Rare Off

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Chinook dogs are one of the rarest breed of dog there is (and on three separate occasions have actually been recognized as the rarest dog on the planet). Currently, there are 800 Chinooks registered with the United Kennel Club and 100 born each year, but at one point there were as few as 28 dogs with only 11 able to be used for breeding purposes. Originally sled dogs, this powerful (and agile) breed also makes a great house pet and are marvellous with children of any age.

The first of it's kind, a Husky Mastiff Mix named "Chinook" was bred to several other breeds (including German Shepherds, Canadian Eskimo Dogs, and Belgian Sheepdogs) by his owner, famed dog sled driver Arthur Treadwell Walden. Walden single handed developed a pack of Chinooks which he used for his sled team (as well as selling some of the dogs to other sled drivers who wanted an advantage with the fast and powerful animal as their lead dog). In 1925, a team of Chinooks owned by a sled driver that had purchased the animals from Walden, became the first team of dogs to summit Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. In 1927, Walden took a team of 16 Chinooks to Antarctica on the first Byrd Expedition of the continent and the dogs were used to drive sleds of expedition equipment. Then in 1941, Perry Greene (at the time the only breeder of Chinooks) took a team of Chinooks and travelled 502 miles in 90 hours, which at the time was the longest dog trek in the United States. Sadly, Greene's passing in 1963 was a huge blow to the Chinook breed. After only two years, the breed was down to only 125 animals, and by 1981 that number had dropped off to only 28.

Now thriving (although still very rare) thanks to a group of enthusiastic breeders, the Chinook breed is over 800 strong. These powerful creatures are as gentle and loyal as they are strong and fast. Wonderful with kids and other dog breeds, Chinooks make great family pets, and are willing to not only please with companionship, but are ready to be put to work at some task.

Darren here, I run the Rare Dog Breeds web site. It carries information on many types of rare dog, including lots of in depth information on the Chinook Dog.

Collect Rare Coins - a Dummies Guide

Most people are born collectors. Whether its stamps, baseball cards, soft toys or even vintage automobiles, you can bet that if its been made, then its been turned into someone's collection. Of course some items are more valuable than others, making the act of collecting them more attractive to people. These items may start off life as collector's items, but very often they begin life as inexpensive commodity items that become increasingly more valuable as they get older and rarer. So it is with rare coins. Most rare coins were, in their day, were readily available but as they got older they fell out of circulation, or the materials they were made from became more valuable - like gold.

Today, if you like to collect rare coins, you will find that this particular hobby, can be rewarding both in terms of satisfaction and in a monetary sense as well.

Don't think, however, that you have to be rich to collect rare coins. New types of coins are made every year and some are re-introduced years after they originally appeared, so focusing on a particular time period and location is important. Like any hobby, researching the background and educating yourself to the history and significance of the items in your collection can greatly add to your satisfaction. You should make use of printer material as well as the internet to research your coin collection, and this can help you decide which coins to collect, and also the best places to obtain them.

You don't have to limit yourself to on-line resources either. There are many good coin publications such as Coin World or Coinage magazine which are written and produced by like-minded hobbyists and leading experts in the field. You should also seek out the help of local coin sellers, either shops, or if your budget allows, specialist dealers, or even auction houses.

Also, just like photography and many other hobbies, collecting rare coins has brought about the growth of many specialist coin collecting clubs and societies. Its worth checking your local Yellow Pages, or on-line directories to see if there is one near you, or why not start one. You will find that the contacts gained from like-minded collectors can greatly help you seek out those elusive items to that you are seeking. You may also be able to swap coins with fellow members, or even club together to buy particularly rare coins that you couldn't afford to buy as an individual.

Older coins are generally worth more, but if new coins are made of gold, for example, then they can be just as valuable as the antique ones. This is because gold has recently seen a surge in value and now exceeds $1000 an ounce. Coins such as Krugerrands, while not rare, are certainly very valuable items in today's marketplace since they are mad of solid gold.

When your collection is complete, if it can ever be complete, then you will want to show it off to its best advantage. You should take time to source attractive display materials such as folders or albums. You might want to consider displaying them in, say, a local museum or Government building if they are of particular interest.

Always keep your coins well cleaned, but do take care, not all materials are suitable for this task. You can usually clean them well by soaking them in vinegar or lemon juice. These remove dirt and grime but are non-abrasive so will not damage the surface. Afterwards, they should be air-dried or patted dry with a soft cloth. Only polish the if you can be absolutely certain that the surface will not be damaged. Some coins scratch very easily and a worn coin will sometimes be worth next to nothing.

So, there you have it, a few points to start you off on your new hobby. Collecting rare coins can be a very rewarding hobby. Not only can you teach yourself a lot about history and materials for example, but you can also end up with a very valuable as prized asset to boot.

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How long until the alcohol wears off for my friend?

My best friend went out drinking with her BF and had 7 drinks in 3 hours. This was around 9 p.m. tonight and she stopped around midnight, apparently. It`s 4:30 now and she is STILL drunk? Is this possible? Does this usually wear off by now? I`m not really a drinker and on the rare occasion that I do drink, I only have one or two.

Yeah it can take like 4-5 hours in some people

Mason’s rare move energizes La Marque to victory
La Marque coach Cedric Mason’s move to rest his starters in a tie game paid off as the Cougars defeated Houston Reagan, 77-64.

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