﻿<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><channel><title>Reptiles Magazine Community / Community Forums / Announcements </title><generator>InstantForum.NET v4.1.2</generator><description>Reptiles Magazine Community</description><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/</link><webMaster>forums@bowtieinc.com</webMaster><lastBuildDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:39:08 GMT</lastBuildDate><ttl>20</ttl><item><title>Shout Out</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic92455-14-1.aspx</link><description>Incase you haven't read my introduction, my name is Jason Beggs.  I am not new to the awesome world that is reptiles.  I have and do own a few of my own.  I am 18 years old and live at home still as I attend school.  I have always had a passion for animals and reptiles have always been my fancy.  It has always been my dream to be a part of this world of wonder and help fuel it!  I have always wanted to breed reptiles: 1 because it is so rewarding and 2 it seems to make a healthy living, especially for someone like me working only part time at a restaurant.  &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;A few of my best friends and I have this very unique opportunity ahead of us to possibly begin our own business in the industry of animal breeding and if at all possible we want to take it and make it work.  We are looking to be an all around breeding source of multiple kinds of animals including reptiles.  I have experience from amongst the people partnering in this effort and as such I am taking it upon myself as my area of expertise.  I have a few questions to those of you out there who share this passion and desire; questions that may make or break our desired industry:&lt;/P&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;LI&gt;One thing that I am concerned about is my lack in breeding experience.  I have plenty of experience with housing and husbandry of reptiles, but none in the area of the one that interests me most:  Breeding.  As such it would be great if someone could give me a hand in figuring out how to start.  I know basics and I have read many articles and caretaking references in the breeding and incubation of reptiles, but like I said I do not have any personal experience.  Everyone has to start somewhere though, right?&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;LI&gt;Another thing that concerns me is this; there are so many species of reptiles out there.  What is highest in demand and can make the most in the long run, because I want to see this through and do it right, but in order to be able to do that I have to make sure I have what people are going to want.  No profit means no future for my dreams.&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;LI&gt; I have heard much back and forth info on which is easier to breed snakes or lizards.  I intend on doing both, but I do not want to get in over my head, so if anyone can tell me things to steer clear of until I have the experiece to make a go at it would be greatly appreciated.&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;LI&gt;If there are any breeders out there reading this I would also like to possibly have a way of contacting you.  E-mail, cell phone numbers, etc.  I just want to get to know people and see how the pros do it, because when you are dealing with animals you are dealing with lives and I don't want to end up causing harm in any way.&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;LI&gt;Also, I am attending the Richmond Reptile EXPO this sunday, March 29, 2009.  If anyone with interest to aid my friends and I will be attending this show as well, please let me know and I will be happy to meet face to face to talk about things and so on and so forth.  &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;P&gt;My email address is &lt;A href="mailto:nahras_ark@yahoo.com"&gt;nahras_ark@yahoo.com&lt;/A&gt;, so please do not hesitate to write me.  I am always interested in meeting new people especially when I know they share my interests  &lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/BigGrin.gif" border="0" title="BigGrin"&gt;  Thank you all for your time and consideration!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;-Jason</description><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:11:21 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>TheArk510</dc:creator></item><item><title>HR 2811</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic105731-14-1.aspx</link><description>Here are the testimonies. Please read. Click on the people's names on the right side for individual testimony. Read both sides. It's very important to know where the opposition stands:&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_091105_1.html"&gt;http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/hear_091105_1.html&lt;/A&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:00:15 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Reptile Awareness Day</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic104565-14-1.aspx</link><description>&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-awareness-day.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-awareness-day.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:36:28 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>ReptileChannel.com Thanks Everyone</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic103783-14-1.aspx</link><description>ReptileChannel.com Wins “Rocket” Award&lt;BR&gt;ReptileChannel.com wins award for being one of the top ten fastest-growing online publisher communities.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;U&gt;&lt;FONT color=#810081&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-news/2009/10/14/rocket-award-top-ten-fastest-growing-online-publisher-communities.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-news/2009/10/14/rocket-award-top-ten-fastest-growing-online-publisher-communities.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Thanks Everyone!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:23:01 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Warning</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic103267-14-1.aspx</link><description>A few of you have broken the rules too many times now. Shape up, or you will be temporarily banned. Consider this your warning.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Why? Worry about what YOU do and not what OTHERS do. That's why CM and I are here. To worry about what others do.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:40:15 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Photo Contest</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic95856-14-1.aspx</link><description>We've only received a few entries for the photo contest. Do you guys not like this, should we not bother?&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic95641-14-1.aspx"&gt;http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic95641-14-1.aspx&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:49:52 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Another ban on ALL PYTHONS nation wide!