The SPAw - A Sweet, Loving, Warm & Happy resort for you to vacation with your dogs..

Vacation with dogs 575

2012-01-19T11:58:00.003+05:30

Hi folks..further to my earlier post on auroville botanical gardens affected by cyclone Thane - Total Environment donated One Lakh rupees to contribute to their effort to rebuild the gardens...here's a Youtube link that shows the damage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4auvAvfGiM0

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 574

2012-01-11T15:20:00.001+05:30

Hi folks..just had my daughter's birthdays go by - my younger one Nikita turned 2 on Dec 20th & Sonia turned 6 today :)

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 573

2012-01-04T14:39:00.001+05:30

Hi folks...Paul from Auroville - our landscaping consultant of SPAw shared this with me 2 days ago - the damage caused in his nursery in Auroville and parts of auroville, Pondicherry due to the recent cyclone Thane. Some pictures below:

More details on their website at http://www.auroville.org/cyclone/pressrelease.html

You can help by way of donations if you want to help. Thanks folks

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 572

2012-01-01T10:21:00.003+05:30

Vacation with dogs 571

2011-12-27T16:45:00.002+05:30

Hi folks...request your help here.

While i know of many individuals, agencies, animal shelters and adoption homes who work relentlessly to find homes for stray/abandoned dogs or puppies..the gap is still huge. One way to control this is of course a tough one - ensure all strays are neutered/spayed..this too is on but not able to match the numbers of pups given birth...

I found this very nicely documented FAQ's about stray dog situation in mumbai and how one agency is working towards managing it better WSD [The welfare of stray dogs]

I have pasted below 2 q & a from WSD website:

Q4. But what’s the point of putting the dogs back after sterilisation? Doesn’t the problem just continue?
A4. No, when dogs are sterilised and put back in their own area, the population and the problems caused by dogs both reduce. Here’s how:

Each dog guards its own territory and does not allow new dogs to enter.
Since they are all neutered, they no longer mate or multiply.
The main factors leading to dog aggression – migration and mating - are eliminated. So dog-fights reduce dramatically.
With the decrease in fighting, bites to humans also decrease.
Since females no longer have pups to protect, this source of dog aggression is also eliminated.
Over a period of time, as the sterilised dogs die natural deaths, the population is greatly reduced.

Please remember, there is NO overnight solution to the stray dog issue. It is simply not possible to wish all the dogs away. With sterilisation, the population becomes stable, non-breeding and non-rabid and decreases over time. It also becomes largely non-aggressive. On the other hand, when dogs are removed or killed, new dogs keep entering an area and the population is continuously changing, unstable, aggressive, multiplies at a high rate and carries rabies. Which method makes more sense?

Q5. Why don’t you dog-lovers just keep all these stray dogs in your own homes?
A5. Dog-lovers have not created the stray dog population. They merely try to minimise it through sterilisation, and to keep it rabies-free through vaccination. Moreover, even if a lot of stray dogs got adopted, the basic problems of vacant territories and dog replacement would remain.

(By the same logic, people who love children could be asked to keep the entire population of street children in their own homes!)

Incidentally, our organisation does promote the adoption of pariahs and mongrels - so if someone you know is planning to buy a pure-breed dog, try and persuade him to adopt a stray instead. Although it won’t provide a large-scale solution, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you got one dog off the street!

Do visit the site - lot more info available at http://wsdindia.org/faqs.htm

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So the best way to manage stray dogs is a combination of 1) Mass sterlization/Immunization + 2) ensure animal shelters generate revenues to sustain larger homes and more dogs and not just rely on funding + 3) more people adopt. This combination will definitely help.

For point 3 - more people to adopt - one challenge we face is that we do not have a solid, verified database of people who want to adopt - database city-wise.

The help I want to request for is can we start with a small database - maybe 25 names per city - Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai & Bangalore to start with....actually add on any city.

So if any of you reading this has a name with an email address - please do mail it to me at cometospaw@gmail.com. I will not publish this information in any public domain - but will pass it on to folks who reach out & who have puppies/dogs that one can adopt.

Once we get 25 names - we will then see how we can keep that sustaining - database management.

Database will help us find homes quicker for strays...people wanting to adopt will enjoy pups sooner than they imagined :)

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 570

2011-12-23T14:57:00.002+05:30

Hi folks..here's wishing every single SPAw fan a merry Christmas & a wonderful new year :)

Back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 569

2011-12-20T09:41:00.002+05:30

Hi folks..found this very useful message from dogsters.....with the holiday season on - pups are gifts..or even if you want to get a dog home..do read this message :)

Back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 568

2011-12-19T15:09:00.003+05:30

Hi folks...a pub in New Haven ...:)

Thanks AB

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 567

2011-12-19T09:00:00.002+05:30

Hi folks...was at a restaurant near home in Bangalore this saturday evening - see pic attached - he could have been offered a seat atleast :)..he had come in for a take away

back soon ...love anand

Vacation with dogs 566

2011-12-09T08:24:00.001+05:30

Hello folks....was surfing the web when i came across a restaurant - brought back memories...was a dishwasher here for 1.5 years & loved every bit of it...great restaurant..pics below. If you travel to Brisbane - then don't miss this one..called ILCENTRO

Here's the link...http://www.il-centro.com.au/

I learnt so much in this 1.5 years..about working any job & still enjoying it :)

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 565

2011-11-28T10:45:00.001+05:30

Hi folks,

Last week was a very good trip with Paul & the team from Total Environment - we are pretty much final with the overall zoning of the resort ...will share the concept once we are ready..some pictures I took at the SPAw property last week :)..including a beautiful eucalyptus tree - more than 100 years old...

Back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 564

2011-11-11T09:10:00.001+05:30

Hi folks..been away again for sometime...preparing for a trip to ooty with Paul from Auroville, our landscape team & the architect team...for next week.

Found this nice note by sasha dichter - a good learning which we can use in our day to day life :)

I wonder if we could re-title this cartoon “our needs,” as in: every time we regale someone with “what we need” we remember that all they’re hearing is “blah blah blah blah.” But whenever we say their name, whenever we paint them into the picture, whenever we make them part of the story, they hear us loud and clear.
If you agree with the notion, rather than thinking tactically how to make this shift by “changing your pitch,” you might instead ask yourself what’s keeping you from actually seeing the person across the table as an integral part of the story….because she is.
If you don’t feel that way, she certainly won’t feel that way, and you’ll be stuck in exactly the wrong place: “blah blah blah blah blah.”

Source: http://sashadichter.wordpress.com/

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back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 563

2011-10-11T18:28:00.002+05:30

Hi folks....wanted to share another aspect of SPAw that i am working on also...i got inspired by a fabulous pet hotel that opened at Melbourne airport sometime back...a superb service - for people who can leave their pets at the airport before flying off & pick them up the minute they land :)

So i somehow got a meeting with the head of Bangalore airport to share with this this concept & how this can be such a beautiful service for people of bangalore who have pets....i need to get back to them with some workings - i guess this is just the beginning...but here's the mail i received from them after my meeting :)

"Anand. I was very impressed with your presentation and, in thelong term, am convinced that the idea will work at the airport.

We look forward to meeting you again, once you have the data puttogether. Good luck.

Best Regards,"

back soon .............love anand

Vacation with dogs 562

2011-09-21T09:12:00.000+05:30

Hi folks.. good news in the papers today :)

Cutting dog's tail can land you in jail

More of this at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cutting-dogs-tail-can-land-you-in-jail/articleshow/10060784.cms

"The violator can also be charged under section 428 of IPC that talks about maiming of animals," said Anjali Sharma , member and legal advisor , AWBI. This section allows for a jail term of up to two years.

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 561

2011-09-13T10:31:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..very nice article about the beauty of ooty :)

http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-the-curious-case-of-nilgiris-ooty-and-coonoor/20110912.htm

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 560

2011-09-07T08:53:00.001+05:30

Hi Folks..got to know of this super pet hotel at the Melbourne airport from a friend of mine who lives there - so convenient right :)

http://www.melbourneairport.com.au/Flight-Passenger-Info/Aiport-Facilities/Pet-Hotel---Hanrob.html

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 559

2011-09-06T10:32:00.003+05:30

Hi folks...got to see this TV ad campaign by Kotak bank..well one of them is quite sweet :)

Youtube link below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d51NaSRY1c&feature=related

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 558

2011-08-15T13:31:00.002+05:30

Hi folks..another classic from seth godin:

Is there a simpler way to improve quality and responsiveness?
If you can't sign it, don't ship it.
Easy to say, hard to do. Many people choose to work for a big organizationprecisely so they can avoid signing much of anything.
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The same holds good for every aspect of life - personal & professional - sign on it - own it - it's tough - but that's what life is..but at the end of delivering - it's all worth it :)

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 557

2011-08-14T11:49:00.002+05:30

Hi folks..a really nice poster - cools facts about dogs - from dogster.com..please click on the image to get a larger view

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 556

2011-08-14T11:33:00.002+05:30

Hi Foks..beautiful article on dogs & human relationship..came in the economist - August 2011..here's a brief:

THE relationship between people and dogs is unique. Among domesticated animals, only dogs are capable of performing such a wide variety of roles for humans: herding sheep, sniffing out drugs or explosives and being our beloved companions. It is hard to be precise about when the friendship began, but a reasonable guess is that it has been going strong for more than 20,000 years. In the Chauvet cave in the Ardèche region of France, which contains the earliest known cave paintings, there is a 50-metre trail of footprints made by a boy of about ten alongside those of a large canid that appears to be part-wolf, part-dog. The footprints, which have been dated by soot deposited from the torch the child was carrying, are estimated to be about 26,000 years old...More of this article at http://www.economist.com/node/21525353

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 555

2011-08-09T08:41:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..been away again - i see this as work picks up at the SPAw - atleast the initial months - just to assure everyone - everything is ontrac :)

A very dear friend of mine gayathri asked me yesterday - about something that i am not too familiar with - gayathri loves dogs & wherever she finds an abandoned dog or puppy - she takes them home. Yesterday she got a pup - & figured out that the puppy is dead..so she messaged me - "How do you take care of a deaf pup"?

I had to do some reading -here's a short note that i hope helps...

Link to some useful tips on training your deaf dog..

http://www.deafdogs.org/training/

http://www.deafdogs.org/faq/

Some useful books that you could read on this:

http://www.deafdogs.org/resources/books/bdeaf.php

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 554

2011-07-27T09:21:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's fabulous note by seth godin about defining quality...had to share this..great perspective:

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Given how much we talk about it, it's surprising that there's a lot ofconfusion about what quality is.
What's a higher quality car: a one-year old Honda Civic or a brand new topof the line Bentley?
It turns out that there are at least two useful ways to describe quality,and the conflict between them leads to the confusion...

Quality of design: Thoughtfulness and processes that lead to user delight,that make it likely that someone will seek out a product, pay extra for it ortell a friend.

Quality of manufacture: Removing any variation in tolerances that a userwill notice or care about.
In the case of the Civic, the quality of manufacture is clearly higher byany measure. The manufacturing is more exact, the likelihood that the car willperform (or not perform) in a way you don't expect is tiny.
On the other hand, we can probably agree that the design of the Bentley ismore bespoke, luxurious and worthy of comment.

Let's think about manufacturing variation for a second: Fedex promisesovernight delivery. 10:20 vs 10:15 is not something the recipient cares about.Tomorrow vs. Thursday, they care about a lot. The goal of the manufacturingprocess isn't to reach the perfection of infinity. It's to drive tolerances sohard that the consumer doesn't care about the variation. Spending an extramillion dollars to get five minutes faster isn't as important to the Fedexbrand as spending a million dollars to make the website delightful.

Dropbox is a company that got both right. The design of the service is souseful it now seems obvious. At the same time, though, and most critically, themanufacture of the service is to a very high tolerance. Great design in abackup service would be useless if one in a thousand files were corrupted.

Microsoft struggles (when they struggle) because sometimes they get bothwrong. Software that has a user interface that's a pain to use rarely leads todelight, and bugs represent significant manufacturing defects, becausesometimes (usually just before a presentation), the software doesn't work asexpected--a noticed variation.

The Shake Shack, many New York burger fans would argue, is a higher qualityfast food experience than McDonald's, as evidenced by lines out the door andhigher prices. Except from a production point of view. The factory that isMcDonald's far outperforms the small chain in terms of efficient production ofthe designed goods within certain tolerances. It's faster and more reliable.And yet, many people choose to pay extra to eat at Shake Shack. Because it's"better." Faster doesn't matter as much to the Shake Shack customer.
The balance, then, is to understand that marketers want both. Ashort-sighted CFO might want neither.
Deming defined quality as: (result of work effort)/(total costs). Unless youunderstand both parts of that fraction, you'll have a hard time allocating yourresources.
Consider what Phillip Crosby realized a generation ago: Quality is free.

It's cheaper to design marketing quality into the product than it is toadvertise the product.
It's cheaper to design manufacturing quality into a factory than it is toinspect it in after the product has already been built.

These go hand in hand. Don't tell me about server uptime if your interfaceis lame or the attitude of the people answering the phone is obnoxious. Don'tpromise me a brilliant new service if you're unable to show up for the meeting.Don't show me a boring manuscript with no typos in it, and don't try to sell mea brilliant book so filled with errors that I'm too distracted to finish it.

There are two reasons that quality of manufacture is diminishing inimportance as a competitive tool:

a. incremental advances in this sort of quality get increasingly moreexpensive. Going from one defect in a thousand to one in a million isrelatively cheap. Going from one in a million to one in a billion, though,costs a fortune.

b. As manufacturing skills increase (and information about them is exchanged)it means that your competition has as much ability to manufacture with qualityas you do. On the other hand, quality of design remains a fast-moving, judgment-basedprocess where supremacy is hard to reach and harder to maintain.

And yet organizations often focus obsessively on manufacturing quality.Easier to describe, easier to measure, easier to take on as a group. It'sessential, it's just not as important as it used to be.
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back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 553

2011-07-26T09:28:00.004+05:30

Hi folks...in the last two days i received two inquiries - if SPAw was open - long weekends coming up.Thanks for reaching out Neha & Radhika..we still are not open :( But will keep you posted when we are ready :)

In the meanwhile for all of you who want to take your doggies along with you on a holiday...here's my top recommendation

The Dune, Pondicherry - a beach resort spread across 33 acres & yes yes..your dogs are allowed to stay with you & walk around the resort freely :)) their website: http://www.thedunehotel.com/

There is also another website which may have homestays & smaller hotels that allow pets - do check them out too...http://www.petvacations.in/

Happy weekends & back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 552

2011-07-24T08:06:00.005+05:30

Hi folks...i came across this in today's times of india..

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Stinking rich!

Trouble, the fluffy Maltese poodle, of real estate Baron, Leona Helmsley, who recently passed away, had a networth of $2 million. There are other millionaire pets that make the cut to the exclusive list of the world’s richest pets. Here’s looking at some of the world’s wealthiest pets

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Frankie With a networth of $5.3 million, this lucky dog has been living it up in a mansion in San Diego. A neighbour next door was picked to look after it, after Frankie’s owner passed away. Compiled by Melissa Dcosta melissa .dcosta @timesgroup .com

Toby Rimes What’s in a name? Well, this poodle should know. Toby inherited his fortune from a long line of pooches – all by the same name, and they have Ella Wendel to thank for it. Today, Toby’s fortune is worth $92 million.

Kalu Kalu, the chimp, got a fortune of $80 million from Patricia O’Neill who rescued the chimpanzee from a tree in South Africa. Aware that her husband Frank O’Neill was not too fond of Kalu and afraid that Kalu might be left homeless, she left her estate near Cape Town to Kalu.

Oprah Winfrey’s dogs Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is generous with the guests on her show, so, it’s hardly surprising she would be equally, if not more, giving when it comes to her lucky canines, that stand to inherit £30 million from their owner.

Gunther IV It’s not a simple dog’s life for this German Shepherd, who inherited millions, $372 million to be precise, from his father Gunther III, who in turn got the moolah after his owner Countess Karlotta Libenstein of Germany passed away. Apart from enjoying the privilege of being the world’s richest dog, this lucky canine also owns a house, a BMW roadster, a driver, a chef and several servants. It also has the rare honour of successfully bidding on pop star Madonna’s old Miami mansion and a rare white truffle. Gunther attended the auction accompanied by two handlers.

Gigoo This is no cock-and-bull story; Gigoo is the only hen in Britain worth £10 million, which was left to the feathered creature by publishing millionaire Miles Blackwell. Apart from the moolah, Gigoo also owns a gold alarm clock.

Trouble Helmsley Where there is a will, there is a dog’s way. Unfortunately, Trouble’s fortune was trimmed to size, after relatives of real estate baron Leona Helmsley, protested against her will. As a result, Trouble ended up with $2 million (down from original $12 million). The dog’s security alone ran up a tab of $100,000.

Flossie Saving a celebrity’s life pays, and Flossie, actor Drew Barrymore’s Labrador Retriever, will wag her tail in agreement to this one. She will inherit Barrymore’s $3 million estate, when the actor dies.

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back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 551

2011-07-21T17:56:00.004+05:30

Hi folks..been busy & have not been able to update the blog..

Here's something i read sometime back about working with teams..wanted to share this..

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George Harrison's sad death is not only a cultural event. It teaches us something about how people work together. The Beatles were one of the most successful teams of all time. Their recording career only lasted between 1962-70 but during that period they were the most successful global entertainment phenomenon. 30 years after they broke up they are bigger than ever, and have sold more records in the last five years than in the whole of their previous history. They stand alongside Disney, McDonalds and Nike as one of the great world-wide brands.

One of the reasons for this is that they were, between 1962 and 67, an almost perfect team. Using a well known team typology you can make informed guesses about the roles they took up. John Lennon was a "plant": A wildly gifted ideas man who mixed long bouts of doing nothing with galvanic action. Paul McCartney was a conscientious "complete-finisher", taking ideas and making them real. Ringo Starr was a "team player", who glued the team together socially. And Harrison was a "monitor/evaluator" who contributed a huge amount technically to the groups' sound and went outside their environment to find new sounds and ideas.

But the group also comprised two other core members. George Martin, their producer, was a perfect "chairman": respected and respectful; able to sort out disagreements and make decisions. Brian Epstein their original manager was a "shaper"; packaging their raw talent into something saleable.

After 1967 the team began to fall apart. Epstein died, Martin lost influence and Lennon withdrew increasingly into his private world. McCartney began to take on a number of roles he wasn't used to, including chairman, and was ultimately blamed for the groups break up.

We can learn a number of things from this, not least that good teams are fragile and the gap between effectiveness and ineffectiveness is very small. But there are two other lessons thrown into relief by George Harrison in particular.

First, the less glamorous roles in a team are very important. Lennon and McCartney have always been the most visible ex-Beatles, but it's becoming clearer and clearer how much the others contributed to the groups' success. Harrison, in particular, was as much the creator of the great mid 60s music - from Rubber Soul onwards - as any of the others.

Second, that you ignore the less viable team leaders at your peril. Although they returned, the first people who left the Beatles were Ringo Starr and George Harrison, both of whom grew tired at the lack of recognition and the egos of the other two. You need to make a conscious effort to recognise everyone's contributions to a team, not just focusing on the extroverts, leaders and creatives.

George Harrison's contribution and achievements are being given their due credit. His first solo album, All Things Must Pass, is increasingly held up to be the greatest work created by an individual Beatle. And most of the songs were written while he was in the group and were turned down by the other members - a bit like a company turning down good ideas from unexpected sources.

So, when you're managing a team, pay attention to the quiet ones. You might just find that you have a George Harrison on your hands.

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back soon....love anand

Vacation with dogs 550

2011-07-07T09:24:00.000+05:30

Hi folks....

The world’s largest dog training school for disabled people was started by Charles M. Schulz [Snoopy] – it’s called the “Canine Companion for Independence” CCI.

http://www.cci.org/site/c.cdKGIRNqEmG/b.3978475/k.BED8/Home.htm

They train 4 types of assistance dog:

Service dogs: Canine Companions for Independence Service Dogs are partnered with adults with physical disabilities to assist with daily tasks and increase independence by reducing reliance on other people. A Service Dog can pull their partner in a manual wheelchair, push buttons for elevators or automatic doors, and even assist with business transactions by transferring money, receipts, and packages.
Facility dogs: Skilled Companion Dogs are trained to work with an adult or child with a disability under the guidance of a facilitator. A facilitator is typically a parent, spouse or caregiver who handles and cares for the assistance dog, encourages a strong bond between the recipient and the Skilled Companion Dog, and is responsible for the customized training needs of the dog.
Skilled companions: Facility Dogs are expertly trained dogs who partner with a facilitator working in a health care, visitation or education setting.
Hearing dogs: Canine Companions for Independence Hearing Dogs are specially bred Labrador and Golden Retrievers who alert partners to key sounds by making physical contact such as nudging the leg or arm. Among the many sounds Hearing Dogs are trained to recognize and respond to are the sound of a doorbell, alarm clock, someone calling a name or a smoke alarm.

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 549

2011-07-06T16:45:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..had this great meeting with a dear friend of mine Doc [Ashok Krishnan]- a superb guy always willing to share thoughts/ideas/ways to do better..here's one thing we were discussing which he brought out as a beautiful idea for the SPAw..

We were talking about education in schools..and i was sharing somethings i discovered about a very nice school in Chicago - called the British school of Chicago..starting with their goal...i just love their goal..and every school must look at this goal ..."to create a love for learning for life"....the school has some very special features - they teach DESIGN to every child from 4th grade onwards..where they learn to make tools, use tools, solve problems making things..work with large tools...just getting design into their system..which is a such a huge skill to have for any job/field of work. Music is compulsory & every child needs to learn one instrument at least - every Saturday is music day & the kids can come & spend the whole day playing/learning/practicing music..again opening their mind to the world of music & widening their horizons,,,apart from just academics..

So our discussion then veered into talking about schools in India..whether they have goals like this & what extar skills do they teach..are all our school curriculum geared towards industry [which should not be the case] - as industry changes...but to focus on building some strong skills in kids that are universal, i guess is more important.

I remember a post from Seth Godin about what high school should teach......here's his list of what should kids learn:

How to focus intently on a problem until it's solved.
The benefit of postponing short-term satisfaction in exchange for long-term success.
How to read critically.
The power of being able to lead groups of peers without receiving clear delegated authority.
An understanding of the extraordinary power of the scientific method, in just about any situation or endeavor.
How to persuasively present ideas in multiple forms, especially in writing and before a group.
Project management. Self-management and the management of ideas, projects and people.
Personal finance. Understanding the truth about money and debt and leverage.
An insatiable desire (and the ability) to learn more. Forever.
Most of all, the self-reliance that comes from understanding that relentless hard work can be applied to solve problems worth solving.

Teaching the above to kids in school will help them deal with life far more effectively than what is being taught today...

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So while i am not aware of any school in India that teaches the above in their curriculum, Doc suggested that i could do these as summer schools at the SPAw..the infrastructure will already be there..Create a lovely summer school..where kids come & stay at the SPAw for 3 to 4 weeks..& love learning...how..by teaching them the above skills..teaching stuff like

How to read maps
How to read a compass
Learn about trees & plants by spending time at the tree museum at the SPAw ..i am sure they will love their botany classes after that :)
Create things by using tools..
Learn design
Learn music
Learn art
Learn problem solving
Learn leadership skills while camping out or trekking across the SPAw
Learn being nice to people - with the help of all our SPAw dogs :)
Learn to value money
Learn to love reading
Managing time....

