Dragon Bowl

Thanks for visiting our site!
Dragon Bowl
Checkout Ebay Auctions For The Cheapest Prices

Here are some more information for Dragon Bowl:

Is the concept album a thing of the past or is it still a living breathing entity that transcends time and can be applied universally in a broad range of situations?

To answer this question let us take a look at a classic example and one not so classic...Let us begin our discussion with The Rush album 2112, which, in concept is about an oppressive futuristic society with priests at the helm controlling everything from the television shows that people watch to the songs heard and/or sung by the brotherhood of man. This concept sounds like George Orwell's 1984 but is actually based on Ayn Rand's Anthem. When the character in this epic finds an ancient guitar (in Anthem it was an electric box), it symbolizes creative freedom, and the need to express the God given purpose of freewill and to create as our Creator had intended. He confronts the "upper class" of priests and expresses his individuality through music. The priests in fear of loss of control throw the idea of sharing music back in his face as "a waste of time" and destructive. The character unfortunately meets his own demise by determining after a spiritual journey with his elders that he can no longer exist in a world of tyrannical energy.

"2112" was written in 1976 when Rush was being told by the record company to shorten their songs and write more commercial or radio friendly material. "2112" was a direct reflection of the three band members need for artistic sovereignty. Thirty one years later, in 2007, Rush came full circle with their release Snakes and Arrows which is about the oppressive energy that exists between the individual and the myriad of beliefs that obscure the nature of spirituality. They depict a radical approach to religion which is the destruction of mankind, again ironic because this is opposite of God's purpose for man to create.

"Far Cry" is the first song on Snakes and Arrows. It makes reference to the extreme Bible thumping Christians who bark in anger and speak in tongues. They indoctrinate, rather than let the youth gradually accept and discover God and spirituality for themselves. This imbalance creates anger and uncertainty in faith and betrayal about religion. "Far Cry" also looks also at the opposite end of the spectrum with it's pagan reference to a full moon laying silver at your feet. "It's a far cry from the world we thought we'd inherit" indeed. Energy explodes into mass consciousness of confusion.

"Armor and Sword" elaborates on that confusion. The world a child inherits is often clouded by fear and superstition of snakes and arrows. Snakes represent evil in the world and the arrows represent weapons used in war. The song states that "No one gets to heaven without a fight." Our beliefs can sometimes shadow the true reality of a direct connection with God. This fear and superstition can lead to war and destruction as the extreme radicals in the middle East Islam religion believe it is their duty to eliminate those who do not believe as they do.

"The Way the Wind Blows" is an extension of the fear and superstition that exists between the Middle East versus the Middle West. We "pray and pass the ammunition" does not always refer to carnal weapons but the ammunition of the tongue. Control through the negative energy that exists in propaganda and self-righteousness often hinders the purpose of mankind to advance peacefully in spiritual evolution.

"The Larger Bowl" is the quest for equality in an unfair and unjust world. The song uses a form of poetry called a pantoum(composed of a series of quatrains(four lines of poetry); the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next.) It begs the question, if God is no respecter of persons then why are our fortunes and fates so different? Why do some people live in imagined fear and others literally live behind iron gates? Why are some people born into opportunity and others will never see their way out of a limited existence? The song concludes that "some are blessed and some are cursed" with "such a lot of pain on the earth."

However, despite the pain, there is "Hope", a song that has no words but uplifts the spirit with the melodic storytelling of Alex Lifeson. It's open twelve-string guitar D-A-D-A-A-D tuning gives a positive message that speaks directly to the spirit in only the way music can. The song symbolizes the same message that character in "2112" found through the discovery of a guitar. Through our creative aspirations we can achieve a true connection with God that transcends religious boundaries.

Written by Lori Mortimore

http://musicxspot.com

Lori at http://myspace.com/more2moremusic

Reptile Keeping for Beginners

In this article, we will briefly go over the basic requirements of most reptiles to give you a background knowledge on reptile keeping before researching the species you are interested in. A few subjects such as diet have been excluded due to the wide variance between species.

HEATING
This is universal with almost all reptiles in captivity in the UK. Our climate does support many species of native reptiles from adders to slow worms, however the species commonly kept as pets are normally from much warmer climates and so additional heating is required. But it isn't a simple matter of keeping the vivarium by a radiator!

All reptiles are cold blooded and so they can not control their body temperature independent to their environment like we do. The only way they can have some control over their body temperature is to move from warm areas to cool areas and vice versa. So we need to provide a temperature gradient. This is done by heating only one side of the vivarium to create a hot spot and leaving the other side relatively cool. The temperatures necessary on the hot spot and the cool end will vary from species to species so this needs to be researched.

