I’m on a mission.

Rummaging through my closets, I search for one particular gun that means the world to me. Memories flood my mind as I locate it, gently rubbing its well-worn case.

The gun’s a beauty, a Browning my dad carried through fields and creek bottoms in Kentucky, hunting quail. My mom gave it to me in March 2011 after I got the “itch” to hunt after having a blast (pun intended) at a women-only shotgun clinic last January.

I don’t know what to expect. What will I feel? Sadness, since I’m taking my son to try out his new gun because his dad can’t? Will it be bitter sweetness, a sense of dread, or maybe even anger? All bets are off as I close the door.

I lay the case on the bed and unzip it. Slowly, I reach inside and pull the gun out. And in this moment, my heart starts racing, even skips a beat. I experience the sensation I least expect, one I never even considered. Excitement!

Who would have thought it? This “left-handed girl from Western Kentucky” is excited about shooting clays with her sons. I used to find joy in shopping and time with girl friends. Now, it’s not about me. It’s about my sons, being outdoors, teaching them the skills to become productive and responsible young men.

The 10-year-old is happy, too. He’s ecstatic, almost giddy. His 8-year-old brother, BB gun in hand, is elated, as well. We try to sneak past the bird dog, carrying three gun cases without being spotted. Failing miserably, I see she’s on full alert, docked tail wagging rapidly. I reassure her she’ll get her chance to join us in the fall.

We head to a friend’s gun range. She’s big on kids and women shooting. Setting us up with protective eyewear and ear plugs, she talks safety.

I have three goals for this day.

No. 1, for Andrew to feel comfortable shooting his gun, with no recoil to dampen his enthusiasm.

No. 2, for him to hit at least one clay target.

No. 3, for him to have fun doing it.

Lofty goals? I hope not. Ben just wants to shoot his BB gun. I think that can be arranged. Amazingly, my 10-year-old looks much older as he assumes the position, calmly calling, “Pull!” He shoots, not connecting (clay 1, Andrew 0). But his gun didn’t recoil. He’s grooving on this, I can see it in his eyes. Cool, goal one achieved. After retrieving the spent shell, smelling it, and putting it in his pocket for keeps, he reloads. “Pull,” he yells. This time, he’s dead on (clay 1, Andrew 1). The clay shatters. Goal two achieved on the second shot.

We fist bump, yell and cheer. I pocket this shell, glancing at his profile. I’ll never forget his look of sheer bliss, a smile that spreads from ear to ear. He takes a break later, declaring, “Mom, I’m going to love hunting just like Dad did.” I blink back a couple of tears, because he’s the spitting image of his father.

Goal three, accomplished. What a day!

The 8-year-old had to get in on some action, so he focused on cardboard targets. He connected, too. I’ve told him that there’s no pressure for him to hunt. If he chooses to, I will support him. If not, there are other outdoor activities for him to experience and enjoy. Whatever he decides is fine by me.

And me? I shot, too. Hit a few, missed a few. I’m a bit rusty. It has been a year since I shot a gun. Besides, it’s not about me, remember?

Time passes too quickly on this picture-perfect afternoon. We’re enjoying the outdoors, being a family, and smelling our shotguns. Yes, you read that correctly, we smell our guns. My boys seem to savor the scent of spent gunpowder like my cat does catnip.

The things I am learning. Oh, the things I have yet to learn. My next step is procuring all necessary licenses, permits, and stamps for a duck hunt. You’ll get the full report in a future article; I promise to tell it like it is.

Last January, I was shooting clays with women and a borrowed shotgun. Today, I’m shooting clays with my sons, while using my very own gun. What I lack in hands-on outdoor experience, I hopefully make up for in enthusiasm. Maybe that’ll be enough to carry me through.

Liberal economists have again frustrated with the Belarusian President. He did not back off again? It turns out that Alyaksandr Lukashenka is instructed to desist from the sale of large enterprises. On the 21 December told Vice Premier Anatoli Kalinin. He noted that “currently not sell large enterprises-trends in the economy that are not conducive.” In his opinion, the improvement of the situation in the world economy, the Belarusian enterprises will cost more. In comments on a possible deal for the sale of Belarusian railways (BDZ) he also said: “Belarusian railway is the vanguard of all infrastructure complex of Belarus, therefore, not considered and no proposals for the sale of BDZ, I think it’s unfair proposals.” He further added that if there are such proposals, they will be considered only on the profitable for Belarus.