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic97913-14-1.aspx</link><description>HR2811 if passed would Ban ALL Pythons Nationwide. Please Pass this on and call monday 7/27/09Share&lt;br&gt;Today at 7:52pm&lt;br&gt;There seems to be some confusion in the Reptile Nation about what is going on here. HR2811 if passed would Ban ALL Pythons Nationwide. This is NOT a Florida bill. It is in the US House of Representatives. This is NOT about Burmese Pythons. IT IS ABOUT ALL PYTHONS!... from Ball Pythons on up... ALL PYTHONS!!! If HR2811 passes the House and Senate as written, the trade in ALL PYTHONS IS OVER!!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Our only chance is to get the bill amended. It is going to get voted on in subcommittee on Tuesday and the full House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. If we are unable to get it amended it will include ALL PYTHONS!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;USARK is calling on the entire Reptile nation to turn out for a MASSIVE calling day tomorrow, Monday July 27, 2009!!! If we fail, the ability to work with ANY Python will be devastated. Don't let this happen. We owe it to our children and future generations to be able to enjoy these animals! This is the most fantastic hobby and profession there is. DO NOT LET IT DIE!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Phone &amp; Fax Campaign July 27, 2009: This is not a full list of the House Judiciary Committee. We will focus only on key members.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;SCRIPT: My name is...... I want to register a NO on HR2811. If passed as written this bill will destroy thousands of families and small businesses. There is not a shred of scientific evidence to support banning all of the different species in the genus python. Not all pythons are the same. There are many different species. Please amend the bill to address only the IMPORT of the Burmese Python. Thank you for your consideration.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Sponsor and Key Members:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-FL), Sponsor&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-4506; fax 202-226-0777&lt;br&gt;Miami: phone 305-690-5905; fax 305-690-5951&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-5792; fax 202-225-3132&lt;br&gt;Punta Gorda: phone 941-575-9101; fax 941-575-9103&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-3001; fax 202-225-5974&lt;br&gt;Boca Raton: phone 561-988-6302; fax 561-988-6423&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-7931; fax 202-226-2052&lt;br&gt;Pembroke Pines: phone 954-437-3936; fax 954-437-4776&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) Committee Chair&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-5126; fax 202-225-0072&lt;br&gt;Detroit: phone 313-961-5670; fax 313-226-2085&lt;br&gt;EMAIL: john.conyers@mail.house.gov&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) Ranking Member&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-4236; fax 202-225-8628&lt;br&gt;San Antonio: phone 210-821-5024; fax 210-821-5947&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Howard L. Berman (D-CA)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-4695; fax 202-225-3196&lt;br&gt;Van Nuys: phone 818-994-7200; fax 818-994-1050&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Rick Boucher (D-VA)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-3861; fax 202-225-0442&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-3065; fax 202-225-8611&lt;br&gt;Greensboro: phone 336-333-5005; fax: 336-333-5048&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Randy Forbes (R-VA)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-6365; fax 202-226-1170&lt;br&gt;Chesapeake: 757-382-0080; fax 757-382-0780&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-4576; fax: 202-225-6328 &lt;br&gt;Glendale: phone 623-776-7911; fax: 623-776-7832&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-5811; fax 202-225-1100&lt;br&gt;Thousand Oaks: phone 805-497-2224; Toll Free: (800) 423-0023; fax 805-497-0039&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)&lt;br&gt;Washington DC: phone 202-225-5635&lt;br&gt;New York: phone 212-367-7350&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;CALL, CALL, CALL!!! Our Future Depends On It! Make an avalanche of calls and bury HR2811!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Click here to donate $10 with dollar for dollar matching from Zoo Med&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;http://usark.org/donate.php&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;THIS MUST BE BIG!!! SPREAD THE WORD FOR MONDAY July 27th 2009!!!!!!</description><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:44:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sinkarnate</dc:creator></item><item><title>Python Large Snake Ban</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic96547-14-1.aspx</link><description>Should Florida ban pythons and other exotic snakes? &lt;STRONG&gt;Deadline&lt;/STRONG&gt; is 5 pm EDT today!&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-poll-ban-pythons-snakes-070209,0,3104551.poll"&gt;Click here to vote&lt;/A&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:40:42 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Reptile Ringtones</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic95459-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hi Everyone,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;We now have a section where you can upload your favorite herp noise and we'll turn it into a reptile ringtone for everyone to enjoy. So upload your best sounds!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-fun/reptile-ringtone-submit.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-fun/reptile-ringtone-submit.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Thanks,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:20:22 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Creature Caption Contest</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic96387-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hi,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;We have a new reptile Creature Caption Contest on ReptileChannel. Make sure to check it out and submit your best caption for your chance at reward points. You can also submit photos for a chance at reward points.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-contests/creature-caption.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-contests/creature-caption.aspx&lt;/A&gt; &lt;A href="http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-contests/caption-contest.aspx"&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:12:52 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Photo Contest</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic95641-14-1.aspx</link><description>&lt;TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"&gt;&lt;TBODY&gt;&lt;TR&gt;&lt;TD class=smalltxt vAlign=top&gt;&lt;P&gt;Here's your chance to show off all of your herp knowledge. We've posted five pictures for you to identify. You use all the knowledge you've gained over time and try to identify the pictures. We've supplied the photos, now you supply the answers. Check out the rules below and send in those answers!