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Old 04-28-2011, 04:47 AM   #2526
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Seeing this guy working out without his shirt... and then seeing him do a egg and spoon race!

http://thebiggestloser.com.au/commando-biography.htm
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Old 04-28-2011, 05:43 AM   #2527
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spending the whole day pulling apart someone's organs apart. its funny how we've gotten so used to this, i look around the room and i see my course mates laughing while holding a spleen in there hands, others are playing catch with a kidney, while i eat my sandwitch while looking for the inguinal canal. is it normal for people to get so accustomed to death?
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Old 04-28-2011, 10:10 AM   #2528
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I'd be really worried if you weren't getting accustomed to it in that kind of environment.
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Old 04-28-2011, 10:59 AM   #2529
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So, while this seems like another case of "a lot of people with too much time on their hands", it still makes me happy to learn that they are producing a Klingon version of Monopoly!
Monopoly: Klingon Collector’s Edition – which will be available later this year from USAopoly – features a bi-lingual game board, with six collectible tokens, and 22 planets and territories ready to be conquered by the Klingons. And pretty much everything has been given a Klingon spin: Boardwalk is Kronos, Park Place is Khitomer, Green properties are Boreth, Ty’Gokor and Krios Prime, and so on. Community Chest is now Combat, Chance is now Honor and if you land on what used to be Luxury Tax, you lose a battle to Starfleet. Oh, and houses are renamed Outposts, while hotels are now Capitals. Game play, of course, will resemble that of the traditional Monopoly, and there will also be a 60-minute speed-play option.
So, yep ... that amuses me greatly.
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Old 04-28-2011, 11:23 AM   #2530
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Originally Posted by obfuscate06 View Post
spending the whole day pulling apart someone's organs apart. its funny how we've gotten so used to this, i look around the room and i see my course mates laughing while holding a spleen in there hands, others are playing catch with a kidney, while i eat my sandwitch while looking for the inguinal canal. is it normal for people to get so accustomed to death?
Yet another awesome reason to donate one's body to science.
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Old 04-28-2011, 12:48 PM   #2531
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i like the new monopoly idea, so in this version u dont buy houses (capitals), u conquor them? i cant wait to see how that works. ya, its a good idea to donate one's body, its kinda funny that a lot of pipo are dying cause organs for transplants are unavailable, yet millions of pipo with valuable organs die everyday, yet we cant use them because of 'ethics' our humanity. ya, it wudnt be right to to take an organ from someone who didnt donate before they died, but such issues make me wonder what it means to be human, wud we become beasts if we had no rules to guide us.
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Old 04-28-2011, 01:00 PM   #2532
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Reading obfuscate's posts just now.
Getting to know an acquaintance better over lunch with a couple other friends.
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Old 04-29-2011, 05:34 PM   #2533
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Quote:
The most reliable sailor is one who never learned to swim.
I just picked up A. Whitney Brown's collection of essays "The Big Picture: An American Commentary" (copyright 1991) used from Amazon for less than $3. I was tickled to get it at that price (while getting free shipping due to my total qualifying purchase being over $25.)

Quote:
The Bible says, "The truth shall make you free." But let's not forget it was Spiro Agnew who said that a good lie will keep you out of jail in the first place.
Now there are some challenges with reading a book of political commentary from two decades ago, but it's still an entertaining read and the humor survives pretty well in tact. And there's a bit of wisdom here and there that stands tall and proud.

Quote:
One of the greatest of American dreamers was Martin Luther King. His dream was that "my four little children will one day live in a nation where they are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

It was an American Dream and it inspired the world. Even I have a dream. In my dream, I go to a job interview, but I'm not wearing any pants. Obviously, you can't base a national policy on it.

