Saturday, 2 January 2016

17 Dogs Who Just Need A Day Off

These pups are us.

This corgi who's just not having the best week.

imgur.com

This dog who just needs a day without the boops.

imgur.com

This pup who's been playing too hard lately.

imgur.com

View Entire List ›

from BuzzFeed - Animals http://ift.tt/1R6FTNj
via IFTTT

How to Become a Lifelong Learner

Abraham Lincoln said, "I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." This opens the premise that learning is a daily adventure that one carries and explores throughout life. Learning doesn't stop just because school does. People who are truly effective generally did not get that way by sitting still, they apply themselves to constant learning and competing against themselves to grow and learn day by day. Making a commitment to yourself to learn something new every day, you will not only enjoy what you discover, but you will be able to apply your knowledge and become a teacher to future generations.

EditSteps

Learn how you learn. Determine your own preferred learning style or styles. Note what learning techniques are most efficient for you and use them as much as is practical, such as viewing online tutorials on websites like YouTube if you're more of a visual learner.
- Most people learn through multiple methods but favor one or two. Use your preferences to your advantage.
Learn where your talents and interests lie. Try many different things so that you don't box yourself into believing you're only good at a few things. It's probable that you're good at many things but you won't know until you've tried.
- Be wary of past memories that tell you to stay away from certain things. This can soon inhibit you from trying a lot of new things if taken to an extreme. As you grow you develop more experience, coordination, responsiveness, and confidence that one experience can't teach, but you can apply to re-learning an old experience. For example, if you had a bad experience riding a horse when younger, not getting back on a horse when you're older and calmer might mean you miss out on a trek of a lifetime. Or, you might have hated certain sports, tastes or activities when younger because of your lack of experience, strength or maturity. All these things change as you mature, develop, and adjust to new environments. Be careful not to let past experiences like these cut off opportunities for you now.
Look at learning as an exploration and opportunity, not a chore. Don't just force yourself to learn things because they're important or necessary. Instead, learn things that you need to learn alongside things you love to learn. Follow your heart, as well as your sense of duty. Do you remember the 8th grade history that you hated so much, with all those names and dates that seemed to mean nothing? The point was to bring you to learn details now that will knit chunks of information together later. It was a chore then, but it makes sense, now.
- Even when you're learning the things you have to, such as on-the-job knowledge, seek to go beyond what you're being asked to learn. Look at the history, case studies, different applications, etc., to make your learning experience much more well-rounded.
Learn the basics. It can be a grind at times, but you'll be able to remember, connect and figure out all kinds of complicated things through relatively few, simple building blocks if you learn some math and natural-science concepts.^[1] You can look up precise formulas and trivia again later, but the concepts will do the most good and save a lot of time in repeated look-ups if mostly learned by heart.^[2] Try some free OpenCourseWare, TED Talks or iTunes University for comprehensive presentations from famous professors and experts in their fields.
- Mix learning the basics with more fun learning, like intellectual hobbies and games. Don't space them out so far that you forget what came before in a sequence; a half-class or class every day or two might be a good pace. Check into DIY U for a list of colleges and institutions that offer low cost or free courses.
- If you find complex math very unintuitive in isolation, you can look it up as you learn things that use it. Without seeing the applications, it's hard to distinguish the concepts you need from the computational tricks most people don't.
- Read books by people who experienced difficulties with the basics of math, science or other subjects but have still managed to find workarounds without giving up. Their ways of learning might help you to improve your own.
Read, read, read. Make friends with your local library and new and used book sellers. Reading is a portal into other worlds and into the minds of your fellow human beings. Through reading you will never stop learning and being amazed by the incredible creativity, intelligence and yes, even banality, of the human species. Wise people read lots of books, all the time; it's as simple as that. And reading will help you to learn the discoveries and mistakes of others who have gone before you; reading is, in effect, a shortcut so that you don't have to learn things the hard way.
- Read all sorts of books. Just because you're usually a mystery fan doesn't mean you shouldn't try nonfiction now and then. Don't limit yourself.
