Scatty.com

Singletrack Mountain Biking – What Are The Pros And Cons?

Posted on by scatty

When you think about mountain biking in its purest form, singletrack biking comes to mind. This is when you’re riding on a trail that’s just big enough for a bike, with those paths that look like just one wheel has ridden through repeatedly. There’s no better way to get more in touch with nature on a mountain bike than singletrack riding, but there can be some drawbacks to this old-school method of riding.

Before you set out to the mountains or forests to try your hand at singletrack riding, there are some things that you need to know. Here are the pros and cons of singletrack mountain biking:

Pros

Great Test For Advanced Riders

Perhaps the best test of anybody’s abilities with a mountain bike is to take it onto a singletrack trail. Because of the attention that bikers need while riding on singletrack, it’s the ultimate physical and mental test out there. You’ll also have to keep a good flow to make sure that you’re not in anybody’s way, meaning that you’re being pushed by the best singletrack bikers out there, as well.

Eco Friendly

Singletrack riders are all in agreement about one thing, and that’s keeping the ecosystem of the trails intact. The International Mountain Bicycling Association calls these the “rules of the trail” and they are very specific about maintaining nature while also being able to ride through it. The rule in place is called “leave no trace,” which means that only certain tires should be used to not disrupt the soil, and standing water has to be ridden through or walked around so as to not create a new bike path. Of course, littering is strictly forbidden, too.

Fantastic Workout

While mountain biking itself is a tremendous workout, singletrack biking takes it up a notch. Not only do the elevation changes combine both cardio and strength training, but you’ll also be getting off of the bike more times than you think. That’s because there are some natural obstacles for singletrack trails, so you’ll be hopping off to pick up your bike every now and then when a log or standing water gets in the way. 

Cons

Sharing = Slowdowns

There isn’t room for two-way traffic on singletrack, and even one-way singletrack can get clogged up. These are shared trails, so you’ll have plenty of people coming from the other direction, causing congestion where someone will have to stand to the side and let the other pass. Even when people are going the same way as you, an inexperienced biker can go extra slow, causing a jam in the flow of bike traffic.

Trailside Dangers

Because the trails are so narrow for singletrack, you’re going to be rubbing elbows with a lot of hazards to your left and right. Trees, of course, are the most inherent danger for any singletrack rider. There are also loose branches, bushes that can catch your handlebars, rocks, and much more. Even for more hilly or mountainous terrains, there might not be much leeway to either side that can cause a serious fall.

Bad Place For Breakdowns

Singletrack tends to take you on trails that are a little more remote and don’t leave much walking room outside of the trail itself. Because of this, a mechanical issue with a bicycle can be devastating. If you blow a tire or steering becomes an issue of any kind, you’ll have to carry your bike on the trail the rest of the way. This means you’ll be on the lookout for other bikers so that you can avoid getting hit all while lugging around a broken bicycle.

Now you know a little bit about what to expect when going singletrack biking for the first time. If you’re still up for the challenge, it’s a great way to meet new people and make the most out of your biking experience.

5 Things You Need To Remember When Making Big Financial Decisions

Posted on by scatty

We’ve all come to a crossroads in our lives where we have to make an important financial decision that could impact us for years to come. Whether it’s selling a home, buying a new car, investing in the stock market, or anything else, you don’t want to make an impulse decision when possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars are in play.

It’s important to step back for a second before any big financial decision. Before signing your name onto anything that will put you on the hook for years to come, here are five things that you need to remember first. 

5. Do You Need It?

There are a few things that people need in life: food, water, clothing, and shelter. Only one of these is typically a major financial decision (though clothes can be pretty pricey), and that’s shelter. When looking at homes, make sure you’re looking for something within your means. 

Do you need two spare bathrooms? The same can even be applied to those other necessities. Not every meal needs to be five courses, and not every piece of clothing needs to be a designer brand.

4. Check Your Savings

Savings accounts are offered for a reason, and that’s for making a big financial transaction. Every time that you get paid, make sure some of that is going into your savings account after the bills are paid rather than to your checking account. Over time, your savings account will grow and create a nice little fund for these big decisions.

Savings accounts also accrue interest, with larger accounts earning higher percentage yields. When thinking about a major financial decision, always look to your savings account first. If there’s enough in there where you can pull the trigger on a decision and still have plenty left, it will make your life much easier.