This list is so exciting [just a random list - incomplete though]...there will be no certificates, no books, no notes...just skills that kids will learn, do & take back with them......so i am really excited about this part of the SPAw .......i will put a detailed plan for this...but wanted to share this with all of you :))

I guess the name will be "Love for learning" at the SPAw ....back soon..love anand

If any of you have any ideas on what we should teach the kids in this summer sessions..please do write in...thank you

Vacation with dogs 548

2011-07-03T08:33:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..some really nice news...in today's times of India

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Cruelty to your pet will now attract 1 crore fine

Nitin Sethi TNN

New Delhi: Be cruel to your pet or any other animal at your own peril. For, an offender could end up paying up to Rs 1 crore as fine or be jailed for up to five years. The environment and forests ministry has proposed this hefty fine in its Animal Welfare Bill, 2011. For institutions or companies that show cruelty towards animals the penalty would be a whopping Rs 25 crore.

The proposed bill empowers the Centre to fix fines and penalties based on the severity of offence. It aims to regulate welfare of pets and animals used in performances and for scientific experiments.

It would be construed as an offence if you don’t take reasonable steps to ensure that the pet gets a suitable environment and diet, protection from pain, suffering and diseases.

If any person beats, kicks, over-rides, over-drives, overloads, tortures or otherwise treats any animal so as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering or permits such cruelty he or she would be liable for penalty under the act when and if passed by the Parliament, says the provisions in the proposed bill.

Keeping animals chained for “unreasonable time or abandoning a pet, or keeping it caged in a space that does not permit the animal a reasonable opportunity for movement would call for invoking the penal clause.

If an individual files a complaint against a pet-owner before a magistrate, police commissioner or SP in writing, the officer can send a sub-inspector to the ‘errant persons house to ascertain the truth. The officer can carry out search and seizure under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The courts could debar you forever for keeping a pet if they find you have been cruel before. However, there are several caveats to such a fiat.
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Back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 547

2011-07-01T08:26:00.001+05:30

Hi folks...some more pix of the SPAw...got loads of work done in this trip to ooty...one of the main features is going to be a huge stream running all along the property..:))

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 546

2011-06-26T07:36:00.000+05:30

Hi folk...Domino's in ooty..supposed to be their largest store in the country--all other's are basically designed for home delivery..in ooty..home delivery..a bit of a challenge that too in 30 minutes ;-)

On commercial road.

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 545

2011-06-20T08:32:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...cute :)) on way to work this morning

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 544

2011-06-19T10:30:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..wanted to share this with all of you.. a lil gift from my girls on father's day :))

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 543

2011-06-16T19:18:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..in ooty - the weather is beautiful..a nice 14 degrees C during the day...here's another picture i took this morning at the site :)

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Here's another new one for me..never had even heard about it..POTTY TRAINING YOUR CAT :)

..Find out more of this product at http://www.citikitty.com/default.asp

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 542

2011-06-07T12:57:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...the guest house work at the SPAw site - my office cum home till end of construction is almost done. Just need to get the furniture & appliances & ofcourse a good care taker. Then i am all set to work from Ooty.

Had taken my friends sunil, divya & their son saketh to the SPAw site this morning...view is from my balcony :)

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 541

2011-05-31T16:17:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...the fashion magazine ELLE [April 2011 edition] recently covered a story about pet services in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore & Chennai - some very good information here:

Mumbai

Pet Services

Tailwaggers: Grooming salon - (022) 26040554 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (022) 26040554 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
It's a dog's life: Pet salon & store -022 22151128 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 022 22151128 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Top dog: Grooming salon - +919820070992 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919820070992 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
The Spoilt barkery: Freshly baked gourmet treats for pets - +919820873287 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919820873287 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Crazy K9 Campers: Weekend pet camps - www.crazyk9campers.com
Pawsitive: Wellness center for pets - +919820063828 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919820063828 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Canines can care: Canine behaviour specialist - www.woofmag.in
Wagging tails: Canine behaviour specialist and obedience training - mallikaseth@waggingtails.in
Wet nose: India's first canine hydrotherapy centre - +919821313523 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919821313523 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Pet vacations: Help you in dog travel & organizing vacation spots that are pet friendly - www.petvacations.in
Where's my bone: Dog lifestyle magazine - www.wheresmybonemagazine.in
Dogs & more: Doggie magazine - www.dogsandmoreindia.com

NGO's

Welfare for stray dogs {WSD}: Dedicated to care of street dogs - www.wsdindia.org
In defence of animals: Animal protection organization - www.idaindia.org

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New Delhi

Services

Scoopy scrub: Pet parlour and salon - www.scoopyscrub.com
Paw prints elite: Pet grooming centre - +919899098888 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919899098888 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Poojies for your pooch: Deluxe cookies for pets - +919891913573 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919891913573 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Heads up for tails: Pet Boutique store - 01165058981 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 01165058981 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Canine elite: Pet boarding facilities, pet couture - www.canineelite.com
Pet spot: Pet boarding facility - +919811133950 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919811133950 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Dogs and pups: Magazine for dog lovers - www.dogsandpups.net

NGO's

Friendicoes Seca: Animal shelter - +919873309110 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919873309110 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Swarnalata home for animals: Animal shelter & rehabilitation center - +919818911612 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919818911612 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

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Bangalore

Services

Muddy Pawz: Pet grooming centre - +919886165226 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919886165226 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Fuzzy Wuzzy: Pet salon, kennel, boutique, grooming school & clinic for pets - +919844058080 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919844058080 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Best friend salon: Pet salon - +919742670555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919742670555 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Wizard of paws: Dog salon, pet sitting &boarding centre - 08041556806 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 08041556806 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Shevar: Aromatherapy, hydro therapy for pets - +919880176610 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919880176610 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Paws: Upscale pet store - 08041317297 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 08041317297 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Pet Chef: Pet food, treats & home delivery -petchef.blr@gmail.com
Natasha Chandy: Canine behaviour specialist - +919632221061 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919632221061 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Pet space: Pet boarding facility - +919900020364 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919900020364 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Pet stepin: Pet boarding, grooming, day care - +919742279644 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919742279644 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

NGO's

CUPA: Founded in 1991 - animal shelter - www.cupabangalore.org
Let's live together: Gettign homes for stray dogs - www.letslivetogether.wordpress.com

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Chennai

NGO's

People for animals hospital and shelter: Animal shelter & birth control centre - +919840482829 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +919840482829 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Blue Cross India: Animal welfare centre - 04422354959 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 04422354959 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

For some reason the article does not carry any notes on pet services in chennai..i am sure chennai has some great facilities for pets too....
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back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 540

2011-05-26T08:52:00.001+05:30

Hi folks....here's an article that appeared in TOI chennai, 21st May - about real estate developers & building pet friendly homes...

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PET POLICIES

With pets becoming a vital part of most households, how pet friendly are developers in the city? Are builders incorporating specific amenities for them? NIDHI ADLAKHA finds out . . .

Today, pets have become an integral part of most households and developers vouch for this rising trend. Although specific petfriendly facilities such as pet spas, play-areas have not been incorporated in their projects, most developers in the city follow a pet-friendly policy. Suresh Jain, Managing Director, Vijayshanti Builders says, "We have no restrictions on clients who own pets as it is an increasing trend. Pets add to the vibrancy of the atmosphere within an apartment. However, we have not ventured into establishing an exclusive area for pets as maintaining such facilities need heavy investment."

Parents encourage the presence of a pet in the house, as pets such as dogs also add to the sense of security. Wilson Mathews, Director, Sales and Marketing, True Value Homes, says, "Pets form an essential part of most homes today. From elderly couples, childless couples and animal lovers, pets are adopted by numerous people. The gardens are utilised by the pets as well and issues such as littering are taken care of by the maintenance department of our associations. "

Suresh Krishn, Managing Director, Isha Homes, feels allowing pets is according to a developer's discretion as stated in the construction agreement. "The only rule we have stated is that pets need to be on leash when they are outside their homes. An increasing number of people own pets these days," he says.

