First In His Class

The best of Clinton, the worst of Clinton: A new biography carefully traces both back to their roots.

This is a first-rate political biography by The Washington Post reporter who won a well-deserved Pulitzer two years ago for his reporting on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. While the book contains no shocking revelations, it is full of small truths about Clinton's background and character. The book may not change any minds about Clinton, but it should contribute to a more complex understanding of a complex man. "The contradictions co-exist in Clinton," Maraniss writes. "Considerate and calculating, easy-going and ambitious, mediator and predator."

Clinton's paradoxes stem from those of his life. Ultimately, he is the product of several distinct and contradictory worlds. There is the Clinton from Hope, Arkansas: religious and unceasingly loyal to his family; the Hot Springs Clinton: often vulgar, and given to infidelity; and the Yale Clinton: polished and feverishly ambitious, yet genuine.

What has remained consistent throughout his life, though, has been Clinton's enormous gift for politics. Indeed, what is most puzzling about Clinton is why such a naturally talented politician should have so many problems managing the political dimensions of the presidency. Maraniss's book is not particularly analytical and it ends on the day Clinton announces his candidacy for president in 1991, so there are no direct answers. There are, however, little hints throughout.

The impeachment proceedings had been very effective in damaging his reputation in some ways. Whatever people say, we cannot count the man out in the economic progress America had experienced during his presidency with his equally brilliant and ambitious first lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton. Maraniss should now work for another novel: First In Her Class, Too!

Bright Star

‘Bright Star’’ is ripe with the eroticism of a proud woman being seduced by words and undone by emotions.

The film, writer-director Jane Campion’s first in six years and best in 16 (since 1993’s “The Piano’’), tells the story of the poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and his relationship with Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), an 18-year-old Hampstead seamstress who lived with her family near Keats. The romance was brief and unconsummated, cut short by the poet’s death in 1821, at 25, of tuberculosis. Yet the 39 surviving letters Keats wrote to Brawne are wrenchingly passionate; if their love was a small pool, it was also bottomless.

The normal Oscar-season treatment of this subject would be to spotlight the great poet’s struggles with his art and his muse: thunder on the soundtrack and Fanny sitting in the back of the bus. Campion does something shocking, even subversive: She makes Brawne the subject and Keats the limpid love object. Fanny’s emotional journey becomes the focus; the poems mostly shimmer in the background haze. At the same time, “Bright Star’’ is so far from the pejorative term “chick flick’’ as to make your head spin. This is a woman’s film in the deepest ways possible.

That extends to the pace, which is hushed and intimate; some will mistake it for dull. The film at first seems the opposite of drama, as Fanny and Keats almost casually come into contact in their rural corner of England. He is staying with his friend and backer Charles Brown (Paul Schneider), she’s a tart-tongued woman of modest means and practical outlook. If you think that Fanny is a Jane Austen heroine, so, in a sense, does Fanny. The movie’s explicitly about how the age of Austen was vanquished by the Romantic era of Keats, Byron, and Shelley - how sense tumbled helplessly and willingly into sensibility.

Fanny’s attempts at intelligent banter thus fall flat because, simply, Keats doesn’t play that. She’s still drawn to his gentleness and to the sensitivity that makes him quiver like an antenna in a top hat. By the time the two share a kiss by a sleepy riverside, the planet itself seems to wobble on its axis. Some may be disappointed that “Bright Star’’ is lacking in the transgressive kink of “The Piano’’ and other Campion films, but the emotions here are no less galvanic and no less profound for the characters keeping their clothes on.

In fact, the people around the couple are slightly freaked out by what’s happening. The penniless Keats is no fit match for Fanny, yet even her mother (Kerry Fox) has to respect the urgency of their feelings. Brown is the closest the movie comes to a villain, a cynical boor who knocks up his housemaid (Antonia Campbell-Hughes) and banishes Fanny so the boys can work on their plays and poems. His love for Keats humanizes him, though, even if he loves the art more at first. For Fanny, the art and the man are inextricable. You could sooner separate white from milk.

Schneider gives a canny, outsized performance - one I didn’t think this North Carolina-born indie actor had in him - but the movie belongs to Cornish, who stays with Fanny as she moves from corseted certainty to the wildness of raw infatuation. The actress has dyed her blonde hair a mousy brown, and she fills out the period dresses with period solidity. She’s a woman, not a twig, and she lives up to Keats’s description of Brawne as “beautiful, elegant, graceful, silly, fashionable and strange.’’ There’s not a single overdramatized gesture to the performance, yet it crosses immense distances.

