shanlung

They live so much longer than us, and they will be around after we are gone from their part of the world or from the world entirely. In the meanwhile, I regard Riamfada as my companion, my daughter and my ward. Perhaps it might be my Eastern background even if my other foot is set firmly in the West. And the realisation via my meetings with that Birdwhisperer of Tsaoling of another fundamental Taoist truth. (Taoism is the Zen of Zen Buddhism) Do not mistake that finger pointing to the moon as the moon itself Read Tsaoling Bird Whisperer Revisited http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wtsaolingrevisit.htm'>http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wtsaolingrevisit.htm Training techniques are just training techniques, which might appeal to the intellect and the mind. Wisdom is a property of the 'heart', and the knowing of not doing things because such 'things' are normally done, or that because everyone else says so. The mind and the heart must work together, but all too often, thats not the case. My latest report might make interesting reading. Will you yank Riamfada off that wall because you can ? or will you get that book to read until she decided to come off on her own? Is one way more right than the other? I dont think I ever know. I only do it in the way that felt right to me. Pakistan//Tinkerbell Kitty Mash//Dommie at the beach Ramadhan 2010 //Villa walkabout 2 http://shanlung.livejournal.com/119237.html Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

This could have been in my old thread. Or could have been in diet. Or in here Pakistan//mind of parrot//Tinkerbell Mash Batch 9//Riamfada pulling up cup//Villa walkabout http://shanlung.livejournal.com/119016.html Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

Be thankful your hair only turn grey instead of dropping off with what my girls had done to me

He will, he will! Do your best to see him through this difficult period. Make sure the rest of the flying environment is safe. Find the lids for all those open pots of boiling water and keep away all the houseplants that are poisonous and begging for a chew and keep that VanGogh you have or he might lose his other ear.

In this thread at another forum somewhere, there is this lady who love to say she graduated from a bird psychology course in almost everyone of her mail. Whatever that meant. Maybe that she became an expert because she got a printed certificate. Her grey bite her about once a month, and that it was the fault of the grey. That greys are so individual. But of course! Greys are individuals. I do not treat Riam the way I treat Tinkerbell. But at the very bottom, they all are the same, including getting out of wrong side of bed. It was so obvious she relished her role as the Alpha and with her psychology course, that she could psycho the birdie to her will. (guess who I wrote indirectly to in letter of 11 Aug). That she carried the birdie everywhere (guess that she clipped the wings so birdie be less uppity) Also obviously, I am a nobody to her. With none of those fancy certs to hang in my house and none of those fancy affiliations. So again And if 'Alphas' insist on what they think is God given role as 'Alphas', they continue to pay the price until they learn. To each the role they want to play, and the rewards and price they get for playing those roles. I also cannot understand whats all those emphasis on birdie pinning their eyes to be watched out for as the magical precursor to biting. Tinkerbell, and now Riamfada, they kept pinning their eyes (narrowing and then dilating their pupils) almost all the time when I play with them. I like to think they pin their eyes even when I am not playing and watching them at all. I never will know. After all, if I am not watching them, can one know if they pin their eyes then? One might as well say parrot open their jaws before they chomp on you and watch out that opening of the jaws. One other very special point I like to make. I always asked them (by voice or by the very actions) and I watched them, as to everything I like them to do, or allow me to do. My wishes were almost never rejected by them. I do believe, the very act of asking them, was perceived by them. And because I did the courtesy of asking them, they allowed me , and played along with me, because I asked them. Simple opening of the heart, and courtesy and respect to them, gained me a lot more than a dozen beautiful certificates and affiliations. Your graduation from my course is your better enjoyment with your birdie and having more magic in your relationship. And a lot less chomping from them. Isn't that better than a beautiful cert and diploma hanging on your wall? Do try that, and remember that cheque to Gerald Durell Wildlife Trust or to any nature conservation body of your choice on your graduation. And tell your friends it worked for you and to try this course, so nicely stickied here for easy finding. Warmest regards Shanlung 山龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

