Pup named Huckleberry crowned 'Beautiful Bulldog'

Huckleberry sits on the throne after being crowned the winner of the 34th annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Des Moines, Iowa. The 4-year-old bulldog pup is owned by Steven and Stephanie Hein of Norwalk, Iowa. The pageant kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake University where a bulldog is the mascot. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Huckleberry sits on the throne after being crowned the winner of the 34th annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Des Moines, Iowa. The 4-year-old bulldog pup is owned by Steven and Stephanie Hein of Norwalk, Iowa. The pageant kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake University where a bulldog is the mascot. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Addie, owned by Lisa Schnathorst of Overland Park, Kansas, walks across stage during the 34th annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Des Moines, Iowa. The pageant kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake University where a bulldog is the mascot. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Dustin Reese, of Des Moines, Iowa, gives a treat to Fat Amy during the 34th annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Des Moines, Iowa. The pageant kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake University where a bulldog is the mascot. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Huckleberry sits on the throne after being crowned the winner of the 34th annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Des Moines, Iowa. The bulldog is owned by Steven and Stephanie Hein of Norwalk, Iowa. The pageant kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake University where a bulldog is the mascot. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Huckleberry sits on the stage before being crowned the winner of the 34th annual Drake Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Monday, April 22, 2013, in Des Moines, Iowa. The 4-year-old pup bulldog is owned by Steven and Stephanie Hein of Norwalk, Iowa. The pageant kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake University where a bulldog is the mascot. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? 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."

___

Follow Barbara Rodriguez at http://twitter.com/bcrodriguez

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-04-22-Beautiful%20Bulldog/id-eb29da97f73749cfb92abf8a970e663c

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Self Improvement | My India - Maps of India

Rising number of rape cases in our society proves that something is wrong at a very large and basic level. It is clear after the brutal rape of five years old kid in Delhi that poverty, lack of education, revealing clothes, use of mobile phones, going out at night, late marriage are not the reasons of rape which were cited again and again by many renowned personalities and even common man. Rape is actually done by sick people who are physically healthy and fine but mentally not. Sick mentality is engulfing every man who does not remain in his senses and results in such a heinous crime.

Society and police is blamed, media becomes super active, protests by people, anger and much more than this is done and seen every time but without a result. All this is not at all changing the society the way it should. Down the line self control through self improvement is the need of the day which will improve one?s life and way of thinking.

Spirituality
Be spiritual not to show off but in reality. Living close to God will help you to stay away from negative thoughts. Make a routine of getting up early in the morning to offer prayers. If you know the technique of meditation then perform this or learn it as it helps in getting rid of negative and unwanted thoughts. Do not run after worldly gurus but be close to that supreme divine power. Try getting his positive energy.

Inspirational Environment
Environment in which you live has a profound impact on your personality and way of thinking. Even if you are living in a single room or a small home you must create an inspirational environment. Keep it clean and paste nice thoughts on walls so that you can see and feel these day and night.

Honesty
?Honesty is the best Policy? so be honest in everything you do and say.

Be tender
Before giving pain to others think what would it feel if same would happen to you? Do hurt anyone neither physically nor emotionally. If you are a person who is not at peace then you have to train your mind for the same. Many times your mind wander and you end up doing a wrong act. But you have to keep your emotions under your control rather than coming under their control.

Bring in a routine
Routine in life is the most important aspect of self improvement. Start your day as early as possible. This will improve your life as well as productivity. Ensure to follow a routine in life.

Stop Blaming
Most of us have the habit of blaming either God or other person for all our misfortune. It is not they but you who is responsible for all the wrong. So stop blaming and accept if you are wrong. Try to improve yourself for a better life.

Set a challenge
Setting up a challenge in life means you will work towards it and remain busy. Keeping yourself busy means not letting negative thought to come. Healthy competition always helps in self improvement and the best way to grow.

Quit bad habits
Everyone has bad habits. For self improvement you have to quit bad habits. Note down all your bad habits and start working on these.

Avoid bad company
Your friends show your personality and over a period of time you start behaving like them. Negative thoughts grow profoundly if you have bad people around you. Identify such people around you and avoid them.

Do not watch obscenity
It is better not to watch TV or any other media as it is full of obscenity. Some people get influenced by obscenity to such an extent that for day and night they keep on thinking about this. With such a mentality they do what they should not. So stay away from obscenity.

If you get success in controlling your mind then self improvement is not a difficult thing as it follows mind control.