What is criminal? In a market economy, the seller wants to sell and the buyer is profitable to buy. But far from it. Is it the liberal economists please? More such commentators call “lobbiralnymi economists”, since they frankly are lobbying the interests of specific groups under the guise of liberal thought. Here is the comment of liberal Russian professor Sergey Lebeckogo, December 22, said: “Belarusian authorities don’t have the long-term programme of privatization” . In his view, the leadership of Belarus does not hurry with the privatization of a number of reasons, based on the Setup for privatization. “Sale of enterprises is performed only when urgently needed the money, but the intention is declared, when you need to obtain credit. “Efficient economy requires decentralized decision-making and responsibility, continued Professor. A person who sosredotoivee in his hands the political and economic power in Belarus seemed ready to take on debt from external creditors to keep inefficient dotacionnu economy while centralized economic power. Give something to not him. To the same economic decision-making and responsibility for them, it cannot be separated. If you are not in debt, sold to national wealth, which are administered by the same person “. “Now it was $ 2.5 billion of” Beltransgaz “lowered gas prices, there are other revenue from Russia,” said Lebeckij. -For this reason, privatization can be expected to defer until March-April “.

View Lebeckogo-not news. It is fairly consistent lobbyist “prihvatizatorov” of the Belarusian economy. Would have been his will, he would already have long sold for a pittance everything that moves in the Belarusian economy. In doing so, it would be good, hide behind fig leaf of liberal ideology.

But here’s a view already liberal commentator Tatsyana Marynich Minsk: “What the State waives its plans are, unfortunately, not news” . Who, interestingly, pays such wanton sadness? Presented as an “independent” expert Mikhail Marynich was concerned that “Belarus, having received substantial financial support, today are simply not interested in selling any assets: neither large nor small.” You’d think these assets already Informs someone promised, and here for you, the Belarusian President to mark this up shop. Of course, shame, there is nothing to say. Or here’s another Pearl: “Minsk is short-sighted policy, not conducive to the reform of the national economy, but also conducive to the increased external debt”. Purely female logic. The reader question: How do sales in the second half of Beltransgaz for 2.5 billion. $. and lower gas prices for Belarusian consumers will contribute to the growth of external debt? The Belarusian Economist was hardly in a position to answer, because there is a great mystery. The same can be said about the reform. To reforming the economy, according to the “lobbiralnyh economists”, to sell as quickly as possible and, of course, cheaper, public assets, which yield a profit. The logic is very simple: a effective owner and everything will be in place.

Psychological studies show that women are their deepest dreams to keep a long time. Unlike men, they have that in mind, it soon turns out to be in the language, and Mrs. Marynich in this case does not constitute an exception. She was disappointed that “such decisions undermine business and hope to liberalize”. Here is where the root of the problem. The main reform-that business was good. Everything else is unimportant. You should note that among the economically active population, representatives of business ranging from 5-10% of the force. So whether the tail wagging the dog? Well, maybe much better balance the interests of the population, business and the State? Such thoughts lobbyists-Liberals somehow never come.

Tatsyana Marynich final statement recalled the black magic: “we are again talking about rolling back to a few years ago. This policy, which a year later, when the proedeny proceeds will return us to the next wind of the crisis. And then, or the Belarusian economy will fall to the bottom ( sacred dream “lobbiralnyh” ideologues, b. Yanchuk ), or fully integrated with the Russian ( that would, by the way, good developments, since our economies are complementary-Yanchuk )”.

Totalitarnost “lobbiralov” is simply amazing. Their claims to the Belarusian President are very simple. Firstly, immediately implement the massive privatization of State enterprises that are afloat. Objections of the President that it was not an end in itself, not always justified and must therefore be rejected, with the threshold point. Secondly, to sell State enterprises to be cheaper if, God forbid, not to buy, and this in itself a crime. Objections of the President that they better sell when the price will increase, too, are not accepted.

The main argument of Mr Lebeckij leads: “efficient economy requires decentralization and responsibility”. For example, of course, the liberal-capitalist economy, which is dominated by astnokapitalistieska ownership of core resources, the State creates conditions favoured for dominant private ownership. This model of economy was so exhausted that in the twenty-first century did not see this may only the most upertye libertaristy. Where it is interesting, effective without government regulation and control? In the United States, maybe the evil empire, the world, a cancerous economic parazite tumor the entire world economy, where public debt exceeds GDP? There are other examples: Greece, Portugal, Italy … Inefficient as a centrally managed economy and decentralized economy, where the State does not interfere in the development of the economy. The truth is in the middle.

Evil Liberals-lobbiraly and when it comes to reform the economy. The reform involves the gradual changes in the economic system, when the Chief owner when this does not change. Actually the lobbyists want revolutionary change in the economic system of society, in which the rule moves on to private property.

In addition, we will bear in mind: to ensure that the economy was managed in the public sector must have approximately 60% of GDP. Otherwise, the economy will move from crisis to crisis, and social contradictions will accumulate, that will lead to revolutionary explosion in society.

