Pup named Huckleberry crowned ‘Beautiful Bulldog’

 

If at first you don’t succeed, wipe the slobber off and try again.

Just ask 4-year-old pup Huckleberry, who was crowned Monday as this year’s “Beautiful Bulldog.”

Huckleberry competed for the title in 2010, only to walk away empty-pawed. That changed this year, when he strutted down a blue runway at Drake University in Des Moines dressed in a beige suit as the main character from the movie “Forrest Gump.”

“He’s just a lover,” said his owner, Stephanie Hein, as Huckleberry sat next to his miniature basketball toy and a suitcase similar to one owned by Forrest Gump.

The contest is now in its 34th year and is held ahead of the annual Drake Relays track and field meet. The university’s mascot is a bulldog, and each year’s winner becomes the mascot for the relays event.

Huckleberry beat 46 other bulldogs to don the crown and cape, and competition was stiff. There was a bulldog dressed as a “Thing” character by Dr. Seuss, another wore an eye patch and fake hoop earring to match his pirate-dressed owner. Diva, donning a tutu, took home the prize for best dressed.

Huckleberry seemed unfazed by all the attention, more interested in a dog-friendly cake that’s served annually from the gold-painted throne. He threw in a few slobbered kisses to his owners.

When not competing, Huckleberry likes to cuddle and hang out with a girlfriend bulldog who lives nearby, according to Hein and her husband, Steven.

Huckleberry wore a Mohawk when he initially competed in 2010. But Stephanie Hein spent weeks shrinking and sowing together this year’s outfit, which included a blue-checkered T-Shirt similar to the one worn by Forrest Gump.

“He was just a puppy then,” she said of his first attempt. “But he’s certainly grown into himself now.”

This is for those who understands what pure #Love is..!!

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4 pups, and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard.

As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt tug on his overalls.

He looked down into the eyes of a little boy.

“Mister,” he said, “I want to buy one of your puppies.”

“Well,” said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, “these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.”

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket,
he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. “I’ve
got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?”

“Sure,” said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. “Here Dolly!“ he called.

Out from the doghouse and down ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed
something else stirring inside the doghouse.

Slowly another little ball appeared, this one noticeably smaller.

Down the ramp it slid. Then in a awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up….

“I want that one,” the little boy said, pointing to the runt.

The farmer knelt down at the boy’s side and said, “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.”

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.

Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

“How much?” asked the little boy.

“No charge,” answered the farmer, “There’s no charge for love.”

This is for those who understands what pure love is..!

Painting by muscles: The art of massage

With its cartoon-like skeleton and blood-red muscles on display, the horse parading around the race track has all the appearances of a very late Halloween prank.

Resembling an equine beast turned inside-out, the otherworldly creature daubed in brightly-colored paint completes a mini obstacle course, drawing excited murmurings from the gathered crowd.

It’s not a ghoulish apparition, but a living piece of art, used to vividly show the inner workings of our four-legged friends.

Equine massage therapist Gillian Higgins spent two years painting all 11 anatomical systems on horses — from the skeletal, to the digestive, muscular, respiratory and reproductive — as part of an innovative teaching aid.

The animals, decorated in washable, hypoallergenic paint, are then displayed at races and equine training events across Britain.

“Anatomy can be quite dry and difficult to remember,” said Higgins, manager of equine educational organization Horses Inside Out, based in Nottingham, England.

“But if you see a horse moving and jumping around with a skeleton painted on the side, it really brings it to life.

“It’s not just about knowing the names of the bones, it’s about understanding exactly what they do.”

Higgins first started painting horses six years ago, to help equine massage students memorize the animal’s 700 muscles.

Today, her carefully decorated horses appear at veterinary classes, industry lectures and racing competitions.

“It’s an interesting and easy to understand way of learning the horse’s anatomy,” Higgins said. “A lot of people have told me it’s like putting the pieces of a puzzle together.”

It takes around four hours to paint a horse, and Higgins usually uses 15-year-old thoroughbred Freddie Fox. With his gray coloring and placid temperament, Freddie is an ideal model.

