Top 10 America’s Dogs

1. Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu may be sweet and playful, but it is not afraid the stand up for itself – its name means “lion.” The portable pooch with the flowing double coat is believed to have descended from crossing the Lhasa Apso with the Pekingese. Lively and friendly, it makes a great therapy dog.

Dogs have always been considered man’s best friend. But, choosing a dog can be tough business. You have to decide what you’re looking for a dog for companionship or work? how large or small of an animal you want as a pet, whether you’ll keep the canine indoors or make it an outside animal; there really are lots of things that go into figuring out which kind of dog to get. Or, you can just go with the masses and get one of the most common dogs. Here are the 10 most popular dogs in America.


2. Poodle

Smart and active, the Poodle is a star student in obedience training. Poodles were America’s most popular breed from 1960 to 1982. One reason for the poodle’s popularity is that it comes in three size varieties. The standard is the oldest; the miniature may have been used for truffle hunting, and the toy was often in circuses. Today, the breed’s main jobs are water retriever and companion.

3. Dachshund

Known for its long, low body, the Dachshund comes in three different coat varieties (smooth, wirehaired or longhaired) and two sizes (miniature or standard). The breed fell out of favor during World War I, but then grew more popular. Dachshund means “badger dog” in German.They were first bred in the early 1600s to dig badgers out of their burrows, eliminating them as pests. Today their playful personalities make them excellent pets.

4. Bulldog

Known for their shuffling gait and massive head, Bulldogs make fine family pets because of their gentle dispositions and strong bonds with children. The name “bull” came from the dog’s connection with bull baiting, an inhumane sport. When it was outlawed, fanciers eliminated the breed’s fierce characteristics. Today bulldogs make excellent family companions, playmates and therapy dogs.

5. Boxer

The Boxer loves to be with people, especially children, even though it was first developed in Germany in the 19th century for dog fighting. The athletic dog stood on its hind legs and batted at its opponent, appearing to “box.” Boxers caught on in the late 1930s, when people began importing them to America after World War I. During wartime they served as couriers and seeing-eye dogs; today, they make trusted family companions.

6. Beagle

Originally developed to hunt rabbits, Beagles make good family pets due to their upbeat personalities, compact size, and easy-care coats. Their name may derive from the French “be’geule,” referring to the baying voice of the hounds when pursuing game. Beagles put their noses to good use for everything from finding contraband to sniffing out bedbugs. Snoopy, the most famous beagle of all, starred in newspaper comics for nearly 50 years.

7. Golden Retriever

Its friendly temperament and striking golden color make the Golden Retriever one of America’s favorites. The breed originated in the Scottish Highlands in the late 1800s and was used mainly for hunting. A hard worker, the Golden Retriever makes an ideal guide, assistant and search-and-rescue dog. Goldens also often do police work.

8. Yorkshire Terriers

Yorkshire Terriers offer big personalities in a small package. Named for the English county of their origin, they were used in the 19th century to catch rats in clothing mills. Eventually they became pets of European high society. Today Yorkies make great companions for all ages, due to their loving personality and convenient size. Many serve as therapy dogs in hospitals and nursing homes.

9. German Shepherd

Both a fearless guard dog and a loving family pet, the German Shepherd Dog lost some popularity after World War II but has since regained it, becoming America’s second-favorite dog in 2009. The breed originated in Germany in 1899, used as a herding and farm dog. Today it is the world’s leading police, guard and military dog.

10. Labrador Retriever

For the 19th year in a row, America’s favorite purebred is the Labrador Retriever, due to their even temper and train-ability. The breed originated in Newfoundland and was used to help fishermen and hunters. Today this versatile dog works with police and military, detects narcotics, guides and assists, performs search and rescue, and makes a devoted family pet.

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The Top 20 Most Expensive Watches Of World

Diamonds, platinum, fancy tourbillons, chronographs, and perpetual calendars are only a few of the features watchmakers use to create the world’s rarest and most expensive timepieces. Scroll down to see the list of  the 20 most expensive watches of the world.


20. Hublot

Million $ Black Caviar Bang
Price: $1,000,000

The case, crown dial, and clasp of Hublot’s Black Caviar Bang are encrusted in baguette-cut black diamonds. The watch, which has no numbers on the face, has 544 diamonds, a total of 34.5 carats. It is 18 carat white gold and has an adjustable leather strap. In 2009, it won the Grand Prix de Genève Jewellery Watch prize. Founded in 1980, Hublot today is a subsidiary of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

19. Jacob & Co.

Crystal Tourbillion
Price: $900,000

The 18 carat white gold case of the Crystal Tourbillion is covered in 17.48 carats of baguette diamonds and has a transparent skeleton tourbillion dial. The piece is finished with an alligator band with a 2.22 carat baguette diamond buckle. Jacob & Co. manufactured 18 pieces of the white gold Crystal Tourbillion, available in the New York City boutique.

18. Audemars Piguet

Jules Audemars Grande Complication
Price: $780,600

Audemars Piguet’s one-of-a-kind, self-winding skeleton watch has a titanium case and features a perpetual calendar indicating the hours, minutes, day, date, week, moon phases, month, and leap years. There is also a minute repeater and chronograph. It has a crocodile leather strap. The Jules Audemars Grande Complication is available exclusively at the watchmaker’s New York City boutique.

17. Breguet

Classique 5349 Grande Complication
Price: $755,000

This piece has twin rotating tourbillons in a platinum case lined with baguette-cut diamonds. The dial is pavéed with more diamonds. It contains more than 570 parts and has three patents to protect its “superior precision and technological mastery,” according to Breguet, which is today owned by Swatch.

16. Omega

Constellation Baguette
Price: $708,742

The one-of-a-kind piece, available at the Omega boutique in Geneva, shines with 459 Top Wesselton diamonds, totaling just over 30 carats. There are 146 baguette and trapeze diamonds on the dial, completely covering the 18 carat white gold case. Omega is owned by Swatch Group.

15. Vacheron Constantin

Malte Tourbillion Regulator
Price: $700,000

Part of Vacheron Constantin’s High Jewelry collection, the Malte Tourbillion Regulator has 263 baguette-cut diamonds in the dial and 274 baguette-cut diamonds in the case. It features a Tourbillion and is finished on a black leather strap. The case is in the classic tonneau (or barrel) shape of the Malte collection. Founded in 1755, Geneva’s Vacheron Constantin is one of the world’s oldest watchmakers. Today it is part of the Richemont Group.

14. Greubel Forsey

Quadruple Tourbillion
Price: $690,000

A total of 531 parts are used for two separate double tourbillons. This complex watch has an asymmetrical platinum case and alligator leather strap. Founded by watchmakers Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey at Baselworld in 2004, the company (in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland) is known for offering two and four tourbillion mechanisms in the same watch case.

13. de Grisogono

Meccanico dG S25D
Price: $590,000

Founded in Geneva in 1993 by Fawaz Gruosi, de Grisogono recently launched a Meccanico dG set with baguette diamonds at this year’s Baselworld. This Meccanico dG, of which there are 20 units, was designed in three variants: with baguette diamonds (in photo), with white pavé diamonds, and with black pavé diamonds. The version featured above, made of 18 carat pink gold, is set with 126 baguette-cut white diamonds. It displays two time zones and has analog and digital displays and a power reserve indicator. It is also water-resistant to a depth of 30 meters.

12. A. Lange & Söhne

Tourbograph “Pour le Mérite”
Price: $508,900

Honey gold was used for the case of this limited edition watch, of which A. Lange & Söhne has manufactured only 50 units. The watch has a one-minute tourbillion as well as a double chronograph. The Tourbograph “Pour le Mérite” can be purchased in New York City, Dresden, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Like Glashütte Original, the company is based in the former East Germany. After the Soviet occupation, the region’s once-thriving watchmaking industry foundered. Lange, which had been founded in 1845, shut down and was revived in 1990. Today it is part of the Richemont Group.

11. Chopard

Secret
Price: $508,000

This watch has a square pavé-set diamond dial and frame inside a case composed of brilliant, square and baguette-cut diamonds (19 carats) on the satin strap and baguette-cut diamond clasp. Chopard has manufactured only two Secret watches so far. Geneva-based Chopard, which was founded in 1860, is still privately owned.

10. Montblanc

Grand Tourbillion Heures Mysterieuses in platinum
Price: $365,750

Although once known primarily for its signature fountain pens, Richemont-owned Montblanc in recent years has transformed its brand into that of a jeweler and watchmaker. Its most expensive watch is the Grand Tourbillion Heures Mysterieuses in platinum, of which only one has been made so far. This tourbillion is also available in 18 carat white gold (in photo), limited to eight pieces at $319,000 each. The 18 carat red gold version, also limited to eight pieces, is $302,500.

9. Concord

C1 Tourbillion Gravity
Price: $320,000

One of the unique features of this watch, which has an 18 carat white gold case, is the seconds display on the side of the tourbillion carriage. The C1 Tourbillion Gravity also features a flyback chronograph and 84-hour power reserve and is water resistant to 30 meters. Although founded in Biel, Switzerland, in 1908, Concord today is owned by Movado Group, which is based in Paramus, N.J.