- Recognize the educational value in whatever you read. Nonfiction, of course, teaches about its subject. Fiction, freed from that constraint, can teach more about good writing, storytelling, vocabulary, and human nature generally. Indeed, fiction will tell you a great deal about the mores, morals, thinking and habits of the time during which it was written, and it is also said that fiction readers are more empathetic than those who avoid it because it teaches us about interacting in the social world.^[3]
- Newspapers, magazines, manuals, and comic books are all reading. As are websites, blogs, reviews and other online sources of information.
Broaden your definition of learning. Take a look at the Theory of Multiple Intelligences if you don't know it yet. Consider how you might fit in, and where you can improve.
- Refine your existing skills. Are you already good at fly fishing? Computers? Teaching? Playing saxophone? Hone these skills and take them to the next level.
- Try new things, both inside and outside your preferred skill areas.
Do things outside your vocation. As an adult, your experience may be your best teacher. Whether you work for pay or volunteer your time, focus on a project or tinker with whatever grabs your attention, try lots of things and notice the results. Apply the results to other things in your life, to expand the value of what you've learned. You never know when an opportune discovery might arise as a result of your observations and innovative approaches.
Create. Not all learning comes from outside you. In fact, some of the most powerful learning happens when you are creating or formulating something for yourself. Creation, like intelligence, can be artistic or scientific; physical or intellectual; social or solitary. Try different media and methods and refine the ones you like the most.
Observe. Look more closely at your world, and examine both the usual and the unusual. Also, look at the world from different levels. Chances are you already respond differently to the news of a friend than to the news of a country, for example.
- Respond to what you observe, and notice and examine your own response.
- Be mindful; if you find that it's difficult to observe things for long enough, consider meditating. This will help you to learn to see things you haven't noticed since you were a young child.
Take classes, both formal and informal. No matter how dedicated an autodidact you are, some subjects are best learned with the aid of a teacher. Remember that a teacher may be found in a classroom, but also in an office, a neighbor's garage, a store, a restaurant, or a taxicab. The teacher may also be a mentor or a guide of some sort in your life, such as a life coach or counselor.
- Several of the world's best universities provide videos and materials for their courses free over the Internet as the "Open CourseWare" project^[4]. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an exceptional contributor, with hundreds of courses.^[5] You can also use iTunes University, which can be viewed via your computer or your portable electronic devices.
Ask questions. Asking the right questions can be more important than having the answers. It can also turn just about anybody into a teacher. Be sure to listen closely and understand the response.
- Sometimes a response is difficult to understand. Feel free to take notes, ask more questions and to break down the response into smaller components to try to make sense of it. Return to your preferred learning style––if something is easier drawn in pictures, then draw it out to help make better sense of it.
- Keep a journal or notebook to record what you learn and what questions you still have. Questions can teach as much as, or more than, answers. A journal or notebook can also record your progress.
Evaluate and reflect on what you learn. Does it make sense? Is it true? Who said so? How was it determined? Can it be verified? Is an argument or piece of advice logical, valuable, applicable?
- Read How to develop critical thinking skills and How to improve critical thinking skills for more ideas on ways to evaluate what you're learning.
Apply what you learn. This is the best way to test it and it will help you learn it more completely and retain it longer. It will also help you to discover flaws and strengths in your learning, which is how we progress the sum of human knowledge. Who knows what you may be about to discover, uncover or link together?
Teach others. Teaching is a wonderful way to learn a subject better and improve your own understanding of it. If you're not a teacher or tutor, you can write about your knowledge in a wiki, where you and other contributors will know you can return to see something even better, or forum, or simply volunteer an answer when somebody asks.
- Joseph Joubert once said that "To teach is to learn twice." In teaching others how to learn things, you will find that you learn even more than the students. Not only will you need to have a good grasp of your materials, you will need to respond to the querying minds of your students and extend your understanding beyond what you have considered it to be up to the point of each question asked of you.

