Monthly Archives for February 2020

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Cow Outwits Cop

Animals - Josephine - February 25, 2020

Man claims supremacy over animals. But there are occasions when animals establish their supremacy over man and use their intuition and ingenuity to achieve their wants. It is interesting to find young cattle giving evidence of intelligent behavior when it comes to self-preservation. Though we may call it animal instinct, it gives lot of evidence of intuition. Here is a case. This occurred in a police training camp in a state noted for its lush green scenery and of course with total literacy.

The policemen were housed in a large campus of 300 acres. It contained an integrated training complex. They had training facilities for physique development, sports, rifle shooting and other activities connected with the deveiopment of the police force. Around these facilities large areas of green pastures existed. These were nurtured and well maintained. The fodder grass considered nutritious was available in large quantities. The police had restricted the movement of cattle to the campus. Separate enclosures existed for cattle directly owned by the police force and which catered to their milk requirements. Cattle from outside used to enter the area and graze lavishly. The policemen found this interfered with their normal activities and deprived them of fodder for their own cattle. The invading cattle increased in numbers daily as if those who had a taste of the grass invited new comers to join the fray.

One day the authorities decided to put an end to this menace of stray cattle. They fenced the area with thorny bush. The entire area was fenced with thorny material; fixed on the ground, though not deep Normally no cattle would enter the campus breaking the barrier. However, there were young smart cows that were determined to graze and were attracted by the thick growth inside. They managed to entice and bring a few old cows tempting them to feed in this green area. When the old cows came close to the fence, the young ones positioned them horizontally along the fence. Three young ones formed a formation parallel to one another and perpendicular to the position of the old ones. Then they raced and dashed towards the old ones with all force they could command. In the impact the fence gave way. The younger ones went in, grazed and returned with their belly full. But the old ones suffered the impact of the hit and fell down with bruises and bleeding injuries resulting from penetration of thorns in the fence. They could not enter and have a full meal. The young ones had no sympathy for the old ones. They repeated this performance with changing composition of the team of young and old. It was an interesting sight to watch for the humans but a painful experience for the senior cows. Thus the quadrupeds outwitted the cops.

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Confessions of a Sim-a-holic

Gaming - Josephine - February 20, 2020

Back before Maxis introduced the Sims 2 and eventually the Sims 3, I had a serious gaming addiction. For me, the original Sims was more than just a gaming experience. I would spend hours each day pouring over other peoples’ Sims’ stories on the SimsExchange. It was an outlet for countless authors and creative people to present their stories.

I remember just sitting at the computer for days at a time, reading story after story, eagerly waiting for the next part of the story to be released by a specific user. You see, these stories were simply pictures in “photo albums” with captions that told a story. I tried to write my own stories, but I always lost interest before finishing one, but I have to admit that each of my Sims have their own stories in my mind, and for the most part, I remember each of their life-stories. So, let me introduce you to one whose name I’ve forgotten. We’ll call her Samantha.

Samantha is a Sim from The Sims 2, where Sims actually age from baby to toddler to child to teen to young adult (college student) to adult to elderly to death. Anyway, I created Samantha as an adult, with a family aspiration. I won’t go into too much detail, but each Sim has his or her own lifelong wish for happiness. Sam wanted nothing more than to raise a family with a man who would love her dearly.

Poor Samantha; she never saw her train wreck of a life coming. Samantha meets John, a romance Sim who has one thing on his mind-whoohoo (gotta keep things PG or the Sims’ll turn M-rated). It doesn’t take long before the two are wed, much to Sam’s delight and much to John’s dismay. Shortly thereafter, Sam gives birth to a healthy baby boy, Lucas. Already, John’s been fooling around with the maid, the gardener and a few work colleagues, but poor Samantha’s completely blinded by the love she now feels towards her son. Oh, and she’s pregnant again-this time, with twins.

So, life goes on for my happy little Sim family, and soon Lucas is a child going to private school, and Sam’s twin boys, Mikey and Nick are toddlers. Then disaster strikes. John gets a little greedy with his secret love affairs, and Samantha catches him in the act with their maid. Say goodbye to husband number one. Sam kicks John to the curb and has a nervous breakdown, which leads to the social worker paying a visit to collect her neglected children. Thanks to a glitch in the game, Sam manages to hold on to Mikey, literally, and the social worker only takes Lucas and Nick from Sam.

