Sign this, donate if you can. But if nothing else, just sign it. It’s no miracle solution, but if our voices are never heard, nothing will change they way we’d like it to. One small step that could save lives and suffering in the future.

Hell no, anarchic coffee growers of the UK, unite! The revolution needs powering along! …er…I mean, that’s not coffee, that’s just a house plant…look I have the receipt an all…

Thanks :) I looked it up as well & it should be ‘easy’ - you can pan-fry, oven cook or use a popcorn maker apparently! The trick is to listen for the first ‘crack’ for when the bean is dry and that’s when you get a light roast. It should take less than 15min so I’ll no doubt have to be careful not overdoing my one & only homegrown espresso of 2026!

I didn’t look up a method (though I will do if I try again), the last one I tried I scored the outer layer to try and make sure water got in to trigger germination & just sat it in some water indoors. I think I’ve seen people poke sticks in them so it’s bottom is sat in water, but I may be remembering incorrectly!

Interesting re the sand option, I could try that next. Did you heat it? I have a heat mat so could try using that. I think I’d likely keep it indoors first year, unless it looks like its doing really well.

I have tried germinating supermarket avacado seeds but with no luck!

I got the plants as seedlings, sold as house plants. There were about 8 in a small mug so I grew on four. I decided to ditch two as I didn’t have room for more - as they’re tender (anything below 5° & they start to suffer) I have to bring them indoors over winter & they sit under my south facing bay window.

They’re in my greenhouse now & I should be able to leave them outdoors from June through to October.

Being sold as novelty house plants, C. arabica I think, the flavour isn’t likely to be great, not to mention that I need to figure out how to roast them!

I may try germinating some now I know they’ll flower & fruit.

Will do! I didn’t know if they’d flower but they did last year for the first time after about four years (grown from seedlings) & now (some of) the fruit is finally looking ripe enough to pick.

Damn, was going to ask the same thing! I’ve seen one or two colourful bat species but not in polka!

I once got annoyed that my apparently OK password wasn’t being accepted so went with fuckaduck plus some numbers!

Great advice, especially consistentcy with your behaviour!

Great advise! Both points equally!

A loving home & understanding that not all dog-dog interactions are good. Ensure they have a way out if they’re not happy with any other dog.

Yep, good advice, give a treat for any need to crate or shut away as they won’t understand what you’re doing.

Definitely look up hand signals over voice signals! They’ll never understand what you say!

What are you training it to do?

‘Good’ behaviour? Or some tricks/performances?

There’s similarities, but differences also.

Generally; remember that the dog will never understand what you say, but will have an idea as to your intonation/how you feel when you speak to it. It may even pick up if you’re feeling stressed by something unrelated to it.

Treat it as a family member, that’s how it sees you. Be careful with play, some biting is natural when young as they have no hands so can laern to use their mouth similarly as you do your hands, so if young, let them try things, but teach them to stop if it gets too frequent.

Don’t shout, it’s like barking to them & they may interpret as support for their behaviour. Whispering close to them can be surprisingly calming!

Your examples are good…but you should reward the 4th whilst training. but also it’s better to not conisider any behaviour to be ‘bad’ as the dog has no such concept and does not understand anything you say or think. They should therefore never be ‘punished’.

Also how is the 1st working? You reward it for trying and giving up? It runs the risk of rewarding trying anyway. Reward after responding to an instruction like ‘stop’ or ‘down’ is better.

This is very good! Train yourself, not the dog! Combine with the below.

A dog is not a toy, machine or servant. It is a living animal and has wants and feelings just like you.

Respect it.

Give it attention, a family, care. Ignore stereotypes. It is your child.

It never behaves badly as it has no concept of such a thing and remember that it does not understand English (or whatever language you speak).

This! Batch cook & enjoy!

I should’ve recognised it, but for the super low down view & more modern adjacent building! I used to live in Eastbourne where there’s a few still standing. Where’s this one?

Something I did some time ago, but a bright image for dank winter days :)

You just drew something & I love it, creating something doesn’t have to meet mainstream standards, the act of creation is at the heart of art :)

A piano outdoors is a beautiful thing & I like this image for it’s simplicity - it makes you stop a moment :)