EditTips

Test yourself. Read college notes, take CLEP tests, challenge or audit college courses, etc.
Learn something for its own sake. Just because it's there. Explore freely. Learn trivia, expand into self directed course learning.
Do what works best for you. Life isn't a dress rehearsal, so make the most of it.
Another good way to learn is to find people that are either learning the same things you are, or already know them. Just being around those people and conversing with them will put you much farther ahead compared to studying in isolation.
Leave your perfectionism behind. Experiment, make mistakes, and ask silly questions. If you wait until you know it all, you'll be waiting a long time.
Sleep, exercise, and eat properly. Your overall health will influence how much you can effectively learn.
Have fun. Fun is a very important part of learning, especially as an adult. It is a big part of your motivation to continue.
Keep an open mind. Some of the greatest scientific, mathematical, artistic, and other advances came from questioning conventional wisdom and being open to unusual results and new, different ways of doing things. And don't presume that because you're not an expert or that it's "not your area", that you don't have a contribution. Learned, enthused and observant outsiders can often see connections, gaps and new ways forward that those deeply embedded in their profession, expertise or trade miss.

EditWarnings

If you get good at learning and find that you know more than most people around you, be careful that you don't turn into a know-it-all.

EditRelated wikiHows

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/HjPveS
via Peter

How to Get Toned Arms

Achieving toned arms comes as a result of making changes to your diet, and exercising all the major muscle groups in your arms and shoulders. If you're ready to look picture-perfect in all your sleeveless tops, perform the following lifestyle and exercise changes and you'll have toned arms in no time.

EditSteps

EditExercising Your Biceps

Do concentration curls. Sit on a bench/chair with your legs slightly spread and a dumbbell in the hand of the arm you’re working. Lean forward so that the arm you’re holding the dumbbell in has the elbow aligned near the same knee (not resting on it). Swing your arm downwards slowly to the floor, and then back up to shoulder in a set of 10. Repeat the exercise on both sides.^[1]
Do an upright row. Hold two dumbbells, one in each hand, while standing straight up. Keep the dumbbells in front of you, parallel to the front of your thighs. Bring the dumbbells up to your chest, bending your elbows outwards, and keeping them parallel similar to the motion of rowing a boat. Slowly drop the dumbbells back down to the front of your thighs, and repeat the exercise in a set of 10.^[2]
Do bicep curl resistance band exercises. Stand with your feet spread shoulder-width apart and a resistance band under your feet. Hold each of the ends of the resistance band in your hands at your sides, and slowly bring them to your shoulders. Drop your hands from your shoulders to release the tension, and bring them back to your sides.^[3]
Do dumbbell hammer curls. Stand upright holding a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells like you would a hammer, with your arm bent to your shoulder and the two ends of the weights directed upwards/downwards. Slowly bend your arm downwards do your side (as if you were hitting a nail with a hammer in slow-motion), and then bring it back up to your shoulder. Do this exercise in a set of 10.

EditExercising Your Triceps

Do a bench dip. This exercise places your hands on one bench and your feet on another, bridging the space between the two with your body. With the front of your body facing upward, use your arms to drop your body below the upper bench, and then push yourself back up. To increase the difficulty of the exercise, place a weight in your lap as you perform it.
Do a dumbbell kickback. Kneel on a bench with a single leg and the arm from the same side of your body, while your opposite leg remains upright on the ground and you hold a weight in your opposite hand. Bend your elbow on the side with the weight to 90 degrees, and then extend your arm backwards. Slowly bring your arm back to the 90 degree angle starting position, and repeat the exercise 10 times.^[4]
Do close grip pushups. Lay on the floor in the plank position, and hold your hands together so that your thumbs and index fingers form a diamond shape. Slowly lift yourself up using your arms, and drop yourself back down to the starting position. As you perform this modified pushup, keep your elbows close to your body to ensure that you are actually working the triceps and not the pectoral muscles. To lower the resistance, place your knees on the floor or place your hands on an elevated horizontal bar.^[5]
Do tricep extensions with exercise balls. Lay on an exercise ball on your back, with your arms extended to your sides and a dumbbell in each. Slowly bring your weights up so that they are parallel with your forehead, and then drop them back down to the straightened position at your sides. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

