A snowboarding leopard, a figure-skating bunny and a polar bear wearing a scarf will be the three mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. Though those are some of the safest choices imaginable, the decision has led to charges of plagiarism, corruptibility and vote-rigging.
The winners were announced on a live television show broadcast throughout the country. Viewers cast over 1 million votes for the nine candidates and officials selected the top-three to serve as Sochi's official mascots. The snow leopard came out on top with 28 percent of the vote.
The announcement was not without some controversy. Ded Morez, the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, had led in early polling but was pulled from the ballot at the last second when Russian organizers feared that their country's folk hero would become official property of the IOC. That decision left room for the following three winners, which are said to "encapsulate much of Russia's self-image."
Snow leopard
The snow leopard was the favorite of Vladimir Putin's. The Russian prime minister favored the cat because he is "big, strong, fast and beautiful." Not coincidentally, the mascot's popularity rose once Putin threw support its way. Its self-confidence swagger is "not unlike Putin's own projection of machismo" and the fact that the leopard enjoys the prime minister's favored martial arts makes some think the character was based on Putin himself.
Prominent Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told a Moscow radio station that he believes there may have been some voting irregularities in the telephone voting system that led to the leopard's victory. The insinuation is that Putin wanted the leopard so the leopard somehow made it to the top of the voting. That's silly. A rigged vote in Russia? Preposterous!
Bunny
The bunny will be wear ice skates in a nod to Russia's once-great figure skating program. No word on whether the bunny was in cahoots with the French judge to help with the victory.
Polar bear
The Associated Press says the final mascot looks "dorky." Whether that's true or not (and it totally is), the creator of Russia's last Olympic mascot says it's plagiarism. Viktor Chizhikov, the man who designed the mascot to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, believes this bear is a direct copy of his.
Living in California, I always have oranges or tangerines in the house. But I need to make room for grapefruit. Most of us know citrus (in season now) is loaded with immunity-boosting vitamin C. Grapefruit is a good choice, and it’s a winner on the anti-aging front too. 
By Charlotte Latvala, 
The best get-flawless-skin regimen? It's not a trendy spa treatment. It's a way of eating. Yeah, yeah, we know that for years, experts said greasy foods and chocolate don't cause pimples and that, overall, what you eat has no effect on your skin. But research proves otherwise. So follow these four rules on how to feed your face.
If you’re getting the recommended seven to 10 hours of sleep, yet still can’t shake a lethargic feeling, your fatigue may have little to do with the amount of z’s you’re catching. Health conditions and factors in your waking life could be contributing to your general malaise. Before hitting the snooze button yet again, check out the following 10 potential reasons you’re waking up tired and learn how to restore your spark.
No, the poor dog isn't doing his best to raise your blood pressure. He's merely doing what comes naturally — which is, for the majority of breeds, to bark.
There are many reasons why a dog that is alone would bark repeatedly. The most likely reason is sheer boredom and loneliness. Dogs will bark if they are left alone too long, or cruelly tied up in a backyard with little or no stimulation. Just like a person, a dog suffers when put in isolation and left without companionship. They are social animals, and that means the lonely and bored dog bark is one of the saddest barks of all. Such barking is a big red flag that you need to address your dog's needs. Is he alone for long periods of time? Is he left isolated and without attention for long periods? How often does he get walked? How often does he get petted and praised? Dogs need exercise to work off pent-up energy, no matter what their size. If your neighbour's dog is a problem barker, address the issue with your neighbour and suggest a good trainer. If the dog appears to be barking because it's suffering from neglect, a call to the local Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals might be in order.
Temple Grandin is a gifted best-selling author and professor who seems to have a special gift when it comes to working with animals and is the subject of a film starring Claire Danes, released last year. She told DogTime.com recently that she worried about dogs that were left isolated all day.
"Nowadays there are too many dogs locked up all day, whining, chewing up their paws. That's not a very good life for a dog. So you've got to do something about it. Give them another dog to play with, take them to work if they'll allow it. Take them to doggie daycare. But a dog doesn't have a very good life if he's locked up in a crate for hours and hours on end."
Aside from isolation and boredom, there are other reasons your dog might go on a barking spree. Here are a few, based on a survey of expert opinions.