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Rules:&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;One winner will receive 500 &lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/club-reptile/club-reptile.aspx"&gt;Club Reptile&lt;/A&gt; reward points.&lt;BR&gt;The winner will be the person who gets the most correct answers.&lt;BR&gt;If there are multiple people with the same number of answers correct, then we will do a raffle of those participants to decide the winner.&lt;BR&gt;Be as specific as possible, you should give a common and scientific name for the herp.&lt;BR&gt;Only one entry per person. &lt;BR&gt;Only entries sent to the proper email will be considered. &lt;A href="mailto:reptileeditor@reptilechannel.com"&gt;reptileeditor@reptilechannel.com&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;DEADLINE: 6/22 by 12 p.m. EDT&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TBODY&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;img onload = "resizeThis(this)" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Uploads/Images/bc3ca163-247a-44b7-ab5b-c52f.jpg"&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;img onload = "resizeThis(this)" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Uploads/Images/3a21f660-51cb-4a73-bc9c-b2a1.jpg"&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;img onload = "resizeThis(this)" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Uploads/Images/dd438802-fca2-4c83-a2fd-9c91.jpg"&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;img onload = "resizeThis(this)" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Uploads/Images/81012c90-4732-4028-983f-79d4.jpg"&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;img onload = "resizeThis(this)" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Uploads/Images/943193c0-8177-4c4d-afa8-90c4.jpg"&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Send entries to &lt;A href="mailto:reptileeditor@reptilechannel.com"&gt;reptileeditor@reptilechannel.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Good Luck!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:50:40 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>New Snake Game</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic95855-14-1.aspx</link><description>We have a new game up on ReptileChannel. Try out the snake game and see if you can get the high score!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-fun/reptile-games/snake-game.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-fun/reptile-games/snake-game.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:47:18 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Jigsaw Puzzles</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic94653-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hi,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;If you don't know about the jigsaw puzzles yet, make sure you check them out. Just want to make sure you all know about them because they are fun!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-fun/reptile-games/jigsaw-puzzle.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-fun/reptile-games/jigsaw-puzzle.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2009 12:15:21 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>STAND UP FOR OUR PETS AND HOBBIES</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic93515-14-1.aspx</link><description>we all should stand up against this ban. y should congress be allowed to take our pets away for some that would be like taking our children away. y does congress want to take jobs when the economy is already falling apart.  we need to be heard!! responsibily heard!!!!!</description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:23:19 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>dansexotics</dc:creator></item><item><title>H.R. 669 Update</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic93881-14-1.aspx</link><description>&lt;TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"&gt;&lt;TBODY&gt;&lt;TR&gt;&lt;TD class=smalltxt vAlign=top&gt;Hi, &lt;P&gt;We'll be posting a news article about where we are now with H.R. 669 later today, but we thought we would share with you some of that info now on the forum.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;It will be several days at least until we know the status of this bill, whether it will go forward or not.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;It was clear that committee member's heard from the public in great numbers on this bill. The response was overwhelming, so all of you out there did a tremendous job with your letter writing campaigns and phone calls.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;For now, just stay tuned to this website and pijac.org for updates. There is no immediate need to continue writing letters or making phone calls. If you should feel the need, however, you can contact your representative and ask them their position on H.R. 669 and why they hold this position. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TBODY&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;</description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:53:23 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>wildlife conservation society</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic93865-14-1.aspx</link><description>At this time, they will no longer publish the magazine. I received the last issue in the mail today. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;here is the notice that came with the magazine.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Last issue the wildlife conservation society (wcs) will cease publishing wildlife conservation magazine with this may/june issue. we regret to inform you will receive.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;wildlife conservation was first published as the news bulletin of the new york zoological society, now called the wildlife conservation socety, in 1897. the magazine has been an important publication covering a broad range of environmental and conservation issues including the work (wcs) does in saving wildlife and wild places.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;your continued support and your understanding of our conservation work is very important to us. to learn more about efforts to save tigers, gorillas, elepants, as well as our work on climate change, send us your e-mail address or visit us online. on the web, you can also learn about ways you can help: by signing up for our online newsletter, by joining the take action team, or through your donations. visit us at wcs.org.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;to request a refund on your remaining issues, please call us at 1 800-250-1662 by june 5. wildlife conservation society.