But it does go to show that not all men are created equal. Some men have greater dreams than others. Americans have always had big dreams. What makes us Americans is that the few among us with great dreams have the freedom to make them come true. It's something worth believing in.
So starting this book is what has made my day. I love the fact that his solution to the world's economic problems involves ten pesos and a chain letter.
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Old 04-29-2011, 07:55 PM   #2534
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Got a The Cramps shirt, and My Neighbor Totoro movie (odd two items to get in the same day I suppose). Also enjoying my new pet betta Yai, he loves the nice tank he has to swim around in as opposed to the little cup he had at the pet store.
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Old 04-29-2011, 08:11 PM   #2535
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Yay for the liberation of Yai!
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Old 04-30-2011, 07:41 AM   #2536
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My last few days have been made, and remade by going to, and then reliving the Deftones show over and over again in my head.
Unnnghhhhhhhhhhhh.
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Old 04-30-2011, 09:26 AM   #2537
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Originally Posted by Mariner View Post
Also enjoying my new pet betta Yai, he loves the nice tank he has to swim around in as opposed to the little cup he had at the pet store.
As an aquatic enthusiast and exprienced betta keeper ( the signature pic is somewhat of a giveaway ) I seriously can't help myself but to ask how large this tank is, and does it have a filter and heater?
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Old 04-30-2011, 03:42 PM   #2538
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As an aquatic enthusiast and exprienced betta keeper ( the signature pic is somewhat of a giveaway ) I seriously can't help myself but to ask how large this tank is, and does it have a filter and heater?
It's 2.5 gallons, and it has a heater, but no filter. But, betta don't need filters if water changes are done twice a week because they breathe water from the surface...or at least, so I've found from the research I've done. Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Old 04-30-2011, 05:09 PM   #2539
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First of all, You are indescribably wrong. Never ever take the first few research sites you read as gospel, and for the love of god don't ask a breeder. The way they keep their fish is absolutely disgusting and cruel. It's also been touted as normal throughout most of the US.

First off, I'll show you what a bettas wild habitat looks like . I'm showing you this because it will demonstrate that bettas do not and never have lived 24/7 in a small puddle of water.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...1t:429,r:2,s:0


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...iw=800&bih=403

Does that look like a few gallons to you?

No. It's thousands of gallons of knee deep heavily vegetated water.

It's a popular myth, particularly in the US, that bettas are fine in very small quantities of water because in the DRY SEASON ( note the words dry, and season neither of which denote the presence of large bodies of water for long periods of time ) bettas can survive in small muddy puddles.

( I have joined my fair share of US populated betta forums to see if this is a widespread opinion and horrifically it is )

Now that is pefectly true, they can survive. If the puddle is big enough not to dry up completely ,or they are lucky enough to be able to flip to a nearby puddle when theirs becomes intolerable. But thousands don't get that lucky. Thousands upon thousands die in their mudpuddles because the levels of oxygen grew too low and their labyrinth organ simply couldn't deal with it.



Survival is just that. A fight for life in hard times. There is no logical reason to recreate this in a glass box unless you are some sort of sadist.

You are not entirely to blame, as you have been fed incorrect information and popular myth.

2.5 gallons is NOWHERE NEAR enough water for that species to live in permanently. It is really, seriously NOT that much better than a Walmart cup.

The reason for this, is he hasn't got anywhere near enough space to swim. 2.5 gallons is a tiny amount of water, and these fish DO like to swim regardless of however much people who keep them incorectly will have you believe.

5 gallons is the absolute bare minimum, 10 is better, more than that is better still.


Not only is swimming space the issue with 2.5 gallons, water quality is THE most important thing about keeping any species of fish. You don't keep fish. You keep water, and the fish are a nice benefit.

The fact you think doing a couple of water changes a week on a pot of death shows you clearly know nothing about the nitrogen cycle, and why you NEED a filter. Not just to make pretty bubbles but to keep your fish alive.



Read and comprehend:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/g...al_pagesid=102

Where on earth did you get the info that because they can breathe atmospheric air, bettas for some reason don't need filtration to keep the water free of toxins, and effectively stop them from living in their own shit and piss?

Do you honestly believe that breathing air would make bettas magically able to resist disease from water pollution?

Seriously I would actually like to know where this info is coming from because whoever is spreading that needs shutting down asap.


Filters clean your water. The fish shits and pisses in the same water it's living and breathing in. Two water changes a week on a tank as tiny and insufficient as yours is nowhere near enough.

Also, air is added to the aquarium through surface agitation.

Even on a five gallon filtered tank you will need to do one 50% water change per week.



Basically your entire setup is completely wrong and will end up killing your fish far short of it's lifespan. Did the places you've been getting your info say that the avergae lifespan is 1-2 years? Because that's also wrong. When kept correctly bettas can easily live for five years. All of mine have so far.