If “Bright Star’’ has a weak link, it’s Whishaw’s Keats, so passive as to seem nearly prostrate. Tuberculosis will do that but so will objectification; it may be that we’re not used to seeing the heroes of our movies side lined onto pedestals. (For this reason and others, certain men will despise this film.) Because he comes to us through Fanny’s eyes, John Keats remains a mystery. Whishaw gives him a grave charisma, though - we want to know him better.

In fact, Campion says we can know him - and Fanny, and her family, and Brown - through the society they make. “Bright Star’’ is rapturously attentive to period detail, to the sounds and rhythms of early-19th-century life, the better to ground the emotions that bleed from the central couple.

Grieg Fraser’s camerawork works in earth tones and stays at a respectful remove, or maybe it just wants to crowd John and Fanny’s world into the frame. There’s a party scene early on in which a group of men, Keats included, perform as an a cappella “human orchestra,’’ and you can feel the deep, inarticulate fellow-feeling that knits these people together. It’s this essence, the real behind the everyday, that Keats got on paper and that Campion works to capture on film. She comes close enough to make other movies seem shiny and disposable. “Bright Star’’ is a thing of beauty and a joy for a movie season that needs it.

My 2009 Horoscope

Year 2009 Career
You are greatly empowered in your creative endeavors this year, and you emerge like a butterfly from a long sleep in a cocoon! This personal transformation has you sharing wisdom and knowledge your might have never known you possessed. Great potential awaits you as you find new sources of personal strength.
You are feeling very playful, and being creative is the only type of career that will satisfy you. You will be recognized as someone who can totally transform nothing into something ... an alchemist of sorts. The beauty and magnificence that arises from your self-expression feels like a celebration in and of itself. During the summer months, a new contract opportunity may appear; go for it, but make sure you don't take on more than you can handle. You will be paid handsomely for what you do, and you welcome the challenges.
By the fall, career advancement is very possible for you, and with that, greater responsibility. Your far-reaching ideas will be well compensated. Your optimism helps you stay on the bright path, and you can overcome any hurdle. You are learning lessons of faith in your own process, and it's helping you create a positive attitude and harmonious work environment. The world welcomes your positive energy of love and service to others. You see a higher purpose in your work, and this helps you focus on attaining your dreams.

Year 2009 Romantic
Your abundant energy helps you fell your home with love, creativity and joy. This helps attract a partner who is altruistic and who gives you the emotional security you want. Remember, you don't have to do everything yourself, otherwise you'll get bogged down with details. Learn to trust your relationship and know that your loved one is there to support you.
You are very connected to your feelings -- especially this year -- and need your lover to be right there with you --from helping you manifest your dreams to cultivating your idealism. Having values and ideals in common will help you both relax and find fulfillment in this relationship. In fact, everyone loves being around you because of your contagious optimism.
You feel at your best when there is elegance in your life, so make sure you have beauty, music and art around to keep your spirits high and to enrich your relationships with those you love. Joy and pleasure bring you closer to the mystical aspects of grace and beauty -- which is what you love so much about being in a one-on-one relationship. This is a good time to renew your vows and commitment with that special person in your life.

Politics & Administration

Politics & Administration
Public Administration: Public administration can be broadly described as the development, implementation and study of branches of government policy. The pursuit of the public good by enhancing civil society and social justice is the ultimate goal of the field. Though public administration has historically referred to as government management, it increasingly encompasses non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that also operate with a similar, primary dedication to the betterment of humanity.
Versus

Politics: the process by which power and influences are acquired and exercised; not limited to political parties and elections. In the public sector, there are power clashes within and between administrative agencies as well as between administrative and legislative branches.

