Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

It's not right to use e-mail addresses that people didn't give you to use but there's not a lot you can do to prevent people from using an e-mail address for their own purposes once they have it.  The only thing you can do to prevent it is not to reveal e-mail addresses in the first place.  You can use mailing lists which do not disclose the names of the other recipients or you can send messages singly.  However, that gets to be a pain if you're sending more than a few messages.

If you're sending a message to more than 10 or 20 recipients you should not be using Outlook or any other personal e-mail client program.  You should be using some sort of bulk mail system.  It's easier to manage your mailing lists that way.  It's more efficient and it prevents people from getting hold of your mailing list without permission.

There is a program called "Max Bulk Mailer" which can manage lists for you and send mail to them as you need.
http://www.maxprog.com/site/software/in … eet_us.php

You can use a service like Constant Contact or a local provider but you have to pay for the privilege.  Further, you don't necessarily maintain complete control of your mailing lists.  If you use a local bulk mailer like Max Bulk, YOU maintain complete control.

If somebody else has gotten hold of your mailing list, there isn't a lot you can do to stop them but there are a few things you can try.
You can tell them to stop.  Send them a "cease and desist" letter if necessary.
You can contact the person and tell them to remove your name from their list.  They are obliged to do so when they receive the message.

Finally, if all those don't work, you can report the person as a spammer. 
Have all your friends who have received messages from the offender report them as spam too.
If they are blacklisted as a spammer their ability to send e-mail could be severely hampered.  That could cramp their business if the situation becomes bad enough.

Not, really.  It just means "Donnie Darko" is your favorite movie.  :)

However, whenever somebody who lives in a house with 1,000 Teddy Bears says, "That's not weird." you should probably take it with a grain of salt.   

If it's an older kid taking their little brothers and sisters around Trick-or-treating, we give them a break.
Dragging your brothers and sisters around the neighborhood isn't a lot of fun for a teenager who would probably rather be out with their friends.  They deserve some kind of reward.

If it's an older kid who is wearing a costume that took effort to make, they get a break too.
If they just do something stupid like throw on a football jersey and slop some paint on their faces, we just give them the minimum.  If they complain we just tell them to go somewhere else.

Kids from the neighborhood who we know usually get candy if they are well behaved.  They usually do behave because they know we can call their parents if they act up.

Volunteer firemen or cops usually do drive-bys in our neighborhood at least once per night.
If they stop on our corner we usually toss them a Snickers bar or something.
They're working extra hours so the kids will be safe.  They deserve a little treat once in a while!

We get lots of trick-or-treaters.  50 or more, depending on weather.

Any kid dressed up as a Teddy Bear always gets double candy!   

A black cat in the dark forest at midnight!     :dance:

We used to have a black lab.  I think I ever got one good picture of him.

Wow!  Frank, the bunny is very cool!   
Coraline isn't bad either!   

How do you make your patterns?  We use Photoshop then print the image out.  We tape the picture onto the pumpkin then use small nail to poke holes through the paper.  From there, it's easy to cut the shapes.

What did you use to skin the pumpkin?  We used a lemon zester.

Really nice work!   

What?  No black cats for Halloween?

J.K.   

I think the meaning of Halloween has been lost.  Too many people think it's just a day to dress up and beg for candy.  The truth is that Halloween began as a religious holiday.

"All Hallows Eve" is the night before All Saint's Day.
In Spain, Portugal and other Spanish speaking countries it is the beginning of the "Dia de los Muertos" celebration where families honor the spirits of their deceased relatives.

The tradition of dressing up in scary costumes occurs because people wanted to scare away all the evil spirits so that the religious ceremonies could progress in peace.

Children beg for candy as a symbol of appeasement to the spirits.  If you give something to the spirits, they will not harm you in the coming year.

Carving pumpkins and putting a candle inside is done so that the light from the flame can guide the spirits of our deceased relatives who have died in the past year so they can find their way to Heaven.

I always get a little bit miffed when people say that Halloween is just a Pagan holiday.  Yes, it had its beginnings in Paganism but it has also become a very solemn Christian holiday.  People who campaign against Halloween on the grounds that it is a blasphemous Pagan holiday don't know their own religion very well.

For the humans and Bears who live in this house, we enjoy Halloween but it's not a major holiday for us.
We don't decorate the whole house but we say a little prayer before we go to bed.
We carve our pumpkins and our Halloween Bears get excited when they get their picture taken.
We enjoy handing out candy and watching all the kids in their costumes.  We live on a corner lot so we are on a good location to be a "Neighborhood Watch."  In the seven years we have lived here, there has only been one very minor incident on Halloween.

In short, we honor the significance of the holiday but we don't go overboard with it.  We just have a little fun.

I don't know about other places but, in the USA, Halloween has become a party holiday for adults to get drunk and act silly.
In some places, there is more drinking on Halloween than there is on Saint Patrick's Day!

Thanks!

We always have two pumpkins.  One traditional and one Bear pumpkin.
Note the Bear on the right with the leaf on her foot and the Halloween mask.  She's the one on the pumpkin.
We took her photo and used Photoshop to posterize the image.  Then we traced the picture onto the pumpkin and cut it out.