You will require the following:

A FIVE gallon tank or larger ( second hand is vastly cheaper, and yes, you do have room for five gallons, everyone does )

[b]A sponge filterB] ( and airpump to run it ) these are safest for bettas as they have a low flow output and won't suck the fins in and trap them as a power filter would . If you can't get one of those, then a small internal cannister filter will be fine, as long as you ziptie some fine plastic mesh over the intake grills, and use a spray bar attachment for the outflow nozzle.

You already have the heater, this should be set at 27 degrees C.

Plants. NOT plastic. Plastic plants very often have sharp edges that will catch on and tear the bettas long fins. leaving the fish wide open to infection.

Use silk plants or live ones. Live are best.

These fish come from waters which are heavily vegetated. The common phrase often touted is that these fish don't like large spaces. It's WRONG. What they actually don't like is OPEN spaces.

The disliking large spaces thing is basically desigend to encourage people to buy up small gimmick tanks which cannot keep anything alive.

You ( as in people in general ) buy a small tank, your fish endures it's 1-2 years of misery, it dies. You think that's perfectly normal ,and that you've done everything fine and go and buy another, and the cycle repeats itself. You're feeding a money making machine and torturing something that can't even run away.




If you really want to keep this fish healthy and give it a decent existance, then PLEASE read what I've written and put it into practice.

I am more than happy to help you help that fish and keep it correctly. Keeping fish is a surprisingly addictive past-time, and when it's done right it's really rewarding to see them all living healthy lives in a well kept tank.


I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have about setting up a tank correctly and keeping a betta. I've kept fish for near on 20 years now.
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Old 04-30-2011, 05:22 PM   #2540
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Old 04-30-2011, 06:32 PM   #2541
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Quote:
Originally Posted by honeythorn View Post
First of all, You are indescribably wrong. Never ever take the first few research sites you read as gospel, and for the love of god don't ask a breeder. The way they keep their fish is absolutely disgusting and cruel. It's also been touted as normal throughout most of the US.

First off, I'll show you what a bettas wild habitat looks like . I'm showing you this because it will demonstrate that bettas do not and never have lived 24/7 in a small puddle of water.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...1t:429,r:2,s:0


http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...iw=800&bih=403

Does that look like a few gallons to you?

No. It's thousands of gallons of knee deep heavily vegetated water.

It's a popular myth, particularly in the US, that bettas are fine in very small quantities of water because in the DRY SEASON ( note the words dry, and season neither of which denote the presence of large bodies of water for long periods of time ) bettas can survive in small muddy puddles.

( I have joined my fair share of US populated betta forums to see if this is a widespread opinion and horrifically it is )

Now that is pefectly true, they can survive. If the puddle is big enough not to dry up completely ,or they are lucky enough to be able to flip to a nearby puddle when theirs becomes intolerable. But thousands don't get that lucky. Thousands upon thousands die in their mudpuddles because the levels of oxygen grew too low and their labyrinth organ simply couldn't deal with it.



Survival is just that. A fight for life in hard times. There is no logical reason to recreate this in a glass box unless you are some sort of sadist.

You are not entirely to blame, as you have been fed incorrect information and popular myth.

2.5 gallons is NOWHERE NEAR enough water for that species to live in permanently. It is really, seriously NOT that much better than a Walmart cup.

The reason for this, is he hasn't got anywhere near enough space to swim. 2.5 gallons is a tiny amount of water, and these fish DO like to swim regardless of however much people who keep them incorectly will have you believe.

5 gallons is the absolute bare minimum, 10 is better, more than that is better still.


Not only is swimming space the issue with 2.5 gallons, water quality is THE most important thing about keeping any species of fish. You don't keep fish. You keep water, and the fish are a nice benefit.

The fact you think doing a couple of water changes a week on a pot of death shows you clearly know nothing about the nitrogen cycle, and why you NEED a filter. Not just to make pretty bubbles but to keep your fish alive.



Read and comprehend:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/g...al_pagesid=102

Where on earth did you get the info that because they can breathe atmospheric air, bettas for some reason don't need filtration to keep the water free of toxins, and effectively stop them from living in their own shit and piss?