EditExercises for Shoulders

Do a lateral raise. This exercise works your rear deltoids and will improve the appearance of both your arms and your upper back. Stand upright with two dumbbells in each hand, at your sides. Bend slightly at the hips, turn your hands slightly so that your pinkies are the closest fingers to the ceiling, and bring your arms outwards and up (like wings). Slowly bring them back to your sides, and repeat the exercise.^[6]
Do cable upright rows. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and a resistance band underneath them. Hold the resistance band in front of you with both hands, and bring it to your chest by extending and bending your elbows outwards, similar to the motion of rowing a boat. Slowly drop your hands back to your sides and repeat the exercise.
Do dumbbell upright rows. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows and bring your hands to your shoulders, and then push the weights directly upwards above your head. Slowly bring the weights back down to your shoulders, and then repeat the exercise.
Perform Arnold presses. Sit on a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. Without resting your elbows on your torso or thighs, bend your arms and bring the dumbbells to your shoulders. Slowly release the tension and drop your arms back down so that they are parallel with your lap.

EditToning Your Upper Body

Do an around-the-world exercise with an exercise ball. This exercise requires you to use your hands to walk your body in a circle while you rest your shins on an exercise ball. In addition to challenging your upper body, this exercise will help you to build your core stability.
Do the side bender exercise in advanced Pilates. Lay on your side so that your body is perpendicular to the ground. Slowly raise your body up into a sideways plank, and hold the position for as long as you can. Do this on each side of your body. In addition to building your arm and chest muscles, you will strengthen your abdominals and your back.
Do traditional pushups. Pushups are great for toning your chest, arms, and shoulders all in a single exercise. Lay on your stomach, and use your arms to push yourself up onto your toes. Slowly lower yourself back to the ground so that your arms are at a 90 degree angle. Repeat the process; if you find it too difficult, bend your knees on the ground and work from there instead of your toes.^[7]

EditChanging Your Diet

Cut out processed sugars. As with all processed foods, processed sugars give you empty energy that lacks nutrients, leaving you only with calories. As a result, you gain fat, lose muscle tone, and feel lethargic. Whenever possible, avoid consuming processed sugars like those found in candy, junk food, and packaged baked goods and substitute in healthy sugars - like those found in fruit.
- Don’t jump into a processed sugar-free lifestyle immediately, as you will be less likely to stick to your regime. Instead, slowly drop processed sugar from your daily consumption. Start with nixing one thing a day - such as the soda you drink at lunch or the candy you have for a snack.
- When you get a craving for processed sugar, try eating only a small amount in addition to some fresh fruit. Eventually, you’ll be able to eat just the fruit as an alternative without feeling those pangs of desire for the bad sugars.
Avoid saturated fats. Similar to processed sugars, saturated fats give you lots of calories with no nutritional benefit. Because of recent studies of saturated fats, many foods have clear labels marking whether or not they contain them. When you can, cut out saturated fats from your diet and substitute them for healthy fats like those found in coconut oil, walnuts, and avocados.
- If you eat a diet high in saturated fats, don’t cut them all out at once. Instead, reduce your daily intake a small amount each week until they are nearly or completely removed from your diet.
- Take supplements such as fish oil to provide your body with omega-3 fatty acids - the type of fat your body needs to start building muscle.^[8]
Reduce your sodium intake. A diet high in salt can cause water retention and high blood pressure among other things. Help give yourself more energy by looking for low-sodium foods and avoiding salty junk foods - the primary high sodium culprit.^[9]
Increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables you consume. Although it may sound like a broken record, fresh fruits and veggies are the ultimate muscle-building/fat-burning foods out there. Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and nutrients, making you feel fuller after consuming a complete serving than processed foods do. Aim to eat 1-2 servings of each as a minimum on a daily basis. Look for the most colorful fruits and veggies you can find, as these tend to have the most nutrients.
- Some of the best vegetables for fat loss/muscle building include kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, and squash.
- Super fruits for toning your arms include blueberries, pomegranates, apples, bananas, and blackberries.^[10]