Sheer Political Partisanship

The great discretion wielded by elective and appointive officials enables them to reward their supporters and punish their enemies.
Examples:
¡ A mayor’s direct or indirect control over zoning is a strong power weapon
¡ Discretion to decide in which banks to deposit public funds
Efforts to Control the Bureaucracy
Relationships between top political policy-making officials and the career bureaucracy constitute another area in which the politics of administration takes place. Career officials develop strong attachments to existing programs and policies and to the legislators and clientele groups that support such programs and policies.
Malek believes that “the core of the problem [in making the bureaucracy work] is the typical failure of substandard political appointees to rise to the demanding challenge of providing genuine leadership to the careerists.”
The Politics of Organization
When the creation of new agencies or the reorganization of existing ones is proposed, the justification often is couched in terms of logic and sound principles of organization. Actually, the real reason often is to advance a particular cause or interest, such as better representation of consumers through establishment of an independent consumer protection agency.
The Politics of Termination
Because of slow economic growth, consequent declining tax revenues, and the increased costs created by inflation, governments now are reviewing existing programs carefully to determine which ones can be cut back or terminated. No matter how logical the desirability of ending a program in terms of costs and effectiveness, it usually is very difficult from the political standpoint to close down the activity.
Control of Public Information
Since control of information is power, it is not surprising that there are many protracted struggles in this area between the executive branch, on the one hand, and the legislative branch, the press, and various public groups, on the other hand. The criticism is frequently heard that administrative officials withhold information from legislators and the public because they want to hide mistakes and prefer to operate in secrecy.
Exemption: The government has a legitimate interest in preventing the disclosure of security and law enforcement information, as well as of confidential data supplied by private businesses in meeting government reporting requirements.
Executive Privilege (E.O. 464 in the Philippines)
This is the doctrine that the president has the constitutional authority to withhold from Congress, the judiciary, or anyone else, documents or information in his or her possession or that of the executive branch. An inferred power, not specifically stated in the Constitution, it has been interpreted by several presidents to justify their refusal to allow intimate advisers to testify before congressional committees.
The salient provisions of E.O. 464 are:
SECTION 1. Appearance by Heads of Departments Before Congress. “In accordance with Article VI, Section 22 of the Constitution and to implement the Constitutional provisions on the separation of powers between co-equal branches of the government, all heads of departments of the Executive Branch of the government shall secure the consent of the President prior to appearing before either House of Congress.
SECTION 2. Nature, Scope and Coverage of Executive Privilege.
(a) Nature and Scope. - The rule of confidentiality based on executive privilege is fundamental to the operation of government and rooted in the separation of powers under the Constitution (Almonte vs. Vasquez, G.R. No. 95367, 23 May 1995). Further, Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees provides that Public Officials and Employees shall not use or divulge confidential or classified information officially known to them by reason of their office and not made available to the public to prejudice the public interest.
(b) Who are covered. “ The following are covered by this executive order:
i. Senior officials of executive departments who in the judgment of the department heads are covered by the executive privilege;ii. Generals and flag officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and such other officers who in the judgment of the Chief of Staff are covered by the executive privilege;iii. Philippine National Police (PNP) officers with rank of chief superintendent or higher and such other officers who in the judgment of the Chief of the PNP are covered by the executive privilege;iv. Senior national security officials who in the judgment of the National Security Adviser are covered by the executive privilege; andv. Such other officers as may be determined by the President.
SECTION 3. Appearance of Other Public Officials Before Congress. – All public officials enumerated in Section 2 (b) hereof shall secure prior consent of the President prior to appearing before either House of Congress to ensure the observance of the principle of separation of powers, adherence to the rule on executive privilege and respect for the rights of public officials appearing in inquiries in aid of legislation.
SECTION 22. The heads of departments may upon their own initiative, with the consent of the President, or upon the request of either House, as the rules of each House shall provide, appear before and be heard by such House on any matter pertaining to their departments. Written questions shall be submitted to the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives at least three days before their scheduled appearance. Interpellations shall not be limited to written questions, but may cover matters related thereto. When the security of the State or the public interest so requires and the President so states in writing, the appearance shall be conducted in executive session.