METHODS OF HEATING
There are several methods that can be used for creating this temperature gradient in the vivarium. By far the most popular for beginner species is a basic heat mat. A heat mat is a thin electrical device that you can place under the vivarium or in some cases it may be suitable on the side of the vivarium (be sure to follow manufacturer's instructions). A heat mat would normally cover around a third of the floor space on one side of the vivarium. Heat mats are one of the lowest powered heating methods for reptiles and so are only suitable for species from more temperate regions like corn snakes.

The temperature of the heat mat can be controlled using an inexpensive piece of equipment called a mat stat (a type of thermostat suitable for heat mats). There are several brands of thermostat that are designed specifically for reptile heating equipment. A thermostat is also an important piece of safety equipment that prevents excessive heat build up on the hot side.

Another method of heating is with a spot bulb fitted to the ceiling of the vivarium that is controlled by a Dimming Thermostat. Dimming thermostats monitor the temperatures in the vivarium and reduce or increase the power being supplied to the bulb so as to regulate the temperature in the vivarium. This method can be far more powerful than a heat mat and can supply higher temperatures. Also, it can be used to create a basking spot which a heat mat can not do. In the wild, many reptiles will bask in the sun to warm themselves up and so this method of heating encourages natural behavior for many day active lizards like Bearded Dragons. A red spot bulb can also be used at night for most reptiles as most can not see the colour red.

Due to the very high surface temperatures of spot bulbs, a guard around the bulb is absolutely essential to prevent your reptile from getting burnt.

Another alternative is a Ceramic Bulb that emits only infra red and no visible light. This is ideal if you are keeping the vivarium in your bedroom so the light doesn't disturb you. It is also better suited for reptiles that require exceptionally high temperatures as Ceramic Bulbs come in power ratings up to 250w or even higher in some cases.

Ceramic bulbs can be controlled with a dimming thermostat, though a cheaper alternative is a Pulse Proportional Thermostat which is constantly turning the bulb on and off to maintain the required temperature. If a Pulse Proportional Thermostat were to be used with a spot bulb it would burn out the filament very quickly and you will be constantly replacing the bulb. Ceramic Bulbs on the other hand don't have this problem.

Again, the surface of the bulb can get exceptionally hot and so a guard around the bulb is essential!

Please fully research the requirements of the reptile you are interested in before deciding which heating method is best suited for you.

LIGHTING
Many reptiles need specialist lighting. This is usually provided using fluorescent strip bulbs designed specifically for reptiles that emit a form of ultraviolet light called UVB, the most popular brand in the UK being Exo Terra's Repti Glos though there are many other brands available varying in price. Pretty much any day active lizard will require this form of lighting. It is very important because day active reptiles synthesize a vitamin called D3 using UVB light. Vitamin D3 is an essential vitamin that allows reptiles to metabolize the calcium in their food. Without it, they can not metabolize the calcium regardless how much is in their diet and so they will suffer from a crippling condition known as Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) which can result in severe skeletal deformities and in worse case scenarios, death.

Normal fluorescent lights do not emit UVB and nor do common ultraviolet lights like "black lights." Always use a light that is designed to be used for reptiles. These bulbs also emit visible light, however they will only emit UVB for a period of around 6 months so regardless of whether the bulb is still emitting visible light after this time it will need replacing.

For maximum effect, the bulb should ideally be no more than six to ten inches away from the reptile, though the range is effectively doubled if you use a reflector. Try to position the bulb and arrange the vivarium so that your reptile will spend a large part of the day within range of the bulb ie when basking.

There are several types of UVB emitting fluorescent bulb. Repti Glos come in three types: 2%, 5%, and 10%. The percentage refers to how much of the light's spectrum is in the UVB range. 5% and 10% are the most popular though are suited for different types of reptiles. 5% bulbs are usually used with Rainforest and European species since the intensity of the sunlight in these areas is relatively low. 10% bulbs are usually used for desert species that spend a large part of their lives in direct sunlight.

Nocturnal reptiles like Leopard Geckos do not require any specialist lighting as they rarely venture out in daylight.

Please fully research the requirements of the reptile you are interested in before deciding which lighting system is best suited for you.

HUMIDITY
Humidity in the vivarium needs to be maintained to match the reptile's natural environment. Without the appropriate humidity your reptile will suffer from respiratory problems, and if the humidity is too low, may have problems shedding their skin. Average indoor humidity in the UK is around 30-50% so if your reptile requires humidity levels higher than this the tank will need to be sprayed with a mister to raise the humidity. An inexpensive device called a Hygrometer can be used to monitor the humidity levels in the vivarium.

