Luke W

Sorry I haven't been replying but I do appreciate all the ideas. I tripped on a stubby and fell off the bench while attaching a skyhook and stuck my hand in the bucket of sparks so I'm typing with one hand. My latest short term measure, a barricade of cardboard boxes, he ate. I'm hoping the cardboard will flush out the cellophane which he ate about 30 minutes ago.

Some info (and warnings) in this thread: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...;hl=bell+toilet

OK - I've got 30m of fishing line, 2.5kg of blue tac, one red 8 liter bucket, a pile of old newspapers, 7 VB stubbies (5 empty, 2 full), 4 skyhooks, a left handed screw driver, a welding kit and a bucket of sparks, a 1989 Oxford English dictionary, 1 chicken breast fillet and a box of thumbtacks. Oh and a motion detecting webcam. Ideas?

I'd have to setup motion detectors to fire a hidden camera!

I didn't know that!! Thanks for the tip, LukeW. Handy to know. Hhhhmmm ..... does it work for pictures that have been loaded as well? Yes, in IE7 and Firefox 3 it does. Earlier versions, only text from memory.

Hi Goldens If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel on it, you can hold down the CTRL button and turn the wheel to make text on a web page bigger and smaller. It might help a little. It works best with firefox, but also works in Internet Explorer too. If you've got a scroll wheel mouse try it! Even if you don't there are other options to make web pages easier to read. Do you have a computer nerd who could help you? Thought I'd mention it.

Damn it, I'm not going to start redecorating because of Barkly!! The baby gates were compromise enough. I won't do it. I won't do it. I won't do it Ask someone else to do it. Someone who doesn't suffer from Couch Moving Phobia (which is incurable, I believe). It's the same thing you'd do for a toddler. Like move a stool away from near a stove. I've found that managing dogs & managing toddlers are remarkably similar. The couch only fits where it is (in an aesthetically pleasing way). Maybe if I bought a new couch, I could rearrange things...and a recliner, and a big LCD TV, and a media center, and...

He'd eat the bubble wrap. The box with a brick sounds like a good idea. So I set up a trip wire and the brick falls on his head right?

I really should know this stuff shouldn't I!!! Catch-22 though. If I clear the benches, then I don't care if he climbs on them

That would be the ideal...but if he can't be trusted, then exclusion works! practice his training.. think up a booby trap without noisy tin cans.. and then re open the door. he shouldn't need 'freedom' in the house...he gets walked... and played with... and has you to sit by..... If it were my dog.. I would have a bed and kong for him in the office... and a leash to encourage him to stay there whilst you are working.... Contentment all round... and a setting down of a good rule I'm starting to come around..keep going He does spend most of his time in my office. That's where his crate, his toys and water is and it's where he gets fed. Maybe just shutting the lounge door is the best idea. A McGyver style booby trap might be a fun afternoon activity though.

I can do that - simply shut the loungeroom door - but I'd prefer he had access to the lounge and kitchen area (it's all open plan) - I want him to have as much freedom in the house as possible. Hmmm...shutting the door is the simplest option but dognamit, the irrational me wants to be able to leave the door open and not have a dog climbing on my benches.

Damn it, I'm not going to start redecorating because of Barkly!! The baby gates were compromise enough. I won't do it. I won't do it. I won't do it

Any suggestions for dealing with Barkly who's decided it's OK to use the couch as a platform to gain access to the kitchen bench (where he can walk around and have access to fruit bowl, sink, etc and steal stuff off the bench). He never jumps up while I'm in the room - but sometimes I hear him. The minute I rise from my chair in my office, he jumps down and returns to his cushion on the floor. I've thought of booby trapping the area, but trip wires and tins cans falling from the ceiling is such an effort. So....suggestions.

Cute pup!!!! Welcome to DOL!

When you buy a digital SLR you buy into a system. Over the long term, it's the lenses that count, not the first body you buy. While Pentax have some good lenses and there are decent 3rd party lenses for Pentax as well, my advice would be to stick to either Nikon or Canon. I would suggest stretching your budget just a little and get one of the Canon 1000D kits.

I don't update mine nearly enough. http://www.lukewilby.com

They look great. thanks! That's where I got my insurance replacement from. Others I've bought OS from B&H.

Try changing the in camera sharpening settings. There should be three level - Sharp, Normal, Soft. Also...the image you posted is that straight out of the camera? How do they look if you shoot full size and don't resize?

From memory there are various types of Hoya filters. Some better than others. You get what you pay for.

It sounds like the autofocus isn't able to find anything of high enough contrast to focus on. It's not unusual in very low light.

Good point Tiggy, I haven't tried squirting the liquid in yet, but if she doesn't like a small dabble on a cotton ball she is never going to let me just drop it in. I'll give that a shot too, if I can hold her down long enough to get near her ear. I thought I had earned most of her trust after a couple of months, but seems not enough for this ear cleaning business Her ears aren't totally folded over like a cocker etc, and she airs them out alot but I can see the start of wax in there (the dirt seems to come and go)... Would I still need to do them every week, or can I just torture her once a month? I've had her for 3 months now, hasn't been done and they aren't too bad.... Have no idea when/if she's ever had it done before. BTW - there's something to be said for 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'

Aren't dogs incredibly perceptive. She's read from your body language that something baaad is about to happen You could try this...taking it very, very slowly... http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEwiH8CeUE

Barkly thinks I'm stupid. If he's in the lounge room and I'm in my office, when I get up off my office chair, somtimes I hear him jump off the couch. By the time I get to the lounge he's sitting on his cushion on the floor looking at me, wagging his tail all innocent like.

I joined the waiting list in June 2008 and was told at the time it was 12mo long.

They do help protect lenses. Yes, it will affect quality to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the quality of the filter. Most people who use filters to protect will use a UV filter. Why does it effect quality? Because no filter is lets light though without any impact whatsoever. Many would say that with a decent UV filter, you won't notice a difference in quality.