“My horses have been painted hundreds of times and they’ve never reacted. In fact, they quite like the attention,” Higgins said.

“They can mooch around in the stable doing whatever they’d normally do while I paint them. They find the brush strokes calming.”

Once seen as a superfluous luxury, equine massage is now standard treatment for many professional thoroughbreds, with a growing number of private owners also treating their beloved horses to a rub down.

And with racing spelling big business in the UK — superstar colt Frankel won almost £3 million ($4 million) in prize money before retiring this year — owners will be hoping it also gives them that competitive edge.

“If you’d spoken about equine massage 20 years ago, many people would have said ‘What’s the point of that?’ ” therapist Nicole Rossa told CNN. “But it’s become very popular, particularly in the last 10 years.”

Sessions usually run from 30 minutes to one hour, costing around £25-£40 ($40-$64), according to Britain’s Equine Massage Association.

“Regular massage helps pick up problems early. For example, a sore back may be treated by changing how the jockey is riding in the saddle,” Rossa added.

“Massage may also help to calm them down — some horses get anxious before a competition or tense after a long journey.”

There are now just over 80 equine masseurs registered in Britain, with therapists required to first complete a massage course for humans before treating horses.

Once in the profession it’s no easy ride, as each therapist requires permission from a vet before starting work.

As an equine masseur, it’s essential to know the inner workings of an animal unable to vocalize what it is feeling — making the anatomy paintings an important point of reference.

But the fine art of painting horses isn’t all science based — Rossa also decorates thoroughbreds purely for aesthetic value.

Earlier this month she painted a racehorse from neck to hoof in an intricate Christmas jumper, as part of The Jockey Club’s online advent calendar.

For the photoshoot, 17-time champion jockey, Tony ”AP” McCoy donned a matching festive jumper as the pair leaped over a golden hedge laden with presents.

It wasn’t the first time Rossa had used a horse as canvas, also painting a thoroughbred in the Union Jack as part of a special shoot for July’s Barbury International Horse Trials in Britain.

Eventing competitor Laura Collett was pictured riding the remarkable painted horse jumping over a mini Stonehenge obstacle course.

It took Rossa more than five hours to paint the gray horse, using brown sticky tape to create the straight lines of the flag. “The horses seemed to quite enjoy it — some just love the attention and being paraded around,” she said.

With their insides vividly on display, these thoroughbreds are no oil paintings. But their eye-catching outfits may have proven picture perfect for training therapists the fine art of massage.

Sheena Mckenzie

Cage Of Death – who dares

 Crocosaurus Cove Darwin, Australia, has set a new standard of interaction with reptiles. Its inner city location, housing almost 200 crocodiles, including some of the largest Saltwater crocodiles on the planet and its aquarium like underwater viewing of these prehistoric creatures.
The Cage of Death is the only cage in the world that brings you face to face with some of the largest Saltwater Crocodiles in captivity.

 Cost : 1 person $120 and  2persons $160 only

India’s taxman catches up with elephants

India‘s taxman has finally caught up with the nation’s working elephants, with the owners of those working at temples, festivals or parties having to pay 12 per cent of their earnings in service tax.

In India's autumn wedding season the number of ceremonial elephants can being 
city roads to a standstill 
Photo: ALAMY

Elephants are deployed throughout India as ceremonial beasts at weddings, auspicious reminders of the elephant God Lord Ganesha at temples and Hindu festivals like the Kumbh Mela, and as exotic children’s rides at birthday parties.

In India’s autumn wedding season the number of ceremonial elephants can being city roads to a standstill. For many they are an affordable treat – toy shops offer them for under £25 per hire as an upgrade on a party camel.

They are however big business. In Kerala alone, revenues from its 700 working elephants are estimated at just under £30 million per year.

Throughout India’s 28 states, the figure is believed to be several hundred million pounds per year. During peak demand, the going rate can rise to around £300 per day.

Now the Indian revenue authorities want their share and have ordered all enterprises hiring out elephants to levy a 12.36 per cent service tax.

