Sausage, a red-haired dachshund aptly named by an 11 year old who had reached his zenith of cleverness, was my best friend growing up. He got a dog treat every time I got a doughnut - that sort of thing. He was in his early teens by the time I left him in mum's hands to attend graduate school.
Once completely in her custody, however, Sausage got a wake-up call: the socialised dog-biscuit welfare train was over. Mum operated a meritocracy and anything on four legs was ineligible for merit.
But Sausage would soon prove that bipeds don't have a monopoly on hunger-inspired civil disobedience. Suddenly deprived, he began to kidnap household items from the living room and hold them hostage under the kitchen table, growling threats to devour them unless mum came up with the milk-bone ransom.
This went on for dozens of months - packets of cigarettes, wallets, wireless phone handsets. And because mum then developed a chip on her own shoulder, she would ignore him when he kidnapped something worthless. Thus, he learnt the relative value of things.
Once, while home for the holidays, I witnessed him put his front paws on the coffee table and nose through a stack of newspapers, past last Tuesday's sport section and last Friday's business section, until he found the weekly TV listings - one of mum's most precious possessions. He must have identified it by its slightly different shape and grey-and-white grid bars. He then just trotted off with it towards the kitchen, tail wagging.
Such pet-propelled evil genius is all fun in retrospect, but what if he had swallowed something poisonous? What could the circuit board in a TV remote do to his digestive system?
The app
If Sausage were still alive and terrorising living spaces today, I'd rest (a bit) easier because of Pet First Aid (Dh15; iPhone, Android), the smartphone app to turn to when pet-related disasters strike.
The details
Filled with videos and illustrations, Pet First Aid opens with simple interactive lists of possible ailments and accidents, filed first under broad categories (Bites & Stings, Bloat & Torsion, Fractures & Sprains, etc). Simply tap on the subject that applies and subcategories will appear, along with general descriptions and explanations on proper treatments.
Pet First Aid is packaged in a clear and concise format, designed to be read by owners in varying degrees of panic.
It's a rather large download (53.4MB), but that includes several instructional videos (like how to properly muzzle a panicking pet) that don't require internet access to run. It also allows owners to store vital pet data, such as veterinarian phone numbers and vaccinations, in one easy-to-reach place.
Pet First Aid is a good resource for any animal lover. After all, even evil-genius pets are worth saving.
Have some great personal finance apps that you want to share? Write to Curt Brandao at cbrandao@thenational.ae
Company%20profile
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C108hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C340Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%20(front%20axle)%3B%20two-speed%20transmission%20(rear%20axle)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh928%2C400%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOrders%20open%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.
6pm: Al Ruwais Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 1,200m
Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinal.
6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Civil%20War
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars