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Service Dog in Training

TauLepton — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:05:24 -0800

What "tricks" would you teach a Service Dog? My daughter's Service Dog is in training through the Colorado Correctional Institute (CCI). The dog is to help her stand when her chemo makes it too difficult to do so on her own. He also knows how to retrieve objects for her and bring things to her. Otherwise, he is allowed to socialize while "on duty".

CCI has asked if there are any "tricks" we'd like the dog to know. This is with the intention to make the dog more approachable to other children at our Oncology Clinic and allow my three-year-old to easily introduce her dog to others.

What tricks have you seen a dog perform that would be good for this purpose?

What should I learn to do this summer?

HotPatatta — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:31:32 -0800

What books can teach me skills that would be enjoyable or interesting to share with friends in group settings or one-on-one? I thought it might be fun to spend the summer reading books that teach me how to do something. I want to be able to share, practice, and explore these things with a group of friends or with them individually. For example, I'd like to learn how to give a Swedish massage, apply special FX makeup, and give a (very basic) palm reading. Obviously it takes a great deal of study and practice to do these things well, but I'll leave that for later.

What other skills can be learned by reading a book? I'm especially looking for skills that won't require much equipment or capital investment on my part.

Jack of all trade-offs

goodnewsfortheinsane — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 13:14:19 -0800

What kind of freelance work is right for me? I am currently in college, but I'm working less now due to my parttime job being downsized, and I could use a little extra cash. I want to try freelance jobs, but which ones? My experience and interests are a mish-mash of the creative trades:

Text: I'm alright with words, especially if they're of the Dutch or English variety. I've been writing songs (in English) for over ten years, I've written short stories (one has been published in a Dutch online literary magazine), and blogging for two-and-a-half years. I can also translate between English and Dutch. I've worked as an editor for one of those Yellow Pages-ish web portals that went bust when the dotcom bubble burst.

Music: I'm working on music projects of my own, but I've also written the odd song on request for a theatre group. I have my own home studio.

Other: I've organised and presented singer/songwriter open mic nights. I shoot and edit video, and I've worked as a video operator at a film festival. I've done a sketch act for local radio. I've worked as a lighting engineer at a local venue. I enjoy photography in my spare time. I've been building web sites for ten years or so, but I don't consider this my greatest talent. I have a decent understanding of the techniques, standards and software though.

As you can see, my interests are all over the place. What angle would be best for landing freelance jobs? Factors such as market demand, chance of success, expected pay and expected satisfaction can all be taken into consideration. Feel free to ask for clarification, if need be. Thanks in advance!