Every year one of the Bears gets to be on a pumpkin.  It's a tradition in this Bear den. 

Since there is already a thread for Halloween, us Bears thought it would be better to continue the existing thread instead of starting a new one.

Happy Halloween from Us Bears!

Well, as far as the Bears are concerned, there is little to worry about, I'd say.
Just give them a good cleaning and put them up on their shelves and in their hutches.  They'll be fine.   

But it's YOU that we have to worry about now!
I hope this thing passes.  Hang in there and get better.

You have 1,000 Bears here who are pulling for you! 

bearyfun732;

We used to have vaccinations when I was in school, too.  That was 30 years ago.  Little has changed, really.

The reason they do it is because there are so many kids all in one place.  If one kid gets sick, MANY kids can get sick in a short time.  Your school officials don't want the disease to spread.

Talk to your parents about the vaccination.  One time, my parents even had me fill out the form while they helped to make sure I did it right.  Then they signed it.  I turned it in and, the next day, all the kids whose parents gave permission went to the cafeteria, lined up and got vaccinated.

Once you are vaccinated, you might get a little bit ill in the next day or so.  That is a good thing.  That means the vaccination is working.  You should not feel ill for more than a day or two.  Many people who get vaccinated don't even feel ill at all.  Everybody is different.  After that, it takes approximately two weeks for the vaccine to have full effect.  Some people may be protected sooner.  Some people may take longer.  Again, everybody is different.

When the vaccine has taken full effect, you are protected from getting the flu!  But don't be fooled!  You can still catch OTHER diseases that the Swine Flu vaccine DOES NOT protect against.  You can still catch strep throat and things like that.  You can still catch a regular cold.  If there is a kind of flu that you didn't get a vaccine for, you can still catch the flu...  You just won't catch the Swine Flu.

This means you have to be cautious about sneezing, sniffling, blowing your nose or touching things that somebody else who has a disease has touched.  If somebody else sneezes on you, you could catch whatever they had.
This means that everybody in school (and out of school) should always cover when they cough or sneeze.  They should wash their hands a lot too.  Wash before eating.  Wash after you sneeze or cough a lot.  Always make sure you wash when you leave the bathroom whether you used the toilet or not.

If everybody did these things we wouldn't have to worry about the Swine Flu so much.  There would still be Swine Flu but it wouldn't spread so fast.

You just hang in, get your vaccination and you'll be okay!   

What were you sick from?  OR, at least, what do they THINK you were sick from?

Most viruses can't live outside the body for more than a few minutes.  If they don't find a living host to grow on, they die very rapidly.
Bacteria can grow on inanimate objects and vector disease to a living host after quite a long time.
Mold, fungus and spores of mold/fungus can lie dormant on inanimate objects almost indefinitely.
Insects and their eggs can live indefinitely if there is food.

So it all depends on what you were sick from.
If it's a virus, don't worry.  Clean the Bears as well as is reasonable and be done.
If it's bacteria, a disinfectant spray will do the trick as long as it doesn't damage the fur.
If it's fungus or mold, disinfectant might do it but it will be harder.
If it is insects, disinfectant might help but cold is the answer.

I'm with Daphne.

First, wash and clean the Bears as much as is reasonable.
Second, use a disinfectant that won't hurt the Bears.
Next, wrap the Bears in plastic bags and put them in the freezer.  I mean the DEEP FREEZE.  Get them freezing cold.  Keep them cold for a LONG TIME.  Daphne said 48 hours but I say at least a couple of weeks, maybe a month.

Don't worry...  The cold won't hurt them.  Bears hibernate!  Remember? 

If you are allergic to thimerosal, the preservative used in vaccines, or you don't want it "just because" it is possible to get the vaccine without it but it is more expensive.

Most vaccines come in multi-dose vials.  Those vials contain the preservative.
Vaccines are also distributed in single-dose, pre-filled syringes.  Pre-filled syringes do not contain the preservative.  However, because it is more expensive to package the vaccine in syringes and because, without the preservative, they are more perishable you will probably have to either pay more for the vaccine or you will have to wait for it to become available in that form.

There is another alternative if it is available in your area.  Swine Flu vaccine is also being distributed as a nasal mist.  This vaccine does not have thimerosal either.
They shoot some stuff up your nose and you are vaccinated.  However, you must be between the ages of 2 and 49 years old plus you have to be in perfect health.  If you have any chronic condition or are sick with something else you have to take the injected vaccine.

So, if thimerosal gives you the heebie jeebies or if you can't take it for some reason, ask for the single-dose syringe or the nasal mist.  This goes for ANY vaccine, not just the current Swine Flu.

One thing about wild animals, be they bears or what-have-you, it is important that they don't become habituated to human presence.

Wild animals remain wild simply because they are wary of humans.  Humans and wild animals can coexist if we each respect each other's territory.  They keep their distance.  We keep ours.

When bears lose their fear of human contact, they move closer and closer to where humans live.  That is when they get into trouble.  That's when bears end up getting shot to protect human lives.

