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I have always talked to my cats. I say their name when I see them, when I pet them and when I feed them. They know their names and come when called. The human voice is calming to a cat. Some cats will respond when talked to, others just look at me, but at least I have their attention. I've had other cats that would answer every question with different sounds. Since I don't speak "cat" it was impossible to understand, though. Cats can remember us by our voices as well. One of our cats named "Graceful Mowser" was sold to some friends of ours and a year and a half later had kittens. They called her "Mouse". We were invited to see the kittens, but the momma kept standing over them so we couldn't see them. I talked to her, "Hi Gracie, what beautiful babies" and she stood back as if she was proud and looked at me intently. I always called her "Gracie". When other people came to see the kittens she still tried to cover them. Later, whenever we stopped by, Gracie would come to greet us as soon as she heard my voice. Otherwise she was naturally shy and would hide whenever anyone came in the house.

Analyzing records of patients ages 6 to 17 who were treated in emergency rooms from 1990 to 2005, the study found that an average of 5 out of every 1,000 young gymnasts each year — about 27,000 — required medical attention for injuries ranging from sprains to nerve damage.

Analyzing records of patients ages 6 to 17 who were treated in emergency rooms from 1990 to 2005, the study found that an average of 5 out of every 1,000 young gymnasts each year — about 27,000 — required medical attention for injuries ranging from sprains to nerve damage.

n the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Ieyasu defeated the Hideyori loyalists and other Western rivals

Every daimyo was also required to spend every second year in Edo.

On the other hand, he enforced the suppression and persecution of Christianity from 1614 on.

Every two years as the Olympic Games begin, we hear about athletes using or at least being tested for performance-enhancing drugs. Every time the Tour de France rolls around, there's talk of possible doping. Sometimes, competitors raise the question when one athlete does particularly well. Other times, tests catch athletes with drugs in their systems. The practice of using artificial substances or methods to enhance athletic performance is called doping. Doping has become such a great concern that the United States formed an Anti-Doping Agency.

Why Some Athletes Use DrugsAthletes face enormous pressure to excel in competition. They also know that winning can reap them more than a gold medal. A star athlete can earn a lot of money and a lot of fame, and athletes only have a short time to do their best work. Athletes know that training is the best path to victory, but they also get the message that some drugs and other practices can boost their efforts and give them a shortcut, even as they risk their health and their athletic careers.

As far back as ancient Greece, athletes have often been willing to take any preparation that would improve their performance. But it appears that drug use increased in the 1960s. One well-publicized incident happened at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 when sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for anabolic steroids and was stripped of his gold medal. Athletes may also misuse drugs to relax, cope with stress or boost their own confidence. Athletes may have several reasons for using performance-enhancing drugs. An athlete may want to: Build mass and strength of muscles and/or bones Increase delivery of oxygen to exercising tissues Mask pain Stimulate the body Relax Reduce weight Hide use of other drugs

Apple Inc. has surpassed Wal-Mart to become America’s No. 1 music store, the first time that a seller of digital downloads has ever beaten the big CD retailers.

Video game companies and other software makers are selling more of their products as downloads rather than CDs.

Songs could be downloaded faster than movies or TV shows, both legally and illegally.

AFTER the abortion art, Anorak learns of Costa Rican artiste Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, who starved a dog to death and tied in an art gallery as an exhibit. The title of the works – Eres Lo Que Lees” - was spelt out on the gallery wall in dry dog food, beyond the dog’s reach. A pot of water was placed on the floor, beyond the dog’s reach. The dog died. The artist said it was ill and would have died anyway. Not every one is happy. A letter writing campaign is being organised

The history of Thanksgiving goes much further back than Plymouth and 1621. In fact, people across the world from every culture have been celebrating and giving thanks for thousands of years. In this country, long before English colonists arrived, Native People celebrated many different days of thanksgiving. “Strawberry Thanksgiving” and “Green Corn Thanksgiving” are just two of kinds of celebrations for the Wampanoag and other Native People. In 1621, the English colonists at Plymouth (some people call them “Pilgrims” today) had a three-day feast to celebrate their first harvest. More than 90 native Wampanoag People joined the 50 English colonists in the festivities. Historians don­t know for sure why the Wampanoag joined the gathering or what activities went on for those three days. Form the one short paragraph that was written about the celebration at the time, we know that they ate, drank, and played games. Back in England, English people celebrated the harvest by feasting and playing games in much the same way. The English did not call the 1621 event a “thanksgiving.” A day of “thanksgiving” was very different for the colonists. It was a day of prayer to thank God when something really good happened. The English actually had their first thanksgiving in the summer of 1623. On this day they gave thanks for the rain that ended a long drought.

There are more than 1,000 species of bats in the world! They live on every continent of the world, except Antarctica. Bats do not live in areas where it is very hot or very cold, and there are some remote islands that are not home to bats.

Bats are mammals. They account for more than 25 percent of all the mammals on the earth! Bats are the only mammals that can fly.

Mother bats have one baby in their litter. The baby bats are called “pups.” When a pup is born, it usually has no hair and its eyes are closed. It clings to the mother bat and drinks milk from her. When the pup is about four months old, it learns to fly.

largest and most productive estuaries in North America.  

However, in 1993 the EVOS Trustee Council funded an additional survey that estimated 7 km of shoreline were still contaminated with subsurface oil.

Because a significant survey of Prince William Sound had not been conducted since 1993 and the cumulative extent of the remaining oil was unknown, concerns were generated by the public and scientific communities about the oil’s possible continuing effects on humans and fauna potentially exposed to the oil directly or indirectly.

Looks like a pillar of iTunes content might be on the brink of collapse -- Universal Music, the world's largest music business, has officially opted not to renew its contract with Apple for vending music on the iTunes Music Store. We don't know specifically what caused Universal to turn away -- perhaps it's the weight of the rising anti-DRM movement among consumers, or perhaps it's because of Stevie J.'s brash negotiating tactics, continual refusal to hand over iPod cash, or oceanic persistence in keeping tracks locked in at $0.99. Whatever the reason, we can't say we're all that surprised; Universal's been a pain in Apple's ass for years now. So what's the end result? Well, Universal music will still be sold through iTunes at will, so that means consumers can keep buying tracks for the time being, but Apple runs the risk of losing Universal's content on very short notice if the companies don't make happy with one another and put pen to paper once more.

the subject matter of human psychology is the behavior of the human being

claims that consciousness is neither a definite nor a usable concept.

belief in the existence of consciousness goes back to the ancient days of superstition and magic

Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, but few realize that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, native peoples sought to insure a good harvest with dances and rituals such as the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokees.

The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, although earlier Church-type services were probably held by Spaniards in La Florida. However, for British New England, some historians believe that the Popham Colony in Maine conducted a Thanksgiving service in 1607 (see Sources: Greif, 208-209; Gould, and Hatch). In the same year, Jamestown colonists gave thanks for their safe arrival, and another service was held in 1610 when a supply ship arrived after a harsh winter. Berkley Hundred settlers held a Thanksgiving service in accordance with their charter which stated that the day of their arrival in Virginia should be observed yearly as a day of Thanksgiving, but within a few years an Indian uprising ended further services (Dabney). Thus British colonists held several Thanksgiving services in America before the Pilgrim's celebration in 1621.

In 1623, the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, held another day of Thanksgiving. As a drought was destroying their crops, colonists prayed and fasted for relief; the rains came a few days later. And not long after, Captain Miles Standish arrived with staples and news that a Dutch supply ship was on its way. Because of all this good fortune, colonists held a day of Thanksgiving and prayer on June 30. This 1623 festival appears to have been the origin of our Thanksgiving Day because it combined a religious and social celebration.

Many of us celebrate Thanksgiving and just assume since we do that everyone else does as well. The answer to whether Thanksgiving is celebrated nationally or not is that it is. Most families celebrate Thanksgiving each and every year and individuals from all over the country make plans to eat turkey and give thanks. Thanksgiving is a nationally recognized holiday. Kids dont go to school, most businesses arent open, and politics are briefly put on hold. The most important Thanksgiving activities include eating, watching sports, and spending time with family and friends. No matter where you are in the nation you will find that most people celebrate Thanksgiving pretty much the same. Some families will celebrate at lunchtime and others at dinner and still others may go out to dinner or not celebrate at all. But, for the most part, celebrating Thanksgiving is an American tradition and one that all Americans enjoy taking part in. Parades Around the Country Even if you cant travel the entire country to see how Thanksgiving is celebrated you can get a pretty good idea. There are Thanksgiving Day parades all over the country and many of them are televised. One of the most popular and well known parades is the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. This parade has been around for decades and continues to be a hit with New Yorkers as well as individuals around the country who make watching the parade on television part of their celebration. You may choose to attend a parade on Thanksgiving day in your town or perhaps you will choose to watch one on TV. Regardless, parades around the country really make up part of the Thanksgiving culture we have all become so accustomed to. In fact, when you turn the television on Thanksgiving Day you will more than likely see a parade or a football game! Thats just part of Thanksgiving Day culture in our country.

Why We Celebrate the New Year A legend of China recounts how people along the Yellow River Basin lived a simple, nomadic life, very content and happy. On a cold winter evening a mysterious being attacked the village and destroyed the villager's property. A village meeting was held and precautions taken to protect them from the intruder. Noting happened and people went about their daily routines. Then the mysterious being struck again, causing even greater damage to lives and property. Again, the villagers gathered and prepared for their safety. And again, nothing happened and people went about their normal activity, feeling secure and safe. But the mysterious force struck a third time, causing much loss and great fear among the villagers. An elderly scholar had studied the intrusions, watching the stars and heavenly bodies and recording their movements. He explained that the intruder came when the heavenly bodies were in a particular order and after the sun had appeared 365 times. The villagers studied this theory closely and learned that the intruder feared three things: the color red, illumination and noise. They called the intruder Nien or year. On the following 365th day, preparations were made for the return of Nien. Houses were lit with lanterns, objects were painted bright red and loud noises were made until dawn of the next day. The villagers' plan worked and the mysterious intruder did not appear. It was decided that from then on, a thanksgiving ceremony would be held every 366th evening to thank all the god for their blessings. And that the same preparations would be made for the return of Nien, scaring away the evil deeds of the spirits. Thus we celebrate the new year, chasing away evil with fireworks and celebrating with festivity and food.

Orville Wright (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) requested a patent application for a "flying machine" nine months before their successful flight in December 1903, which Orville Wright recorded in his diary. As part of the Wright Brothers' systematic practice of photographing every prototype and test of their various flying machines, they had persuaded an attendant from a nearby lifesaving station to snap Orville Wright in full flight. The craft soared to an altitude of 10 feet, traveled 120 feet, and landed 12 seconds after takeoff. After making two longer flights that day, Orville and Wilbur Wright sent this telegram to their father, instructing him to "inform press."

"flight is possible to man...[and] I feel that it will soon cost me an increased amount of money if not my life"