Putting goldfish in a bowl started out in asia where goldfish keeping first started. When company was expected they took their fish out of ponds and put them in bowls for the day so visitors can admire their prized fish, then returned them at night. Europeans who were knew to goldfish but interested in keeping them saw this and thought it was the norm. With the language barrier they didn't bother to get thorough directions on their care. This started the bad practice of keeping them in bowls. If kept in bowls or anything less than 15-30 gallons per fish depending on size stunts their growth. This doesn't mean a small fish, this means their organs are crammed into a body too small for them as the organs keep growing. It causes them to be sickly the rest of their lives as their immune system was compromised for too long a time. I have one goldfish the one that actually lived through my bad fish keeping days, due to my naivety of small tanks too little filtration, not enough water changes, once I started taking care of it right, always seemmed to have ich, turns out they were sores. Its body could not handle bacteria in the gravel as my other goldies kept in the right condition from day one, and if I do any less than near 100% water change every week the same thing. A 15 gallon tank couldn't cost more than $20 @ petco, you could prob find one for free if he were to use craigslist free section or join freecycle, which he won't do, maybe you can help him with this? Filtration needs to be 10x the amount of gallons, so if he gets a 10g, which is the bare minimum for 1 goldie, he needs a 100gph filter which costs about $15 at petco. Without a cycled filter he needs to do large, atleast 50% daily water changes or the fish WILL die. Fancy goldfish can't take as much of a beating as commons or comets. Salt will help with its fins and over all health but if there is an ammonia level in the tank it could be deadly. Here is a link about filtration: http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=aquariumfilter Here is a link about cycling your tank: http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3-cycling-of-the-tank/ Here is a good link for over all golfish care: http://www.flippersandfins.net/goldfishfaq.htm The only thing I would change about it is that goldies should eat 3 very small meals a day and that they can be petted just very lightly, for a short period, and not very often.

hum, interesting we have a free checking account with them because we have direct deposit, if we stop that, i wonder if the fees would start to pile up and we'd wind up oweing them a ton of money and they'd ruin our credit over it but none the less, i'd love to screw with them like that acutally, we've had several "run ins" with them over crap like that, and it was just the last straw, we've banked with them for 12 years, only three times in 12 years have we bounced checks, and once, was not our fault, it was theirs, and i have the letter to prove it, and they wouldn't give us a lousy 10K loan to buy property its just been alot of stuff like, when we moved, we changed our address with them, and there again, i have an e-mail with proof that they changed it, but all of a sudden, we started having stuff get kicked back and the merchants would say "your billing address doesn't match" and when we called the bank they said "we don't know what happened" even when i send them a copy of the e-mail confirming our change of address they had no explination at all, just an "oh well, we're sorry" and over the years, we've ran into lots of folks that have either been with them and left, or heard bad things about them and choose not to bank with them i just kept tellin daniel, "we've been with them for along time, we've got a whole box of checks, all our bills are online payments, lets just ride it out" but after this, even i was willing to close the account tesa

I have posted this picture before as a cautionary tale. That is the compression bandage the doc had to put on my finger to try to staunch the bleeding so he could see exactly what I had done to myself. If it looks a little odd, it is because it was done at his home instead of his office. He's a neighbor and it was late on a Saturday afternoon. Yes, I thought I didn't need the guard and I could just be really really careful. Thanks for the glove link. I want one for my mandoline...to use in addition to the guard.

Went through the same thing with my DH daugther. but she was 6 or 7ish at the time. Its understandable. She feels now she is competeing with you and is expressing it like a 13 year old. Dont let it bother you. Always keep open communication with her and your bf. Dotn think too far like having kids now. Keep dating and live together , take it one day at a time. More important. You and your Bf have to be on the same page and stick to your relationship. His daughter does not dictate your time or how you date your bf. You are the adult.You are in control with your BF. Let him speak to his daughter, let him keep at it with her. You keep your cool and at her age, the teen years she is also going through alot of emotions. Give her space and give her time. If she acts out during vacation let her father deal with it. Dont let it get you down. When she acts like a baby, then leave her with her dad to deal with and you get out and enjoy yourself. You make sure you show her that her behaviour is not nice and that it wont get your down. She wants to behalf nasty then she will have to deal with the consequences. My SD doesn have text messaging and i wouldn't accept it either between me and her. Just gives her power and i do not let her have any since now adays she is being rude. She's a teen:) Thats how they are. Deosnt matter if they are biokids or stepkids or adopted kids...its the age! But it doesn't mean you have to put up with it. Stand your ground and you keep telling her how you feel. BUT if she gets a rise out of you being hurt then you ignore her tactics and say its a wonderful day and your are soooo happy. :) There will be many games , and many ups and downs..i'm sure she does like you . She just needs to adjust and really understand that she doesn't have to be threatened by you. This is what it is. She feels that now that her dad has someone, he wont be as close with her even though the times of seeing her haven't changed. Over time you will prove yourself with your actions and words. Be friends but if she resists..don't force it. you can only be friends with her...not her mother. So if she doesn't want to be friends with you..its ok. I told my SD...if she doesn't want to be friends that's fine with me. I have alot of friends. But you be respectful towards antoher human being..if not..the door is there. Swing both ways..I dont care who you are related to.