So, Sam goes on the hunt for her next husband, and this time, finds a loving husband named Paul. This time, Sam did it right. She found a great guy who adopts one of her boys back from the adoption agency and the two manage to pop out a few more kids before disaster strikes again. Poor Paul finds himself the victim of a tragic kitchen fire, which claims his life.

But, lucky for Sam. Fireman Joe arrives to rescue her and her children from certain death. And, even luckier for Sam, Joe happens to take a liking to Samantha, resulting in husband number 3 and two more kids.

Unfortunately, Samantha’s story ends there, because I put the Sims on a new computer and didn’t bother to back up my files, because hey, I could just make a new Sim whose life I could corrupt. I don’t want you all to think I’m just a sick and twisted girl who likes to inflict torture on her Sims-even though that’s partially true. It’s more about creating drama.

My Sims are my own giant soap opera. I like to see how the story can evolve over time with my Sims. One of the main reasons I love the Sims so much is because of the amount of freedom I experience while playing. I find that sort of freedom in some other games too, like Fable and Black and White, but for whatever reason, the Sims just holds a special place in my heart. Maybe it’s because I secretly love destroying my Sims lives. Oh wait, that’s not much of a secret, now is it?

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Columbia College: While Expensive, Officials Say it’s Reasonable for an Arts School

Education - Josephine - February 17, 2020

Columbia College students often complain about the high price of school, but according to the Director of Admissions Recruitment, no school in Illinois gives more money to its students.

With tuition costs at more than $17,000 a year, students are often forced to work part time and take out handsome loans to pay for their education and housing costs. The financial aid office finds themselves constantly busy helping out students in need. The number one problem is that the students don’t have enough cash, said Maria Moreno of the Student Financial Services office. But one student, Bryson Martin, standing outside the financial aid office, said it was not just cash that he needs. He was ready to drop out of school because of the high costs.

Martin has no help from his parents to pay for his education. His method of payment is mostly through FAFSA loans. Like many other student at Columbia, he said the loans aren’t even enough. He planned on talking to the Student Financial Services Office, and if they couldn’t help him out more, he would have to drop out of Columbia and go to a cheaper school.

Columbia doesn’t have statistics on why students drop out, said the Director of Admissions Recruitment Patrick Fahy. Students are free to drop out of the institution without being interviewed to find out why. Money issues may or may not be the number one reason for students leaving Columbia. But even if that is the case, Columbia is the least expensive private arts institution in the nation, said Fahy.

Columbia may seem as if it does not give money to the students because it doesn’t usually give grants based on admission status. The school reserves scholarships for students who have the motivation to apply separately, said Fahy. The school already factors in the grant money with the up-front price. They charge a flat rate because they are trying to be fair to everybody.

One solution to lowering your costs at Columbia is to live off campus. When the rates are around $10,000 a year to live on campus, paying $450 a month for your own place doesn’t seem like a bad idea. That is exactly what one student, Walter Hurley, 21, is doing. Though he still has to take out loans to pay for his education costs, Hurley can pay for his housing with the money he makes from interning at Heroin Chic. Though it takes him about an hour to get to school, he can afford his own studio apartment in Rogers Park.

So Columbia may be an expensive school, but the reason is because it is a private arts institution. If you are determined to go to an arts school, Columbia may actually be cheaper than any other arts school you will find.

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Claire De Lune Cafe in North Park, San Diego, California

Food and Drinks - Josephine - February 14, 2020

There are many good cafés and coffee houses in San Diego, but not many café lounges. Claire de Lune at the northeast corner of University Avenue and 29th Street in North Park (across the street from Birch North Park Theatre) is one of the latter. You don’t go there to have a quiet mug of latte while reading a book or surfing the internet on your laptop – the place doesn’t have Wifi connection. Rather, you go there to socialize and enjoy live music while munching on a sandwich or cheesecake and coffee.

