When I looked into switching to a better food several years ago the links on the Tails of the Tundra Siberian rescue website had some great info. I've included a link below. *********************************************************** Also, on a different forum I came across a "food grading system". . Its a method of analyzing the ingredients of the food you feed and determining whether its a high quality/healthy kibble. You will need your kibble's list of ingredients, as found on the bag (or oftentimes their website). Please note, however, this is for ingredients ONLY.... so before feeding a pup be sure to look at the protein and fat and calcium and calories in the Guaranteed Analysis. Start with a grade of 100: For every listing of "by-product", subtract 15 points For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points If there are no specific meats or meat meals, subtract 25 points For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, or grain "middlings", subtract 10 points If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 15 points If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewers rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points for each occurrence If the protein sources are not (specific) meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 5 points If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points (subtract 5 if corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 3 points If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 5 points If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isnÂt allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isnÂt allergic to beef), subtract 1 point If it contains salt, subtract 3 points If it contains corn syrup, molasses, or other added sweetener, subtract 10 points Extra Credit: For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "turkey" as 2 different sources - do not count egg, cheese, or other similar ingredients), add 1 point If the food contains 3 or less different mentions of grains (or other high-carb plant-based foods like potatoes), add 5 points If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points (if the number 1 ingredient is organic meat, add 10 points) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 3 points If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points If the food contains fruit or vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point If the food contains barley or oats or oatmeal, add 1 point If it contains sunflower, hemp, flaxseed, or other polyunsaturated vegetable oils, add 3 points (add 5 if it is the #1 fat) If the vitamin and mineral sources are chelated, add 5 points 94-100+ = A 86-93 = B 78-85 = C 70-77 = D **************************************************** If this info helps even one person find a better quality food then it was worth the time I spent digging it up again.

I bought a older Kubota b2100 a couple of months back. I mainly picked it because I did not want to pay an arm and a leg for a 4 wheel drive with a front end loaded. I wanted hydrostatic drive, power steering, FEL, Box blade and a small brush hog, but the tractor came with a finish mower instead. I also have my step dad's Massey Ferguson 240 with only 2 wheel drive. Both tractors are old, and both do what they are designed to do. I have put about 50 hours on the Kubota and much less on the Massey since I bought the Kubota. The Kubota is my "go to" tractor for most jobs, but it is too small and under powered for heavier work. The hydrostatic drive is very nice for close tight work, but not as fuel efficient. As far as work being done I get more bang for the buck with the Massey, but the added weight and ag tires scars up my lawn. The Kubota is so light that it has to be in 4 wheel drive much more than I want to run it that way. I will have to go along with what busy1 said, if I had not found a used tractor the Mahindra was high on my list.

Hi no-green-thumb, Sorry it took me so long to see this post but you got some really good advice AND it seems like you are doing all of the right things for your bone health. I've known I had osteopenia since I was 55 (six years ago)(I'm very thin framed and a good candidate for osteoporosis) and was able to maintain, and in fact, increase my bone density ever so slightly through weight training, calcium, lots of Vitamin D. I also use Centrum Silver. After my total hysterectomy at 58, my bone density really decreased a lot within one year (no HRT because of breast cancer family history, but I increased my Vitamin D and Calcium and concentrated more on my weight training in the area where I had the bone loss. I just had a bone density test and it shows no further decrease, and again, a teeny increase. Today my doctor told me that if I hadn't worked out as much as I did or take the supplements, she really thinks I'd have osteoporosis. I know for certain exercise has kept my cholesterol levels unbelievably good since we have a family history of heart disease and my numbers are great....I also feel really, really good when I exercise (well, not during the exercise...but definitely after.) I am so glad you didn't take your doctor's advice about the Reclast, especially since you're borderline osteopenia. I bet the Vitamin D and calcium and the strength training you're doing will be much more beneficial with no side affects!

I opened a Facebook account right before I went to Oxford in 2009. I wanted a way to upload photos to something other thn photobucket (which i just hate to use, hadnt found smugmug yet) and be able to communicate with my immediate family. I started getting friend requests from people I knew and accepted them--- and soon I had about 75 people looking at my photos, remarking, innundating me with absurd and often untrue details about their personal life. Well.... Lets just say there are very few people I want to know that well, and I defriended all but the original seven. I haven't put anything on it (status changes) except pictures of trips because it is easier for a few of them to view them on fb than another site. Mainly because fb comes to them--- extraordinarily passive way of living ones life, among other things. I see many older people who use fb to try to project a public life that is painfully at odds with what is actually happening. I see younger people who can't go out and have a good time unless they have pictures on Facebook to prove they did. There's a tremendous amount of over sharing, it's sort of like a conversation between two people who are not listening to the other because they're so busy planning what to say next. I don't think that fb is evil, or necessarily stupid, but it can rob you of any vestige of privacy, a commodity that, once lost is difficult to reestablish. Several years ago our family went to Miami beach for Thanksgiving and unbeknownst to me I was logged into fb. It announced what hotel I was staying at, and I got comments from people about their experiences at it ! This was during a time when they changed the terms of their agreement with account holders and required an active opt out. Even with that there were problems, and after a hue and cry they expanded personal control of the accounts. I think twitter is a complete waste of time and an incredible conceit that anyone would actually think his/her tweets are worth "following." I turned 57 a few days ago and somewhere along the line seem to have become a curmudgeon!