In the same economy in modern conditions of balanced should develop three sectors: State unitary, mixed and private. The first two should dominate. Otherwise, it will not be able to form a rich middle class of about 80 per cent of the economically active population. Why is the rights of the Belarusian President, which said that privatization was not an end in itself, and it must be a scatter and implemented for the benefit of Belarus, in view of the enterprise market. And that such a course is confirmed by the experience of neighbouring countries of the CIS, as well as in Eastern Europe.

The problem is that the Belarusian theorists who advise the President of Belarus, there is no clear understanding of promising models of national economy. There is no answer to the question, what should be on the basis of social orientation of the economy: liberal-capitalist with a minimum of social protection of population; model of the social democratic-type, which is based on the principle of the cat Leopold “guys, let us live together!”; or socialistieski-oriented model based on the principle: “we are one family”. This is mainly due to the fluctuations of the Belarusian leadership and in the field of economic and social policies.

Valery yanchuk, candidate of economic sciences, docent of Vitebsk State University

Our friends at Morning Edition picked up on the news from Newcastle, England, that The Branding Villa pub has created a non-alcoholic beer for dogs and is inviting its customers to bring their four-legged friends in to have a pint or two.

Quite a few listeners seem to be clicking on Morning Edition ‘s short report , so we set off in search of more on the story. As The Daily Mail explains , not only is the pub serving the meat extract-flavored brew for pups, it has also created a dog-friendly menu that includes a Sunday roast with “cat-flavored gravy” (calm down, everyone, it’s actually “a beef stock with fish sauce”).

But it seems that brewing a beer for dogs has been done before. Here in the U.S., there’s Bowser Beer ” a non-alcoholic brew made with malt barley and either beef or chicken. In the Netherlands, there’s Kwispelbier ” another beef and malt brew (“kwispel” is the Dutch word for wagging a tail, The Associated Press says).

So, if you wish to enjoy a round with Rover, options seem to be available.

As for cats: we’re not coming across any non-alcoholic beer made especially for them. If you know of any, let us know in the comments thread.

In certain humorous poses, Murphy the cat resembles Jabba the Hutt from “Star Wars,” his owner says.

But Murphy, a tabby, is a lovable, adorable 21-pounder, who has lost two pounds since his heaviest weigh-in, Morgan Turner says. She adopted Murphy when he was a little kitten, and though it looked like he was a big-boned cat with a large, long frame, the kitty started bulking up with fat after his first year. She and her husband, Jim, aren’t sure why Murphy is so hefty, but he otherwise seems healthy: He runs around, wrestles with his normal-size brother, Charlie, and loves to play. They joke that Murphy’s father was a mountain lion.

“People comment on it all the time. They call him Big Chunk, Big Love and Big Snack,” says Morgan Turner, 30, of Springdale. When Murphy launches himself from the floor onto her lap, he sometimes leaves a bruise.

A pudgy puss like Murphy may look cute, but its weight may threaten its health, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. An estimated 54 percent of cats and dogs in the United States — about 93 million animals — are considered overweight or obese, according to the association’s 2010 figures. About 21 percent of American cats and dogs — 36 million pets — have crossed into the obese category.

Obesity cuts short many cats’ and dogs’ lives. Their condition costs owners huge vet bills that could be prevented if the pet were a healthy weight, says Dr. Ernie Ward, a veterinarian and founder of the association.

“In 2005, this was really a comical topic — that fat cats are happy cats,” says Ward. His association is based at one of his clinics in Calabash, N.C. “We’re very grateful and certainly pleased that we’ve pushed this issue beyond a fun, fluffy piece to the serious medical issue that it really is.”

Pets’ waistlines seem to be expanding along with people’s, Ward says.

“Obesity is the biggest health threat that people face today,” he says. “It’s interesting how it mirrors the human issues. … We just simply exported our weight problem’s to man’s best friend.”

Dr. Frederick Schuler — a veterinarian with Valley Veterinary Associates in Lower Burrell — agrees.

“We talk about it to people every single day,” he says. “It really is a problem.”

Sometimes, when a pudgy pet is extra cuddly and cute, it’s hard for owners to see excess weight as a problem, Schuler says.

“Pets give you unconditional love,” he says. “How can they not be beautiful regardless of what their size is?”

Some wonder why the big fuss over few extra pounds. But look at it proportionally. Two extra pounds on a human is nothing, but on a 12-pound cat, that’s 20 percent of its body weight.

Some pets successfully drop pounds and lick the weight problem. Rosemary McGee, a retired Peters resident, successfully guided her mixed-breed female dog, Sayla, through a weight loss of 11.7 pounds. At her heaviest, Sayla, who is about 6, weighed roughly 76 pounds.