3. Compare Prices

The first offer that you’ll get for something major like a home or car may not be the best offer that you can get. In fact, more often than not, the first offer may end up being the worst. Always make sure to shop around before making a final decision, and see if you can haggle on the price of a big-ticket item. 

Cars and homes especially are able to be talked down into a more buyer-friendly price. When sellers are competing against each other, then the buyer ends up the victor in the end, so don’t jump at the first offer.

2. Assess Your Career

There was once a time when someone would go to work for a company right out of high school or college and remain with that company up until retirement. Those days are long gone, though, with people bouncing around from company to company for more money (and for good reason). 

Before making a big financial decision, ask yourself where you’re going to be in a few years’ time. Do you see yourself in the same position, same company, or even the same city? These are all important to think about.

1. Consider Your Standing Debt

A lot of people assume that just because they can easily make their monthly payments on existing debt like credit cards or car payments they’ll be able to take on another major financial transaction. However, taking on even more debt can have adverse effects. For starters, your credit score will likely decline sharply if you take on another major debt, while your monthly payments may end up being more than you think.

It will be hard to keep up with interest on several different loans, so the best thing to do before making a major financial decision is to make sure your debt is mostly free and clear beforehand. For example, those that have a lot of credit but aren’t using any of it are going to get a much more friendly rate on major financing like a mortgage.

How To Develop Your Language Skills Toward Your English Test

Posted on by scatty

Some tests are easier than others, especially for those that are either learning a new language or trying to grasp the specifics of their native language. Math is simple. It’s a universal language and you either understand it or you don’t. There are so many nuances to language, especially English, that you may understand more than 99 percent of it but find that last one percent tricky to master.

Thankfully, there are some ways in which you can develop your language skills and put these skills to use toward your English test. Some of these are quite detailed while others are doing simple daily activities that will help you in the long run. Let’s take a look at how to develop your language skills.

Keep a Journal

Whether you’re writing a few sentences or several pages, one of the best things you can do for your language skills is to write on a daily basis. If you can, try to keep your journal in a Word document. When you do this, Word can automatically detect any spelling or grammatical errors. Extensions like Grammarly can also help. Take notes of the suggestions that are being made, and use this new knowledge on your English test.

Practice Tests

Though you likely won’t be able to find the exact test that you’re going to be taking online, you can at least take free English tests online with similar questions. This will give you an understanding of what to expect. Not only that, but you’ll be able to see the more common mistakes (in the form of wrong answers) that you may be accidentally doing in your writing or speaking. If you’re scoring high marks on the practice test, continue to study even if you think that you’ve mastered things because you never know what a test can throw at you.

Read the News

Perhaps the most common form of perfect English writing is the Associated Press (AP) style. Reading articles directly from the AP will allow you to become familiar with the type of English that you’ll be tested on. Most reputable news sources will use the AP style, as well, but try to stay away from opinion or editorial articles that tend to have more slang terms and use a looser form of AP style.

Practice Pronunciation

One of the best things you can do to enhance your English skills is to understand how words are pronounced. Make some flashcards that have some tougher common English words and try to sound them out to the best of your abilities. Words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings should also be studied. These are called heteronyms and include words like live, wind, tear, close, and dove.

Prep Guides

A lot of major tests will have a prep guide available that goes into thorough detail about how to specifically train for that test. Along the way, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the English language to the point where you’re using it in everyday life rather than simply for the test. Even if there isn’t a specific prep guide for the test that you’re taking, picking one up for a similar English test will also be beneficial. Tutors can also be available depending on the test that will work with you one-on-one.

Set Aside Study Time

There are a lot of people that study for exams in the random free time that they get throughout the day but may find themselves unfocused because it can be a very short period of time. If you want to get the most out of your studying session, set aside a particular block of time for each day so that you can be laser-focused on studying. The amount of suggested study time depends on the exam itself. For instance, experts suggest that an exam for a class that’s taken once per week should be studied two to three hours per day.

What Can You Learn About Your Forebears From The Meaning Of Surnames?

Posted on by scatty

There is a lot that goes into a surname, though many tend to think that it pertains to an occupation that a male forebear had many generations ago. We see common names like Baker, Miller, Draper, Fisher, etc. as a result. However, there are plenty of surnames that are also based on geographical location, personal attributes, clans, and more.

