NationalGeographic asked:

Guy Harvey and a team of fishermen forgo a possible marlin world record in order to tag the giant fish.

Hooked Again: Monster Fish! :
SUN OCTOBER 14 9P et/pt :
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/video/?source=4003

BLUME

Michael Doom asked:


All food establishments and facilities (restaurants, delis, cafeterias, bars, grocery stores, meat and seafood markets, wholesale and retail warehouses, mobile carts and trucks etc.) must be maintained and operated so as to prevent the entrance and harborage of vermin. Vermin includes mice, rats, flies, cockroaches and other food-infesting insects. This is state and local health and safety law throughout the U.S. and in most countries, believe it or not. It’s the lack of government enforcement and or business practices that is the problem.

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no acceptable or allowable number or amount of vermin in a food facility. Vermin are strictly illegal in all areas of the establishment, which includes the kitchen, food or equipment storage rooms, restrooms, employee locker and break rooms, customer service and seating areas, trash storage areas and exterior premises. They’re illegal not because they are unsightly, but mainly because they are known carriers of numerous dangerous, disease causing microorganisms that can be transmitted to your food, the food contact surfaces etc. potentially causing a serious food poisoning. They also contaminate the food with their hair, fecal droppings, urine, saliva, body parts and general filth. Need I say more?

Vermin in a food facility is a very serious problem and a public health danger, and should be immediately reported to your local Environmental Health Food Inspection Program. A heavy infestation of cockroaches or rodents will sometimes give the establishment a recognizable musty odor. If you detect this odor or any out of the ordinary odor, be wary about patronizing this establishment. A restaurant and any food facility should always smell clean and of fresh food. Anything else could mean something is wrong.

I can not count the number of individuals, including restaurant and market managers and employees, I’ve come across over the years that believe cockroaches, rats, mice etc. are in every restaurant and food facility, and are as much a part of the establishment as the customers. These people also believe that you can never completely eliminate vermin once they’ve established themselves. Both of these statements are of course, false.

All types of food facilities, even the newest, nicest, most expensive, elegant restaurant can become infested with vermin. It is fairly common because a restaurant especially, is an ideal environment for cockroaches, rats, mice, flies etc. to thrive. But with good sanitation practices and thorough rodent and insect proofing, extermination and insecticide treatment, one can readily eliminate and prevent infestations. I’ve not only seen it happen first hand, but as a government inspector ordered food facilities to eliminate a vermin problem countless times.

If a food establishment or facility cannot fully eliminate the vermin, the inspector is duty-bound to either suspend their permit and order them closed and or take legal action and have the local district or city attorney file a criminal misdemeanor complaint against the business and its owner(s). A permit may be suspended immediately, depending on the severity of the infestation. Some jurisdictions may also issue immediate fines or penalties in the form of a ticket or citation.

In many older buildings vermin can be more difficult, but again, certainly not impossible to eliminate. The main reason for this is that there are many more hiding spaces in older buildings that are not easily accessible for cleaning, extermination, etc. There may also be other non-food businesses adjacent to, or in the same building that are doing little or nothing to help eliminate the vermin within their space. Insects, such as cockroaches, can find other things to eat when food or wastes are not available.

So what are the possible solutions to these problems? Here are a few answers:

–A good inspector and or a pest control operator will assist the business in finding those hiding areas that are not so easily accessible and have the business either do what is necessary to make those spaces accessible or have them completely sealed off.

–A good inspector will investigate adjacent food and non-food businesses and issue orders to eliminate the vermin from their space as well, and have the two or more businesses coordinate pest extermination on the same day (vermin are illegal in non-food businesses as well).

–The inspector should point out all the possible ways the vermin can gain entry into the establishment and issue corrective orders to vermin-proof those areas.

When it comes to vermin proofing, newer food facilities have a better likelihood of preventing harborages. Newer facilities must go through a detailed plan-check process prior to opening, where all areas must be designed to prevent and discourage vermin harborage. All ceiling, wall and floor surfaces in certain areas of the facility must meet strict standards.

To learn if your favorite eating and shopping locals have cockroaches, rats, mice, flies or other vermin problems, or any serious health and safety violations, look them up on your local Environmental Health Food Inspection Program’s web site, or contact them directly by email of phone to ask how they publish inspection results. You can even request a copy of the facilities latest inspection report. All this information is public record.



MIRES

Daniel K asked:


My dog is a minituare Schnauzer, but he’s really big for a minituare. Well my dogs problem is that he always barks and growls at other dogs, even ones that are twice his size. He can’t confront other dogs because there either scared of him, or they get pissed off at my dog. There are only a few dogs my dog confront calmly. I think my dog only growls because he’s excited, because once he meets the dog he’s very gentle and just sniffs around. How do I fix my dogs problem, I know one way to fix it is to get another dog for him to play with. But my family does not want another dog.
It’s hard to introduce him to dogs because people just walk away at my barking dog lol.

EUDY

Wild-bird-watching.com asked:


Even the most novice bird watcher places a bird feeder out in winter, what strikes me, is the number of experienced bird watchers who do not provide water for the birds during winter.