Do you honestly believe that breathing air would make bettas magically able to resist disease from water pollution?

Seriously I would actually like to know where this info is coming from because whoever is spreading that needs shutting down asap.


Filters clean your water. The fish shits and pisses in the same water it's living and breathing in. Two water changes a week on a tank as tiny and insufficient as yours is nowhere near enough.

Also, air is added to the aquarium through surface agitation.

Even on a five gallon filtered tank you will need to do one 50% water change per week.



Basically your entire setup is completely wrong and will end up killing your fish far short of it's lifespan. Did the places you've been getting your info say that the avergae lifespan is 1-2 years? Because that's also wrong. When kept correctly bettas can easily live for five years. All of mine have so far.

You will require the following:

A FIVE gallon tank or larger ( second hand is vastly cheaper, and yes, you do have room for five gallons, everyone does )

[b]A sponge filterB] ( and airpump to run it ) these are safest for bettas as they have a low flow output and won't suck the fins in and trap them as a power filter would . If you can't get one of those, then a small internal cannister filter will be fine, as long as you ziptie some fine plastic mesh over the intake grills, and use a spray bar attachment for the outflow nozzle.

You already have the heater, this should be set at 27 degrees C.

Plants. NOT plastic. Plastic plants very often have sharp edges that will catch on and tear the bettas long fins. leaving the fish wide open to infection.

Use silk plants or live ones. Live are best.

These fish come from waters which are heavily vegetated. The common phrase often touted is that these fish don't like large spaces. It's WRONG. What they actually don't like is OPEN spaces.

The disliking large spaces thing is basically desigend to encourage people to buy up small gimmick tanks which cannot keep anything alive.

You ( as in people in general ) buy a small tank, your fish endures it's 1-2 years of misery, it dies. You think that's perfectly normal ,and that you've done everything fine and go and buy another, and the cycle repeats itself. You're feeding a money making machine and torturing something that can't even run away.




If you really want to keep this fish healthy and give it a decent existance, then PLEASE read what I've written and put it into practice.

I am more than happy to help you help that fish and keep it correctly. Keeping fish is a surprisingly addictive past-time, and when it's done right it's really rewarding to see them all living healthy lives in a well kept tank.


I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have about setting up a tank correctly and keeping a betta. I've kept fish for near on 20 years now.
I don't think you intended to, at least I hope you didn't, to word that as...an almost personal attack. It's not as though I set out with intent to kill the poor fish...I really was trying to find good information on caring for my betta...however, apparently I didn't. I can't make these changes to my tank set-up right away, however, I will as soon as I can. Thank you for the help, and considering your experience, I will certainly message you with any questions about my betta in the future.
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Old 04-30-2011, 06:40 PM   #2542
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Alright, so I went back over your post...and it isn't quite so much like a "personal attack" as I thought when I first read it...I think I took your concern for anger. Anyway, thank you again for the help.
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Old 04-30-2011, 06:48 PM   #2543
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Old 04-30-2011, 09:41 PM   #2544
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Old 05-01-2011, 05:58 AM   #2545
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No Mariner, it wasn't a prsonal attack, but I do get indescribably frustrated to the point where it gives me headaches when I read posts like yours. As I said, it isn't entirely your fault as you have been fed what is basically years of lies which millions of people believe .

Some of it is basic bullshit made up by companies to sell you things that don't work ( and kill your fish ) so you end up buying more when you fail, and the rest is desperate justifications by breeders and people who have kept bettas alive in tiny tanks and are absolutely convinced that because it's bigger than a cup it must be correct.

The same thing happens to goldfish. Bettas and goldfish are the two most abused species in the trade. Both intentionally and accidentally.

I do appreciate it's hard to guage which info is correct, and even forums are riddled with people like those I described above.

But certainly message me when you need help. The tank you have will serve for a while until you can get a larger one. But add another water change into your week, take 25 % each time since you won't find a decent filter to fit such a small space.
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Old 05-01-2011, 06:08 AM   #2546
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Only 25% each time? I thought they would have to be 100% water changes...
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Old 05-01-2011, 08:46 AM   #2547
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Only 25% each time? I thought they would have to be 100% water changes...
Because you don't want to change out too much of the water at any given time. Honeythorn can elaborate, but dramatic changes in temperature, ph balance and even bacteria activity can cause a fish trauma or shock. The 25% rule is good for all fish if you're working with a single tank.
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Old 05-01-2011, 09:11 AM   #2548
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Yep, correct. Too much of a swing in PH and Temperature, as well as other water borne minerals, can literally shock the fish.