>^..^< To the only person that I know here that could not be written with the 26 characters of the alphabet. I thought this thread had ended with tarm doing a steak for me and I bringing the beer. I had to come back on some of the inaccuracies in your writing. My name is not revered. More accurately , I think I am regarded with some sort of fascinated horror as a kind of heretical madman who needed to be tarred and feathered. Only question is if thats to be done now and then, or all the time. I was cute , very cute in my toddling days. Not that anymore. In a dark night, if good folks are caught between me and a fragrant tofu stall, they turn and walk towards that stall. The arguments against soybean/tofu rested on its estrogen content and phytates. When I first entered this thread, I felt like a bumble-bee buzzing into a symposium of theoritical experts expounding away with calculations and graphs proving to beyond shadow of doubt that bumble-bee just cannot fly. Yet there I was flying about their charts, bodies and clipboard not knowing that I could not fly at all. The estrogenic ickky stuff, causing low sperm count, little or no sex drive, should have caused the Chinese and East Asiatic races to have faded away. The East Asiatic people is among the largest component of the human race despite supposedly having the low sex drive and low sperm count from the evil soybeans. Unless they take the fermented tofu, which alas, to those without elevated taste buds, might well prefer the curse than the cure. The estrogenic iccky stuff is also supposed to cause breast tissue to form. I find it fascinating that Chinese women seemed to have about the smallest breast sizes in the world. When I was in Taiwan, the amount of adverts hitting the air on how to increase the bosom of your girlfriend, or to the women on how to prevent the boyfriend from wandering away, flogging potions made from bananas, snake oil , and everthing else but soyabeans. Westerner women were the rage in the East. More for their lungs and not for the looks. I could not believe those Westerner women had a fetish for eating tofu burgers and tofu hotdogs. With all the unfermented tofus with estrogens in them, the saddest part of that is Chinese women have the least oogle-able bosoms. The phytates article in Wiki is not a contentious issue. Some topics in Wiki are so contentious that what you see there depends on who decided to edit there last. At any rate, it was clear lots of other food stuff contained enough phytates even if tarm and I could not exactly agree on which got what. We agreed washing and soaking and washing and soaking get those stuff away sufficiently. I love to take up your offer on steak when I am in your part of the world. http://www.sfweekly.com/2001-07-18/dining/the-sweet-stench-of-success/ gave explicit directions to that restaurant in San Francisco that served that delectable tofu. After that steak with you, I will go with you to that fragrant tofu restaurant to let you know if they kept the standard up or toned that down for the Americans. In Taiwan and Hongkong there are so many fragrant tofu stalls. Not all are the same. The best I ever had was in Chiayi city where I stayed a couple of years with Tinkerbell and been back to even more years to be with my sweet Tink again. That fragrant tofu tasted so delicious and meaty that you would have sworn it must be made from Kobe beef and the Spanish black pig combined together. That stall could be smelled not just across the road, that stall could be smelled down the road as well. Warmest regards Shanlung 山龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

Godiego, I had a Nias Island Hill Minah long time ago in early 80s. That was the largest of the Indian Hill Minahs. He was kept in an aviary in my garden. I and the rest of the world then had not known what else to do but to chuck them into a cage with food and water. No toys, very little interactions. I wished I known then a quarter of what I know now. Janfromboone, I was told that after they poop, it would be at least 45 minutes before they need to poop again. Tinkerbell took no shit from me. Her control to lay a bit, flew to the other shoulder to lay another bit, and hovering right in front of my face before flying away to preen was so eloquent and would never be forgotten by me to never ever be such a piece of shit to her and all other intelligent sentient. You can see I have very good teachers who taken me under their wings. They are a lot wiser and taught me so much more than the many self styled experts waving their hand moaning about need for Domination, height placement and to Alpha them to force them to their will.

Godiego, Tweedle You probably read the postings I made in this thread. Those postings were only the tip of the iceberg. Phone in that pizza and have that six pack handy and take a day off if you are getting into the URLs which are the heart of those postings. Here is one 'condensed' version just of Tinkerbell, the way she came into my life and the way she taught me http://shanlung.livejournal.com/8284.html I grew up on the books of Gerald Durrell and David Attenborough. How much is me and how much is what they wrote I do not know. I thought I was close to beasties and birdies in the past. It was Tinkerbell who led me into her world, taking me under her wings and truly opened my eyes and my heart. I always felt amused when others kept asking and wondering how I trained the birdies. They just could never accept what I kept telling them then and now. That Tinkerbell, Yingshiong and Riamfada now are the trainers. I am their trainee.

This might help folks to decide. While written in Nov 2003, I think it is still valid now and in future. Parrot on shoulder - being gentle http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wbeinggentle.html'>http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/wbeinggentle.html Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

The other possibility is that you get cages and keep your kids in there so you and birdie have free run of the house. One drawback though is that your SO will buy a doghouse and throw you into there to live.