The weight problem appeared to come from commercial pet food. McGee saw a recipe for homemade dog food made out of chicken, rice and vegetables, and started cooking it. Sayla lost weight over a period of about four months, eating two 8-ounce servings of the homemade food each day. McGee makes enough for about 50 servings at a time, and freezes the bags until she is ready to feed them to the dog.

“One day, I looked at her and thought … ‘Geez, she really does look a lot thinner,’” McGee says. “We’re very pleased. It’s all the food. She seems happy, and she doesn’t seem lethargic.”

Other pets’ weight stays stagnant. Take Chunk — a 5-year-old, 15-pound tabby originally named Jasmine.

“I have a cat that’s let herself go,” says owner Andrea Longman, 42, of the West End.

Chunk gets free-fed dry food, which is the only system that works because Longman is gone from home so often — either traveling or pet-sitting through her business, Steel City Pet Sitters. Chunk’s littermate, Duncan, gets the same food, but is trim. Longman’s vet has recommended some diet foods, but they are expensive. Longman is looking into getting timed feeders to help control Chunk’s eating.

Though chubby, Chunk is adorable and “as happy as can be,” Longman says.

“How can you not like her at that size?” she says. “She’s like one of those bean bag pillows — so cuddly.”

Colleen Robinson — owner of Academy of the Wagging Tail, a pet-grooming salon in Greensburg — sees many overweight pets, and they often require special attention for grooming. Sometimes, the heavy dogs require a longer session because they had a hard time standing on the table. The older obese dogs, especially, often need a second person to help them stand up for grooming. Sometimes, Robinson needs to remove heavy dogs from the table and let them lie down on the floor. Some dogs need to use a walk-in shower to be bathed.

“Too many dog treats, probably,” Robinson says as a reason for their chubbiness.

Veterinarians say that, with few exceptions, pets become overweight mostly for the same reasons we do: They consume too many calories and burn too few. A combination of too much food and too little exercise usually is the culprit of weight issues, Schuler and Ward say. In maybe 5 percent of cases, Schuler says, it may be just a genetic or medical condition. With dogs, owners can take them on more and longer walks, and adjust the canines’ diet.

Cats, being natural carnivores, get exercise by indulging in their predatory instincts during brief bursts of energy. They can stalk and chase toys or laser pointers. Without these kinds of outlets, cats can become frustrated, and anxiety can lead to overeating, Ward says.

Free-feeding unlimited amounts of dry food often leads to weight gain, and in a multipet household, someone often is a bowl hog, Ward and Schuler say. Owners can avoid this with set feeding times. Sometimes, food is very calorie-dense — 400 or more calories per cup.

Just like with people, losing weight isn’t easy for a pet, but it can be done, Schuler says.

“If you stick with it, you’ll get … a happier, healthier pet,” he says.

Is your pet overweight?

Your pet is a healthy weight if:

You can easily feel its ribs.

It has a tucked abdomen, with no sagging stomach.

When you view your pet from above, you can see its waist.

Your pet is overweight if:

It’s difficult to feel the ribs under the fat.

It has a sagging stomach and you can grab a handful of fat.

It has a broad, flat back.

It has no waist.

For additional information and a body-scoring chart for cats and dogs, visit here .

Source: Association for Pet Obesity Prevention

One-year-old Harley is a very handsome Anatolian shepherd mix with an infectious glass-half-full kind of attitude.

Whether he is spending time by your side or running around a big yard, his cheerful tail is always wagging with contentment. Harley is housebroken and he already knows a variety of tricks including “sit,” “down,” “paw,” “other paw” and “speak.” He will gladly show off what he knows to eat up some praise and a tasty treat or two.

This friendly boy looks forward to proudly trotting at your side on the sidewalks in his new neighborhood or through the trails at your favorite park. If you’ve been searching for an outgoing companion to keep up with your active lifestyle, Harley is ready to enter your life.

Harley is available for adoption at the Humane League of Lancaster County, 2195 Lincoln Highway East. Many of our available animals can also be viewed online at humaneleague.com . Regular shelter hours are 3-8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and noon-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The shelter is closed Wednesday and Sunday. Call the league at 393-6551.

From Jan. 10-16, the league received 36 dogs and 55 cats. Sixteen dogs and 31 cats were adopted; six stray dogs and four stray cats were reclaimed by their owners. Three dogs and two cats were transferred to other rescue organizations. Previously featured cat Chloe has been adopted .

The cat and dog low-cost vaccine clinics were a great success. Three hundred cats and dogs were vaccinated. The league thanks That Fish Place That Pet Place for allowing us to hold the clinics at its store. Because the response to these clinics was so positive, the league plans to hold more of these events in the future.