The energy expanded looking for a fresh water source could be better used for staying well and surviving the winter.

All wildlife needs water, Summer or Winter.

Birds, like humans, need water all year. By investing in a heated bird bath or by adding a bird bath heater to your existing bird bath, you’ll be providing the greatest resource birds need in order to survive.

Bird bath heaters are usually available wherever bird feeding supplies are offered. Check local hardware stores, large discount stores, and online.

Heated bird baths are most commonly found on-line. These are complete bird baths with the heater built into the bath.

When using either of these types, make sure your power source is safe. If you are unsure, hire an electrician to check it out or to install a GFCI outlet on the outside of your house. These types of outlets provide saftey for outdoor bird baths and any other electrical tools used in the yard.

Place your heated bird bath near your feeders for easier viewing. Even birds that don’t normally visit your feeders will visit your bird bath. All backyard birds need water. Also, when placing your bath, make sure there is cover for the birds. Water on the feathers make birds easy targets for prey.

Do not place the bird bath too close to cover, otherwise cats can hide and attack the birds more easily, a few yards will be adequate.

The recommended type of bird bath, is the pedestal style. These give the birds more security by being 2 or more feet above ground. This height allows birds to view their surroundings and any would be predators. Any bird bath can be used.

By providing water for birds this winter, you’ll not only be providing a service to our winter birds, but you’ll have a greater diversity of birds and more of them to watch. And…

Isn’t that what makes bird watching so much fun



EATMAN

NationalGeographic asked:

This two ton fish is one of the largest and most bizarre animals found in the sea. Find out why!

See All National Geographic Videos
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/?source=4001

RIVET

killaking asked:


what reptiles would you recommend getting for a 10 gallon or a 30 gallon tank? i already have 2 leo geckos, a beardy, and a red tail boa.

JOPLING

SloanTaylor asked:

This is what I do when I have insomnia. Pathetic, I know.

RAMARIZ

Emily J asked:


What is the longest living rodent that you can get as a pet? LIke is it hte chinchilla, a ****** pig. Thanks!

GERLING

Paul Kramer asked:


Giving medication to reptiles can be “pretty slippery”. With their varied physiological and anatomical make-ups, choosing ‘routes of drug administration’ is fairly complicated. Having to deal with scales, teeth, and a cranky attitude makes reptile medication a daunting task for a newbie.

There are specific techniques that may be used in treating a sick reptile with drugs. Each form of reptile medication has pros and cons that should be painstakingly considered as not to give the reptile more pain.

Administering fluids or any reptile medication through the mouth is tricky since you’ll have to deal with the sharp teeth, possibly venom, and the highly sensitive glottis. Also, any reptile (even any human!) does not appreciate having some foreign object shoved up its throat and thus may be quite uncooperative. They tend to acquire a more crabby temper when sick, too. Usually, a catheter or feeding tube attached to a syringe with prepared slurry or fluid medication is inserted into the throat up to the stomach to avoid flooding into the glottis and causing the fluid to back up into the mouth.

If delivering drugs orally is too difficult and risky, an alternative reptile medication would be by injection. There are various types of injection: intraocoelomic/intraperitoneal (IC/IP), subcutaneous (SQ), and intramuscular (IM). These involve body cavities, loose skin, and muscles, respectively. When fluids are injected directly into the body cavity, they are more quickly absorbed and more can be administered at one time than when giving fluids orally or by SC. The catch is one needs to be extremely cautious since when done incorrectly, an organ can be damaged.

The sites on which to inject must be chosen carefully even for SQ and IM injections to prevent hurting the reptile unnecessarily. For SQ in particular, having to inject just under the skin would often require injecting repeatedly in different parts of the reptile’s body to administer the sufficient dosage. After suffering a shot once, the reptile most likely will try to repel any more so it has to be quick.

When handling injections for reptile medication, one should at least have experience in handling needles so as to avoid getting a taste of his own medicine– literally!

Reptile keepers should be meticulous in choosing the most (or the only) appropriate type of reptile medication. For instance, IM is not suited to chameleons’ very thin, poorly muscled legs. It is less tedious to inject the drug in a venomous snake’s body than venture into its mouth. As for a 2000-pound crocodile with an ornery disposition, it’s wiser to conceal the medication in a chunk of food.

Wrapping the oral medicine in an inconspicuous, delectable package is more effective with less amount of food used. Food is said to interfere with the uptake of the reptile medication, so this method should be considered a last recourse. All things considered, it’s vital to have proper background and know-how in treating reptiles. The end goal in reptile medication is not to bring more stress but relief.



SECRIST

T asked:


He is a beagle who will only bark when he needs to go outside or wants more food. We are very lucky. But, there are 2 dogs that don’t socialize with other dogs that he barks and howls at when they pass by the house. The owners of the 2 dogs think he is adorable and laugh when he does this but we want this behavior to stop. Other dogs in the neighborhood also bark and growl at these 2 dogs too.

PIMENTEL