Vivariums with higher humidity levels are more prone to mites and mold so be sure to remove any feces and dead food immediately.

SUBSTRATE
There are several factors in choosing the right substrate. The main factor is the humidity. If your reptile requires a high humidity then you want to use a substrate that can hold moisture well. A few examples are Orchid Bark, Sphagnum Moss, Coconut Bedding and Komodo's Tropical Terrain.

There are a few other options for reptiles that do not require high levels of humidity, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Beech chips are one of the most popular though others include Bio Grass, Repti Maize, and Reptile Carpet.

The main problem with Beech chips (and indeed any substrate that is in particle form) is that there is a risk your reptile could accidentally swallow it while eating which can block the digestive system or cause serious internal damage. A safer alternative is Bio Grass which is basically compressed grass pellets. These pellets break down when wet and so can be easily passed through if swallowed. This is also true to a lesser extent with Repti Maize which is made out of kiln dried corn. When swallowed Repti Maize goes mushy around the outside and so is not so hard to pass through and less likely to cause internal damage like with beech chips. The main problem with using these kind of substrates is that they will disintegrate if they get wet which can be a nuisance around their water bowl. Of course all ingestion problems can be avoided if you use a substrate that isn't in particle form like Reptile Carpet which is a coarse felt like material you can use to line the bottom of the vivarium. This will eliminate the ingestion problem, though it will prevent lizards who like to dig into the substrate from doing so.

In some cases it may be more appropriate to feed your reptile outside of the vivarium.

Again, please fully research the reptile you are interested in to help you decide which substrate is most suitable.

REPTILES SUITABLE FOR BEGINNERS
Due to the specialist requirements of reptiles, not all species are suitable for beginners. A few that we would recommend for someone starting out in reptile keeping are Leopard Geckos, Crested Geckos, Bearded Dragons, Corn Snakes, Kingsnakes and Hermann's Tortoises. These species grow to a moderate size, are very hardy and usually have very good temperaments making them ideal beginner species.

About the Author

Reptile Keeping for Beginners : Written by Mike Hannon on behalf of Paws for Thought Pet Centres, Leeds UK http://www.leedspetshops.co.uk

Permission is granted for other websites to publish this article on basic reptile husbandry.

how can i avoid my bearded dragon from doing this?

I just got a bearded dragon and she likes going into the water bowl and getting wet. but when she gets out, all the sand sticks to her. how can i avoid this...?

If it's an adult dragon and you have a water bowl she fits in - you can't avoid this. Are you sure the habitat isn't too humid for the animal? It sounds like you may want to further research your husbandry details. An adult dragon should be misted a couple of times daily and get a warm saok 1-2 times a week. High humidity can result in respiratory infections in dragons, as well skin/scale ailments. Please do not use any type of calcium sand. They are unsafe for a pet of any age. If you are using sand as the substrate, it should fine grained and cleaned play sand.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Impaction

Baby and juvenile dragons should not be kept on sand at all. You run a high risk of the animal impacting. We really can't easily address this issue for you since you don't have the age of the reptile posted in your question. Babies should be kept on paper towels. Juveniles should be housed on paper towels, aged newspaper (2 wk. or longer), non-adhesive shelf liner, reptile carpet or slightly textured (not smooth or glazed) ceramic tiles.
http://reptilian-smiles.webs.com/CARE%20SHEET%20-%20BD.pdf

The saftest substrate for an adult dragon is ceramic tiles. They conduct heat well and are easy to clean. Purchase a few extra tiles so they can be swapped out for soiled ones which need cleaning. Tiles also prevent insects from getting under the substrate and hiding from the beardie. The place of puchase can cut tiles if you need an odd sized row to cover the floor of the habitat.

General Info.:
http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html
http://www.bio.miami.edu/ktosney/file/BD.html
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/home.html
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1796&aid=2730
http://www.beardeddragon.org/bjive/
http://www.dachiu.com/care/abeard.html
http://www.georgiabeardeddragons.com/bearded_dragon_care_information_manual.html

Good luck and enjoy your new pet.

SPORTS BRIEFS | July 25, 2010
Lucas Ray and Sam Gretler collected three hits each and Ray drove in four to runs as Eugene Pate advanced to the Rockport American Legion baseball regional championship game with a 17-3 victory over Floyds Knobs on Saturday.

Thanks for visiting!