From http://shanlung.livejournal.com/112019.html Oh dear me! If so, Riamfada must be about the most uppity birdie and think of me lower than a slug. But strangely, she felt the same way as I do regardless of height, that we both are equals and as friends. I think it is far better to be friends than as a boss and subordinate. Friends enjoy far more each other company than as the boss or the slave. Perhaps I could do what I have done because we all are friends, treating each other with the respect and dignity due to intelligent sentient of equal standing. Try that. And taste the magic that comes with friendship. Perhaps you might like that even more.

Godiego, The priority is to keep your birdie safe. You have to live within your real current environment. BUT, kids will grow up. What is not possible now might be possible a few years down the road. Unless your kids go on to give you grand kids running in and out and opening doors and windows. Then that will be another story. Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

I treat unwanted behaviour as if that never existed if thats not unwanted enough to warrant reaction. Just remember I am very laid back and prefer to be laid back Or if that crossed the line , I lead her into new behaviours either in enriching her environment to give her new things to do and praising her like crazy for those new 'acceptable' behaviours. Very bad behaviours (biting wife) will get a flare of mental anger from me and a verbal chewing off. One must remember that we are equal, even if she thinks she is more 'equal' than you. They are empaths. Saying nice things to them and remaining cool and nonchalant when they bite you while you hurt like crazy is hypocritical and confused them and you continue to be bitten again and again. See Understanding the mentality of your grey http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190599-Understanding-the-mentality-of-your-grey I have added letters I posted elsewhere to that thread which might make additional useful reading , if you can accept my 2 cents worth. Such as what I think of that excuse of terrible 2 or 3s that folks like to fall back on. Warmest regards Shanlung 山龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

Godiego and to all others reading this. I add here a couple of postings I made elsewhere on this thread that might make interesting reading here as well. 888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Re:Understanding the mind of your grey Greys are intelligent and I really cannot see their biting in terms of mindless viciousness from them at all. Only humans are capable and demonstrate unprovoked viciousness and cruelty. Are we right in extending that uniquely human trait to the animals in general and greys in particular? Greys resort to biting when they are frightened and afraid or if they felt they cannot communicate anymore of their wishes and preferences. I remembered the days when I was a tiny boy and a lot more cute than what you have seen of me in my photos. My sisters, and their friends, love to pet my cheek when I did not like it. At that time, if I had known of greys and parrots, I would have turned around and chomp them on the fingers. To me, it was so easy to see if birdie is receptive to me or not. And very often, if birdie is not receptive then (to head rubs or to train together), just a few minutes later, the birdie will be ready and receptive. Perhaps its because I do my best to see their moods AT ALL TIMES. And because I want to see, I do see it. Smart and intelligent as greys may be, shouldn't the onus be on us the humans who are supposed to be even smarter? Are we to blame the parrot because they 'cannot read us' (I think they read us a lot better!) or should we blame ourselves for not reading them, and in many cases, deliberately not reading them in the first place. I think 'Alphas' pay a heavier price for assuming the role of alphas than those who decide greys are equal and should be treated with the courtesy and dignity due to fellow sentients. And if 'Alphas' insist on what they think is God given role as 'Alphas', they continue to pay the price until they learn. To each the role they want to play, and the rewards and price they get for playing those roles. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Far too often, because people do not see or do not wish to see the reason for the biting, they rather conveniently say the parrot bite them without reasons at all. Or they say its the Terrible 2 or 3. That hormonal changes came. That might be the case. But even at that, the nuances of the emotions can be so easily seen in them. Blaming hormonal changes is another cop-out. Even without hormonal changes, a parrot might get out of the wrong side of the bed on that day. I do not do to them what I done the day before because I can do that the day before or even on the hour just before. That the birdie liked it then do not mean the birdie like the same thing now. The birdie showed so much of what they liked that it is so much easier to make yourself more receptive to their moods there and then and act to them according to their moods there and then. That is just simple courtesy and respect to fellow intelligent sentient. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