It’s important to note that an estimated 90 percent of surnames in the dictionary all come from Great Britain or Ireland. Let’s take a glimpse into some of those different types of surnames and what they could say about your forebears.

Occupational

The easiest type of surname to trace is the occupational type. These are the surnames that very specifically have job titles in their names, and they are among the most common surnames in the world. Here is the list of the most common occupational surnames and what they mean if it’s not as obvious:

  • Archer
  • Baker
  • Barber
  • Bender (Cooper, or Caskmaker)
  • Butler
  • Cook
  • Draper
  • Fisher
  • Gardener
  • Mason
  • Miller
  • Potter
  • Sheppard
  • Shoemaker
  • Skinner (Skins animals for fur trade)
  • Taylor
  • Weaver
  • Wheeler

In the times when the world’s population was booming, it was important to have a surname to be more identifiable. Occupations were becoming much more common, and selecting a surname after the occupation you had was the easiest route. Of course, the most popular occupational surname of all is Smith, which literally just means ‘worker.’

Geographical

If your surname isn’t based on an occupation, there’s a good chance that it could be a description of the region where your forebears are from. There are some rather common ones, but they may be a bit vague. Surnames like Hill, Wood, Marsh, or any direction (North, West) can you give some sort of clue to a region, but not a specific area.

Then, there are surnames that tell you exactly where your forebears are from. Some of these more common surnames include Ainsley, Aston, Bohm, Chester, Darby, Holland, Janikowski, Kendall, Napoli, Parish, Roma, Tracey, Van Buren, Washington, and York.

Paternal

Let’s say that so far your surname or a hint of it hasn’t popped up yet. There’s a chance that the entirety of your family’s history was given to a man’s first name. For instance, if your surname is Jackson, your family’s surname can be traced all the way back to a man named Jack. There are a ton of surnames that end in -son, almost all of which have stuck around for generations.

It’s hard to say what exactly this means for your forebears. They could have been a commoner or someone with tremendous influence. Either way, here are some of the more popular paternal surnames, whether or not they have -son at the end:

  • Johnson
  • Jones
  • Davis
  • Anderson
  • Jackson
  • Thompson
  • Robinson
  • Roberts
  • Edwards
  • Rogers
  • Peters
  • Peterson
  • Richardson
  • Brooks
  • Sanders

Physical Traits

In the end, there are many people that are given a surname due to a physical trait that one of their forebears had many, many years ago. Think of names like Short, which can either be used to describe someone that was actually very short or ironically given to a tall person. There are also names like Beckett (given to someone with a prominent nose, or “beak”), White, Brown, Klein (meaning small), Russo (given to someone with red hair), or even Strong.

Summary

No matter what your surname is, there’s likely a very specific reason that the name was chosen. Now you know a little bit more about your forebears, with some learning a lot of specifics about their lineage while others are much vaguer. Either way, it’s fun to think about where your family came from and what they’ve accomplished over the years. Just to think, hundreds of years later, a man with a father named Jack was given the surname Jackson, and it has become one of the most popular surnames in the world.

Flip A Coin? How To Use Random Chance As A Lifehack

Posted on by scatty

There are few things in this world that are completely 50/50, but the flip of a coin is one of them. You either get heads or tails, though there are freakishly rare exceptions where the coin lands on its edge, but we’ll ignore that. Flipping a coin is used to determine many things, with a bulk of them being mostly inconsequential such as who will get the ball to start the first half of a football game. 

However, there are some people that are willing to make major life decisions based on the true 50/50 nature of a coin flip. It may seem a little high stake to determine whether or not you quit your job or get married based on how an inanimate object lands on the ground, but there is some merit to leaving things up to chance. In fact, studies have shown that people who do this actually tend to end up happier in life.

One of the more prestigious universities in the United States, the University of Chicago, asked participants to make major choices with the coin. To make sure that these people weren’t ignoring the coin and going through with things, a third party was present to hold them accountable over the course of six months.

This caused the participants to leave their comfort zone, breaking away from traditional methods of doing things. Professor Steven Levitt helped with the study, and he noted that “Society teaches us ‘quitters never win and winners never quit,’ but in reality, the data from my experiment suggests we would all be better off if we did more quitting.”