Stressing on the importance of including pet-friendly facilities in large residential communities, S Ramakrishnan, CEO, Marg Properties, says, "Although we have no concrete plans yet, we are exploring the option of integrating an exclusive area for pets in our upcoming residential project - Brindavan at Sri Perambadur."

Explaining the negative side to having a pet friendly policy, R V Shekar, Managing Director, Lancor Holdings, says, "There have been instances in the past when pets have created issues within the apartment and owners have been requested to get rid of them. Also, people do not purchase apartments if we refuse pets in their homes which is an economic concern."

Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOICH&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1306378679901
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Overall loads of progress in getting pets to become a part of family :)

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 539

2011-05-21T08:15:00.000+05:30

Hi Folks...Pets are getting to be more & more accepted .....here's one example.

Taj Vivanta to launch a PET MENU very soon :)..here's their menu with price..

Great to see this .......back soon...love anand :)

Vacation with dogs 538

2011-05-20T18:54:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..for all in India who follow cricket...the last 40 0dd days have been only about the IPL..The Indian Premier League....well there's another IPL.....The Indian Pooch League...:)

Here's more at http://allevents.in/Gate/The-Indian-Pooch-League/159185070810226

back soon...love anand :)

Vacation with dogs 537

2011-05-12T10:19:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...this is such a beautiful effort - got to do with Japan & the earthquake. Read on...

Monday morning Dogsters dog blog brought you the tragic story of the 5,000 to 10,000 domestic animals left to perish in the exclusion zone surrounding the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Today we have great news: People are being let back in to this area starting today, and they will be allowed to rescue their dogs, cats, and other pets..read more of this at

http://dogblog.dogster.com/2011/05/10/uplifting-update-on-japan-pets-trapped-in-no-go-zone/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DogsterForTheLoveOfDogBlog+%28Dogster+For+The+Love+of+Dog+Blog%29

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Back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 536

2011-05-11T08:51:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...Here's a cover story on Pet Vacations in the Mumbai Airport Magazine called "Touchdown". Thanks AB..

Here's the link to the magazine - for now it's a free download - pdf format...

http://www.csia.in/knowyourairport/touchdownmagazine.aspx

Nice to see pet vacations take importance :))

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 535

2011-05-03T12:26:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's an interesting read about marketing & 5 years from now:

The next five years will be about direct relationships.

Several years ago a leading brand contacted us (Twist Image) about a new business opportunity in the digital space. The brand's reality was this: as the years wane on, the amount of retailers that they sell to were diminishing. As the major big box outlets continue to grow and as consolidation rifles through the retail sector, the bigger brands only have a handful of outlets to sell their wares. With these retailers' size and growth comes another reality: they begin to dictate everything from quantity and terms to acceptable margins. For some businesses, this is a dream come true because it secures significant sales, but for others (like this brand), their business was becoming a game of diminishing returns. It gets ugly fast when you run the numbers: eventually this brand will only have their product on the shelves of one or two retailers who are constantly dictating and changing the terms of sale... and the brand has no direct relationship with the consumer.

More of this at http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/what-the-next-five-years-will-be-about/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TwistImage+%28Six+Pixels+of+Separation+-+Marketing+and+Communications+Insights+Blog+-+Mitch+Joel+-+Twist+Image%29

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It's always been about relationships...easier to manage when you are smaller..tougher as you get bigger - but if this still remains in your top 3 things to do even when you become big - it will pay off..do read the article. Nicely written.

Back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 534

2011-04-30T09:24:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...here's an interesting fun day for your doggies - do you want your lovely dogs to learn some fun tricks- here's a 2 day workshop being organized in bangalore...

More details at http://www.woofmag.in/Woofathon/

have fun..back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 533

2011-04-28T12:11:00.001+05:30

Hi folks...here's another interesting note about pets & productivity at work place. I had written about this some time back...good read...

Hanging out with man’s best friend is a huge part of our daily routine, and for many families a dog or cat is like another child. But as much as we pamper our furry friends, we can’t take them everywhere with us. And when it comes to those 8 hours (or more) we spend on the clock, it seems like our family pets are just never welcome to spend time with us while we are at work. But not all professions believe in working without their trusted animal friends. For centuries, cats have been prowling breweries and farms to kill rats and mice. K9 units couldn’t function without their canines, of course, and many hospitals and nursing homes have on-staff dogs or cats to comfort patients. Even some bookstores have cats prowling the stacks.

And increasingly, “regular” offices are encouraging pets to become a part of the work day. But are animals in the office a source of distraction, or a legitimate tool for increasing productivity?

More of this article at http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/pets-and-productivity-does-having-an-animal-in-the-office-make-you-a-better-worker.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LifeHack+%28lifehack.org%29

There are some more example of companies encouraging pets at work - a nice collection of examples at http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2009-02-24-pets-office_N.htm
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I only hope more companies adopt this - however, the objective should not be to use it as a hiring strategy - but purely for dogs/pets to be with their people - it definitely is a stress buster & am sure does increase productivity. I won't know this till i try it at the SPAw :)

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 532

2011-04-18T19:39:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...been away for quite some time...here's something i wanted to share..a brilliant service for all pet owners...like facebook - but meant for pet healthcare :)

The cost of caring for pets can often be a burden for owners, and we’ve already seen initiatives such as Coupawz stepping in to offer a helping hand. Now, hoping to relieve the financial pressures associated with veterinary care, we recently came across US-based Pet It Forward.

The website — launching soon to cater to New York City residents — will operate similarly to a social network, connecting pet owners with local pet care providers. Once they have set up their user profiles describing both their pets and themselves, members of the site will be able to link with other pet owners to discuss the best providers of affordable pet care. They can then either connect with a care provider directly through the website, or they can post a pet care request for care professionals and other members to respond to. Once an appointment is set up, care providers will receive reminders through the website of the scheduling details, and users are able to post reviews after each appointment. The website also uses its own points based currency system. These points can be earned when members provide pet care for other owners, and then subsequently exchanged for care services from other members and professional providers. What’s more, the points are worth twice as much as a US dollar, meaning they can be bought and then exchanged for pet care at 50 percent less than is usually charged. Alternatively, points earned can be cashed in for US dollars.
The emphasis of the site is firmly placed on community spirit, with members being kept up to date on the needs and requests of other pet owners, and receiving alerts when new users join. The site hopes that by creating a community, it will lead to frequent instances of free veterinary care being provided. Of course, owners aren’t the only ones to benefit, claims CEO Jenna Dreher, as professional care providers can also expect to receive more bookings once registered on the site. Dreher also told us of Pet It Forward's plans to expand to other major metropolitan areas in the next few months.
As websites such as Groupon increasingly mean that pricing deals are not only desirable, but often expected, platforms providing discounted services such as Pet It Forward are sure to be in demand. And combining that with a social networking service that brings together members of the local community sounds to us like a winning formula. (Related: Group buying and curated local deals for pet owners — Flexible pet ownership — Five business ideas aimed at cats, dogs & their doting owners.)
Website: www.PetItForward.org
Contact: www.facebook.com/pages/Pet-It-Forward

source: http://www.springwise.com/lifestyle_leisure/petitforward/

back soon.........love anand

Vacation with dogs 531

2011-04-03T12:32:00.002+05:30

Hi folks..a small story on the SPAw in today's financial express :)) link below

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/pet-holidays/770794/0

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 530

2011-03-30T10:00:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's a beautiful book to read - a book for all :)

Called Planet Home by Jeffrey Hollender

Here's a brief about the book:

PLANET HOME: Conscious Choices for Cleaning and Greening the World You Care About Most, takes the reader through his/her world nook by nook, covering the non-toxic way to care for absolutely everything in the home with information that is imparted with quick tips, lists, sidebars, and illustrations. The book is co-authored with Alexandra Zissu, author of The Conscious Kitchen.