This is a fascinating debate. We all walked away knowing that much more. Tarm, I hope one day to have that steak with you and to clink a few glasses of beer together. The key URL to Tinkerbell Mash is Morning with Harry & the decision// Sultan of Oman Palace// Tinkerbell Mash Batch 7 http://shanlung.livejournal.com/109957.html This was slightly modified in Iceland and Goldman // Jebel Akhdar // Tinkerbell mash batch 8 http://shanlung.livejournal.com/114545.html A history of the mash can be read here SA 2010 & things //other Batchs of mash? //Katleen//neighbour walks & exuberant flights http://shanlung.livejournal.com/116079.html Tinkerbell Mash Batch 9, my final work of love for Riamfada will be made very soon as I am into the 2nd last baggie of Batch 8. More slight changes will be made. That all will be detailed in the blog. Malikah, Thank you for that link. Dr. Mercola is not a savoury character. Maybe I send him a package of yummy fragrant tofu since he wrote so enthusiastically of fermented tofu. The fear of USA sending agents to catch and throw me in Guantanamo on WMD charges hold my hand. Warmest regards Shanlung 山龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

Try reading this thread in this forum Understanding the mentality of your grey http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190599-Understanding-the-mentality-of-your-grey And take a look here http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/ Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍

Tarm, Shouldn't we go and smell roses instead? Or play with our birdies. Poor Riam got shut into her room so I could bang away at the keyboard. I do not trust Wiki that much either but thats better than nothing. I think those experts that wrote against soya beans wrote for the companies and guys who wrote their paychecks. Making use of good nature guys like you to expand their catchment area. I have been the victim in a few cases in the past if that will bring a smile to you. Especially when 'experts' chose to remain silent over other stuff with phytates. As if phytates had consciousness of whether they are in soy or other grains when faced with annihilation by boiling water. That the phytates go quietly and quickly if in other beans , wheat and oats and fight boiling water kicking and screaming if in soya beans. I know it is a tough world out there, and folks and 'experts' must pay rent and eat, even if they refused to eat the fragrant tofu. You going to cook dem brazil nuts and almonds now before you feed your birdies with them? And watch that peanut butter too! Might need cooking before feeding to birdies! :-)

judygram Jayd, I remain very good friends with folks that regularly clipped their birdies. It is not necessary to do the same thing and think the same way to be friends. That will be a boring world. We will remain friends even if you run screaming and gagging away should we approach a fragrant tofu stall. During the time I was in Taiwan and Hongkong, never once could I get any of my expat friends to pop one piece into their mouth or even getting near one of those stall. They cross the road to walk on the other side. I find it sad they never will experience one of the most tasty and yummy dish in the world. Do resist the urge to run away and try just one tiny little piece should you come across those stalls. You will be a die hard convert after you experience that gastronomical delight. Tarm, I do not know of USA and the fetish there for soya burger or soya hotdogs . I guess thats part of Vegan mythology. I am a carnivore and love meat and to sink my teeth into those succulent meat dripping with juice. That said, one close friend of mine is a Jain where Vegans are considered as closer to being a carnivore. Yet we are friends. I am a carnivore as I have this aversion to hearing the tomatoes scream with pain when the knife cut into them or peas squealing for mercy when forked into the mouth. Soaking, germinating, washing and soaking and washing and soaking removed much of the phytate. I had been advocating this, and have been doing this in Tinkerbell Mash since I started in 2002 and not just on the soya beans. Fermentation to soya was done to change and improve the taste. 2000 years ago, no one would have known what is a phytate even if that came marching down the street with a huge brass band. As for that evil phytate, a lot of food stuff contains phytate, and not as if soy bean is the only evil one. I am no expert. There are enough experts plaguing us with their thousands of papers. In the early days when I stood almost alone in the parrot world publicly flying Tinkerbell, experts of all sizes and shapes came running along to declare what travesty of parrot caregiver I was to allow Tink to fly. That they are 'experts' were enough argument for them. Even more 'experts' came to tar and feather me when I advocate taking your parrot out on harness and leash in the early days. Allowing birdie to fly and to take them out safely in harness and leash is so routine nowadays. The world financial meltdown were brought about by another bunch of 'experts' with even more PhDs and affiliations. We the laymen all over the world are good for nothing and good only to bail them out. I am a student but I do like to think I am a well informed student. Extract From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytic_acid Phytic acid (known as inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6), or phytate when in salt form) Food................... [% minimum dry] [% maximum dry] Sesame seeds flour .....5.36 .................5.36 Brazilnuts ................. 1.97 .................6.34 Almonds ................... 1.35 ................ 3.22 Tofu ........................ 1.46 ................ 2.90 Linseed...................... 2.15................ 2.78 Oat Meal .................... 0.89............... 2.40 Beans, pinto................ 2.38 ................2.38 Soy protein concentrate 1.24 ............... 2.17 Soybeans ....................1.00 ................2.22 Corn ...........................0.75 ................2.22 Peanuts ......................1.05 .................1.76 Wheat flour ................. 0.25 ................. 1.37 Wheat ........................ 0.39.................. 1.35 Soy beverage............... 1.24................... 1.24 Oat ........................... 0.42 ...................1.16 Do notice the tofu , or precipitated soya bean that those experts said removing the phytates have more of that then the beans. Luckily I love the fermented stinky tofu. I and all who feed our birdies with brazil & almond nuts have even more phytates that soya. Why is there a campaign against the phytates in soya beans and not a campaign against feeding of brazil and almond nuts? Do we have to cook the brazil and almond nuts before we eat them or give them to the birdie? Note food stables like corn and wheat. The phytate in them are just marginally less than in soya. But folks do eat hell of a lot more of corn and wheat than soya in burger or soya hotdog. Is the phytate in corn and wheat different from soya ? I was thinking of taking a photo of my chest to show my breast look very normal. But I think the mods here would scream and kick me out for doing that. I thought also my fondness for stinky tofu disqualifed my breasts to be shown either. I know you wrote in good faith doing the best that you think you can for your birdies and for all other birdies. I am doing the same too. Warmest regards Shanlung