By Dean Nelson

Worms found in fried chicken at KFC outlet in Thiruvananthapuram

Oct 09, 2012

Fast food chain Kentucky’s Fried Chicken (KFC) has come under scrutiny in Kerala after a family reportedly found worms in their fried chicken. The incident was reported from an outlet in Thiruvananthapuram.

On a complaint, the Food Safety Authority conducted an inspection and found that the outlet didn’t maintain adequate sanitation guidelines. Some seized chicken was allegedly as much as five months old. The outlet has been temporarily shut and other KFC outlets are being inspected.

“We came here after we received a complaint. We were told that worms were found in the chicken by the customer who informed us. When we inspected the place, we found worms in the fried chicken. This outlet has temporarily been shut down,” Thiruvananthapuram district officer, Food Safety Authority, Sivakumar said.

Though the restaurant staff sought to prevent the officials from conducting searches, they had their way. They took samples of various dishes served in the hotel for detailed examination and analysis. The complaint was made by Shaiju, an NRI, who had come to the busy eatery along with his wife, son and two relatives. Shaiju was overcome by nausea and vomited as soon as he saw the dead worm in the chicken served to him.

When he brought the matter to the staff’s notice, they tried to dissuade him from making an outcry or complaint to the health authorities. However, he later contacted the FSA office and urged them to take action.

(With additional information from PTI)

The Amazing LORD HANUMAN Orchid – ABSLOUTELY STUNNING !!!

Nature doesn’t need an audience. These wonderful orchids come from the south-eastern Ecuadorian and Peruvian cloud forests from elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters and as such not many people throughout history got to see them. However, thanks to intrepid collectors we do get to see this wonderful Monkey Orchid. Someone didn’t need much imagination to name it though, let’s face it.

Its scientific name is DRACULA SIMIA, the last part nodding towards the fact that this remarkable orchid bears more than a passing resemblance to a monkey’s face – although we won’t go as far as to be species specific on this one. The Dracula (genus) part of its name refers to the strange characteristic of the two long spurs of the sepals, reminiscent of the fangs of a certain Transylvanian count of film and fiction fame.

The orchid was only named in 1978 by the botanist Luer but is in a family containing over 120 species mostly found in Ecuador. Up in the cloud mountains the monkey orchid can flower at any time – it is not season specific. It scent resembles that of a ripe orange.

The examples seen here are all cultivated – though it remains very rare in ‘captivity’. For that reason don’t make a dash down to your local horticulturalist. Yet for those lucky enough to have one, if kept quite cool and in partial shade and it can thrive and flower. Like all orchids, however, it needs a lot of care and patience – so you may want to consider a cactus instead!

If you don’t quite see why this orchid gets its name, then do one thing. Move back from your screen a few feet and take another look. Close up the similarity is good, from a distance it is astounding.

I believe in God, only I spell it as Nature.
Frank Lloyd Wright.

He who made Nature, consisting of things of different colours, orders and species
watches over His handwork according to His great purposes.
Guru Nanak.

Nature conceals a world, but reveals an Universe.
Anon.

The painter, the sculptor, the architect, and the poet
each in his own way, derives his inspiration from Nature.
Sir C.V.Raman.

 

 

 

SNAKE VENOM , IT’s HARMLESS . CHECK HOW !

 

If you drink SNAKE VENOM ,YOU WILL BE UNHARMED!!

Yes UNHARMED (Unless you have some cut in your mouth).

SNAKE VENOM only affects your blood stream and tissue.
The snake venom will be digested and will be released from your excretory system !!!

 

 

 

 

ஈமு கோழி வளர்ப்பு : கவர்ச்சிகரமான மோசடி!