8. IWC

Grande Complication
Price: $318,000

IWC first launched the Grande Complication about 20 years ago. It combines a perpetual calendar with moon phase, minute repeater, and chronograph with an automatic movement. This version has a platinum case and bracelet. The Richemont-owned IWC recently redesigned it in a Portuguese-style case ($220,567). A total of 50 pieces are produced annually.

7. Breitling

Grande Complication
Price: $280,716

Unveiled at Baselworld 2010, this pocket watch has a perpetual calendar that displays the date, day, month, leap years, and moon phases and a minute repeater that strikes the hours, quarters, and minutes on demand. It comprises almost 700 parts. The case, made of 18 carat yellow gold, features an engraving of Walter Owen Bentley, founder of Bentley Motors, one of Breitling’s partners.

6. Panerai

L’Astronomo Luminor Tourbillion 1950 Equation of Time in rose gold
Price: $235,000

Recently presented at the 2010 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva as a tribute to Galileo Galilei, the L’Astronomo will be made in a limited number of about 30. While ordering the piece, clients must specify their hometown, which is engraved on the back near a rotating sky chart of the city. The dial also displays the sunrise and sunset times of the chosen city. Panerai is owned by Richemont.

5. Porsche Design

Indicator P´6910 in rose gold
Price: $225,000

Made of about 800 individual parts and developed by 12 engineers and watchmakers, the Porsche Design Indicator P´6910 is the world’s first chronograph with a mechanical-digital stopwatch function display. It can record up to 9 hours and 59 minutes. In 2008 the Indicator, available in three design variants, was presented in rose gold with PVD coated titanium.

4. Glashütte Original

Julius Assmann 4 in white gold
Price: $161,000

Glashütte Original introduced this piece for the Assmann edition in 2007. It can be worn as a wristwatch or pocket watch and features a unique retrograde hour display and tourbillion. The watch is also offered in red gold and rose gold ($145,000). More information is available through Tourbillion Boutiques in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Based in the former East Germany, Glashütte Original is one of the few watchmakers that uses its own proprietary movements. It is owned by Switzerland’s Swatch Group.

3. JeanRichard

Paramount Tourbillion Linear Power Reserve
Price: $128,000

This unique tourbillion watch from independent Swiss watchmaker JeanRichard uses a linear indicator for the 72-hour power reserve. It has an 18 carat white gold case and rubber covered alligator strap.

2. Tag Heuer

Monaco V4
Price: $80,000

Tag Heuer, which is owned by French luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, used cars as a model for rethinking watches’ mechanical movement and engineered the world’s first and only belt-driven timepiece. This design is more shock-resistant and requires less maintenance because of the belts and micro ball bearings, according to the company. The Monaco V4 has a platinum case and alligator leather strap. Only 150 pieces were manufactured.

1. Baume & Mercier

William Baume Flying Tourbillion
Price: $75,000*

This new edition of the William Baume Tourbillion has a “flying tourbillion,”—a tourbillion held in place on only one side rather than on the top and bottom—black dial, and black alligator strap. The tourbillion escapement is in the 9 o’clock position and a small seconds display at 6 o’clock. It has a 52-hour power reserve. This timepiece is limited to 10 editions worldwide. Baume & Mercier is owned by Swiss luxury goods giant Compagnie Financière Richemont.

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Top 10 Most Beautiful Swimming Beaches in the United States

1. Siesta Beach

Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Fla., rates as the top beach in the United States,  Siesta Beach, with its fine, white sand and clear, warm waters, often makes the cut on Dr. Beach’s annual top beaches list, but this is its first year in the No. 1 spot.

For 2011 here is the list of top ten best beaches of America according to coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman. “Dr. Beach,” as Leatherman is known, is the director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research.

2. Coronado Beach

San Diego’s Coronado Beach makes the top 10 list for its lush subtropical vegetation, Mediterranean climate and fine, sparkling sand.

3. Kahanamoku Beach

A shallow reef off Kahanamoku Beach in Oahu, Hawaii, protects this beach from big waves, making it ideal for families with children.

4. Main Beach

Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y., attracts wealthy summertime residents because a centuries-old conservation easement protects the wide beach and tall dunes.

5. Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina offers some of the best board surfing on the East Coast. Other draws include a lighthouse, fishing villages, beachcombing and excellent fishing.

6. St. George Island State Park

Winter tourists from up north tend to like St. George Island on Florida’s panhandle because sunny days in the 50s and 60s can seem like spring — but without the crowds. The area is known as the Forgotten Coast because Florida’s winter tourists tend to flock to the warmer beaches of south Florida.