All About Lovebirds

Lovebird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lovebird is the commonly used name for the genus, Agapornis (from the Greek αγάπη, agape, for love, and όρνις, ornis, for Bird), and can refer to any of the nine species of the genus. They are a social and affectionate small parrot. Eight species of the genus are native to the African continent and the Madagascar Lovebird is native to Madagascar.
The name Lovebird stems from these parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods of time in which paired birds will spend sat beside one another. This is reflected by the bird's name in other languages: in German, "die Unzertrennlichen", and in French "les inséparables", both meaning "the inseparables".
Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat mainly fruit, vegetables, some grasses and seed. Abyssinian Lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and the Black-collared Lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs making them almost impossible to keep in captivity.
Some species of the genus are amongst the most popular parrots kept as pets, and several colour mutations have been selectively breed in aviculture. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years.[1]
Description
Lovebirds vary in size from about 13 to 17 centimeters in length and from about 40 to 60 grams in weight. They are among the smallest parrots in the world, and they are characterized by a stocky build, a short blunt tail, and a relatively large beak for their overall size. Wild-type lovebirds are mostly green with a variety of colours on their upper body depending on the species. The Fischer's Lovebird, Black-cheeked Lovebird, and the Masked Lovebirds have a white ring around their eyes. The Abyssinian Lovebird, the Madagascar Lovebird, and the Red-faced Lovebird are sexually dimorphic. Many color mutations have been produced by selective breeding in the species that are popular in aviculture.[2]


Taxonomy


Phylogeny of the genus Agapornis based on molecular evidence.[3] The species with the red line is currently unplaced in the phylogeny, but does belong to this genus.
The lovebird genus comprises nine species of which five are monotypic and four are divided into subspecies.[2] Eight of them are native in the mainland of Africa and the Madagascar Lovebird is native to Madagascar. In the wild the different species are separated geographically.
Species and subspecies:[4]
Peach-faced Lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis, (Vieillot, 1818) — or Rosy-faced Lovebird
Agapornis roseicollis catumbella, B.P. Hall, 1952
Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis, (Vieillot 1818)
Masked Lovebird, Agapornis personatus, Reichenow, 1887 — or Yellow-collared Lovebird
Fischer's Lovebird, Agapornis fischeri, Reichenow, 1887
Lilian's Lovebird, Agapornis lilianae, Shelley, 1894 — or Nyasa Lovebird
Black-cheeked Lovebird, Agapornis nigrigenis, W.L. Sclater, 1906
Madagascar Lovebird, Agapornis canus, (Gmelin, 1788) — or Grey-headed Lovebird
Agapornis canus ablectaneus, Bangs, 1918
Agapornis canus canus, (Gmelin, 1788)
Abyssinian Lovebird, Agapornis taranta, (Stanley, 1814) — or Black-winged Lovebird
Red-faced Lovebird, Agapornis pullarius, (Linnaeus, 1758) — or Red-headed Lovebird
Agapornis pullarius pullarius, (Linnaeus, 1758)
Agapornis pullarius ugandae, Neumann, 1908
Black-collared Lovebird, Agapornis swindernianus, (Kuhl, 1820) — or Swindern's Lovebird
Agapornis swindernianus emini, Neumann, 1908
Agapornis swindernianus swindernianus, (Kuhl, 1820)
Agapornis swindernianus zenkeri, Reichenow, 1895







Species
Species (wild-types)
Common and binomial names
Photograph
Description[2]
Range
Peach-faced Lovebirdor Rosy-faced Lovebird(Agapornis roseicollis)

15 cm (6 in) long. Mostly green, orange face, blue lower back and rump, horn-coloured beak
Africa
Masked Lovebirdor Yellow-collared Lovebird(Agapornis personatus)

14 cm (5.5 in) long. Mostly green, black head, yellow upper chest continuous with yellow collar, red beak, white eyerings
Africa
Fischer's Lovebird(Agapornis fischeri)

14 cm (5.5 in) long. Mostly green, orange upper body and head, blue lower back and rump, red beak, white eyerings
Africa
Lilian's Lovebirdor Nyasa Lovebird(Agapornis lilianae)

13 cm (5 in) long. Mostly green including green back and green rump, orange head, red beak, white eyerings
Africa
Black-cheeked Lovebird(Agapornis nigrigenis)

14 cm (5.5 in) long. Mostly green, brownish-black cheeks and throat, reddish-brown forehead and forecrown, orange upper chest, red beak, white eyerings
Africa
Grey-headed Lovebirdor Madagascar Lovebird(Agapornis canus)

13 cm (5 in) long. Mostly green with darker green on back, pale grey beak. Sexual dimorphism: male has a grey upper body, neck and head.
Madagascar
Abyssinian Lovebirdor Black-winged Lovebird(Agapornis taranta)

16.5 cm (6.5 in) long. Mostly green, red beak, some black wing feathers. Sexual dimorphism: only the male has red on forehead and crown, females plumage is all green
Africa
Red-headed Lovebirdor Red-faced Lovebird(Agapornis pullarius)

15 cm (6 in) long. Mostly green with red on upper neck and face. Sexual dimorphism: the male has more extensive and a darker red on face and head, and the male has a darker red beak than the female
Africa
Black-collared Lovebirdor Swindern's Lovebird(Agapornis swindernianus)

13.5 cm (5 in) long. Mostly green, brown collar which has a black upper margin at the back of the neck, dark grey/black beak
Africa

Aviculture
Lovebirds have the potential to make great pets for those who have the patience and time required of any parrot species. Because of their inclination to bond, they can form great long-term relationships with people.
Provided with adequate flying space, a stimulating environment, and appropriate nutrition a lovebird can become cherished companion parrot. They love to snuggle and often preen their favorite people.
Like with any other pet, it is essential that the person makes sure the birds they are about to buy were bred in captivity, rather than caught from the wild. Besides conservational and ethical reasons, animals caught wild are more likely to get sick and to die. Lovebirds, especially when kept individually or brought up hand-fed, make very good pets. They can be very interactive with humans, and when comfortable, will willingly perch on a finger or shoulders. Lovebirds rarely talk, but there is a chance they may learn to mimic human sounds if taught to at a young age. Lovebirds have a fairly loud call.
Housing
Lovebirds require an appropriately sized cage or aviary. Recommended space per bird is 1mx1mx1m. They require lots of toys such as willow branches,swings and other things to chew on and play with. Lack of toys and social stimulation may lead to boredom behavioral problems. Lovebirds are extremely social birds, and will enjoy several hours of interaction a day. Without this interaction, daily exercise, a roomy cage, and many toys to play with, they may resort to feather-plucking or other behavioral problems. They need a human who will dedicate lots of time with them and take the place of companion lovebirds. They love to bath and sun themselves daily.
Diet
Lovebirds are African birds and require a variety of food, such as pellets, fruits (sweet corn, apple), and vegetables (broccoli, carrot, mustard seed and watercress) and seed (a mix of 14 varieties is recommended, plus wild seeding grasses, sesame seed, etc). As a regular food, pellets are recommended, as the millet food generally sold in pet stores has too much fat in it and is not a significant source of nutrition. Concentrated pellets specially made for birds provide a well-balanced diet. Birds should especially be exposed to a wide variety of foodstuffs when young.


