employer Review Score 83 Student to Faculty Score 38 International Faculty Score 94 International Students Score 60 Citations per Faculty Score 58
88 University of St AndrewsUnited Kingdom 69.8
Academic Peer Review Score 57 Employer Review Score 92 Student to Faculty Score 74 International Faculty Score 91 International Students Score 99 Citations per Faculty Score 61
89 University College DublinIreland 69.7
Academic Peer Review Score 72 Employer Review Score 94 Student to Faculty Score 67 International Faculty Score 95 International Students Score 90 Citations per Faculty Score 37
90 Emory UniversityUnited States 69.6
Academic Peer Review Score 51 Employer Review Score 68 Student to Faculty Score 94 International Faculty Score 41 International Students Score 45 Citations per Faculty Score 90
91 University of NottinghamUnited Kingdom 69.4
Academic Peer Review Score 70 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 61 International Faculty Score 84 International Students Score 86 Citations per Faculty Score 48
92 Nagoya UniversityJapan 69.2
Academic Peer Review Score 67 Employer Review Score 77 Student to Faculty Score 89 International Faculty Score 28 International Students Score 34 Citations per Faculty Score 61
93 University of ZurichSwitzerland 69.2
Academic Peer Review Score 79 Employer Review Score 37 Student to Faculty Score 22 International Faculty Score 99 International Students Score 71 Citations per Faculty Score 98
94 Freie Universität BerlinGermany 69.0
Academic Peer Review Score 87 Employer Review Score 31 Student to Faculty Score 28 International Faculty Score 49 International Students Score 63 Citations per Faculty Score 92
95 University of SouthamptonUnited Kingdom 68.9
Academic Peer Review Score 64 Employer Review Score 87 Student to Faculty Score 66 International Faculty Score 86 International Students Score 76 Citations per Faculty Score 59
96 National Taiwan UniversityTaiwan 68.9
Academic Peer Review Score 93 Employer Review Score 82 Student to Faculty Score 39 International Faculty Score 29 International Students Score 25 Citations per Faculty Score 57
97 Tohoku UniversityJapan 68.6
Academic Peer Review Score 67 Employer Review Score 58 Student to Faculty Score 98 International Faculty Score 36 International Students Score 32 Citations per Faculty Score 58
98 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGermany 68.4
Academic Peer Review Score 86 Employer Review Score 45 Student to Faculty Score 34 International Faculty Score 53 International Students Score 66 Citations per Faculty Score 76
99 University of LeedsUnited Kingdom 68.3
Academic Peer Review Score 73 Employer Review Score 99 Student to Faculty Score 57 International Faculty Score 75 International Students Score 62 Citations per Faculty Score 48
100 Rice UniversityUnited States 68.1
Academic Peer Review Score 56 Employer Review Score 44 Student to Faculty Score 86 International Faculty Score 38 International Students Score 67 Citations per Faculty Score 87

Quacquarelli Symonds, the research and information specialists behind the QS World University Rankings, have launched the new research round for the 2010 rankings, in association with partners including US News & World Report and Scopus, the Elsevier database that supplies bibliometric data.

Quacquarelli Symonds is one of the world’s most prolific providers of information to students and young professionals facing higher education choices at undergraduate, postgraduate and business school level. The QS World University Rankings have become extremely popular since they were launched in 2004, with over 20 million visitors viewing the results on TopUniversities.com and partner web sites in 2009.

There are four components to the QS World University Rankings research exercise:

Data gathered directly from over 2000 universities in 130 countries around the world.

Data on citations and papers for each university produced from Elsevier’s Scopus Database.

A huge global survey of academics will collect at least 200,000 data items per annum, a statistically valid insight into research quality of universities around the world, allowing QS to balance responses by discipline and across regions. The 2010 Academic survey begins on 9th March. For the first time, academics wishing to respond to the survey can register their interest at www.topuniversities.com/academicsurvey. Responding academics are screened and must use an academic email address.