</description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:49:18 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>UROFAN</dc:creator></item><item><title>H.R. 669</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic93832-14-1.aspx</link><description>&lt;P class=MsoNormal&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;For those who are interested in tomorrow’s hearing on H.R. 669, there will be a webcast at 10 a.m. eastern time. Here's the link &lt;?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;&lt;A title=http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;task=view&amp;amp;id=273&amp;amp;Itemid href="http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;task=view&amp;amp;id=273&amp;amp;Itemid"&gt;&lt;FONT color=#800080&gt;http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&amp;amp;task=view&amp;amp;id=273&amp;amp;Itemid&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;= &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;Pass along to anyone who may be interested.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;R.M.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;</description><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:55:50 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>H.R. 669</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic93797-14-1.aspx</link><description>I accidentally deleted the whole H.R. 669 topic! Ooops! &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;I was trying to delete one post and I deleted the whole topic. Sorry if this causes a problem for anyone.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:28:40 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>blogs?!?!?!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic93402-14-1.aspx</link><description>i was wondering if someone could tell me what it means when i get an email tellin me that someone has sent me a new blog and how and where to i go to look at this new blog? thanks   dan</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2009 06:33:03 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>dansexotics</dc:creator></item><item><title>Proposed Python Ban</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic89031-14-1.aspx</link><description>Please read the following article. Please pass this link along to anyone and everyone.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-news/2009/02/20/proposed-python-ban.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-news/2009/02/20/proposed-python-ban.aspx&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:10:27 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>The world's LARGEST collection of GIANT white alligators!!!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic83346-14-1.aspx</link><description>&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;I&gt;4 Giant Leucistic alligators will join the thousands of alligators at the “Alligator Capital of the World” February 2009 &lt;/I&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;&lt;?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;img onload = "resizeThis(this)" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Uploads/Images/718997db-414b-4db5-946b-50a4.jpg"&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;Three hundred and twenty-eight razor sharp teeth; over forty feet in length and you can only see them up-close at Gatorland as the theme park introduces the opening of the world’s largest collection of giant white alligators on February 13, 2009. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;On display for a limited engagement, the rare white alligator collection will feature four of the world’s largest white leucistic alligators known to roam the planet. Ivory in color, the large reptiles are each ten to eleven plus feet in length, weigh over 500 pounds and have reflective blue eyes that are believed to have the ability to command good fortune to those lucky enough to make eye contact with the blue eyed beauties. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;Located along the main walkway, the cleverly designed 2,500 square foot exhibit will allow guests the opportunity to view these amazing reptiles from just a few feet away. The swamp themed exhibit features rustic cypress walkways, glass viewing and softly lit enclosures that help to protect the massive reptiles from direct sunlight while highlighting the unique features of the alligators. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;No one knows why Mother Nature produced only one nest of these incredible white alligators. Vulnerable to many predators, because of the lack of skin pigmentation depriving them of natural camouflage; they likely would have never survived in the wild. Collected from deep in a &lt;?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /&gt;&lt;st1:State w:st="on"&gt;Louisiana&lt;/st1:State&gt; swamp, the ivory reptiles were part of a clutch of seventeen infants recovered by workers from the &lt;st1:place w:st="on"&gt;&lt;st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName w:st="on"&gt;Louisiana&lt;/st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName&gt; &lt;st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceType w:st="on"&gt;Land&lt;/st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceType&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt; and Exploration Company while surveying the area. The group later brought the hatchlings to the Audubon Zoo in &lt;st1:City w:st="on"&gt;&lt;st1:place w:st="on"&gt;New Orleans&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:City&gt; where only a few of the rare reptiles survived.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;“People are awestruck when they see them, and just one look into those icy, blue eyes will give you chills,” says Mark McHugh, President &amp;amp; CEO of Gatorland. “We’re excited to bring these thrilling animals to &lt;st1:State w:st="on"&gt;&lt;st1:place w:st="on"&gt;Florida&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:State&gt;.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;Gatorland is a 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve, combining “Old Florida” charm with exciting, new exhibits and entertainment. The park opened as a roadside attraction in 1949. Today, it provides affordable-priced family fun with thousands of alligators, crocodiles, an aviary, breeding marsh with observation tower, petting zoo, nature walk, educational wildlife programs, a gift shop, train-ride, restaurant, &lt;st1:place w:st="on"&gt;&lt;st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName w:st="on"&gt;Gator&lt;/st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName&gt; &lt;st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName w:st="on"&gt;Gully&lt;/st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName&gt; &lt;st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName w:st="on"&gt;Splash&lt;/st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceName&gt; &lt;st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceType w:st="on"&gt;Park&lt;/st1&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;laceType&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt; and one-of-a-kind reptilian shows including the Gator Wrestlin’ Show, Gator Jumparoo and the Up-close Encounters Show. To find out more about “&lt;st1:City w:st="on"&gt;&lt;st1:place w:st="on"&gt;Orlando&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:City&gt;’s only Theme Park with Bite and Attitude,” visit us online at: www.gatorland.com or call 1-800-393-JAWS&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000000&gt;&lt;FONT face="Times New Roman"&gt;&lt;img onload = "resizeThis(this)" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Uploads/Images/b3d49295-cb97-4d69-8967-00e3.jpg"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:23:54 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>xfrozenxpenguinx</dc:creator></item><item><title>Expired points?