Dogs are known for being loyal companions — but we’ve never met any as faithful as Hachiko, an Akita from Japan who spent 10 years waiting for his master.

By Kathryn Hawkins

If you’ve ever seen the canceled-before-its-time (but now revived!) show Futurama, you’ll probably remember Bender, the alcoholic robot; Leela, the beautiful one-eyed captain; and Philip J. Fry, the bumbling pizza delivery boy who was cryogenically frozen for a thousand years before joining the Planet Express intergalactic mail delivery team. But do you remember Fry’s loyal, loving dog, who waited for his master until the end of his life? If you didn’t think a cartoon character could make you cry, it might be time to reevaluate after you watch this heart-wrenching scene.

Now, of course, Fry’s dog never really existed (nor did the murderous Killbots, luckily), and you might scoff at the idea that any canine could really exercise such supreme loyalty. After all, your dog forgets that you’re alive whenever your sister stops by bearing bags of Pupperoni. And while it’s true that most animals are more loyal to their meals than to their masters, we know of an amazingly faithful dog that could be a real-life counterpart to Fry’s ever-loving pooch: Hachiko, an Akita from Tokyo.

Hachiko was brought to Tokyo in 1924 by his owner, a college professor named Hidesamuro Ueno. Each day, when Ueno left for work, Hachiko would stand by the door to watch him go. When the professor came home at 4 o’clock, Hachiko would go to the Shibuya Station to meet him.

Though this simple act alone shows a tremendous amount of loyalty, that’s not the end of it: The following year, Ueno died of a stroke while at the university. Hachiko didn’t realize that he was gone, and so the dog returned to the train station every single day to await his master. He became such a familiar presence there, in fact, that the station master set out food for the dog and gave him a bed in the station. Even so, Hachiko never shifted loyalties –every day at 4 o’clock, he hopefully waited by the tracks as the train pulled in, searching for his best friend’s face among the people getting off.

Hachiko’s love for his master impressed many people who passed through the station, including one of Ueno’s former students, who became fascinated by the Akita breed after seeing Hachiko. He discovered that there were only 30 Akitas living in Japan, and began to write articles about Hachiko and his remarkable breed, turning the world’s most loyal dog into a household name, and creating a resurgence in popularity for the Akita.

Hachiko died in 1935, after 10 long years of waiting for his master. But the dog would not be forgotten –a year before his death, Shibuya Station installed a bronze statue of the aging dog, to honor its mascot. Though the statue was melted down during World War II, a new version was created in 1948 by the son of the original artist. Go to the station now, and you’ll be able to see the bronze statue of Hachiko – still waiting, as ever, for his master to come home.

Reference:

http://gimundo.com/news/article/hachiko-the-worlds-most-loyal-dog/

by Roscoe

Nowadays, computers are fastly becoming man’s best friend. This powerful tool has already helped us make life easier. The computer makes it possible for us to store files, encode documents and even play games or watch videos. The computer is also a means for us to connect to the Internet. This enables us to communicate with other people including those that are miles away as well as download music tunes and other videos. Without a doubt, the computer will always be a necessity.

Nevertheless, becoming a necessity would also mean that the computer will be frequently needed. This means that the computer will be used regularly. So is it good to keep your computer on all the time? Most computers, especially those that are made from good companies, can endure long uses. Some computers can even last more than a day of nonstop functioning. However, we should always try to utilize them in the most convenient way possible. This means that we can avoid using screen savers, which can consume a lot of power from the computer, or we can always turn off the monitor if we are not using it. Doing these simple ways can actually help prevent putting our computers at risk for any damages.

Even though some computers are able to withstand long hours of use, it is still advisable to give them time to rest. Computers are also machines, and just like any other machines, computers can also over heat or malfunction. This is the reason why computers work better if they are given time to shut down even only for a few hours. Doing this instead of leaving the computer on will not only prevent the computer from overheating, but it can also help us cut down the cost to our electricity bill.

These days, machines, such as the computers, are used not just for personal use but as well as for business purposes. Computers are very reliable since it can withstand more hours of working as to compare to a person. However, abusing this advantage of computers will not benefit us. This can cause us more spending for the repairs as well as other related problems.

In summary, if we were to be asked whether or not is it good to keep our computer on all the time, then we already know that it is not advisable to do so. Computers can indeed last long, but these things can also get damage, break down or get ruined.

Reference:

http://www.smellybrain.com/is-it-good-to-keep-your-computer-on-all-the-time/