The global survey of an estimated 5000 employers identifies the universities they most wish to recruit from and will collect at least 100,000 data items.* Again this number of respondents enables QS to achieve a balance between regions of the world. The 2010 Employer Survey also begins on March 9th. Employers can complete the survey at www.topuniversities.com/employersurvey. Responding employers are screened and must have an active university recruiting program.

The World University Rankings have been accepted widely by the academic community and government agencies around the world and subject to rigorous scrutiny. Dr Kevin Downing, Senior Coordinator Academic Planning at City University Hong Kong has built a detailed model tracking the performance of all featured universities in the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities, the HEEACT Ranking of World Universities and the World University Rankings.

Dr Kevin Downing observes: “All rankings are controversial. Nevertheless, the QS World University Rankings provide a well accepted measure of the current activity and quality of universities around the world. As such they are proving extremely useful to university leaders seeking to benchmark their performance at an international level – Many senior managers of leading universities around the world now include the QS rankings in their strategic plans, because they provide useful, practical targets.”

Quacquarelli Symonds produces the World University Rankings using citation data from the Scopus database of Elsevier. Niels Weertman, Director of Scopus says “Scopus is a trusted source of bibliometric data , also used by many other organisations including: the OECD, the Australian Research Council, and NISTEP (National Institute of Science and Technology Policy of Japan). Covering the world’s research literature, Scopus is the largest and most comprehensive abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature.”

Flemish Giant Rabbits Make Wonderful Pets

Flemish Giant is a semi-arch type rabbit with its back arch starting back of the shoulders
and carrying through to the base of the tail giving it a mandolin shape. It is one of the
largest rabbits recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. It is not unusual
to see a 23 pound Flemish Giant, and specimens weighing 28 pounds have been
reported. A comment heard from many individuals seeing a Flemish giant rabbit
for the first time is, “Wow, its bigger than my dog!” My does average 19 pounds
and my bucks go about 21 pounds.

The body of a Flemish Giant Rabbit should be long and powerful with good muscular development. The hindquarters should be broad and massive. Bucks have a broad,
massive head in comparison to the does. Does may have a large, full, evenly carried
dewlap, or fold of skin under their chins.

Fur of the Flemish Giant is glossy, dense and full of life and brightness. When stroked
from the hindquarters to the head, the fur will roll back to its original position. Seven
colors are recognized by ARBA: black, blue, fawn, light gray, sandy, steel gray and
white. At many rabbit shows most of the recognized colors can be observed, but the
sandy color, the natural color, seems to be the most popular.

It is thought that the Flemish Giant rabbit is the modern descendant of the Patagonian
rabbit of Argentina. The Patagonian rabbit was brought to Europe by the 16th and 17th century, by Dutch traders and was raised for meat. The first written records of the Flemish Giant Rabbit dates from about 1860. At that time, English travelers returning from Flanders brought back stories of the enormous rabbits that were being raised there.

Flemish Giant Rabbits were imported from England to America in the early 1880s. It
received no special attention until around 1910 where it started appearing at small
livestock shows throughout the country. Today, it is one of the more popular breeds
at rabbit shows because of its enormous size and its many and beautiful colors.

The Flemish Giants are the true giants of all rabbits. They can grow to immense size,
reaching four or more pounds in 7 weeks, and maturing up to 19 pounds in 9
months. Although they are large, they are docile and not wild or hard to handle. That
is why they are called the gentle giant. Flemish are also called “The Universal Breed,”
because they are fast developing rabbits suitable for either meat or fur production. They
thrive on a large percentage of roughage and green feed reducing total feed costs. Best
of all, they make wonderful pets. They are large and strong enough to hold their own with small children, but are docile and gentle. However, if mistreated, they can scratch or bite painfully. Like many rabbit breeds, they can be trained to use a litter box, making them
ideal, indoor pets. Mature bucks seldom spray urine. Flemish also have a good tolerance for the cold outdoors if you don’t want them indoors. The only thing they do not endure well is extreme heat. It is essential that they be kept in the shade during the summer. If the temperature exceeds 90, evaporative coolers can be used in barns to keep them cool;
fine water sprays can be used outdoors. They especially appreciate a large plastic pop bottle, filled with water and frozen in the freezer, to snuggle against when the temperature approaches 100 F. A word of advice to those contemplating letting their pet rabbit roam
their house freely. Rabbits seem to have a fascination with lamp cords. They will frequently chew on a cord, damaging it and injuring themselves. Owners are advised to keep excess
lamp cords out of the reach of their bunnies.