Water changes are also really stressful and you should never remove the fish when you do it. Frequent hoiking in and out of the water will cause him no end of hassle and discomfort, and stress is one of the biggest causes of disease.

Whitespot is often triggered by stress. Uusally when in combination with poor water quality.

Small frequent changes will keeps things at a constant.

What you could do is 25% on a Monday, 25 on a Wednesday, and 30-50 on a saturday as a little extra.

25% on a tank as tiny as that is plenty for each change - I have one that size with live plants and shrimp in it, as shrimp is all a tank so small can support .

My main tank is 30 gallons and has a community and live plants in it. And yes, there is a betta in there . The mix of fish I have with mine is very unusual for betta tankmates) and not normally reccomended for a beginner. I know my fish really well and have several spare tanks if something did go wrong.


Once you've upgraded to a larger tank, keep the smaller one. You can use it as a spare in case something happens to the larger one ( a crack for example ) , or set it up with invertebrates like shrimp if you want to keep it running, which I have with mine. I also have spare filters and heaters in case of failure but I'm slightly pedantic like that.


While a 5 gallon tank can only support one betta and no other fish, if you are able to go larger than that, 10 gallons for example, there is a small selection of safe tankmates you could try keeping with him, depending on his personality. Ricefish, micro rasboros, normans lampeyes and dwarf cories ( not all at once ) are some good peaceful tankmates, and not too colourful, so they shouldn't be attacked by him.
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Old 05-01-2011, 12:23 PM   #2549
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Originally Posted by honeythorn View Post
Yep, correct. Too much of a swing in PH and Temperature, as well as other water borne minerals, can literally shock the fish.

Water changes are also really stressful and you should never remove the fish when you do it. Frequent hoiking in and out of the water will cause him no end of hassle and discomfort, and stress is one of the biggest causes of disease.

Whitespot is often triggered by stress. Uusally when in combination with poor water quality.

Small frequent changes will keeps things at a constant.

What you could do is 25% on a Monday, 25 on a Wednesday, and 30-50 on a saturday as a little extra.

25% on a tank as tiny as that is plenty for each change - I have one that size with live plants and shrimp in it, as shrimp is all a tank so small can support .

My main tank is 30 gallons and has a community and live plants in it. And yes, there is a betta in there . The mix of fish I have with mine is very unusual for betta tankmates) and not normally reccomended for a beginner. I know my fish really well and have several spare tanks if something did go wrong.


Once you've upgraded to a larger tank, keep the smaller one. You can use it as a spare in case something happens to the larger one ( a crack for example ) , or set it up with invertebrates like shrimp if you want to keep it running, which I have with mine. I also have spare filters and heaters in case of failure but I'm slightly pedantic like that.


While a 5 gallon tank can only support one betta and no other fish, if you are able to go larger than that, 10 gallons for example, there is a small selection of safe tankmates you could try keeping with him, depending on his personality. Ricefish, micro rasboros, normans lampeyes and dwarf cories ( not all at once ) are some good peaceful tankmates, and not too colourful, so they shouldn't be attacked by him.
Oh, yes, that makes sense. But what about the gravel? Doesn't that need cleaned? And what is whitespot, how can that be treated if my betta has it? The conditions the betta were in at the pet store weren't good...I found the pet store with the best conditions (which isn't saying much), and picked the healthiest looking betta...but I still worry he may have gotten something during his stay there.
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Old 05-01-2011, 12:30 PM   #2550
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And thank you again honeythorn you've been very helpful...I've been having a rather difficult time with figuring out how to take good care of him...I found absolutely no books on betta at my local bookstore or my school library. My last resort has been websites that seem to be filled with, as you've pointed out to me, a wealth of bad information.
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"An orphan's curse would drag to hell
A spirit from on high ;
But oh ! more horrible than that
Is the curse in a dead man's eye !
Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse,
And yet I could not die."

-The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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