</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic91068-14-1.aspx</link><description>In the "my account" view, there is a section for expired points.  I was wondering how/when points expire? Thank you</description><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:56:56 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>tonytjr</dc:creator></item><item><title>Happy Spring!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic91946-14-1.aspx</link><description>Friday, 3/20, is the first day of spring. Make sure to send a &lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-community/reptile-ecards.aspx"&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;FREE Reptile eCard&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/A&gt; to all your friends and family!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:56:17 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Signatures</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic81444-14-1.aspx</link><description>8. &lt;STRONG&gt;Signatures&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;Your signature is not to exceed 500 pixels by 200 pixels.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;TABLE height=200 width=500&gt;&lt;TBODY&gt;&lt;TR&gt;&lt;TD bgColor=#cccccc&gt; &lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TBODY&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;&lt;P&gt;If all the contents of your signature do not fit into the above space, your signature is too big. The lone exception is text. Text may go further right than the edge of the box because it wraps naturally. However, all images must fit in this area. You may have as many images in this area, but they can't exceed the boundaries, and no one image can exceed any boundary.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Your total signature images must be less than 100K in size. To find how large your signature is, right click your image and choose "Properties" to see what your file size is. Please note: Animated images are big in file size.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;The rules and guidelines of the community apply to signatures as well.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:52:49 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>When conflicts arise on our forum</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic82286-14-1.aspx</link><description>&lt;EM&gt;*These suggestions were originally written by Pepper’s Pa on the BirdChannel Forum, but have been edited for use here by Community Moderator.*&lt;/EM&gt; &lt;P&gt;There are &lt;A href="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Rules.aspx"&gt;rules and guidelines&lt;/A&gt; created and posted here to help make this a safe and respectful forum to visit. There are two rules, “&lt;EM&gt;1. Communicate in a friendly and respectful manner&lt;/EM&gt;” and “&lt;EM&gt;3. Don’t instigate arguments&lt;/EM&gt;” that we’ve had some recent difficulty in following. In an effort to help all of us, below I’ve written some ideas that you may find beneficial in dealing with and preventing conflicts here. If needed, I hope you find this of some help. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;When we are exchanging electronic communications here on the message board, it’s easy for something to be misinterpreted. Our ability to communicate through our written words does not convey the full message that is included in the tone of our voice, our facial expressions and our overall body language. When we take away all these signs that can be understood when we are talking face to face, our words often are read as different than the message we thought we were sharing. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;We’ve all likely seen what can occur when our messages here are misinterpreted. Misinterpreted messages often escalate to stronger disagreement, hurt feelings, people taking sides in arguments and other negative situations that create stress and anxiety in many of the members and visitors to our message board who have been exposed to negative posts and threads. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;In an effort to help all of us, I’m going to share some ideas and suggestions that you may find helpful and useful in keeping this a message board where you always feel welcomed, comfortable and look forward to visiting. These are not presented in any priority and are only numbered for organization. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;These first ideas for your consideration deal with what to do if there is an active conflict or disagreement occurring: &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;1) Don’t infer the worst about a post&lt;/STRONG&gt; – It’s easy to read a post and think it is against your opinions, comments or you personally in a negative and disrespectful manner. Before jumping to a negative conclusion, consider why (what benefits or pleasure) the person posting may gain from what is written and you may realize what was written doesn’t make sense to you. Instead of responding to it, consider what the member may have been trying to say. If you still feel it is something that violates the rules of the message board, send a private message to a moderator to look into your concern and intervene if that is needed. Also, not every member has the same skills at writing. Some are more skilled in writing clearly than others. In addition to those who have spent a lifetime writing in English, we have a worldwide membership including international members. Some of these members may use English as a second language or write in broken English. Posts may sometimes appear demanding or rude, when that was not the intent of the writer. Do not misinterpret writing skills as disagreement or antagonism towards you. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;2) Don’t get involved in an argument or heated discussion&lt;/STRONG&gt; – It is very hard to remain or appear to remain neutral when you add a post into an active disagreement. Anything you say can easily be misinterpreted in the “heat of the moment” and an increase in the intensity of the disagreement may occur where you find yourself dragged into it. If you see an argument or negative interactions developing or occurring, please consider: Sending an immediate private message to the moderators sharing the name of the thread, where it is located and a brief description (There’s an argument between members.) of the problem. If you know how, providing a link (hyperlink) to the post will be very helpful. If you feel you must do something more, in addition to contacting the moderators, make a short, neutral post such as “&lt;EM&gt;Do we want/need to consider a timeout?