PLANET HOME addresses the reader’s world nook by nook with quick tips, useful lists, dog-earable sidebars, and helpful illustrations. Hollender goes from the tiniest corner in your closet to your kitchen and kids’ rooms, out to the backyard, and then into the community. From which paper towel to buy to what to make for dinner, from how to choose an insurance company to approaching and involving new neighbors, PLANET HOME offers a practical way to care for absolutely everything in and surrounding the home. With each everyday topic—even something as mundane as cleaning a toilet—Hollender tackles the deeper, concealed issues about our health, our environment, and our commitment to a better world.

Part encyclopedia, part self-help book, and part inspiration from one of our most experienced guides to healthy living, PLANET HOME is the definitive reference for reinventing domestic life.

Reviews of book: "I often wish that someone would do all the research for me on how to live so that I contribute to a healthy life for me, my family and my planet. I am a very dedicated person and try hard to make good decisions by thinking of the implications of my choices. And I feel guilt, and often desperation when a product or service I buy is found to be inconsistent with my values.

But is so much work to live according to my values. I live a complicated life. But Planet Home feels like someone has walked along beside me for a year, going from your to room in my home, inside and outside, going to work with me and out shopping. Every chapter shines a bright light on an arena of my life and gives me not only guidance but also the principles that will help me be a better citizen, not just a conscious consumer.

Jeffrey and Alexandra have done a famous job of making living a responsible life simple and straight forward. I can even image it being a family guide that is discussed with children to help them see what a whole life looks like that is lived responsible. Thanks guys."

You can buy this book here: http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Home-Conscious-Cleaning-Greening/dp/0307716643/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301458488&sr=1-1

While this book is for everyone - builders, interior designers..businesses that are associated with building a home can gift this to their customers - a great value add..keep adding value :)
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back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 529

2011-03-28T11:57:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...here are some low quality pictures i clicked on my way to the SPAw - in the forest :)

back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 528

2011-03-22T16:18:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..been away from the blog for a while again..been busy with little jobs at the site. But i do plan to get regular as i used to be...to share atleast one update in two days :)

Here's a picture of the SPAw land - zoned by Paul from Auroville for different concepts. The architects can use the zones as a guideline while planning the entire facility.

Paul has recommended for each zone what we could do. For example...you see a RED patch - Z5 - here's the recommendation - Z5 measures approximately 2098 sqm. Flat area near stream, possibly water logged during rainy season, nicer to keep this area for recreational use, possible sports field, or kept within in the set aside area for the stream walk.

This will hep our architects work their designs given the nature of the land :)

back soon with more...love anand

Vacation with dogs 527

2011-03-15T10:00:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..been away from the blog for a while now..with work increasing in the project - lots of little things - but takes time to get done..

It's been terrible in Japan with the huge disaster with - quake & the tsunami..while there are loads of help arriving in Japan to assist...we also have our dear dogs doing their bit in Japan..here's a little story from Dogsters.com

"The devastation is hard to process. The photos and video footage from the quake-and-tsunami-ravaged northeast coast of Japan seem too horrific to be real. Some 10,000 people may have lost their lives as a result of the disasters. And some may still be alive beneath the rubble. But how to find them before it’s too late? Man’s best friend to the rescue…

Yesterday six canine disaster search teams trained by the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation arrived in Japan on another lifesaving mission. These heroic teams have been deployed to disasters around the world, helping find life in the midst of devastation and death." More of this story at http://dogblog.dogster.com/2011/03/14/us-search-dog-teams-arrive-in-japan-and-how-you-can-help-rescue-efforts/
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Back soon...love anand

Vacation with dogs 526

2011-03-08T09:49:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...here's wishing Apeksha the very best in her new venture...

Where's My Bone: A magazine tailor-made for dog lovers

First edition out in Jan 2011..I guess now available in Mumbai & Pune...

Waiting for the first edition Apeksha :)

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 525

2011-03-04T18:04:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's a cute story i found on dogsters.com..a lil story about George Washington & his love for dogs...

"Washington’s affection for dogs is vividly illustrated in an incident that occurred during the Revolutionary War. It was when American forces were trying to contain British General William Howe’s troops, who had occupied Philadelphia. During the Battle of Germantown, which was not going well for the Americans, Washington was encamped was encamped at Pennibecker’s Mill.

On October 6, 1777, a little terrier was seen wandering the area between the American and British lines. New York City. It turns out that General Howe’s little terrier had somehow gotten loose and had become lost on the battlefield. The dog was identified from its collar, and brought to Washington. His officers suggested that he might want to keep the dog as a sort of trophy which might weaken the morale of the British general.

Instead he took the dog into his tent, fed him and had him brushed and cleaned. Then, to the surprise of everyone, Washington ordered a cease fire. The shooting stopped and soldiers on both sides watched as one of Washington’s aides formally returned a little dog to the British commander under a flag of truce."

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More of this story at http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/200901/george-washington-president-general-and-dog-breeder

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 524

2011-03-02T17:57:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..was watching a bit of a Hindi movie called Golmal 3...a really nice short one liner in the movie which i totally believe in..

"ADD MORE LIFE INTO YOUR DAYS & NOT JUST ADD DAYS TO YOUR LIFE"

How true..whether it is your work or your personal life..this holds good for both. While realizing this is the first step..doing something about it is the bigger step..so go get it....add more life into your days :)

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 523

2011-02-28T09:55:00.001+05:30

Hi folks..here's a neat list of the best books in 2010..which i was able to get from one of the many many blogs...the struck through ones are the ones that i have bought so far...

1. The Big Short by Michael Lewis (12)

2. Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (9)

3. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (7)

4. Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson (7)

5. Fault Lines by Raghyram Rajan (6 including FT/Goldman Sachs top honor)

6. All The Devils Are Here by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera (5)

7. ~~Linchpin by Seth Godin (5)~~

8. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (5)

9. ~~Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely (5)~~

10. l-Bury My Heart at Conference Room B by Stan Slap (4)

11. Good Boss, Bad Boss by Bob Sutton (4)

12. The Great Reset by Richard Florida (4)

13. The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar (3)

14. Diary of A Very Bad Year by by Anonymous Hedge Fund Manager, N+1, and Keith Gessen (3)

15. Drive by Dan Pink (3)

16. The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick (3)

17. The Mesh by Lisa Gansky (3)

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 522

2011-02-28T09:48:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..been a hectic week of travel...just going back to my previous post on choosing a security agency for the SPAw property...that tool really helped me take an objective decision...my key parameters at this stage were:

Tamilnadu presence
Cost

Force 1 as an agency scored better than Group 4 on these two parameters...so force 1 it is :)

back soon..love anand

Vacation with dogs 521

2011-02-18T15:13:00.001+05:30

Hi folks...we are about to finalize the security agency for our SPAw property - to patrol & man the property. Like this i have many many partners to work with - choosing the right partner is always not easy :)............so here's something i created ..what i call a decision making chart..a tool to help us make an objective decision while choosing a partner to work with. This one is customized to choosing a security agency...

Hierarchy	Criterion
1.0	General features
1.1	Operational in India since
1.2	Headquarters in India
1.3	Number of clients - Total
1.4	Number of clients - Ooty
1.5	Majority of clients in which industry?
1.6	Cities in which branch office is present
1.7	Background of CEO
1.8	Website link
1.9	Quality certification details
2.0	Profile of guards
2.1	Total number of guards deputed in projects
2.2	Average age of guards
2.3	Ratio of guards to supervisors
2.4	General profile of guards
2.5	General profile of supervisors
2.6	Average hours of duty per guard per day
2.7	Rating of english language knowledge of guards
3.0	Training
3.1	Number of dedicated training facilities
3.2	Number of hours of training per guard per year
3.3	Number of hours of training per guard prior to new assignment
3.4	Number of hours of On The Job training per guard per year
3.5	Number of hours of training per supervisor per year
3.6	Mention types of training that a guard undergoes in company
3.7	Mention types of training that a supervisor undergoes in company
3.8	Mention certification that guards receive on any training
3.9	Profile of trainers
3.9.1	Certifications that trainers possess
4.0	Features, Advantages & Benefits
4.1	Features
4.2	Advantages
4.3	Benefits
5.0	Equipments
5.1	Equipments issued to guards on duty
5.2	Equipments issued to supervisors on duty
5.3	Turn around time for replacement of equipment [in days]
6.0	Legal
6.1	Registered under companies act?
6.2	Registered under Shops and Establishment Act?
6.3	Shops & Estb Registration number
6.4	PF code
6.5	ESI code
6.6	Service tax registration number
6.7	PAN number
6.8	Registered under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005
6.9	Industry membership affiliations
7.0	Managerial visits
7.1	Number of visits per month by manager to site
7.2	Agenda of manager visit
8.0	Emergencies
8.1	What kind of emergencies are guards equipped to handle?
8.2	24*7 telephone number
9.0	Fees
9.1	Cost per guard
9.2	Cost per supervisor
9.3	Cost per head guard
9.4	Bill payment credit period
9.5	Negotiable?

The way to use this is to put in data for two agencies you have shortlisted for all the 9.5 factors. This will help you analyze both agencies across multiple factors. Identify the most important or set of important factors &then make an objective decision :)

back soon..love anand

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2011-02-16T08:31:00.001+05:30

Hi folks...been pretty hectic with lot of trips to ooty -meeting various govt. department folks. Will update you on that shortly.

Yesterday my dear friend anoop lost his beautiful dog scout - who had a serious gastric issue, then went into surgery & never actually recovered from that. He had spent 9 lovely years with anoop & his family..and is suddenly gone...it's really hard to cope with these moments..but the only way to remember is the beautiful moments we have all had with scout..RIP buddy..

back soon..love anand

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2011-02-08T12:12:00.001+05:30

Hi folks..had to share this superb post by sasha ditcher on her blog...do take 2 minutes to read..:)..the note is called INITIATE...

You can read the whole note at the link below

http://sashadichter.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/initiate/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SashaDichtersBlog+%28Sasha+Dichter%27s+Blog%29

back soon ...love anand

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2011-02-08T10:47:00.001+05:30

Hi folks..another interesting company i came across - whom i definitely plan to explore using for the SPAw.

The company is called Flying Films [www.flyingfilms.com]......they are experts in Elevated Photography Solutions. They have a helicopter mounted camera to take aerial videos.. here's some details

Helicam Details

Camera Mount

3 axis camera mount ( Pan and Tilt is Gyro Stabilized)
Suitable cameras : Canon 7D with Wide angle lens (10-22mm canon efs lens)
14 -18mega pixel Images

Helicopter

Ultra stable platform
Electric powered for super smooth operation. Uses advanced motor power (no fuel based engine vibrations issues)
Very reliable platform over 100's of hours of flying done on this design, its a proven platform

Ground Video Station

Live Video feed of full frame of POV in VGA resolution
2x Ground Monitors, also provision for connecting External Monitors
All camera mount controls (Pan , Tilt, Roll)
Still photography includes focus and click control

Sample shoot videos

This will be pretty awesome ..i can see this shoot at the SPAw with the dogs running below…up & down the hills…..CAN YOU PICTURE THAT :-) …….this is going to be beautiful

Back soon..love anand

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2011-02-03T11:32:00.000+05:30

Hi folks....here's one pic from Paul's report - this google earth map shows the full extent of the SPAw property...

The blues are the beautiful mountain streams we have in our property..the report is excellent..

back soon..love anand

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2011-01-28T11:07:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's an interesting list i came across from the dogsters blog..a list of most popular dogs in the US as pets.

back soon..love anand

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2011-01-28T08:40:00.002+05:30

Hi folks..here's a great article on HBR - i actually read it on Dan Pink's blog [http://www.danpink.com/]. The article is about............

The Best Way to Use the Last Five Minutes of Your Day

A jist of this article:

Here's what I propose: Every day, before leaving the office, save a few minutes to think about what just happened. Look at your calendar and compare what actually happened — the meetings you attended, the work you got done, the conversations you had, the people with whom you interacted, even the breaks you took — with your plan for what you wanted to have happen. Then ask yourself three sets of questions:

How did the day go? What success did I experience? What challenges did I endure?
What did I learn today? About myself? About others? What do I plan to do — differently or the same — tomorrow?
Who did I interact with? Anyone I need to update? Thank? Ask a question? Share feedback?

This last set of questions is invaluable in terms of maintaining and growing relationships. It takes just a few short minutes to shoot off an email — or three — to share your appreciation for a kindness someone extended, to ask someone a question, or to keep someone in the loop on a project.

More of this article at http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2011/01/the-best-way-to-use-the-last-f.html
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I loved this article - in my previous organization - a training company - we had developed a model similar to this - but this one is way way better - ours was a good start but limited. Here's what we recommended all supervisors to ask themselves & make a note at the end of their day

What did i do for my client today?
What did i do for my team today?
What did i do for my organization today?

The order is not critical..all are of equal importance

Basically a simple tool to reflect on the day to see if the supervisor is meeting his responsibilities towards all his key stakeholders...the HBR one is far more comprehensive...loved it :)

back soon..love anand

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2011-01-25T15:33:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's a very nice blog/newsletter i came across - called Milkshake & what they do - they feature companies on their blog that give back..

About Milkshake

Milkshake is a daily edition of good finds that give back. Through its hallmark daily email and growing online communities, Milkshake invites readers to discover products, people, causes and companies that are making a difference, then inspires them to take action. Read about a chic watch made of recycled wood then click to buy and support a tree-planting initiative; learn about an organization that is selling gum and mints to fund the education of children in Africa; or find a way to make your next deluxe vacation matter by spending a day volunteering to protect the Leatherback turtle hatchlings in Australia from extinction. Presented in compact, upbeat editorial tidbits, Milkshake is making it easy (and fun!) to be a part of all that’s good.

Milkshake Manifesto

We founded Milkshake based on the belief that it is better to support products, initiatives, events and services that not only are innovative, unique and desired, but that also give back at the same time. Our mission is to put ‘giving back’ in the context of the larger world we live in: discovering ways to shop, travel, eat, read and interact with greater purpose. Our ultimate goal is to give readers a daily find that dazzles and initiates change, inspiring them to be part of all that’s good.

Visit them at http://www.getmilkshake.com/

I loved their stuff...back soon..love anand

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2011-01-25T09:31:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's a very nice note by Todd Sattersten..a list of the top business books of 2010.

Here's the list:

1. The Big Short by Michael Lewis (12)

2. Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (9)

3. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh (7)

4. Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson (7)

5. Fault Lines by Raghyram Rajan (6 including FT/Goldman Sachs top honor)

6. All The Devils Are Here by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera (5)

7. Linchpin by Seth Godin (5)

8. Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (5)

9. Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely (5)l-Bury My Heart at Conference Room B by Stan Slap (4)

10. Good Boss, Bad Boss by Bob Sutton (4)

11. The Great Reset by Richard Florida (4)

12. The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar (3)

13. Diary of A Very Bad Year by by Anonymous Hedge Fund Manager, N+1, and Keith Gessen (3)

14. Drive by Dan Pink (3)

15. The Facebook Effect by David Kirkpatrick (3)

16. The Mesh by Lisa Gansky (3)

You can get his whole list of all the good books at https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgcbmrOkAr4kdEEzTExNZ1ZiRzBNMHlOS1piNkhHeHc&hl=en#gid=0

You can subscribe to Todd's blog at toddsattersten.com

back soon...love anand

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2011-01-24T10:32:00.003+05:30

Hi folks..last week was hectic and exciting -was with Paul from Auroville Botanical Gardens to survey the SPAw land & suggest landscaping ideas.