Source: http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/self-improvement

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The investing trinity: risk, liquidity, and return

Investing can seem complicated, but it boils down to three basic principles.?

By Trent Hamm,?Guest blogger / April 20, 2013

A money changer shows some one-hundred U.S. dollar bills at an exchange booth in Tokyo. According to Hamm, understanding investing starts with understanding risk, return, and available assets.

Issei Kato/Reuters/File

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Every investment you make requires you to balance three different factors.

Skip to next paragraph Trent Hamm

The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

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The first factor is risk. How likely is it that you?re going to get the return you expect over the next year, or the next five years? Generally, lower risk is better.

The second factor is liquidity. How easy is it for you to get money out of that investment? The easier it is, the greater that investment?s liquidity. Generally, higher liquidity is better.

The third factor is return. How much do you expect to earn off of your investment over the next year? This is, of course, heavily tied into risk. Generally, higher returns are better.

Everything you invest in is going to require a sacrifice in one of these areas.

If you want high liquidity and low risk, you?re going to have a low return. You?re probably going to be putting your money into something like a savings account.

If you want low risk and high return, you?re going to have to give up liquidity. You?re probably going to be putting your money into something like real estate.

If you want high liquidity and high return, you?re going to have to take on some significant risk. You?re probably going to be putting your money into something like stocks.

There are different life situations that call on different investment options.

For example, if you want to have an emergency fund that will help you get through painful situations in your life without having to dive into debt or touch your retirement, you?re looking at something that?s high liquidity and low risk, which means you?ll have to accept a low return. Thus, it makes sense to keep an emergency fund in a savings account.

If you want to buy something and sit on that investment for a very long period while it earns you a fairly steady income, you?re going to want something with a low risk and a high return, which means you?ll have to sacrifice some liquidity. Thus, it makes sense for people to invest in rental properties to generate a steady income.

On the other hand, if you want to be able to invest in something that provides a great return, but also want the freedom to jump out of that investment quickly if something in your life changes or if something about that investment changes, you?re going to need something with high liquidity and a high return, which means you?re going to be adding risk to the mix. For many people, it makes sense to invest in stocks for the ease of rebalancing and selling them off.

These descriptions are very broad strokes, of course. Different people may have different opinions on how to specifically invest and so on.

The key thing to remember here is that your life is in the lead. You make investments based on what you actually need in your life above all else. The situation you?re in and what you need out of the investment will lead you to what you should be doing with your money.

Yes, it takes research and time, and yes, you?ll sometimes find contrasting viewpoints, but without a plan for your life before you invest, you?re likely to make a giant mistake, one that will cause you to have your money locked up tight when you need it or be facing a severe loss when you least expect it or be facing very small growth over a long period.

Figure out your life before you figure out your investments. If you know your goals first, the right investment becomes much more clear.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on www.thesimpledollar.com.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/iW6XXfqBW6k/The-investing-trinity-risk-liquidity-and-return

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Young Athletes Urged to Use Face-Protecting Gear - Health News ...

April 20, 2013

SATURDAY, April 20 (HealthDay News) ? Young athletes and their parents and coaches are being reminded of the importance of wearing mouth and face protection during recreational and organized sports.

In 2012, the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation predicted that more than 3 million teeth would be knocked out in youth sporting events that year. The foundation also said that athletes who don?t wear mouth guards are 60 times more likely to suffer damage to their teeth.

A survey commissioned by the American Association of Orthodontists found that 67 percent of parents said their children did not wear a mouth guard during organized sports. It also found that most children said they do not wear a mouth guard during organized sports because they are not required to wear them, according to a news release from the American Dental Association.

Mouth guards not only save teeth, they also help protect jaws, according to the Academy for Sports Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the American Association of Orthodontists, and the American Dental Association.

As part of National Facial Protection Month in April, the experts offer the following advice about mouth and face protection for athletes:

• Always wear a mouth guard when playing contact sports. They are much less expensive than the cost to repair an injury.
• Helmets are another important piece of safety equipment. They absorb the energy of an impact and help prevent damage to the head.
• Use protective eyewear. The eyes are very vulnerable to injury when participating in sports.
• A face shield can help prevent damage to the delicate bones around the eyes, nose and jaw. Objects such as hockey pucks, basketballs and racquetballs can cause severe damage to players of any age.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about sports safety.