As a matter of fact, I dropped in here for the first time because a local musician tipped me off about her gig at Claire de Lune via MySpace a while back. I don’t care much about the area (actually, this stretch of University Ave is quite nicer than the rest of North Park is, I think… though I still wouldn’t like to drop in late at night). The lounge itself is pretty spacious and homely. Maybe a bit too homely in term of cleanliness also (I wonder if the sofas had been cleaned since WW II… If only the espresso I was sipping wasn’t so burnt I might have smelled something from the pre-color-TV era sitting in one of them).

I must confess that sweet-toothed me is quite drawn to the bakery counter and all its cakes, tarts, and muffins (go for the blueberry cheesecake if there’s any left when you get there), though. I’ve never tried the sandwiches here, but they look large and inviting enough for their price.

The place is pretty ambitious about its live music schedule… Perhaps they’re targeting folks who also patronize the Birch Theatre across University Ave. If you aren’t a fan of pop music from the late 70’s to late 80’s or the Sarah Mclaughlin-ish type, however, this place probably won’t be a good hang out for you (they play the music so loudly here even a deaf-mute could hear it walking in the door). The place is open until midnight most days, being quite busy in the hours when the other coffee houses in the area are closing. Perhaps that draw some unwanted elements in… The service here can be pretty suspicious. They even set it up so that you have to ask the clerk to buzz the door when you need to use the restroom there. Pretty unusual for a friendly neighborhood coffee lounge, eh?

So… if you are in the area looking for a quiet cup of decent espresso or to spend a few minutes on your laptop before catching a show at the Lyric Opera at the Birch Theatre in North Park, I have to say that Starbucks at the theatre is a better choice. If you are looking for a ‘lively night out’ while nursing a passable coffee and good cheesecake, though, Claire de lune is the place for you.

Claire de Lune Coffee Lounge (in North Park):

  • 2906 University Avenue (at 29th St), San Diego, CA 92104 Tel (619) 688-9845

Hours:

  • Sun-Thu: 5AM-Midnight,
  • Fri-Sat: 5-1AM

Major credit cards accepted. Handicap friendly facility.

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Cat Food for Sensitive Systems

Food and Drinks, Pets - Josephine - February 10, 2020

The Wet Stuff

Cats love wet cat food. If you are going to keep them happy and healthy, then you have to find a balance for your cat. The first of the top branded foods for cats with sensitive systems are Hills Science’s Sensitive Stomach Cat Food. They have the wet food to satisfy your kitty. If you like, they also have the dry version. It is a good idea to have on hand for your cat. They need something to clean their teeth. The dry versions allow the cats to clean their teeth while eating.

The second wet food variety for the best-branded cat foods for cats with sensitive stomachs is Science Diet. This is the best for anyone that loves the brand-wet stuff. Almost every cat expert I know swears by this brand. I personally have never had a cat that would eat it but if your likes it then tries it out. It is very nutritious.

The Dry Stuff

Dry cat food is really hard to find for sensitive systems. The second of the best is Natural Choice Cat Food For Sensitive Stomachs. It keeps the cat looking really good too. The skin of your kitty will vastly improve with this food.

Another third great choice is Eukanuba Adult Sensitive Stomach Formula. This is a good choice for anyone that wants a more meat-centered diet for his or her cat. While Natural Choice is very green filled, the Eukanuba Adult Sensitive Stomach Formula dry cat food is for the meat lovers. Let’s face it, your cat loves meat and not greens. In the end, the choice is really yours. Most veterinarians will recommend that you try a bit first to see what the cat thinks of it. If they eat it well and seem to react well with their bowel habits then you know that you have a hit.

Keep some of this in a metal bowl so they can munch as they get the cravings. Like a pregnant woman the cats that have sensitive tummies need to eat small frequent meals to be happy and remain full.

Conclusion

Try the wet stuff to keep your kitty happy. Just make sure to add some dry to allow them to graze on throughout the day. This will help them stay full and happy. The qualities of these foods are all excellent. In the end it comes down to what your cat will eat. Look for that in the list of ingredients. Also make sure that there is plenty of protein in the food. Cats need that to be strong and healthy. These choices for sensitive systems allow your kitty to have the taste and quality that they deserve.

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