Folks here might think I exaggerate on how bad fermented tofu smelled like. I love this dish with all my heart and I found I was mild in that description as knowing how delicious fermented tofu is the smell, at least in my nostril, is wonderful as the precursor of enjoying that in my mouth and soul. I checked on the web and was fascinated by the description by others http://www.sfweekly.com/2001-07-18/dining/the-sweet-stench-of-success/ How stinky could it be? As it turned out, pretty stinky. It was a stink that could make other stinks recoil in horror, a stink so mean it could beat a man senseless, drink his whiskey, then run a marathon through manure in his best suit. It was so dense we could almost see it hovering over our table during the brief period we spent acquainting ourselves with stinking tofu. and http://www.ellenskitchen.com/faqs/stinkytofu.html Stinky tofu (also known by its Chinese name, Chou Dofu), a fermented tofu dish which has a very strong acrid odor, is sometimes politely called "fragrant tofu". Its smell has been described as "baby poo," "hellacious" and "sharply foul". Tourists in Taiwan or Hong Kong who follow their nose have no trouble locating a stinky tofu stand � street hawkers who sell it have been fined for breaking air pollution laws. . . . Like the most fermented European cheeses, stinky tofu makes an unforgettable impression; non-native eaters find it either exotically tasty or unbearably repugnant. Twice-fermented stinky tofu, chou doufu ru, makes even stinky tofu smell good. Even many native eaters can't stand the smell.

There was a recent attempt by a group in Hongkong to ban the sale of Stinking tofu. That ban failed. Stinking tofu fans may not be that many, but all converts are die hard converts. Just that you know, you need to bring blue cheese near your nose before you can smell the blue chess. You can smell stinking tofu stall from across the road! Never mind how many lanes that road is (6 lanes in Taipei if you want to ask but dare not ask) Unkind wicked people of un-elevated taste swear stinking tofu can be smelled upwind of the stall. Those writers of 'fermented' tofu have never been anywhere near a stinking tofu (fermented tofu) stall in China, or Hongkong or Taiwan. Or even talked to any Chinese and if they eat fermented tofu before they wrote of fermented tofu/soya bean saving the chinese race.

But why do you need to worry about the commercial parrot food lack of preparation of their soya beans ? Should not one be even more worried of the icky stuff that they used to have long shelf life? Ethoxyquin , originally used to preserve rubber ? Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) ? Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)? Propylene Glycol, de-icing fluid for airplanes? While unprepared soya beans are bad, I am a lot more paranoid on the above! Go make your own mash aka Tinkerbell Mash and you have no need for all the worries. You then have more time to smell roses instead.