Flemish Giant Rabbits are generally very vigorous, healthy and easy to raise. They are
very big and require very big cages. The smallest cage that should be considered for single animals should have a floor 32 inches by 48 inches. Brood cages for a doe and her litter
should have a floor 36 inches by 72 inches. Cage height should be no less than 24 inches or else they may not carry their ears erect. Because of the considerable weight of these rabbits, wire floors should never be used, because sore, bleeding, hocks will probably be the result.
Some breeders use solid plywood floors bedded with straw, shredded newspaper, or
wood chips. Others like me use wood slat floors. The slats comprising the floor of my
cages are 1″ x 2″ spaced at approximately 5/8″. The rabbits will eventually begin to chew on these slats, but they will last long enough that this is generally not a problem. Recently I have been experimenting with plastic hog slat floors. These seem to be both very durable and sanitary.

My Flemish Giants seem to require roughage as well as pellets as feed. I always feed high quality alfalfa, free choice, and one large tuna fish can of 18% protein pellets. About two weeks before a show, I will feed about a tablespoon full of chicken based catfood daily
to shine up their coats. Be careful, too much catfood can give a rabbit diarrhea.

Flemish Doe’s should be bred at 8 months or 14 pounds, whichever comes first. Doe’s
usually reach maximum growth weight at 12 to 15 months. Do not breed a doe
earlier than 8 months or 14 pounds because she can have difficulties kindling. If doe’s
are not bred as soon as they reach maturity, they can accumulate too much fat around
the ovaries and have difficulty conceiving. Once fat develops around the ovaries, I know
of no way to remove the fat. The doe is always brought to the bucks cage and never
vice versa. Watch them meet carefully and remove the doe after she is bred once or
twice. This should take less than 5 minutes. Separate them immediately if the doe starts nipping at the buck, as he may be injured. A second breeding 6 to 8 hours after the
first canincrease the number of kits born.

A third of my doe’s are frantic for a nest box after 3 weeks of pregnancy; most are
interested only during the last 20 minutes before kindling. Gestation period
is around 31 days. I usually give the nest boxes at least 3 days earlier
unless they become frantic. My nest boxes are 14in. x 14in. x 20in. and are
made of plywood. They are partially covered and have a board across the front
to detach kits, that are holding on to mama as she leaps out of the box.

Before I begin placing a nest box in a cage, the bottom is covered with 2 layers of
cardboard for moisture absorption and insulation, and it is filled with clean bright
straw. The doe will create a pocket in the straw and line it with fur, at the appointed
hour. In cold weather, I have not found it necessary to use heating pads
however, I sometimes will use an infra red light bulb at a distance of 24 inches to
provide some warmth if the temperature drops near freezing. In hot weather, I remove
some of the fur from the nest box to prevent the kits from getting too hot. The
dirty straw is removed and replaced with clean material each week for 6 consecutive
weeks. At 6 weeks I remove the nesting box, because allowing it to remain longer
seems to promote wet eyes among the kits. Sometimes, if the weather is bitter cold,
I will clean out the nest box and turn it on its side to give the bunnies protection from
the cold and wind.

My Flemish doe’s can have anywhere from 6 to 18 kits. However, the litter should be
thinned down to eight or less. If more are saved, they will tend to be smaller and will be
less developed when they reach full maturity. I wean the bunnies at 8 weeks, and separate
the young rabbits when I observe the bucks trying to mount the doe’s. At that time,
I save the best and sell the rest.

Doe’s are bred back at 6 to 8 weeks after kindling, depending on the body condition of the doe. Breeding back too soon repeatedly will cause the doe to fail to produce large litters or fail to conceive at all. Right now I have 167 breeding doe’s on my farm.

