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 29th August 1999 |
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On all foursBy Udena R. AttygalleColombo's Police Park grounds was a doggy domain last Sunday when the 94th annual all-breed dog show of the Ceylon Kennel Club was held. It was an important event for professional breeders and a fun outing for ordinary dog lovers . The biggest prize of the day went to Hiran Dassanayake's beautiful Dobermann Pinscher 'Amigo be Jordon of Silver Sand', who won the best exhibit on show . It was quite a sight to see so many different breeds, some quite eye-catching all in one place. What's more, they were all quite well behaved, except for a few. Yet connoisseurs were heard to comment that 'in the good old days, there used to be an even larger variety of dogs'. The competition went on the whole day, with preliminary rounds in the morning and 'specials' in the evening. The dogs seemingly took the competition in their stride, but owners and handlers, we noted had their hands full, entering their pets into the various events, then keeping them in the right posture and preventing them from being distracted every other minute or even dozing off! Sadly some owners had locked up their dogs inside their cars, oblivious to the fact that they could suffocate when shut up in such a small area. When it all ended late in the evening the proud owners and their canine partners left the ground, hopefully looking forward to next year's show. The winners, however, had to leave behind their hard won trophies with the organizers, some being almost 100 years old!PoochiniReader Sherosha Raj sent us this account of her beloved pet - Poochini Cats are generally perceived as being solitary by nature but there are always exceptions. My cat Poochini came into my life 2 1/2 years ago as a weak and weary kitten. My parents decided to bring him home for only a few days as they thought if left on the street he be run over by a vehicle. But soon he became one of the family. Ever since he sleeps mostly on our beds, choosing the cosiest spot under the fan. If he sees my father approaching, knowing that he would be chased away, he jumps off the bed and hides. After awhile he slowly peeps out, to check whether my father has left and then back he jumps on the bed. He has three sausage shaped pillows with which he plays. If we push one of them away with our feet or a broom, he protests with loud meows. You woundn't guess it by looking at him, but he is the dominant male cat in our neighbourhood, chasing off any cat (whatever size) that strays into his territory. It's very comical to see him sitting on top of our car like a lion or cheetah on a rock surveying his "kingdom!" Poochini is very loving and obedient. He never steals food. He understands commands like 'come' 'No, 'sit and wait... but he never goes near any other human being except our family members . I never thought I'll love a cat or any animal as much as Poochini. I firmly believe that if we treat an animal even a cat with love and affection they too would respond in like manner. Another star says 'I do'Fat Boy Slim or Norman Cook married one of Britain's top radio deejays Zoe Ball last weekend. The couple had planned their wedding for Saturday August 21, but instead robbed press photographers of their scoop by actually going to the registrar's office in Bath a day earlier. Zoe Ball and Fat Boy Slim turned down offers to pose on their wedding day for glossy magazines. To beat them all the BBC Radio1 deejay was seen wearing a pair of blue jeans, skimpy skinny, a cigarette in one hand, a bottle of Jack Daniels in the other and a cowboy hat on the head leaving home on Friday August 20. Little did anyone realise she would turn up at the marriage registrar's office with boyfriend Norman Cook later. The following day the couple had the marriage blessing at a country retreat in Somerset. A reception followed for nearly 200 guests. Zoe Ball and Fat Boy Slim have been dubbed the media couple of the Millennium. Net Aid is the name given to a major concert to be held on October 9, in London, New York and Geneva. The promoter of the concert Harrey Goldsmith plans to make maximum use of the internet to raise funds for Kosovo refugees and the rest of the third world. Robbie Williams will be the lead star at the London gig with other acts such as The Corrs, Bono and George Michael being confirmed participants. The concert in Geneva will be by invitation only. The full line up of artists announced on August 23. Tickets went on sale on August 24. Geri Haliwell the former Spice Girl has silenced her critics, to an extent by scoring her first No.1 song in the UK. The single 'Mi Chico Latino' debuted at the top of the chart this week. The La Isla Bonita- ish track surfaces around the time when latin music is hip. Of course the song is shrouded in controversy as another little female claims the song is hers. 'Mi Chico Latino' is the second release from Haliwell's debut solo album 'Schizophonic'. The first release peaked at No. 2 in May. The video for 'Mi Chico Latino' also has perhaps been an influencing factor. It is packed with beaches, waters, boats etc - appealing to the summer mood. The video apparently cost a lot of money to make. Meanwhile, it is learnt that Haliwell shed a lot of weight before making the video. In April the band Texas broke into the UK chart with the song 'In Our Life Time'. The song checked into the chart at No. 4 and lost ground the next week ( like 85% of the other songs that reach the chart today). This week the new Texas single 'Summer Sun' debuted at No. 5. While the album 'Hush' from which the singles are released remains very popular it is not certain if the singles are actually working for the group. As we know recent figures from the BPI show that 1999 has been, so far, a very bad year in terms of income generated from single sales for the British music industry. 'Un-pretty' a track by TLC which is heard very often here on radio has hit the UK charts. The single is a follow-up to 'No Scrubs". The new song is a major improvement or a relief when compared to 'No Scrubs'. 'Un-pretty' sounds a bit tight with strong strings. At times it takes one's mind back to 'Waterfalls', an old TLC hit. 'Un-pretty' is taken from the all girl group's very successful alblum 'Fan Mail.' This week 'Un-pretty reached No. 6 in the UK chart. Sir Elton John who re-cently had surgery to have a pace maker fitted to correct his heart beat is reported to be negotiating a £ 25 million loan from a leading US bank to settle other outstanding loans on both sides of the Alalantic. The 52-year musician is already reported to be worth over £ 160 million. Mick Hucknall ended the Simply Red tour of the UK by dedicating the last concert in Manchester to Sir Alex Fergurson, the manager of the top soccer club Manchester United for winning the Premier League Cup, FA Cup and European Cup. Sir Alex arrived at the concert venue last Sunday ( August 22) by helicopter after a Manchester Utd match in Leeds. |
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