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/04/20/young-athletes-urged-to-use-face-protecting-gear/

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Fed's Bernanke sees no U.S. inflation risks: Nowotny

By Ken Ferris ENFIELD, England, April 19 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Gareth Bale is back in contention for Sunday's Premier League home match against Manchester City after injury, manager Andre Villas-Boas said. "Gazza has been training for the last two days with the team and on his own since the beginning of the week," Villas-Boas told reporters at the club's training ground on Friday. Asked if Bale would start the game against second-placed City, Villas-Boas said: "This is a decision I have to make. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-bernanke-sees-no-u-inflation-risks-nowotny-210403995--business.html

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Boston drama grips television networks

Heavily armed police officers do house to house searches in the neighborhoods of Watertown, Mass. Friday, April 19, 2013, as a massive search continued for one of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. A second suspect died in the early morning hours after an encounter with law enforcement. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Heavily armed police officers do house to house searches in the neighborhoods of Watertown, Mass. Friday, April 19, 2013, as a massive search continued for one of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. A second suspect died in the early morning hours after an encounter with law enforcement. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

NEW YORK (AP) ? So much for scripted police procedurals. The marathon manhunt in Boston was a real-life drama that kept the biggest television networks and their viewers on edge for most of the day and into Friday evening, with a city's safety hanging in the balance.

It had a prime-time conclusion, too. Shortly before 9 p.m. EDT, and three hours after the sound of gunfire indicated the end might be near, Boston police announced that the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing had been taken into custody.

Cameras caught Boston residents celebrating the end of a long, tense day. They poured into the streets to cheer police cars as they passed through, with many in TV news celebrating with them. NBC's Brian Williams noted that people never want to see a police car coming behind them on the road, but they're the first thing people want to see when trouble comes to a community.

"I feel like I've been watching a bad movie that I couldn't turn off," said one resident, Rita Colella, interviewed on NBC.

Viewers woke up to the news Friday that one suspect in Monday's bombing had been killed overnight, with another still at large. ABC, CBS and NBC took the unusual step of casting aside regular programming to cover the story throughout the day, joined by the cable news networks.

The coverage mixed moments of real excitement with tedium as the search continued for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who escaped during an overnight shootout with police that killed his older brother Tamerlan.

TV was a window to the world for residents of Boston and some surrounding areas, who were asked by authorities to stay in their homes as the search went on.

"It's unbelievable, unprecedented to see a major metropolitan area essentially called to a halt," Chris Jansing said on MSNBC.

The evening action came as attention to the story was beginning to lag. After a full day of coverage, NBC switched to Ellen DeGeneres' talk show. Massachusetts authorities lifted their order that everyone in Boston and some suburbs stay at home.

The gunfire and rushing police cars around 7 p.m. EDT snapped the networks back to attention. After confirming that police had found someone hiding under a boat stored in a backyard, CBS quickly found a Google Maps image from above the yard that showed the boat stored there for the winter.

ABC's Diane Sawyer interviewed a witness who calmly said his neighbor had gone into the backyard when police eased restrictions and found blood on his boat and saw someone hiding there. He quickly called authorities. The homeowner was upset that his boat was riddled with gunfire after police arrived.

"I have a feeling around the country that there will be a lot of people who will want to help him get his boat back," Sawyer said.

During the long day of coverage, networks seemed to keep in mind Wednesday's embarrassment, when some news organizations erroneously reported that a suspect in the bombing had been arrested. The scarcity of solid information did lead to moments of confusion, though. In midmorning, MSNBC was reporting that a second suspect was being hunted. CNN flashed on its screen that police were searching for a Honda that the suspect may be driving in Connecticut.

Other networks didn't follow those reports and they were dropped as the search remained shrouded in mystery.

Pete Williams of NBC reported in midmorning that authorities believed they had the suspect cornered in a house and ABC's Pierre Thomas similarly reported that police were moving in. But hours went by without any news.

Shortly after 8 a.m., Fox News Channel reported explosions and indicated the drama might be coming to a head. Two hours later, NBC's Kerry Sanders was crouching on the ground talking on his cellphone, ordered down by police. It was pulse-quickening drama that led nowhere.

Both CNN and NBC told viewers that they were putting live pictures of the manhunt on a five-second delay to protect viewers in case the drama turned bloody.

Networks found friends and relatives of the suspects to talk about them, with Dzhokhar almost universally described as sharp and friendly. But in a news conference, an estranged uncle of the men, Ruslan Tsani, described his nephews as losers.

The suspects' Chechen background led to talk about whether the marathon bombing had something to do with Chechnya's longtime conflict with Russia. Others noted that Dzhokhar had been in the United States for many years, perhaps moving when he was only 9.

"The more we find out about him, the less we seem to know him," CBS' Bob Schieffer said.