Upon the conclusion of his study, Dr. Levitt said that “individuals who are told by the coin toss to make a change are much more likely to make a change and are happier six months later than those who were told by the coin to maintain the status quo. The results of this (study) suggest that people may be excessively cautious when facing life-changing choices.”

While some were skeptical about the study’s results, there were many neurologists that found it interesting, and even supported the results. Doctors Hans Hagemann and Friederike Fabritius wrote that flipping a coin is a fantastic idea when faced with two total choices, even if you don’t listen to the coin itself at first.

“If you’re satisfied or relieved by the decision the coin made for you, then go with it,” they said. “On the other hand, if the realist of the coin toss leaves you uneasy and even makes you wonder why you used a coin toss to decide such an important decision in the first place, then go with the other choice instead.”

Simply, the psychology behind the coin flip can reaffirm the decisions that you’re making. People will tend to hope that one side of the coin comes out on top so that they don’t have to leave their comfort zone or go with the “unconventional” decision. You’re stimulating your brain by taking part in this exercise of random chance no matter the result.

There is even an entire philosophy based around flipping a coin called Flipism. Interestingly enough, the idea for this becoming a philosophy came from a Donald Duck comic strip when one character is dubbed a “flippist” and teaches the famous cartoon character to follow in his coin-flipping footsteps. In the end, though, using the coin gets Donald into trouble, thus the idea of Flipism was founded in skepticism.

There are arguments to be made against flipping a coin to determine major decisions, but it can still be used in fun ways for minor decisions. Can’t decide on what to eat for dinner or which show to watch? Let the coin decide with no consequences. If you want to use the coin for big decisions, there is some caution to use, but as the studies say, you may end up happier.

5 Most Versatile Actors

Posted on by scatty

One of the most vital signs of good acting is making an audience forget that it’s a particular actor that’s playing the role. While some actors tend to play themselves in most of their parts, there are others that get completely lost in a role no matter the genre. Many of these actors have at least been nominated for major awards because of their work, and there are a handful of actors that really stand out above the rest as being the most versatile. Here are the five that have the most chameleon-like qualities.

5. Daniel Day-Lewis

British actor Daniel Day-Lewis may be retired from acting on a full-time basis, but perhaps he could be coerced into a return. After all, Oldman has been nominated for several Academy Awards during his illustrious career, winning for the films “My Left Foot”, “There Will Be Blood”, and “Lincoln”.

Doing method acting for years can take a toll, though. “You go to these great lengths to imagine another world and time and imagine a man,” Day-Lewis said. “And having spent your imagination on that, it seems more fun to live there all the time than jumping in and out.”

4. Tilda Swinton

Somehow, an actress with the versatility of Tilda Swinton has only been nominated for/won a single Oscar for her role in “Michael Clayton”. Her career has been filled with plenty of other memorable roles, including “Constantine”, “The Chronicles of Narnia”, and “Dr. Strange” to name a few.

Instead of acting, Swinton trained to be a poet. It’s something that she’s lamented about many times during her career. “I was supposed to go (to college) for one thing and dropped the ball immediately,” she said. “There is a real dark shame attached to it…As a child, my ambition was always about having a house by the sea.”

3. Meryl Streep

From dramas to comedies and protagonists to antagonists, Meryl Streep has seen it all and perfected it all. Streep has been nominated for well over a dozen Academy Awards, winning for roles including “Kramer vs. Kramer”, “Sophie’s Choice”, and “The Iron Lady”. Some of Streep’s other memorable roles include “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Mamma Mia!”

Despite all of the recognition, Streep remains humble about her abilities. “My achievement, if you can call it that, is that I’ve basically pretended to be extraordinary people my entire life,” she said. “And now, I’m being mistaken for one.”

2. Gary Oldman

You could watch an entire movie with Gary Oldman in the lead role and not know about it until the credits start rolling. Oldman has taken on almost every type of role imaginable from playing Commissioner Jim Gordon in the “Dark Knight” series to playing Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour”.

Despite his impressive career, that role in “Darkest Hour” is the only time that Oldman has won an Oscar for Best Actor. Oldman has said that he can feel retirement “on the horizon,” but says that there’s still a little something left on the table. “It’s not that so much (I’m not happy with my career) as there’s a perfectionism with me.”