I think this guy's IDEA is all right.  He wants to show people what bears are like and that we don't have to fear them all the time.  But it is important to stress that people and wild animals don't mix.

People who are allergic to eggs can often eat COOKED eggs without problem.  Cooking destroys the proteins that cause allergic reaction.  It's only when the raw, uncooked proteins get into the system that they cause trouble.

Sometimes they can give a small portion of the vaccine to a person then monitor the patient for a reaction.  If the person can go for, say, an hour without a reaction, they can give another small portion.  If STILL no reaction, they can give the rest of the dose.  Sometimes they give the vaccine in just two rounds instead of three.  Other times, like your mom, they can do a skin test first.

Personally, I have no problem with the vaccine.  I have no worry about its safety IF I was to take it.  I just don't believe in taking medications unless they are called for.

If there comes a time when I believe it's necessary, I'll be right at the front of the line getting my shot just like everybody else...  But not until...

+1 on that! 

When I feel sick, I always drink lots of orange juice.  The vitamin C is good for you.  It helps your body fight off the bug.  Lots of fluids are good for you too.

Besides, even if orange juice doesn't make me get better faster, it certainly helps me feel better about it.

Y'Know...  Kind of like chicken soup.  It might not help but it certainly can't hurt!   

I've heard that too.

There is some evidence to support that theory but nobody really knows for sure.  And, by the time they finish doing all the research, flu season will be over and we'll be on to the next thing that gets blown all out of proportion.

I still say to take the vaccines if you need them or if your line of work requires it.  Otherwise hold off.

Oh, yeah!  I forgot to mention...  One more very important piece of advice to prevent you from getting the swine flu!

Don't kiss pigs!

        :crackup:

Good point!  I didn't think about that.

Yeah!  I agree!  If you don't need the shot right now, hold off and save it for people who really do!
Good advice! 

I am not against the flu vaccine per-se but I am not in favor of taking medicine you don't need.

The H1N1 Swine Flu brings up some tricky questions.
If you catch it, it is a sure bet you will get pretty darned sick. 

At my last check, only 10% of the people who catch Swine Flu get sick enough to die.  Most of them are young people or old people and people whose bodies are already compromised with other problems.

So, if you are of average age and in good health, you probably won't die from the swine flu.  That's good news.
On the other hand, you WILL get sick as a dog.  And, who knows... anything can happen.

Therefore the question comes down to two things.

1)  How likely is it that you will be exposed to the Swine Flu.

2)  Are you willing to take the risk if you do catch it?

If you are never going to be exposed to it, the vaccine is an unnecessary medication.  Don't take it.
If you are willing to accept the consequences if you do catch it.  Don't take the vaccine.

If you are in an area where there are lots of cases of Swine Flu around you.  Take the vaccine.  It is important to stop the spread of this disease.  Inoculating the population is a good way to stop the spread of the disease.

If you are in a job where safety and security of other people will be jeopardized if you catch the flu, take the vaccine.

If you are a doctor, a nurse or work in a hospital or a clinic, et. al., take the vaccine.  If somebody unwittingly catches the flu from you, they could get very sick.  It is stupid to risk somebody else's life because you are afraid of the needle!
The same thing goes for ambulance crews, firemen, police, etc.  It's probably a good bet to add people in the military too.

If you are allergic to chicken products, eggs or related things, be cautious about taking the vaccine!  The vaccine is made from chicken eggs.  You might have a reaction to the vaccine that could be dangerous.   SOME people who are allergic to eggs CAN take the vaccine without risk.  If you are allergic, ask your doctor first.

The same thing goes for people who have ever had a bad reaction to any of the other ingredients of a vaccine.
Ask your doctor first.

Like I said, I don't have a problem with the vaccine itself.  I just don't like to take medicine that I don't need.
If I feel the need, I will certainly take it.  But, until then, I am okay with the consequences, should anything happen I don't expect.

The Bears in this hug notice that Guinevere has a chocolate pot!   
Chocolate pots are taller and tea pots are short and squat.

Bears know these things.  They are quite the discriminating type.  ;)

They say Guinevere has good taste!
(What Bear doesn't prefer chocolate?!     )

What kind of tool do you use to bend them with?

My real job is a cinema technician.  I operate and repair movie projectors in theaters.  There are several parts in movie projectors that are held together with cotter pins.  Typically, I use a pair of lineman's pliers to start the bend and a large pair of needle-nose pliers to make them snug.

It will be more difficult to bend cotter pins which are made from harder steel but softer pins are more likely to pull out or break.  For use in machines, hard steel pins are often desired because they hold parts together better and they are less likely to fail.  For Teddy Bears, I don't see why you would need harder pins but, in terms of fit and function, I don't think there would be a difference except for the difficulty in bending them.  As long as they are the size you need, use them interchangeably as you see fit.

Aside from the obvious, do you also hand feed them so that they imprint on humans as a source of food and protection?

The Bears think this picture needs a caption:

"I'll have a double order of hash browns, scattered, smothered, covered, topped, diced, and chunked.  Hold the peppers!"