Although the Flemish Giant is large and strong, it has a very laid back disposition. They are generally docile and tolerant of considerable handling.However if abused or scared, they can inflict painful and possibly serious injury with their razor sharp teeth and powerful hind legs. It is always best support all 4 feet, so they do not become scared of being off the ground, and start flailing with their hind claws, which are attached to Kangaroo strength hind legs. When I was a kid I got scratched a few times by my rabbits.

Flemish Giants can take care of themselves very well, some people will let
their pet rabbit roam their well fenced back yards freely. Remember, if you are
contemplating leaving your rabbit roam your back yard, rabbits are burrowing
animals and can burrow under fences if no special precautions are taken. Another
consequence of its large size is that the Flemish Giant consumes more feed than other breeds. One might think that a huge, docile and attractive rabbit has much potential
as a pet, and many people do, indeed, seek them out as pets and love them.

How I Litter Train
To start with, confinement and supervision is the key. If a rabbit is allowed to urinate and defecate wherever it likes from the beginning, it will be much harder to train. At first, keep your rabbit primairly in his or her cage, which should be fairly small at first, with a litter pan. Place a litter box in the cage, and note where your rabbit eliminates. They may start using the box, or may be pick another corner of the cage as a toilet. If this is the case, then move the litter box to the area your rabbit seems to prefer. Flexibility on litter box placement may be necessary both in and out of its cage.

Once your rabbit is using the litter pan in its cage, allow your rabbit out of the cage in a limited area. Provide a litter box within this area, and perhaps make it enticing by placing a a treat or favorite toy in the box. Watch your rabbit for signs they are about to urinate or defecate they usually back up and lift their tail slightly, and try to herd them to the box immediately if your rabbit is very calm about being picked up, it should be okay to place them right in the box. If your rabbit uses the box, give the rabbit a treat food, toy, petting, or praise right away. If you notice your rabbit tends to head to one area to do its business, consider putting the box there.

Accidents will always happen, and punishment has no place in training a rabbit. Your rabbit will absolutely not be able to make a connection with physical punishment and elimitnating outside the litter box. If you catch your rabbit in the act calmly and gently take him or her to the litter box immediately. But, if your don’t physically catch your rabbit urinating or defecating, it is too late for your rabbit to make the connection. Just clean up and watch your rabbit a little more closely next time. Clean the spot with diluted vinegar, or a commercial pet stain odor remover. The key is to get your rabbit to the box before they go, so a trip to the litter box every 10 minutes during playtime can be helpful. Flemish Giants are the only breed I currently raise. In the past I have had all the breeds. They however have always been my favorites.

The Importance Of Potassium In Our Diet

Potassium is an important mineral salt, electrolyte, that is essential for maintaining the balance of pH levels in our body fluids. It also plays an important role in regulating our blood pressure, bone mass, nervous system, muscle function, and heart, kidney, and adrenal functions. Low levels of potassium can cause potassium deficiency and bring on a whole host of health problems for us.

People who have a potassium deficiency are said to be suffering from Hypokalemia. There are a number of causes that can bring about potassium deficiency. The usual suspects are a poor or inadequate diet that precludes potassium rich foods, or too many experimental and fad diets. People with diabetes and kidney problems are also likely to suffer from mineral imbalance.

You will know that you are deficient in potassium if you find yourself experiencing an overall weakness and seem to be constantly fatigued. You’re also likely to have trouble concentrating on your daily tasks, and may have difficulty with muscular coordination. Potassium deficiency can lead to high blood pressure problems, hypertension, strokes, and heart irregularities. So, if you suspect something of the sort, go see your doctor.

Try to incorporate these potassium rich foods into your diet to reach the recommended goal of 4,700 milligrams.