1. Christian Bale

Nobody is willing to change their physical appearance for a movie role quite like Christian Bale. Bale has been known to knock it out of the park in every genre (though he has held off on romantic comedies). Bale has shown his cerebral side in movies like “American Psycho” and “The Machinist” while even dipping into the superhero world with the “Dark Knight” series and “Thor: Love and Thunder”. 

Though he throws his all into every one of his roles, Bale says he always has to be pulled back and would retire if he wasn’t so in demand. “I could just go forever not working,” Bale said. Bale is a bit of an outsider, not often going on the red carpet. “I don’t have anything to do with it,” Bale said. “I’m (in Hollywood) because my wife is from here.”

History of the NPI Number

Posted on by scatty

One of the terms we’ve all come to hear at some point in our lives is HIPAA, though not everyone knows what it stands for. HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and it may not be as old as you think. HIPAA was passed in 1996 as a federal law that set standards for protecting private health information. This meant that patients would have to give their consent for any health-related information to be given.

As such, there needed to be a system in place to make sure that healthcare providers could be identified under HIPAA laws. This led to the creation of the National Provider Identifier, or NPI for short. An NPI is a 10-digit number that is used for billing purposes. It helps to prevent the specifics of a patient’s visit to a healthcare provider from being identified, keeping it strictly about the money.

NPI numbers spent years in the making after HIPAA was approved in 1996. On May 23, 2008, the implementation of NPIs went into full effect in what was known as the “final rule.” The rule had been put into place more than four years prior, with most healthcare providers needing to be compliant by May 23, 2007. Penalties weren’t put into the place during that first year, but everybody had to be on board by 2008.

Providers have to apply for an NPI number before they can practice. The number is then used by private insurance companies, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Prior to the implementation of the NPI, the American healthcare system used the Unique Physician Identification Number, or UPIN. The UPIN was used primarily for Medicare and included only six numbers. This plan took effect in 1985 as part of the COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) plan but was discontinued when NPIs went into full effect.

So what types of healthcare providers are required to have an NPI number? Here’s a comprehensive list of who has them:

  • Athletic Trainers
  • Chiropractors
  • Clinical Social Workers
  • Dentists
  • Denturists
  • Midwives
  • Nurse Anesthetists
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Optometrists
  • Pharmacists
  • Pharmacy Technicians
  • Physicians
  • Physician Assistants
  • Physical Therapists
  • Professional Counselors
  • Prosthetists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Orthotists

Note: Not everyone that works in the healthcare industry will need to obtain an NPI number. This includes orderlies, janitorial staff, etc.

Other Uses For NPI Numbers

When it comes to employers, NPI numbers are only used for transactional purposes. That doesn’t mean that NPI numbers can’t be used in other ways, though. Healthcare providers use it for identification purposes every day, including communicating with other providers, including in prescriptions. Healthcare providers will need to know the full benefits and coverage of each individual’s plan, so it’s important to have an open line of communication that’s avoiding fraud through the use of NPI numbers.

NPIs are used in investigations into fraud cases by the Department of Health and Human Services. There have been instances of people saying that they have received medical attention in civil cases, but provided misinformation including false NPI numbers. These numbers are easily validated, making fraud cases less numerous over the years.

Finding NPI Numbers

There is an open database of NPI numbers that have been registered with the Department of Health and Human Services. The general public is able to access this information online, using an NPI number that was provided or entering the healthcare provider’s information. The database is updated every day as applications are approved, making it easier for people to make sure that their doctors are on the level.

Remember, with the HIPAA act going into effect, you have control over your health records. In the end, you get to dictate who’s able to access this information and how it’s used. The NPI numbers are a result for that, making things safer for all parties.

What’s the Most Eye-Catching Image Color?

Posted on by scatty

While you might not be thinking about it all that often, we’re all fighting for attention on a daily basis. Think about the times you’re scrolling through YouTube’s suggested videos. There are some that grab your attention while for others you simply scroll by without reading the title. 

A lot of this has to do with color. There are certain colors that capture your attention immediately and draw you in. It’s a massive part of marketing, which is why you see certain colors used more than others. Here are five image colors that are the most eye-catching, both scientifically and emotionally. 