Family of lovebirds including color mutations
Potential problems
Lovebirds are very vocal birds, making loud, high-pitched noises. Some make noise all day, especially during the first morning hours. Untamed birds will call even more than tame birds.
Lovebirds are also very active, and love to chew things. When they are flying within a household, it is wise to watch them carefully and protect any furniture, electrical wiring or anything else that they could possibly chew on. Try to place fresh willow or oak branches in a favorite spot to satisfy this natural behavior.
Lovebirds are all of the genus Agapornis and can produce offspring with other lovebirds within the same genus. The cross-species hybrids are sterile. It is recommended to only place birds of the same species together, or of the same sex, for the sake of the potentially faulted hybrid offspring.
Breeding Lovebirds
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
The most important thing to consider when deciding to breed lovebirds is how much time and energy you have. Breeding birds need to be in top condition; they cannot be on seed-only diets or be forced to live in dirty cages. They must be supplied a healthy diet with lots of variety. A good pellet mix like Dr. D's or Mazuri and a high-quality seed mix like Volkman are only supplements really. It's the fresh vegetables and grains that will make your birds healthy enough to lay fertile eggs and raise strong babies.
GETTING A TRUE PAIR OF LOVEBIRDS
Lovebirds are not sexually dimorphic. This means, you generally cannot tell if a lovebird is a male or a female just by looking at it. There are some subtle differences between males (cocks) and females (hens), but for every characteristic I give you will find someone who will tell you they've seen that characteristic in the opposite sex on occasion. The best method of determining sex in lovebirds is through DNA. This entails ordering a kit from one of the many laboratories then taking a sample of blood from your bird. The easiest way to do this is to clip a toenail a little higher than you normally would. Be sure to have styptic powder or flour on hand (they will stop the flow of blood when you are done). This self-testing generally costs between $15 and $22. Many bird shops will take the sample for you squeamish types, and they will send it to the lab and get you the results. This usually doubles your cost, although a few shops charge only the postage and a $5.00 sample-taking fee. Granted, if your lovebirds are the biting type, this might be your best bet. Of course, avian veterinarians will take a sample, but the cost can be prohibitive if you're testing a lot of birds.
Some visual differences between the sexes are: hens tend to have a wider stance on the perch, hens tend to be a bit larger, hens have wider pelvic bones that can be felt (gently!!) with an index finger. The pelvic bones of the hen also tend to move a bit when felt, which makes it easier for eggs to pass.
Also, when you put nesting material in a cage, both hens and cocks will shred the material, but hens will tuck the material under their wings to take them to the nesting box. Males will try to do this, usually unsuccessfully.
Once again, there will always be exceptions to these general characteristics.
CAGE CONSIDERATIONS AND NESTING BOXES:
There are two ways to breed lovebirds: in large aviary groups or by individual pairs in separate breeding cages. Because I want to carefully control the color mutations in my lovebirds I use the latter method. Besides, it is much easier to "keep the peace" among lovebirds when they have separate cages. You can remove pairs from flight cages at breeding time and place them in smaller cages more suitable for breeding. Obviously, the bigger the cage the better. The birds should be able to "beat their wings" without hitting something every time. They should be able to climb and play for exercise. If you don't have enough room for this, you're probably not in a position to breed birds at this time.
Many people think that supplying toys and the like will distract birds from mating. I don't find this to be true, and birds with a varied environment are happier and hence more likely to make good parents. Don't forget: lovebirds are very playful, clownish creatures and they need an appropriate "stage" for their antics.
The nestbox is your next consideration. While many people use a large parakeet or cockatiel box, I have found that I get the best results with English budgie nesting boxes. These open on the side via sliding, two-part door. They have a little raised platform at the entrance, then a lower area for the hen to nest. These are nice because the hen can have company while nesting (the cock will sit on the perch over the raised platform or will sleep directly on the raised platform) without being crowded. I think it also makes it less likely for eggs to be cracked if there's ever a panicked rush into the nestbox because they dive on the raised platform first, then move down to the nesting area.
Make sure you nesting box doesn't have sliding doors that are "swollen" as this makes it very difficult to inspect the eggs. If the doors are very tight in the grooves, I remove them, file or sand down the edges a bit, then put them back in and test for easy sliding. It will be less agitating to your hens if you don't have to wiggle and force the door every time you want to peek in. It's your choice if you want to leave in the concave wood piece that is traditionally included with budgie nesting boxes. Lovebirds make quite elaborate nests, so you don't generally need them. However, if you have a lovebird who's a lazy nestmaker, you may want to keep this wooden piece so eggs don't roll around in the nestbox.
I hang the nestbox on the outside of the cage, then use wire clippers to cut a hole in the cage wall. Make sure you file down any sharp points on the cut wire. Make sure the nestbox will not get wet in the rain. I use plexiglass to cover my outdoor cages year-round. It keeps out harsh sunlight in mid-summer and keeps them dry during the rainy season.
NESTING MATERIALS
Humidity is very important for the successful hatching of lovebird eggs. In Southern California, where it can be extremely dry, many lovebird breeders supply wetted palm fronds as nesting material. Lovebirds adore this! They will shred the long fronds and stuff them under their wings until they look like little pin cushions. They then take them into the nestbox and proceed to build their nests. I also use shredded, unscented, plain white paper towels, eucalyptus occasionally, and dried grasses. Lovebirds will use their own lost feathers for the nest too. I continue to supply nesting material even after the eggs are laid, as this keeps the nest fresher and keeps up the appropriate humidity level (the wetted fronds do this). You can also get nesting material at pet supply stores, but you really don't need to spend money on these. Just remember: don't give leaves of any poisonous plants or plants that have been treated with insecticides! I control this by only using palm trees in my yard. If you don't live in a southern clime this could be difficult, but you can investigate an appropriate, nonpoisonous substitute in your geographical area.
INDOOR BREEDING
You've probably already noticed that I am referring to outdoor breeding. Not everyone has this option, as weather is not so temperate in other places as it is in Southern California. If you plan to breed indoors there are some special considerations, namely, the amount of "sunlight" the birds will be exposed to during the day. It is a good idea to purchase special lights for this purpose, lights that mimic the sun much better than ordinary incandescent bulbs. These are readily available at bird supply stores or via catalogue. Check out BIRD TALK magazine for advertisements, or even one of the online avian suppliers.
CONTACT BETWEEN DIFFERENT BREEDING PAIRS
Lovebirds are busy-bodies. They will stick their noses in every other bird's business without hesitation. I find it best if lovebirds can hear each other but not see each other. I put opaque barriers between cages. Of course, they are quite persistent about "visiting" with neighbors and some pairs have become quite proficient at moving these partitions like sliding doors. I then use clips to keep them in place.