&lt;/EM&gt;” &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;3) Keep it short and simple&lt;/STRONG&gt; – Though we often feel the need to expand on our thoughts, when emotions are high often choosing to say less is the best and most successful path to follow. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;4) Remain neutral&lt;/STRONG&gt; – You may feel very strongly about one side or the other of a conflict or you may feel it’s important to offer support to one of the members in a conflict. Please don’t take sides, it may keep the conflict going or escalate it as more members become involved. If you feel you must give your support to a member, do it in a private message, you can still show your support in this way. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;5) Disagree positively&lt;/STRONG&gt; – It’s common that members have different opinions and a friendly discussion can help clarify both members’ opinions on a topic. We tend to approach our differences in opinions by being negative towards the opposing opinion instead of being positive about our own. When we focus on the positives, we are focusing on ourselves while when we are sharing negatives against the opposing opinion the person may feel it is more personal and less about the opinion. &lt;EM&gt;Example:&lt;/EM&gt; Consider this situation. A member posts that he is wondering about the size housing unit needed for his iguana. The iguana is currently in a housing unit too small by general size suggestion. &lt;EM&gt;Example of a negative reply:&lt;/EM&gt; You need to get your iguana a bigger housing unit. It is cruel to keep an iguana in a housing unit that small. You’re not giving him room to climb, move around and explore. You’re depriving him of any chance of being active, happy and he’ll probably not live long. &lt;EM&gt;Example of a positive reply:&lt;/EM&gt; You may want to consider getting your iguana a larger-sized housing unit than his current one. A larger cage would provide him with more opportunities to climb, move around and explore. You’ll be giving him the chance to be active, happier and live a longer and more enjoyable life. Both replies have said the same thing, but in decidedly different ways. Which would you hope to receive? &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;6) Treat others as you’d like them to treat you&lt;/STRONG&gt; – Didn’t we hear this at a young age and isn’t it still true? &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;7) Emoticons&lt;/STRONG&gt; ([&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Smile.gif" border="0" title="Smile"&gt;], [&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/Tongue.gif" border="0" title="Tongue"&gt;], [:O]) – There are many choices of emoticons that we can include in our posts. The problem is that each person may consider an emoticon means something different. Does [&lt;img align="absmiddle" src="http://board.reptilechannel.com/Skins/Reptile/Images/EmotIcons/BigGrin.gif" border="0" title="BigGrin"&gt;] mean I’m laughing with you or at you? Though our words may not come across as clearly as we hope, adding emoticons may also add confusion. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;8) Jokes&lt;/STRONG&gt; – When a conflict occurs, we all have different approaches to try to defuse the tension. Some people are direct while others try to bring a lighter approach or attempt to joke or be silly. Though this may work for some people, it may have the opposite effect for others. People may feel that their concerns are being ignored or thought of as frivolous. &lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;9) Focus on you and your actions&lt;/STRONG&gt; – There is only one person whose actions you can control and that is you. Write about yourself using “I” statements and not about the other person with “You” statements. Write “I think . . . “ and not “You think . . . “ &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;10) Let your actions represent you more than your words&lt;/STRONG&gt; – There is no stronger way to present your opinion than by your actions and not your words. Your day-to-day interaction with other members here gives the best representation about the person you are and the opinions you value. By choosing to participate, you may be validating and strengthening a conflict. Choosing to not participate may be sending the strongest message you are able to deliver and help defuse a conflict. &lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;11) Don’t forget the original post&lt;/STRONG&gt; – When a conflict or disagreement occurs, we often forget that a member had originally asked a question or had some other reason to begin the thread. Instead of allowing emotions to control the tone and direction of the thread, ask yourself, “&lt;EM&gt;will what I’m about to write help answer the questions or needs presented in the first post?&lt;/EM&gt;” We all want to offer what help and support we can provide to every member, don’t allow emotions or disagreement to block the help we may provide. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;12) Beware of trolls and spammers&lt;/STRONG&gt; – Trolls and spammers are people who come to a message board for the sole purpose of disrupting it and getting an emotional response to their posts from the members. These antagonistic people are usually new members and are made happy if we respond to their ridiculous posts. The very best thing you can do is to not give them the emotional response they desire. Respond to them with a post such as, “&lt;EM&gt;This post appears to be from someone looking to disrupt our message board. Please do not respond to this thread. I have contacted the moderators to look at this thread&lt;/EM&gt;.” To give you an example of a troll’s posts, here’s one that actually occurred here. One of this troll’s least offensive posts was on how to treat a new bird. It was suggested that the best way to get a new bird adjusted to a new home was to place it in a small sealed box, then scream at and bang on the box. Yes, this was one of the least offensive posts by this troll. If you see what appears to be a post from a troll or spammer, do not give them the response they desire. Be calm and immediately send a private message to the moderators informing them of post/thread in question.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;The following may provide you with some things to consider before or after a heated conflict occurs. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;13) Private messages aren’t always private&lt;/STRONG&gt; – Messages that you thought were sent privately to another member in confidence, may accidentally or on purpose be shared with others. If what you share with another person is not what you want to spread on the message board, then your best choice may be to not share that information. What you keep private and don’t share with others will remain private. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;14) I don’t mean to offend anyone . . .&lt;/STRONG&gt; – We’ve all seen this or similar statements at the beginning of a post. If you have to start by saying you don’t mean to offend, it usually means you consider what you’re posting will be offensive. If you feel you need to include these words in a post, you really should not be writing that post. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;15) Random acts of kindness&lt;/STRONG&gt; – This was a catch phrase a few years ago . . . but it’s still very valuable today. Look for opportunities to offer praise to other members. Congratulate members when they’ve made a breakthrough with their parrot. Thank members when they’ve shared something that is helpful to you. Share with members that you appreciate what they bring to the message board. Praise a skill or talent that a member shares that amazes you. Congratulate a member on successes or special days in their life. Goodwill goes a long way in developing and maintaining a friendly and respectful message board. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;16) Apologies&lt;/STRONG&gt; – If you are involved in a conflict with another member that takes place in front of everyone, when emotions cool you may want to apologize to everyone. That’s not needed and may reignite the conflict and turmoil. If there is a member or two who you really feel there is a need to apologize to then do it in a private message. Keep it short and simple, “&lt;EM&gt;I am sorry for my role in our recent disagreement and I wish my comments had been friendlier and more respectful.&lt;/EM&gt;” Don’t attempt to explain why you were so passionate or to defend the position you had taken in the conflict. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;If we strive to keep every post we write friendly, polite and respectful it will go a long way in keeping all our interactions friendly, polite and respectful. I hope something shared here will be of help to you if you observe or are involved in a conflict here.</description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:11:04 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Community Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Rules...again</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic72813-14-1.aspx</link><description>Please, please, please.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Hijacking threads and staying on topic:&lt;/STRONG&gt; When someone asks for help with their sick animal and you start off on tangents about other things not related to that topic, it is called getting off topic. When someone asks about ball python diet and then on that post you say, "I have a ball python too, what is the best cage," that is called hijacking. It goes from a diet thread to a caging thread. Please do not do either of these things. START A NEW TOPIC! &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;When someone's snake is sick and you get into a three page argument about using too many smiley faces, then the original question is lost in all of the clutter and you are hindering that person from aiding that animal and that animal's life may be in jeopardy. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;The bickering has gotten very bad lately, please treat each other with respect and keep your discussions about reptiles, please.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Thanks,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:08:45 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Reptile eCards</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic88014-14-1.aspx</link><description>HI everyone,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Make sure to send some of our Valentine's Day FREE eCards to friends, family or that special someone!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-community/reptile-ecards.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-community/reptile-ecards.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:36:17 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Reptile Blogs</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic87501-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hi,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;REPTILES magazine editor Russ Case and Herp Enthusiast Kristin Van Alstine have new regular blogs. Please go check them out and let them know what you think with comments and feedback. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;They're updated weekly so keep checking back.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-blog/default.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-blog/default.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:18:21 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Drawn to Reptile's Contest</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic84502-14-1.aspx</link><description>Well,if you noticed on the newsletter on the homepage,you'll notice that there is a drawing contest.I created this so people can ask questions and have them get answered.Though,I won't be doing the answering.I have a question of my own.Will they accept drawings of dragons?</description><pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:31:23 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sorrak</dc:creator></item><item><title>Upload videos of your reptiles on ReptileChannel</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic72766-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hey everyone. You can now upload videos of your reptiles to share with everyone on ReptileChannel. Share your pet’s best snacking moments, your herp’s quickest moves or whatever great reptile moments you've caught on video.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Upload and watch other reptile videos, &lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-videos/reptile-videos.aspx"&gt;click here&lt;/A&gt;.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Or visit the Reptile Videos page to upload your video today.</description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:05:20 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Community Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Reptile Club</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic71789-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hey everyone. Just a reminder we have a reptile club here at the forums. It is in the forum assistance forum part. I just thought i would remind you guys of this because we arent getting many people in there replying. so check it out.</description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:03:04 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>GECKODUDE</dc:creator></item><item><title>HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic82737-14-1.aspx</link><description>Well, it's 2009 already. Did you all stay up past midnight? I had an awesome New Year's because my best friend slept over. He got here yesterday at 4 PM and left today at 3. So my friend was over here for 23 hours. Almost a whole day. I'm not sure what else I can say... I suppose we could share our NY's resolutions.