1,000 mg average

Avocado (1 cup)
Baked potato (8 ounces with skin)
Beet greens (3/4 cup, cooked)
Edamame (1 cup shelled, cooked)
Lima beans (1 cup, cooked)
Papaya (1 large)
Sweet potato (1 cup, cooked)

750 mg average

Plantains (1 cup, cooked)
Salmon (6 ounces, raw)
Tomato sauce (1 cup)
Winter squash (1 cup, cooked)

500 mg average

Banana (1 large)
Beets (1 cup, cooked)
Cantaloupe (1 cup)
Dried apricots (12 halves)
Dried figs (4)
Orange juice (1 cup)
Yogurt (1 cup plain low-fat)

250 mg average

Broccoli (1/2 cup, cooked)
Chicken breast (5 ounces, roasted)
Dates (5 whole)
Kiwifruit (1)
Mango (1)
Milk (1 cup)
Nectarine (1)
Orange (1 medium)
Peanut butter (2 tablespoons)
Peanuts (1 ounce, about 1/4 cup)
Pear (1 large)
Raisins (1/4 cup)
Strawberries (1 cup)
Zucchini (1/2 cup, cooked)

Feeding Your Dog A Raw Chicken Diet Like I Do

Raw meat is what dogs are designed to eat. Raw meats are full of enzymes, protein, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Most raw feeders report healthier dogs, full of energy and vitality. Our dogs have less illnesses, clean white teeth and fresh breath. Visits to the vet for skin and ear infections and dental cleaning become a thing of the past. We see less year around shedding in our dogs, increased muscle tone and stamina and more mental and physical fitness. Just like people, dogs don’t need all those artificial flavors, sugar and preservatives that many dog foods include in their ingredient list. Dog food fed dogs produce voluminous, incredibly smelly piles of waste. Raw fed dogs stools are small, compact and crumble up and disappear in a matter of days. The health benefits of feeding raw go on and on.

Grain is the main ingredient in most dog food, which is not an appropriate food for dogs. Dogs have no nutritional need for grain, and it is the root of many allergy problems. Most commercial foods have artificial color, salt,sugar and flavoring added to get the dogs to eat them. Just like us, dogs can develop a taste for junk food. Dog food is cooked at a very high temperature to create the familiar little nugget we are used to seeing. Cooking destroys enzymes, essential fatty acids, vitamins and beneficial bacteria. Cooking breaks down the proteins and amino acids in meat and destroys most of the nutritional value that may have been present in the food in it’s natural state. The processing dog food goes through makes all the dogs internal organs work harder to extract the nutrients that have survived the extruding process.

There is the gradual switch method for puppies, which changes the puppies diet a little bit each day until he is eating 100 precent raw. There is the cold turkey switch, which changes the pup all at once from the familiar diet, to the raw food. I feel that many times puppies do a bit better with a gradual switch, due to the stress involved with leaving the litter, travel and new environment. Keeping the diet familiar until the pup is settled in can make the transition easier for the puppy’s immature digestive system. When the pup is eating, drinking and having normal bowel movements, then I suggest to start by adding a small amount of ground meat ,without bones, to his regular food at each meal.

Chicken bones raw are wonderful food for dogs. They are soft, easy to chew and digest and readily available. You must never ever feed cooked chicken bones, or any other cooked bones, for that matter to your pet. They get hard and splinter as they are being chewed, and can possibly lodge in the throat or intestines. I dont feel exclusively chicken wings or necks because they are 80 percent bone. Leg quarters are a much better choice.

There are two ways to switch your dog to raw, with the first being cold turkey. This method seems to work best for healthy adult dogs. You can fast them for a day or so if you wish before you switch, but the way I would recommend is to throw away your dog food, and start feeding raw. It’s quite simple. Keep everything very simple for the first few weeks, I would suggest raw chicken for the first 3 or 4 days. Make sure the dog is digesting everything properly, having no diarrhea or vomiting. Before you add another type of food to the meals. Hold off on all supplements for several weeks. I would also wait several weeks before adding richer foods like eggs, liver or canned mackerel. The other method is to begin adding hamburger or raw chicken gradually to the dog food.

If you decide you will be feeding vegetables, wait until the dog is eating a variety of different meats before you add them to the diet. I use them occasionally and I personally do not think they are necessary, however some dogs seem to do well with the additional fiber. Remember, veggies need to be thoroughly cooked in order for dogs to digest them at all. Never feed dogs onions, grapes, raisins, or chocolate. Greens like spinach should be fed in moderation.

Be a bargain shopper. Wal Mart and small grocery stores can be a great place to stock up on chicken leg quarters and canned mackerel, and organ meats. Dont feed pork raw, because it can pass worms on to your dogs.