NUTRITION FOR BREEDING BIRDS AND THEIR YOUNG
Nutrition determines the quality and health of your lovebird breeding pairs and young. It is what ultimately determines the quality of your babies once you have chosen healthy, genetically diverse stock for breeding pairs. Diet must be largely fresh, whole foods. The simplest way to give lovebirds excellent greens nutrition is by feeding wheatgrass. Please read our page on wheatgrass to find out more about it. It will save you time and money. Most lovebirds will take to it quickly. It is easy to feed, leaves no mess (just some "grass" to scoop up), and guarantees a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals. We suggest you purchase the inexpensive book by Ann Wigmore that will teach you how to grow it yourself.
We also feed Roudybush pellets, Volkman's Hookbill Super, Crazy Corn (lovebirds particularly go for Kung Fu Yum and Rainforest Rice Pudding), corn on the cob, sprouted beans and seeds (sunflower sprouts are relished by lovebirds), brown rice, and other veggies and grains. The fresher the veggies the more "stimulating" they are in terms of precipitating mating. Fresh foods indicate "Spring" to birds, much in the same way longer sunlight hours do.
LOOSE PERCHES CAN LEAD TO INFERTILE EGGS
I don't think this topic requires much explanation, other than to state the obvious: if the perch is loose the male can't get good "contact" with the female. They might do the dance, but it will be to no avail. You get the picture.
WHY EGGS DON'T HATCH
Infertility, poor nutrition, hen doesn't sit on eggs (cold eggs), bacterial infections, etc. It is not always easy to determine why some eggs just don't hatch. In my experience, usually one or two eggs simply don't hatch. It's usually the last eggs laid. Consider the obvious: a hen lays six eggs. The first few are going to get the "best stuff". This might sound simplistic, but in nature, the smallest baby often does not thrive; hence, the term "runt." I have had a few runts who did quite well in the long run; they simply required a longer weaning time and more care. Some of my best and sweetest babies have been the runt of the clutch. Nature knows best. Not all eggs are meant to hatch. Obviously if none of your eggs are ever hatching, you should be concerned. But I would not be overly concerned about one or two not hatching in a clutch; I think many people overreact to this. Believe me, in nature all the eggs do not hatch every time.
AVOIDING SPLAY-LEGGED BABIES
You know it when you see it: a poor chick's legs are spread straight out from the body and the chick is unable to get a grip and sit up with its legs properly underneath its body. Splay legs can be very traumatic for the novice breeder. The best way to deal with this is to PREVENT it. Even the best nest-builders should be given a basic substrate for the nest box. I recommend Care Fresh. It is nontoxic and easy to get. Put about 2-3 inches into the nest box. Then give the hen nest-building materials. She will build her next on top of the substrate. This prevents the chicks from ending up on the bottom of a nestbox on a slippery wooden floor where they can't get a proper grip. It also cushions them if they have an overzealous mother who sits very tightly on them. If you've already got chicks in the nest and realize they are hitting the wooden floor, remove chicks, remove the nest built by the mother (try to keep it basically intact), add 2-3 inches of Care Fresh, replace mother's nest on top of the substrate, replace chicks. Problem solved. If you've got some babies with splay legs, the best way to treat it is to double band the legs, use dental floss to tie the legs together in the proper position under the body, place the baby in a cushioned cup to help hold it in the proper position. Obviously this entails pulling the baby from the nest and handfeeding it separately from other chicks, as the string between the legs can strangle other chicks in the nest. If you are having difficulty, take the baby to the vet. You do not want to let this go, as these birds are often severely crippled and will need special caging and extra help all their lives.
HAND-RAISING LOVEBIRDS: A HOBBY TO LOVE, BUT DON'T EXPECT TO GET RICH!
I hand-raise all my lovebird babies so they will make tame, loving pets. Sometimes people buy these sweet babies and let them "go wild" so they can breed them since I have some beautiful color mutations. Unlike some other parrot species, it is very easy to breed lovebirds that are hand-raised. For more information on this next phase of lovebird breeding, please continue on to our page, Raising Baby Lovebirds.