I almost feel embarrased in entering this thread. By all the accounts posted such as, Originally Posted by tarm In men gynocimastyia sp? Which is formation of breast tissue in men. Sterility, lower testosterone, loss of sex drive. Fat accumulation. Enlarged prostate. I should not have existed to write a reply. Considering soy has been in the diet of Chinese over the last 3 thousand years, the cumulative impact on Chinese and other people such as Koreans and Japanese, we all should have faded away and dwindled to nothingness. Yet, there might be 1200 millions of Chinese in the world. There might have been more, but Beijing restricted their Chinese to just one child. 130 million Japanese do exist too. And 75 million Koreas. Or 1400 million tofu and soya bean eaters in the world Those researchers who wrote all those stuff must have a hard time explaining that. I saw they all decided it must be because Chinese ferment tofu and abacabra! the Chinese saved themselves from extinction! Fermented tofu and byproduct do exist. Largely as soya sauce. Soya sauce is just a sauce. Miso paste is a kind of 'condensed' soya sauce. But those ferment soya is such a tiny part of the diet. But perhaps miracles do exist where those tiny amount of fermented soya went on to save the Chinese and other East Asiatic race from extinction and fading away. Fermented soya also exist as fermented tofu. The other name for fermented tofu is 'Smelly tofu' or 'Stinking tofu' Eating Smelly tofu is an acquired taste. I love eating Smell tofu as it is so delicious. The tofu is fermented to make it delicious and not because Chinese realised soya bean is poisonous and fermenting it takes away the poison. The vast majority of Chinese hate smelly tofu with a vengence. They eat the regular unfermented tofu. Westerners might like cheese. How many Westerners can stand blue cheese? Blue cheese smell like roses in comparison to the Stinking tofu. And why are there so few chinese who love Smelly tofu? Surely, those who love poisonous unfermented tofu should have lost their sex drive and have lot less offsprings than those who ate the fermented smelly tofu? Surely, the current Chinese race should be loving the smelly tofu if only smelly tofu allows them and their forefathers to procreate? Isnt that standard Darwin principle? Or I gotten that wrong? Its long known that unprocessed soy beans is poisonous. The standard way is to soak and wash , soak and wash repeatedly soy beans before cooking. This is what I have been urging since 2003 when I wrote on Tinkerbell Mash. I do believe enough photos of Tinkerbell, Yingshiong , and Riamfada are available to see their state of health after all the years on Tinkerbell Mash. I do not believe any commercial parrot pellets that use soy beans would do what I have done. A 3 days and 3 nights of soaking and washing of the soy before the cooking. Morning with Harry & the decision// Sultan of Oman Palace// Tinkerbell Mash Batch 7 http://shanlung.livejournal.com/109957.html But what do commercial parrot pellets makers care? Didnt they use stuff like Ethoxyquin , originally used to preserve rubber , BHT/BHA , petroleum products , Propylene Glycol, de-icing fluid for airplanes to enable long shelf life for their pellets? So excuse me for writing. I should not have existed together with the hundred generation of my ancestors because of the evil poisonous soya bean we have been eating over the last 2000 years and more. Neither do 1,200 million chinese could have existed. Especially when most of them hate the Smelly Tofu. I have not known of a single Japanese who love Smelly tofu. Do continue on this worthy discussion as if I never came here to write. Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9

How about throwing in that 'target stick' in as well. Such as here taken with Tinkerbell in early 2002. The other hand was holding the camera

2600 years ago, Sun Tzu wrote his Ping Fa better known perhaps to you as 'The Art of War' One fundamental underlie his thoughts in his PingFa. 知 己 知 彼 zhi ji zhi bi 百 战 百 胜 bai zhan bai sheng or Know yourself, Know your opponent A hundred battles, a hundred victory. I am not saying we treat our grey as an enemy to do battle with. But if we understand them, it may make it that much easier to live with them and to train with them. Whether you want to train with them as friends, or to train them as you the "Alpha', understanding their mind must help. And perhaps those that thought they must dominate them and be the Alpha might even change their mind instead. And perhaps those that have been bitten and otherwise terrorised by their grey might be bitten a lot less and enjoy their grey a lot more, and find training with them a lot easier. If you understand the mentality of your parrot, that might go a long way to becoming friends together. Notwithstanding that was written in early 2005, I cannot add further to that. I find what I wrote to be applicable to my currently living with Riamfada, and to Yiongshiong even if YS was not a grey. Even if it is just my 2 cents and for all it is worth. An extract from Tinkerbell Legacy Tinkerbell Legacy - Living with a flying parrot - Rant 03 (a flighted parrot mentality) http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2187.html Warmest regards Shanlung 山 龍 http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/