The main way my vet bills have been reduced is by virtually eliminating the need to take my dogs for skin and ear conditions, chronic illness management, or dental cleanings.

Never worry about balancing every meal, it’s just not necessary. Feed a variety of fresh ingredients each day and aim to balance the diet over time, not each and every day. Rotate your ingredients over a period of 3 weeks and you will achieve balance over time. I make a huge pot of stew once a week, which I feed along with the raw chicken leg quarters.

The rule of thumb for feeding healthy adult dogs is 2-3% of their optimal body weight. If they are overweight, aim for their desired weight, not their current weight. Same for an underweight dog, take their desired weight to figure your starting amount for each meal. Take your dog’s weight ,or desired weight, and multiply x 16. This will give you your dog’s weight in ounces.
Multiply his weight in ounces x .02 (or .03 for 3 %)

Puppies will need anywhere from 5-10% of their body weight daily while they are growing. It’s important to keep young dogs lean and not overfeed them. I like to see a hint of rib, but not too much. Bone development is something that can be compromised by putting too much weight on soft, still developing puppy bones. Be vigilant about your pup’s body condition and adjust your feeding accordingly.

Use the same safe food handling practices with your dog’s food, that you do with your own, and you should be fine. Clean all surfaces with antibacterial cleaners, wash your hands frequently and clean all dishes and utensils with hot water and soap or run them through the dishwasher. I always use rubber gloves when handling the boxes of meat for my dogs, and buy the disposable latex exam type gloves specifically for this purpose. If you worry about where to feed your dog with kids around, I suggest a crate that can be easily wiped out with antibacterial cleaner. Some people put a plastic table cloth or shower curtain on the floor for their dogs to eat on. I only feed my dogs outside. You should do whatever works for you and your situation.

Two supplements that I use regularly, are fish oil and vitamin E soft gels. I use probiotics occasionally, during times of stress, travel, diet change or when I get a new pup. Probiotics are helpful for restoring the friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract after antibiotic therapy or illness.

Kiowa Indian Soft Chicken Taco Recipe

1 Whole Boiled chicken
1 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 medium onion
2 medium bell peppers
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
Salt to taste

In a four quart pan add one raw chicken. Salt, cover with water, bring to boil, loosely cover. Cook over medium heat for one hour, drain, saving broth. Set chicken aside to cool and remove the bones, skin, and connective tissue.

When the meat has cooled, take and cut in strips 1/4 by 2 inch approximately. In same pot add oil, saute bell peppers and onions, that you have chopped. Add chicken, can diced tomatoes, chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, cup chicken broth, and oregano. Cook this mixture 12 or 15 more minutes over low heat. Add salt to taste.

Heat oil in skillet. Cook flour tortillas, one at a time, in hot oil until soft, about 30 to 40 seconds, then drain.

Spoon 3 Tablespoons of the chicken taco meat in the center of each tortilla. Fold tortilla over meat

Garnish with tomato, lettuce, and cheese.

Recipe came from a 84 year old friend of mine who lives in Mountain View Oklahoma. She is a Kiowa indian. She is 6ft6 and can still walk four miles into town. Its common for both Kiowa and Osage men to stand over 7 feet tall and weigh near 400 pounds of muscle.

Safest Cars 2010 And Mine Made the List

This year 19 cars and 8 SUVs earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award for 2010. For the first time, good performance in a roof strength test to measure protection in a rollover is required to win. Top Safety Pick recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rear, and now rollover crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. The winners also must have electronic stability control, which research shows significantly reduces crash risk. This is the second time the Institute has tightened criteria since announcing the first winners in 2005.