</description><pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:16:52 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sethrocksandherpsdotoo</dc:creator></item><item><title>MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic81810-14-1.aspx</link><description>Merry chrishmas everyone. I hope that you guys got whated. I also hope that you have a great day to day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See ya, i have to go play me new spore computer game. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</description><pubDate>Thu, 25 Dec 2008 07:29:14 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>the herptile master</dc:creator></item><item><title>Congratulations ReptileChannel!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic81806-14-1.aspx</link><description>Congratulations ReptileChannel on getting your &lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;U&gt;6,000 &lt;/U&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;member on the ReptileChannel forums! It happened on Christmas day 2008. Well done guys and merry Christmas!</description><pubDate>Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:31:16 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>oneWorld</dc:creator></item><item><title>Reptile eCards</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic81618-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hi herpkeepers,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Make sure to send all of your friends and family a FREE Reptile Holiday eCard!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-community/reptile-ecards.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-community/reptile-ecards.aspx&lt;/A&gt; &lt;A href="http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-community/fish-ecards.aspx"&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:46:17 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>HERP JIGSAW PUZZLES</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic81024-14-1.aspx</link><description>A colleague created online jigsaw puzzles for me from some of my favorite pictures.  There are 4 of them -- an easy one (red-eye treefrog), 2 intermediate level ones (corn snake line-up and horned viper) and one difficult one (blue panther chameleon).  Don't tackle the tough one first or you may get discouraged.  Better go for one of the other three first to get the hang of how you move the pieces.  Enjoy !&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.bluechameleon.org/Puzzles.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT color=#ff1111 size=5&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;http://www.bluechameleon.org/Puzzles.htm&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;You need a recent version of Flash to play them, but you can get it online at this site: &lt;A href="http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/"&gt;http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/&lt;/A&gt;</description><pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:53:50 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Bill Love</dc:creator></item><item><title>Scavenger Hunt</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic73278-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hi herpkeepers,&lt;P&gt;ReptileChannel is proud to announce its first ever Halloween Scavenger Hunt!&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Go to this page, read the instructions and "search:"&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-contests/scavenger-hunt.aspx"&gt;http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-contests/scavenger-hunt.aspx&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Enjoy,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Many thanks to our prize sponsors:&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://tongs.com/"&gt;Midwest Tongs&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.reptileshirts.com/"&gt;Eco&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.flukerfarms.com/"&gt;Flukers&lt;/A&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:36:07 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>Write good subjects</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic76504-14-1.aspx</link><description>Hi everyone,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Please try to write good subject lines and descriptions that capture what you are trying to say/ask. Also try to use proper spelling in them.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;It is difficult for people to search for answers on "bearded dragon diet" when there are hundreds of topics on it, yet all of the titles are "help" or "a question" or "baerdie foods" (typo intended).&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;You get my drift?&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Thanks,&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;R.M.</description><pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:11:30 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ReptileChannel Moderator</dc:creator></item><item><title>HAPPY REPTILE AWARENESS DAY!</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic72516-14-1.aspx</link><description>happy reptile awareness day! on this page--&lt;A href="http://reptilechannel.com/reptile-news/2008/10/17/reptile-awareness-day.aspx"&gt;http://reptilechannel.com/reptile-news/2008/10/17/reptile-awareness-day.aspx&lt;/A&gt;--there is a list of stuff you can do for this special day!</description><pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:19:34 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Turtle Boy</dc:creator></item><item><title>Chantilly, Virginia N.A.R.B.C. herp show - Nov. 15 - 16, 2008</title><link>http://board.reptilechannel.com/Topic75784-14-1.aspx</link><description>I'll be at my tables at the Chantilly show this coming weekend and invite all forum members to drop by and say 'Hi".  Last year, my tables were in a back corner next to the Herp Photography Contest tables, though I can't say for sure if that's where they'll be again this year.  If not, look around until you find me.  I'm also giving a special PowerPoint presentation Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm called &lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"&lt;FONT color=#dd3333&gt;Herp Photography - Beyond Snapshots&lt;/FONT&gt;".&lt;/EM&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;  If you're interested in improving your camera skills, c'mon by for that talk.&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P&gt;Show website = &lt;A href="http://www.narbc.com/htm2006/va_index.htm"&gt;http://www.narbc.com/htm2006/va_index.htm&lt;/A&gt;</description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:15:57 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Bill Love</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>