EditTips

Changes in your muscle tone won't be apparent immediately. On average, it takes about six weeks to see a noticeable difference in your size and shape.
Consider yoga for strengthening the arms. Any posture that requires you to support your weight with your arms or any posture that requires you to resist gravity with your arms will tone the muscles. Yoga builds isometric strength, which increases your endurance, as opposed to concentric and eccentric contractions, which build explosive strength.

EditWarnings

Work out each muscle group equally. If you work your biceps but not your triceps, for instance, then you may make yourself more prone to injury.

EditThings You'll Need

Dumbbells
Resistance band
Bench
Exercise ball
Yoga mat

EditRelated wikiHows

How to Do Overhead Tricep Extensions with Resistance Bands

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/1BxDl1F
via Peter

Friday, 1 January 2016

How to Care for a Camel

Camels are beautiful, huge, strong animals that make wonderful pets. They are intelligent and sociable, making them loving companions at home. However, the proper care for a camel is needed in order to care properly for these magnificent animals. Since they are less common as pets, make sure you can find a vet who can take care of them in your area as well.

EditSteps

EditFeeding and Nourishing

Feed them as much Bermuda hay as they can eat. Oats and grains are far too rich for a camel's diet, as camels are used to nutrient-poor desert scrubs. Alfalfa, which they love, is also much too rich, but can be used as a treat in small bunches.
- In place of Bermuda hay, you can use any other grass-like, dry hay for food. However, Bermuda is your best bet.
- Feeding camels costs about as much as it costs to feed a horse. Expect to drop about $250 a month feeding an adult camel.^[1]
- If the camel has grass and shrubs in their field, this is a supplement to their diet. It can not replace regular feeding.^[2]
Make sure they have access to salt. Sodium is incredibly important in a camel diet. Camels should have constant access to a salt lick, which you can buy at any store that sells horse supplies. You can also get chunks of salt that they can chew, or hanging "salt treats." In general, these smaller chunks are easier for a camel to lick than a large block.^[3] No matter your style, make sure your camel can access this crucial nutrient source.
Give them fresh, clean water every day. Camels may not drink if the water isn't clean. Run the hose into their bowls each day so that they get fresh water and nothing is stagnant. While camels have a reputation for needing only a little water, this is only for trained camels accustomed to desert life. The more water you can get them, the better.^[4]
Ensure that your camel gets their required supplements. These can be easily given to them with a treat, such as a handful of alfalfa pellets, carrots, or apples. A standard horse multi-vitamin, with vitamin B, potassium, etc. — will generally do. You also want a selenium supplement, and plenty of vitamin E. Talk to your veterinarian, however, about the exact amounts for your camel.
- If you have powdered supplements, try wetting the treats with water or apple cider vinegar. This helps the powdered supplements stick to the treats.
- Some camel-specific salt blocks have selenium in them as well. These two nutrients are perhaps the most vital for your camel's health.^[5]