Automaker Subaru is the only manufacturer with a winner in all 4 vehicle classes in which it competes. This company earns 5 awards for 2010. Ford and subsidiary Volvo have 6 winners, and Volkswagen/Audi has 5. Chrysler earns 4 awards, continuing a recent trend of improving the crashworthiness of its vehicles. Two new small cars, the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul, join the

Large Cars

1 Buick LaCrosse
2 Ford Taurus
3 Lincoln MKS
4 Volvo S80

Midsize Cars

1 Audi A3
2 Chevrolet Malibu built after October 2009
3 Chrysler Sebring 4-door with optional electronic stability control
4 Dodge Avenger with optional electronic stability control
5 Mercedes C class
6 Subaru Legacy
7 Subaru Outback
8 Volkswagen Jetta sedan
9 Volkswagen Passat sedan
10 Volvo C30

Small Cars

1 Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
2 Kia Soul
3 Nissan Cube
4 Subaru Impreza except WRX
5 Volkswagen Golf 4-door

Midsize SUVs

1 Dodge Journey
2 Subaru Tribeca
3 Volvo XC60
4 Volvo XC90

Small SUVs

1 Honda Element
2 Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags
3 Subaru Forester
4 Volkswagen Tiguan

I decided to put this information up on my blog, because I feel having a safe car is important. Yesterday my mother borrowed my 2010 Lincoln MKS and was involved in a car wreck, which was no fault of hers. She came out of the crash without a scratch. I was so happy she was driving my car instead of hers.

Dont Play Chicken And Ride Your Bike Safely

Chicken is a game in which two people on bikes drive towards each other on a collision course: one must swerve, or both may be in the crash, but if one bike swerves and the other does not, the one who swerved will be called a chicken, meaning a coward. You will probably end up playing this game if you travel to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Berlin. In these european cities the streets are flooded with bicycles, and the locals get a laugh out of scaring tourists. Lots of people like myself are uncertain about the rules of the road concerning bikes in europe. I was hesistant about riding my bicycle aggressively in europe, so often people forced me to the curb. However my second week went well and I managed to explore many areas of the cities. A couple of cities in the USA now have lots of people using bikes to get around. Its wonderful for the environment and great for our health. Here in the states San Francisco and Portland is both terrific places to ride bicycles, being very bike friendly cities.

When riding on the street, your bike is a vehicle and you must always obey traffic laws.

Always scan the road behind you. Learn to look back over your shoulder without losing your balance or swerving left. Some riders use helmet mounted or bicycle mounted rear view mirrors. Always look back before changing lanes or changing positions within your lane, and only move when no other vehicle is in your way.

Ride slowly on sidewalks and bike paths. Pedestrians have the right of way. Give pedestrians audible (horn/bell/speak) warning when you pass. Don’t cross driveways or intersections without slowing to a walker’s pace and looking very carefully for traffic, especially traffic turning right.

While on the road, ride in a straight line whenever possible. Ride with, not against, the traffic flow. Keep to the right, but stay about a car door width away from parked cars and trucks.

Try to avoid road hazards. Watch out for parallel slat sewer grates, slippery manhole covers, oily pavement, gravel and ice. Cross railroad tracks and speed bumps carefully at right angles.

Choose the best way to turn left. There are two ways to make a left turn:

1. Like an automobile, look, signal, move into the left lane, and turn left.

2. Like a pedestrian, ride straight to the far side crosswalk. Walk your bicycle across.

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Always ride a properly equipped bike.

1. Always use a strong headlight and taillight at night and when visibility is poor. By law, in Oklahoma, to ride at night you must have a light emitting headlight visible for at least 500 feet and a red reflector visible for 50 to 300 feet from the rear. Most states have similar laws.

2. Be sure your bicycle is adjusted to fit you properly.

3. For safety and efficiency, outfit it with a horn/bell, rear view mirror, fenders (for rainy rides), and racks, baskets or bike bags.

Fishing For Catfish With Chicken Liver

Chicken liver is difficult to keep on a hook, so this is what I do. Take all of your chicken livers and put them in the blender, on Puree. Now, take a sponge, and cut into squares 1″X3″ square. Put the sponge pieces into the liver and let sit a few days, in a plastic bag in the fridge. When you go fishing, one piece of sponge on a treble hook will catch fish, and stay on a long time. For best luck fish on the bottom.