 

உண்மை நிலவரம் என்னவென்றால், ஈமுவின் தாயகமான ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் 1987ஆம் ஆண்டில்தான் வணிகரீதியான ஈமு பண்ணைகள் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டன. அங்குள்ள ஈமு பண்ணைகள் ஒவ்வொன்றிலும் ஆயிரக்கணக்கான கோழிகள் இருந்தன. இப்படிப் பல ஆண்டுகளாக இத்தொழில் இருக்கும் அந்நாட்டில் ஈமு கோழியின் இறைச்சிக்கான நவீன தொழிற்சாலைகளோ, பதப்படுத்தும் நிறுவனங்களோ இல்லை. ஆஸ்திரேலியாவின் உள்ளூர்ச் சந்தையிலே மதிப்பிழந்த பொருளாக ஈமு மாறிவிட்டதால், 1996இல் ஆஸ்திரேலியப் பண்ணைகளில் 2 லட்சமாக இருந்த ஈமு கோழிகளின் எண்ணிக்கை 2005இல் 18,600 ஆகக் குறைந்துவிட்டது. ஆனால், இங்குள்ள நிறுவனங்களோ உள்ளூர் சந்தை விரிவடைகிறது; ஏற்றுமதி செய்கிறோம் எனக் கூசாமல் புளுகி, விவசாயிகளை ஏய்த்து வருகின்றன.

ஐந்தாண்டுகளுக்கு முன் 3 மாத வயது கொண்ட ஒரு ஜோடி குஞ்சை 15,000 முதல் 20,000 ரூபாய் வரை இந்நிறுவனங்கள் விவசாயிகளிடம் விற்றன. குஞ்சுகள் வளர்ச்சி அடைந்து முட்டை இடும்பொழுது முட்டையை ரூ.1500 முதல் 2000 வரை கொள்முதல் செய்ய உத்திரவாதம் கொடுத்தன. ஆனால் இப்போது ரூ. 1000க்குக்கூட முட்டையை வாங்க மறுக்கின்றன. மேலும், கொள்முதல் என்பதே அரிதாகத்தான் நடக்கிறது. இந்நிறுவனங்கள் விவசாயிகளிடமிருந்து கொள்முதல் செய்த முட்டையிலிருந்து குஞ்சு உற்பத்தி செய்து மீண்டும் புதிதாக வரும் விவசாயிகளிடம் விற்கின்றன. முட்டை கொள்முதல் குஞ்சு உற்பத்தி விநியோகம் முட்டை கொள்முதல் என்ற சுழற்சிதான் தொடர்ந்து நடந்தேறி வருகிறது. ஈமு கறி ஏற்றுமதி என்பது நடப்பதில்லை. ஈமு கோழித் தீவன நிறுவனங்களோ, கறியை வெட்டிப் பதப்படுத்தும் நிறுவனங்களோ, தோலை உரித்துப் பதப்படுத்தும் நிறுவனங்களோ, கறியிலிருந்து எண்ணெய் எடுக்கும் நிறுவனங்களோ இந்தியாவில் இல்லை. கால்நடை மருத்துவக் கல்லூரிகளில் ஈமு கோழியின் உடற்கூற்றியல், மருத்துவம், நோய்கள் பற்றிய எந்தப் பாடமும் இல்லை.

 

 

 

 

Simple Water-Saving Tips for the Outdoors

With summer here , here are ten simple outdoor water-saving tips to help you conserve water and save money.

1.Adjust your sprinklers so that they’re watering your lawn and garden, and not the street or sidewalk.

2.Water early in the morning (before 10am) or later in the evening (after 6pm) when temperatures are cooler and evaporation is minimized.

3.Set it, but don’t turn it! Whether you have a manual or automatic system, be sure to adjust your watering schedule.  As the weather changes, so will your landscape’s watering needs.

4.Water established lawns about 1 inch per week (a bit more during hot, dry weather).  

5.Inspect your overall irrigation system for leaks, broken lines, or blockage in the lines.  A well maintained system will save you money, water, and time.

6.Consider replacing some grass area with low water use plants and ornamental grasses. They are easier to maintain than grass, look beautiful, and require far less water.

7.Group plants with like watering needs. Creating “watering zones” in your garden will allow you to give each plant the water it requires – not too much or too little.

8.Add a shut-off nozzle to your garden hose and save about 5-7 gallons each minute your hose is on.  

9.Adjust your mower to a higher setting. A taller lawn provides shade to the roots and help retain soil moisture, so your lawn requires less water.

10.Water in several short sessions rather than one long session to allow for better water absorption and to prevent run-off.