Overall - here's THREE things I learnt from Paul - his approach to landscaping:

POINT 1 - Use of concept of Borrowed landscape: A principle called the 'borrowed landscape' is one of the gardens best friends. What are the views, plants, trees around your property, that you can use to improve your garden? One of the simplest ways is to take something, a tree for instance, and repeat some aspect of it (whether foliage, colour, texture or shape) in your garden. This creates the illusion that your garden is bigger than it actually is. However, like all things there are pros and cons to using the borrowed landscape.
The Benefits of a Borrowed Landscape
The benefits of utilising the borrowed landscape are fairly obvious. Firstly, by tying your garden design in with what can already be viewed over your fences aids in keeping the look natural. If you do it well enough it can actually all seem part of your garden and that your plantings just merge in with current vistas. Secondly, if you’re starting with a new garden then being able to incorporate a borrowed landscape of trees can add some maturity to your design. Your garden may only be a few years old but take on the appearance of being old by highlighting the neighbour’s mature trees. Finally, you may be able to take advantage of different flowering seasons. If there is a tree in the neighbour’s yard that flowers prolifically every winter, then design your garden to highlight this. Don’t try and compete with it by adding flowers that will draw your attention away from it but rather compliment the tree with others that will flower as it finishes.
The Pitfalls of a Borrowed Landscape
Obviously, the greatest pitfall when incorporating a borrowed landscape into your garden design is your lack of control over it. The neighbour may remove the tree you wanted to focus on or a property developer builds in front of your mountain view. You have no control over a borrowed landscape and while you may enjoy it for a period, there may come a time when you must redesign your garden because it’s now no longer available. This lack of control also extends to pests and diseases and the fact that in most cases you won’t be able to remedy the situation. If your neighbour doesn’t treat the fungus growing through their hedge of conifers then you will be powerless to change it. Another pitfall is that you may not actually like the borrowed landscape. It may be exactly what you don’t like to look at and then you will need to screen your fences so that the view is blocked out. Privacy can also become a factor in considering the use of a borrowed landscape. If you’re trying to keep everything low so that you can enjoy the views just remember that others will be able to see into your garden as well. [Source: http://earthlandscapes.blogspot.com/2008/02/borrowed-landscape.html & http://www.gardeningtipsnideas.com/2006/08/the_borrowed_landscape.html]

So will wait for Paul's report - where he will recommend options - will keep you posted. I love the concept though.

POINT 2 - Use of existing landscape -as much as possible: Here's an example - there is this patch of tea plants in our property [unused] - so our initial thought was to remove it & create a prettier landscape - Paul suggested that let's keep the tea plants - cut out a MAZE for young kids to play :) - the whole deal here is that the more plants we remove - the chances of soil getting loose or looses it's natural elements are high & replanting is time & cost. There was this other place - where we had a small flat land - then a mound - then a flat & then again a mound - so building something there would be tough - Paul suggested we could use that as a CHIP & PUTT golf game course :). Also the other fact is that the maze or the chip & putt course - don't cost monies - but they definitely do create a lovely spot for people to have sweet moments & fun.

POINT 3 -Walk to know your land: Here's an example again our survey map of the SPAw land showed two streams in our property- Paul walked the entire property & tells me that there are 4 streams :)..wow..you need to get down & walk every bit of the land to see what treasure you have..He also walked to the largest stream in our property & came back with this awesome info that we have 2 to 3 little waterfalls in that stream..gosh..there's so much i didn't know. So here's the plan - on my next visit to the property [in one week from now] I will spend the whole day walking & photographing our land - will post pictures for all of you to see :)

Overall..thanks Paul..it's been a huge learning experience for me to spend 2 days with you at the property..look forward to working with you....back soon...love anand

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2011-01-18T13:14:00.002+05:30

Hi folks...great story in the New York Times .."Dog Might Provide Clues on How Language Is Acquired"

Chaser, a border collie who lives in Spartanburg, S.C., has the largest vocabulary of any known dog. She knows 1,022 nouns, a record that displays unexpected depths of the canine mind and may help explain how children acquire language.

More of this story at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/science/18dog.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

back soon...love anand

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2011-01-18T10:53:00.000+05:30

Hi folks..here's something i had to share - something so cute...The world's first smile activated ice cream vending machine...wow wow..:)

Unilever launches the world’s first smile-activated vending machine, rewarding great grins with delicious ice cream.

The new smile-activated vending machines

Ice cream makes people smile all over the world, and now an innovative vending machine is making Unilever’s consumers even happier, by dispensing ice cream in response to a grin.

More of this at http://www.unilever.com/mediacentre/news/icecreamsmile.aspx

Just thinking about this product makes me smile :) You?

back soon..love anand

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2011-01-18T10:06:00.000+05:30

H folks..Paul from Auroville landscaping is reaching Banglaore this evening & i take him to Ooty tomorrow for a 2 day visit to our site - for Paul to explore & recommend landscaping solutions for the SPAw :)

Wow..this is so exciting...i am so looking forward to Paul's visit..will. keep you posted...back soon..love anand

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2011-01-17T14:46:00.000+05:30

H folks....a really nice note --read it on Tonic..
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School Finally Allows Epileptic Boy to Have His Service Dog in Class

Andrew Stevens will have his best friend and lifesaver by his side for a 3-week trial starting this semester.

More of it at http://www.tonic.com/article/school-allows-epileptic-boy-to-have-his-service-dog-in-class/

We come across this situation often - old rules - don't change with time & people struggle. The lesson here in all walks of life - government/corporate - we need to visit our policies/rules often & see that they meet current requirements..things are changing fast ...
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back soon..love anand

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2011-01-12T19:50:00.000+05:30

hi folks..in ooty - getting the security agency in place at the property...

Here's a cartoon by hugh - which simply put's into a nutshell..if you want to become an entrepreneur....

Am i insane?? ha ha..well there needs to be that lil madness :)

Do subscribe to hugh at http://gapingvoid.us1.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=028de8672d5f9a229f15e9edf&id=c141d052e6

back soon..love anand

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2011-01-07T11:30:00.000+05:30

Hi folks...some big changes in the SPAw - all good though :) ...will keep you posted shortly.

On another note, a new blog I started reading - wonderful read called "scoutie girl" by tara gentile.

Today's post is called 'action is dirty"....here's a brief - the best way to learn about organic gardening is to “to get some dirt under your nails. If you ask me, this is the best way to achieve just about anything."

This part pretty much sumamrises the post:

Want to learn how to paint? Paint. Want to make jewelry? Make jewelry. Want to write? Write. Want to climb a mountain? Climb. Consider what you've been putting off because you don't know "how." Then just do it. Give it a try. Worst case scenario: you learn something because you failed.

Read more of this at http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=a8d54b6cc495ed62834c4e432&id=5aff70daa1&e=5b46852926
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Get into it...don't wait :)

back soon..love anand

The SPAw - A Sweet, Loving, Warm & Happy resort for you to vacation with your dogs..

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Cutting dog's tail can land you in jail

More of this at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cutting-dogs-tail-can-land-you-in-jail/articleshow/10060784.cms

"The violator can also be charged under section 428 of IPC that talks about maiming of animals," said Anjali Sharma , member and legal advisor , AWBI. This section allows for a jail term of up to two years.

back soon..love anand

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Hi folks...i came across this in today's times of india..

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Stinking rich!

Trouble, the fluffy Maltese poodle, of real estate Baron, Leona Helmsley, who recently passed away, had a networth of $2 million. There are other millionaire pets that make the cut to the exclusive list of the world’s richest pets. Here’s looking at some of the world’s wealthiest pets

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

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Cruelty to your pet will now attract 1 crore fine

Nitin Sethi TNN

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With pets becoming a vital part of most households, how pet friendly are developers in the city? Are builders incorporating specific amenities for them? NIDHI ADLAKHA finds out . . .

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Where's My Bone: A magazine tailor-made for dog lovers

First edition out in Jan 2011..I guess now available in Mumbai & Pune...

Read more of this at http://www.afaqs.com/media/story.html?sid=28342

Waiting for the first edition Apeksha :)

back soon..love anand

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The Best Way to Use the Last Five Minutes of Your Day