Fishing Rivers
River catfish usually position themselves at strategic places to feed and rest, mostly near structure that breaks or reduces the current. Focus your fishing efforts around such structures, which include wingdams, rock, gravel and sandbars, deep holes and cover in outside bends, bottom holes or depressions, bottom humps and deep holes at tributary junctions. A sonar fish finder helps pinpoint prime fishing areas.

Lake Fishing
Catfish inhabit many types of reservoirs, but reach their greatest numbers and size in bodies of water that are large, warm and fertile with plentiful cover near deep water sanctuaries and shallow feeding areas. For consistent success, key on specific areas within each reservoir. The most important are old river channels, inundated lakes and ponds, tributary mouths, riprapped areas and bridge channels.

Pond Fishing
Channel catfish, along with largemouth bass and bluegills, are the primary game fish stocked in farm ponds. And because ponds are small, anglers have fewer problems finding actively feeding fish. Parts of a pond where you should focus your attention include deep water areas, often near the dam or along an inundated creek channel where channel cats usually stay during daylight hours and during the temperature extremes of summer and winter, near the mouths of feeder creeks, if they exist. Try near the outside edges of green water vegetation; and near rockpiles, stumps, logs, trees, and holes

Make Your Own Butter And Stay Healthy

Making butter is simple really. First agitate cream long enough and it will turn into butter. What happens during shaking or agitating is that the fat blobs suspended in the cream start bashing into other fat blobs, and eventually they all join forces and make the transformation into butter. I prefer making mine for two reasons. First I dont want any chemicals in my butter and second, I often add garlic or herbs to my butter. You can use many different tools to churn your butter I prefer to use a simple glass gallon jar with a good tight lid. If you prefer, you can use a whisk or even an electric mixer to agitate the cream, but my personal results have never been very good with those methods. In the olden days in the Middle East, leather bags were filled with cream and strapped to galloping horses. When the riders arrived at their destination, they had their butter. Start with fresh cream slightly ripened. Ripened is a nicer word than soured, but that’s what it means. To ripen your cream, leave it at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, or until it starts to look shiny and tastes a bit acid. Do not let it set out longer than 24 hours, or it will become sour tasting. You want your cream to be about 60 degrees F. If it’s too warm, your butter will be soft and won’t keep well, if it’s too cold, you´ll be churning forever to get your butter formed. When your cream is the right temperature, pour into your jar or food processor. Within about 15 minutes of shaking your jar, it should start feeling thicker. If not, check the temperature to see if you are in the right range. Churn for another 10 to 20 minutes, and you’ll start to see the cream separating into buttermilk containing very small butter bits. If using a blender mixer or food processor it should only take a few minutes. Once you see these butter clumps develop, stop churning. Pour off the buttermilk, and rinse the butter with cold water. The easiest way I have found to rinse the butter is to line a colander with cheesecloth, lay your butter in it, and gently run cold water over the butter and through the cheesecloth. At this stage, you are rinsing away all traces of buttermilk, since any that remains on the butter will make it taste sour. Now plop your butter into a bowl, and start working it with a wooden spoon or a butter paddle. Add salt at this stage, about 1/2 teaspoon per pound. This will help retard spoilage as well as add flavor. Keep working the butter until all the granules have blended together, and any stray moisture has been worked out. You can form it into any shape you wish at this stage. you can make a simple block, or press it into molds. When you are done, wrap your butter in wax paper and keep it in the refrigerator, away from air and light.

Garlic & Chive Butter – In small bowl, blend 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine, 2 cloves finely chopped garlic and 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives.

Parmesan & Pepper Butter – In small bowl, blend 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine, 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese and 1/8 tsp.ground black pepper.

Fresh Herb Butter – In small bowl, blend 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine and 1 tsp. each chopped fresh basil, thyme and parsley (or your favorite fresh herbs).

1. Butter is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.
2. Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
3. Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
4. Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
5. Has anti-oxidants that protect against weakening arteries.
6. Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
7. Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
8. Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.
9. Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster
10. Vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium.
11. Protects against tooth decay.
12. Is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.
13. Anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of the pineal gland.
14. Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.
15. Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
16. May promote fertility in women.9
17. Is a source of quick energy, and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.
18. Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children’s brain and nervous system development.
19. Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
20. Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.