5. Green

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when the color green is mentioned? More often than not, the answer is either money or the word “go.” Because of this, there’s an exciting feeling when seeing the color green, making it almost universally positive. When you add in the fact that green grabs attention while representing both Earth and nature, there aren’t many people that actively dislike green.

There are certain brands that come to mind instantly when thinking about the color green. Starbucks has built an entire brand using the color, while others include John Deere, Holiday Inn, and Heineken.

4. Blue

Blue is one of those colors that has a calming effect because the first thing that comes to mind is usually water. There’s a sense of stability and serenity that comes with blue, as well, which is why it’s used as a paint color for walls, especially in lighter shades.

Blue is seen as a more ‘masculine’ color, as we think of baby boys being dressed in blue. Darker shades are also incredibly popular, especially amongst sports teams. Blue is a favorite for a lot of corporations. We’ve seen companies become synonymous with the color, including Ford, Facebook, and PayPal just to name a few.

3. Yellow

While yellow itself is one of the most visible colors on the spectrum, a lot of it depends on the shade of yellow. Some lighter shades can be incredibly difficult to see, which is why these shades make for bad backgrounds. Medium shades of yellow, however, can be seen from long distances.

Yellow tends to have a cheery reputation, though some will associate it with caution due to traffic lights. Overall, yellow represents happiness, joy, and warmth. Yellow is used by a lot of businesses to attract attention, helping to propel brands with instantly recognizable logos like Snapchat or McDonald’s.

2. Orange

When you walk into a grocery store, the produce section is usually right at the very entrance. Among the first fruits that you’ll see are oranges, drawing your attention immediately. While some other colors can warn of dangers or attract your attention in a negative way, orange is used to express happiness. After all, we think of sunshine when the color orange comes to mind.

Orange has a lot of different shades, but the brighter ones tend to be considered “energetic.” Due to its positive vibes and attention-grabbing traits, there are a lot of companies that use orange in their branding. Nickelodeon is among the most notable, and their use of orange is a nostalgia-inducing one, especially with their retro VHS tapes.

1. Red

Scientifically speaking, red is the most visible color on the spectrum according to NASA, measuring in with a wavelength of 700 nanometers, making it the longest. Even in terms of cars, red ones usually have higher insurance premiums due to the fact that police officers are more likely to pull over red cars.

We use red in just about everything that demands attention. Whether it be corporate branding, bullfighting, or stopping our cars, red can be spotted from almost a mile away. It’s why out of the largest fast food chains in the world, almost all of them have at least a little bit of red in their branding, while places like McDonald’s or KFC use it primarily.

World’s Best Spots for Sport Fishing

Posted on by scatty

For hundreds of years, countless fishermen make their way to the seas to grab the biggest game fish that they can. Now, more than ever, sport fishing has become more accessible and it’s increasing the number of participants continuously. Whether you’re just now getting into the sport or are an experienced fisherman, you’re probably looking for the best spots in the world for these big game fish. When booking your next sport fishing vacation, check out these spots that were rated as the tops in the world.

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Hawaii is already the best state for fishing in the United States due to the deep seas, so it can be tough to pick the best spot. However, Kailua-Kona stands out and has several charter boats going out each day to catch some of the biggest marlins that you can imagine. Off the big island, you’ll see marlins that are well over 1,000 pounds and can be caught at any time of the year. Locals claim that it’s the only place in the world where both of these statements are facts.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

There’s a reason that the largest sport fishing organization, the Sport Fishing Championship, concludes their season in San Juan. That’s because the Puerto Rican capital is home to the International Billfish Tournament each August when all of the largest fish can be caught. San Juan has earned several nicknames for its fishing potential, including Billfish Pass and Blue Marlin Alley. You don’t have to wait until the big event to enjoy San Juan, though, as blue marlin season starts in May and goes all the way into September.

Lizard Island, Australia

Located in Queensland, Australia on the Great Barrier Reef, Lizard Island is a national park that’s known just as much for its fishing as it is for its lizards. Some of the fish that can be caught just off of Lizard Island include queenfish, trevally, and mackerel, with plenty of charter options depending on what you want to catch. If you’re looking for the biggest fish that the reef has to offer, the ride is about 50 minutes from the coast where you can catch black marlins and tuna.