EditHousing and General Care

Construct or purchase a camel hut. A tiny stall is not going to cut it for a camel. It must be big enough for the camel to move, eat, sleep, lie down, and be happy. It should be big enough that they can turn around completely with ease and are sheltered from the rain and weather.
- If you offer them a large enough area (generally one or more acres) to explore, you can get away with a smaller hut. In these cases, huts would only be a place to get shelter from bad weather.^[6]
Clear out a large, open space for your camel to move around in. Camels are big and need some room to live. A yard with some grass is highly advised, although is not a must. The more room you can create for your animal, the better. In general, at least a half-acre should be enough. But if you have multiple camels, you'll need more room so they don't get into trouble with each other.
- Camels are notoriously tough on fences. An electrified wire is usually your best bet to contain them.^[7]
Clean up after your camel. Camels are quite clean animals and hate to be in a mess. Clean up their dung in their hut and/or yard weekly, and make sure to do full cleanings regularly. Comb and brush out your camels' fur, and keep their living spaces clean as best you can.^[8]
File down their nails if they become too long. This shouldn't be too frequent, but camels' nails can get long and land uncomfortably when they walk. On hard, rocky ground this shouldn't be a problem — the ground will naturally file their nails. But if you have them on softer soil, keep an eye out for any nails that seem to drag along the ground or catch underneath them.
- If you're on soft soil, you'll need to train your camel to raise its feet to check and file them. A large metal file will suffice to grind their nails down.
Set up regular veterinary visits. Shoot for at least one consultation per year, or whenever an issue arises. Camels need a variety of shots and protections to stay healthy, including:
- Deworming
- Vaccinations for the clostridial diseases and tetanus
- Periodic checking and floating of teeth.
- If showing or traveling with your camel, check to see your required shots, vaccinations, and certifications.^[9]
Know how to check if your camel is sick. Camel illnesses can be difficult to diagnose, but there are several symptoms that require immediate assistance from a vet:
- Soft and/or squishy hump.
- Refusal to eat.
- Temperature (checked rectally) less than 99 degrees or over 103 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2-3 days in a row.
- Worms or parasites in feces.^[10]

EditTraining and Building Respect

Always treat camels with respect, especially when you first get them. Camels are massive, dangerous animals if not handled properly. Make sure that you are firm and in control, but don't try and rile up the animal or hurt them when they misbehave. Positive reinforcement (a treat for good behavior) is always your best bet. Camels are smart, social, and affectionate animals. Treat them as such and they will become dream pets.
Don't roughhouse or play harshly with young camels. This will train them to roughhouse with you all the time. It may be fun when they're young and cute, but it can get dangerous once they weigh a ton and are over seven feet tall.^[11]
- If they panic or get spooked, stay calm and confident. Speak gently and keep your hands on the reins. They will follow your lead.
Take charge and push the camel firmly in the direction you want it to go. They should generally follow your lead. Start this behavior early so they get used to you as the "alpha camel." Push firmly along their neck and back, and they should move away from you.
Train them with treats to build positive behavior. Reward good behavior with treats — a slice of apple, a carrot, a bunch of alfalfa — as these intelligent beasts respond well to positive reinforcement. The younger you start, the easier this will be. You want them trained before they are too massive to push around. When they do something you like, pet them and give them a bit of a treat. If they don't follow instructions, just be neutral until they get it right. You don't want to spook it and get angry.
- Get them comfortable in the harness when they are young. They may resist it at first, but they will quickly grow accustomed when they realize it won't hurt them.
Train them with a halter from a young age, leading them on walks. A halter, similar to the ones worn by horses, is a good idea to help you control and train your camel. They can be purchased at specialty shops. Use it to walk your camel from a young age, getting it used to follow you and stopping on your command. To teach them to stop, pick your word (like "stop") and then use your body to physically stop them while you say it. Give them a treat when they comply. Other essential skills include:
- Lifting feet so that you can check them.
- Sitting down.
- Coming to you when called.
Keep your camel company, as they are very social animals and need companionship. Camels are herd animals. They like company and will often times feel lonely if they are all alone. Consider buying another camel, but only if you can easily handle the responsibility. Camels generally do well with dogs and sheep as well, and will bond with most people. They are very affectionate animals, and even constant visits from you will do them good.^[12]

EditTips

Watch your camel closely. Learn his favorite food, favorite toy (if you have any), how he acts to stimuli, and other things.
Learn more facts on camels to be the best owner possible.
Take owning a camel to the competitive level and enter a competition. You can enter camel competitions in racing, traditional dress, treks, and caravanning.