As the day went on, networks found it harder to fill the time. Video of the overnight firefight was played over and over. NBC's Brian Williams had a fascinating interview with a couple who lived overlooking the street where the gunplay took place, describing bullets that came into their home. But it turned long-winded.

Williams later reacted with aplomb when NBC briefly cut to a simulcast of a New England cable news network, only to be greeted by a man who uttered an expletive.

"Well, that was a fortuitous time to dip into the coverage of New England Cable News," Williams said, apologizing to viewers as NBC quickly switched away.

Individual networks were able to show strengths during the coverage. ABC's Bianna Golodryga used her fluency in Russian to conduct interviews with the suspects' father. On CBS, John Miller and Bill Bratton displayed their police connections in a knowledgeable and low-key manner.

NBC's star-crossed "Today" show had sent Matt Lauer to Texas on Friday to the scene of a fertilizer plant explosion, where he was largely forgotten. Earlier in the week, Savannah Guthrie's interview with President Barack Obama was overlooked because it happened hours before the marathon bombings.

Lauer's absence gave Guthrie her greatest visibility since she joined "Today" last summer, however, as she led NBC's coverage.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-19-US-Boston-Marathon-Media/id-3d9bbca4775544998ade85cfe5f5cb8c

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Your Friday afternoon procrastination central

by Rob Walker

Stop watching the clock; that?s not going to make the work day end any sooner. Instead, look busy while enjoying these links, and it?ll be quitting time before you know it.

Best Thing Ever Of The Week: Artist David Bowen?s Fly Tweet is a device that ?sends Twitter messages based on the activities of a collection of houseflies.? The flies are trapped in an acrylic sphere with a keyboard, triggering strings of characters tweeted out to @flycolony, which has 3,650 followers (including me). What?s more fun that retweeting ?-1026506150````00-0p-0[p-'[p-'?? Nothing. Via Juxtapoz.

If You Like To Watch: Adrian Hayter collects the feeds of unsecured Webcams. In what has turned out to be a week when surveillance technology was a very relevant topic, this is particularly fascinating. Via Metafilter.

The Point Is The Point: Adding to the promotions-more-interesting-than-music-they-promote genre pioneered by OK Go, a band called Light Light has an extremely fun and diverting interactive video at DoNotTouch.org. ?The site tracks your mouse pointer throughout the video,? AdWeek explains, prompting you to move through a series of game-like maneuvers, and simultaneously showing where others have ?pointed.? Note: The video includes a (very short) NSFW moment.

The Ultimate TED Talk: In connection with a ?make your own TED Talk? project at Eyebeam, F.A.T. Lab offers this oddly hilarious brief video of TED audience applause, laughter, rapt attention, and smug nodding. I?m sure you?ll have no trouble supplying your own insights. If you are anything like me, you?ll giggle at this. Note: You are probably nothing like me.

Shut Up Already: Really cool infographic map of Manhattan noise, based on noise complaints to the city?s 311 line. See where ?loud people? and ?barking dogs? congregate. Via Atlantic Cities.

Pleasing Imagery Of The Week: Pictures of ?tint dispensed into a [paint] can before mixing.? Surprisingly beautiful. Via Oblog.

Somewhat Depressing Imagery of the Week: Massive billboard-style advertising dwarfing we puny humans who live in its shadow, by Natan Dvir. Via Coudal.

Not enough logos in your life?: Here is a Tumblr all about ?branding? U.S. presidents.

Still not enough?: Check the Numbers Project where a designer is making ?a new logo for every day of the year.? I?m thinking about designing a logo for every logo. Because I heard you like logos. So I?m gonna make a logo for all your logos, so you can think about branding while you think about branding. Via PSFK

Two-Ton Hexapod Video: Need I say more? Really? Okay then: ?The Mantis available for private hire.? Via PopSci.

Product of the Week: I?ve never really understood the appeal of temporary tattoos, but this one is different: Book of Joe points out the ?To-Do Tattoo,? for writing a washable checklist on your hand. (Sadly, it?s out of stock.)

Mixtape V. Muzak: Okay, this isn?t for everybody ? and it?s definitely not for playing out loud in any remotely dignified workplace. But I really love Hennessy Youngman?s ?CVS Bangers? mix, which blends the tropes of DJ mixtapes with the bland soundscapes of every drugstore ever.

Your Weekend Project: Learn to spin a toothbrush on your finger. BoingBoing has the instructions.

*

You can follow Rob Walker and @YahooTech on Twitter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/the-weekend-linkdown-david-bowen-ted-talk-172606455.html

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