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Christmas Games

Christmas Song Picture Game
To play this game, you can print the picture sheet right off this site. Robins says to give people a sheet of blank paper and a pencil to write their answers on, then give them 5 minutes to figure out as many as possible. They can not talk to each other or copy. She usually gives prizes to the top two or three winner and a cassette of Christmas songs to the person with the worst score.
Jingle Bells 2. Walking in a Winter Wonderland 3. Santa Claus is Coming to Town 4. Joy to the World 5. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 6. O' Come All Ye Faithful 7. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas 8. Oh, Christmas Tree 9. What Child is This? 10. We Three Kings 11. Deck the Halls 12. I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In 13. O' Holy Night 14. Noel 15. Away In a Manger 16. The Twelve Days of Christmas 17. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus 18. All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth 19. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire 20. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 21. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! 22. Silent Night 23. O' Little Town of Bethlehem 24. Silver Bells

Back to Back Game

Two people sit back to back. One person is given an object, e.g. a kitchen whisk or a small ornament, and the other given paper and pencil. Without revealing what the object is, the person with the object has to describe to the person drawing it what they have to draw. i.e. draw an oblong at the top left hand corner. Now draw a straight line diagonally across the page etc etc
What the final picture ends up like will depend entirely on how well the person describes and how the other person interprets the instructions! Often hilarious results!

Candy Kiss Game
This is a relay.Divide into two teams.Have a bowl of Hershey's Candy kisses on a table with a pair of mittens slightly larger than the players need.Line the teams up about 10-15 feet away from the table.Each team sends a player down, they put on the mittens, take a candy kiss out of the bowl and unwrap it with the large mittens.After unwrapping they have to pop it into their mouth and go back to tag the next player in line.First team to all get a kiss, wins.If you play this with adult couples, after they get their candy kiss, they return to the line to get their couple kiss instead of a tag.
It's love and sweetness all in one.
Christmas Catwalk
Have three teams of three people. Give each team one-two full rolls of wrapping paper, scissors, and wrapping tape. On your command, all teams start to make an outfit within 15 minutes. Whether it is a dress or a suit, or whatever? It is a blast to see them put these outfits together. ?At the end of the time limit, the models wearing the wrapping paper walk though the room with some kind of back-ground music playing, and if there is a P.A. system available, a person can say something about what the models are wearing. The winner can be judged by judges or simply by the volume of the applause.
Jigsaw Puzzle Race
Get two or three really big gift bags that have the same design on them (Santa face, snow scene, or some other easily recognizable image). Cut them up into about 15 pieces of various shapes and sizes. Divide your group into two or three teams and give each team the pieces to one of the bags. Have the teams put the "puzzle" together. The first team to finish wins the game.
Cotton Beard Game
I have a girl scout troop and we are having a party. We are going to make two or more teams, on one side of the room put a couple big bowls of cotton balls. Then have the girls line up while we put lotion all over their chin. The point of the game is to run to the other side of the room, stick your face in the bowl of cotton and then run back so the next person can go. The winning team is the one who has the most cotton balls in the least amount of time.

Reindeer Antler Game
Make 2-4 teams.
Hand each team one pair of pantythose -- avoid support types that are too tight.
Also hand out one balloon to each team player. If the teams are small give 2 balloons per person (each team should have about 8 balloons).
When you say "go", the teams race to make "reindeer antlers" by blowing up the balloons and stuffing them into the pantyhose.
Then one team member wears the "antlers" and sings the first verse of Jingle Bells.
The first one to do so wins for the team and even after one team wins, let everyone complete the task for a reindeer group picture.
Christmas Cross Word
Across:
1. A very strong wire rope.
3. Sound having rhythm and melody.
6. What stars do
10. Jack jumped over one.
11. Thought while you are asleep.
13. What you say when you answer the telephone.
14. Prepared for what is needed.
Down:
1. What the three Wise Men rode.
2. An exclamation of approval, meaning, "Again!"
4. Three who followed the Star.
5. These hang by the chimney on Christmas Eve.
7. Cookies are very small.
8. Finish.
9. Your relatives.
11. One of Santa's reindeer.
12. The pattern of a song.