The Bahamas

More than 50 fishing world records are held off the coast of the Bahamas and its 16 islands. Marlin, sailfish, and tuna are just a few of the fish that can be caught at this beautiful tourist favorite.

Key West, Florida

Among the most popular sport fishing destinations on the American mainland, Key West brings in thousands of people every year to either take out their own boats or hop on a charter. No matter how you’re getting onto the water, you’re going to catch some massive fish. Marlin, tuna, and kingfish are among the many that you’ll see, and dolphins can even be spotted during certain parts of the day. Going fishing in Key West isn’t just a one-day event, with different marinas offering different types of game fish.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

The smallest province in all of Canada, Prince Edward Island, also bases most of its economy on fishing and tourism. It’s no surprise, either, as Prince Edward Island is home to some of the world’s largest tuna and mackerel. The season for deep-sea fishing is shorter due to the northern climate of Prince Edward Island, but it’s a great summer destination with a lot to offer, including charters that are specific to certain types of fish.

Alphonse Island, Seychelles

While Africa doesn’t get a lot of global attention for its fishing, it really should. This is especially true for the eastern side of the continent where you’ll find the island country of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. There are more than a dozen exotic species of fish to be caught off of Alphonse Island, including bonefish, trevally, milkfish, and many more. 

Dog Pedigree Profile: German Shepherd

Posted on by scatty

While it might not be the case around the world, the German Shepherd is one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States, ranking only behind retrievers and French bulldogs according to the American Kennel Club. Surprisingly, the German Shepherd is a relatively young breed, so its popularity over time has increased rapidly. Let’s take a closer look at the German Shepherd to examine its profile to see if it might be the right fit for your family.

Breeding History

In the late 19th century, herding dogs were extremely important as farming was a much more common occupation. A former cavalry officer in Germany named Max von Stephanitz thought that the working dogs of the time were good, but not quite perfect. He set out to create a breed that had size, speed, and intelligence all wrapped into one to become the standard for the working dog.

With that, von Stephanitz purchased a dog that he believed to be the closest to what he was looking for, naming him Horand von Grafarth. This dog would be used to breed with select females, creating the base for German Shepherds overall. von Stephanitz enlisted the help of several others so that the breed was held up to a certain standard, and the German Shepherd was officially recognized in 1919 after years of proving its worth in the working class.

What German Shepherds Are Known For

As we mentioned, the German Shepherd was created for the primary use of being a working dog. To this day, German Shepherds are a popular breed for many lines of work due to their physical traits and intelligence. Typically, a police department will enlist the help of at least one German Shepherd in its K-9 unit. On top of their ability to chase down escaping criminals, German Shepherds can perform many other tasks for law enforcement. This includes detecting drugs and explosives.

The police aren’t the only ones to use German Shepherds, either. They can be used as rescue or seeing-eye dogs, though not as much as retrievers. The original goal for the German Shepherd was to be a great herding dog, and they’re still a popular breed to do just that. 

Attitude/Temperament

There seems to be a very mixed bag in regard to a German Shepherd’s temperament. Some, even without training, are extremely gentle while others can be overly aggressive. The aggression can be curbed with a good trainer, and domesticated ones tend not to bite unless provoked.

German Shepherds are known for being very intelligent and obedient, which is why they’re used so frequently as guard dogs. Because of their strong bite, more people are sent to the hospital from German Shepherd bites than any other breed, though their high population numbers tend to skew that into making them considered dangerous as a whole.

Health Background

Like most other large dogs, a German Shepherd doesn’t have a long life expectancy. On average, a German Shepherd will live for nine to 13 years, though many factors come into play. The size of a German Shepherd can affect its health, especially when it comes to its bones. They are easily affected by arthritis and hip dysplasia, while their body types are also prone to bloat and diabetes.

Types of German Shepherd

Though the standard German Shepherd is easily identifiable, there have been some variants over the years. These are breeds that have been created outside of Germany, and mostly in the United States. These variant breeds include:

  • White Shepherd
  • White Swiss Shepherd
  • King Shepherd
  • East-European Shepherd
  • Shiloh Shepherd

No matter the type of German Shepherd, they tend to share the same traits. Make sure you have enough time, energy, and patience to commit to training a German Shepherd before adopting one for yourself. They can be a handful, but these loyal dogs make for great companions.