7. Beachwalker Park

It’s a nature lover’s oasis on Beachwalker Park, on the south end of Kiawah Island, S.C., just south of Charleston. The sand is compact enough to ride bikes along the 10-mile long barrier island. The water isn’t clear, but it is clean and provides for great seafood for low-country cooking.

8. Coast Guard Beach

Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Mass., slopes steeply into the water. Swimmers tend to take quick, cooling dips in the ocean since summertime water temperatures reach only 60 to 70 degrees.

9. Waimanalo Bay Beach Park

The long, white beach at Waimanalo Beach Park on Hawaii’s Oahu island slopes gently into the water, offering lots of opportunity for water recreation.

10. Cape Florida State Park

Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Fla., offers clear water, gentle surf and fine, white coral sand.

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The Most Top 10 Deadliest Forces of the World

1. U.S. Navy SEALs

The United States Navy SEa, Air and Land (SEAL) teams are renowned for their ability to work underwater and deal with special reconnaissance, counter terrorism, hostage rescue and unconventional warfare.

Famous Ops: A team authorised by Barack Obama killed Osama bin Laden in his compound in Pakistan. Three Navy SEALs also killed three Somalian pirates when they held a captain hostage.

Got a war, civil uprising or special mission you need sorted? Call in these crack units and then hope for the best.

2. Alpha Group

Russia’s trigger-happy counter-terrorist squad of 700 hardcore dudes, formed in 1974 and survived despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Famous ops: The 2004 Beslan school hostage rescue crisis, where 1200 hostages were held by Chechen separatists ended with 31 dead terrorists. A good result except they also terminated more than 350 civilians.

3. The Kaibiles

Guatemala’s fearless counter revolutionary commando forces are experts in jungle warfare and counter insurgency ops. Established in 1975, their motto is, “If I advance, follow me. If I stop, urge me on. If I retreat, kill me.”

Famous ops: Eight Kaibiles were killed and five wounded in an ambush in Congo as part of a UN peacekeeping force. The dead soldiers were part of a botched operation to capture the deputy commander of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army.

4. Sayeret Matkal

The elite special forces of the Israeli defence force are experts in small arms, martial arts and gathering intelligence from deep behind enemy lines. These days they’re kept busy with counter-terrorism gigs and hostage rescue.

Famous ops: Best known for Operation Entebbe, a rescue mission to free hostages held on Air France flight 139 at Uganda’s Entebbe Airport in 1976. One Israeli soldier, 45 Ugandan soldiers, six hijackers and three hostages were killed in the operation, which at least managed to free 100 hostages.

5. Kopassus

Formed in 1952, the Indonesian Army’s feared special forces group quickly established a bad name for themselves by spearheading government military campaigns.

Famous ops: In 1981, an Islamic extremist group hijacked Garuda Flight 206. After the aircraft landed, Kopassus commando executed a fast-paced operation, killing three hijackers and freeing 50 passengers.

6. Special Service Group (SSG)

Pakistan’s elite and seriously tooled-up fighting force carry out unconventional warfare, sabotage, intelligence gathering, close quarter battle and espionage.

Famous ops: In 1994, Afghan hijackers commandeered a school bus packed with 74 children and eight teachers. With negotiations leading nowhere, SSG commandos used an explosion as a distraction and then killed the three hijackers.

7. Delta Force

A seriously hyped-up US army special ops force, otherwise known as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta.

Famous ops: They played important roles in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, allegedly entering Baghdad in advance to guide air strikes and sabotage Iraqi communication lines.

8. British SAS

The SAS eat close target recon and counter-revolutionary warfare for breakfast. They’re at home in mountains, jungles, deserts and urban environments, and are tops at making a fortune writing bestselling books when they retire.

Famous ops: Ended the 1980 hostage crisis at the Iranian embassy in London. The troopers employed stun grenades to disorient the terrorists and killed five out of six and saved 19 hostages.

9. Eko Cobra

Austria’s crack counter-terrorism unit featuring 200 men are apparently highly respected for their climbing abilities and experts at Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions.

Famous ops: The Cobras are the only unit to have ended a plane hijacking while still actually in the air. In 1996, four Cobras were on board an Aeroflot Tupolev 154 escorting deported prisoners to Lagos. An escaped Nigerian prisoner threatened the aircrew with a knife and demanded to be taken to Germany or South Africa. The Cobras disabled the bloke and handed him to authorities on landing.

10. Special Air Service Regiment

The elite special forces unit of the Aussie army is commonly known as SAS. Broken up into three squadrons, our boys specialize in counter-terrorism, surveillance and reconnaissance and other assault operations.

Famous ops: SAS troopers Mark Donaldson and Ben Roberts-Smith were awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia for their gallant acts performed while serving in Afghanistan.

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