Dog Needs Surgery After Eating Girls Homework

Colorado – A family dog is recovering after emergency surgery after eating a girl’s homework.
It’s the oldest line in the classroom - ”My dog ate my homework.” But in this case it was painfully true.
“I made a volcano project out of candy and I pinned the candy to a foam base,” Payton said.
Payton and her dog Reggie share a love of school science projects.
“It was Mt. Haleakala in Maui,” Payton said.
Reggie’s hunger for knowledge landed him in surgery. Fifty straight pins showed up on his abdominal X-ray. More

Fallen tree looks like a dog

UK – Council workers in Ipswich thought they were barking up the wrong tree when they saw this.
Workmen were clearing up the town’s Alexander Park after the recent storms, and discovered a dog’s head in the upturned roots of a fallen oak tree.
Alexandra Park and Holywells Park in Ipswich have still not re-opened due to damage by St Jude’s storm, reports the Ipswich Star. More

This company will send your stuffed animal on a vacation

Your teddy bear has always wanted to visit Tokyo in the spring. Fortunately for Mr. Bobo, there’s Unagi Travel, the “Japan Travel Agency for Stuffed Animals.”
The travel agency gives tours not to you but to your favorite plush toy.
For fans of the movie “Amelie,” in which a garden gnome disappears from a front yard and mysteriously appears in photos taken at tourist sites around the globe, this is kind of like that: Give your teddy a grand adventure while you sit at home. Talk about a toy story.
The odd but oddly adorable idea goes like this: Head to the Unagi Travel website and book your toy’s tour. Price points are reasonable, but you pay for shipping to Japan. They send your toy back for free.  More

Violin that played as Titanic sank sells for $1.5 million

A violin that was being played as the Titanic went down was sold for 900,000 pounds ($1.46 million) at auction on Saturday, a record price for memorabilia from the doomed ocean liner. Band leader Wallace Hartley played the instrument, trying to calm passengers as the ship slipped into the frozen waters of the North Atlantic in April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Hartley`s band played the hymn "Nearer, My God, To Thee" as passengers climbed into lifeboats. Hartley and his seven fellow band members all died after choosing to play on. More than 1,500 people died. When Hartley`s body was recovered more than 10 days after the disaster, the violin was found in a leather case strapped to him, according to the folklore that has grown up around the event. More

Kitten survives 40-minutes inside a running washing machine

California - The ordeal of a California cat that survived a 40-minute ride in a washing machine was selected as one of the most bizarre pet insurance claims of the year. Veterinary Pet Insurance, based in California, said the 11 finalists for then Hambone Award, given annually to the strangest claims each year, includes Natasha, a 6-month-old kitten that took a ride in Oakland owner Daryl Humdy`s washing machine along with a load of laundry, the Oakland Bee reported Friday. "She had always been very nosy about the washing machine," Humdy said. "She would always peek inside it, but I never thought she would hop in." More

Blind chicken brought back to life

A blind chicken has been brought back to life after its dedicated owner gave it CPR for over three hours. Chooky Wooky was recently blown into the backyard pool at 14-year-old owner Rayna Rapo`s home in Sydney, Australia. Fearing that her pet was dead, Rayna plucked her out of the water and tried to revive her. And even when her mother Roberta suggested that Chooky Wooky couldn`t be saved Rayna was determined not to give up. More

Steve Jobs was given the night shift at Atari because of his personal hygiene

Steve Jobs is undoubtedly one of the most successful men of the century. He was the mind behind all the Apple products that we know and love. In 2010, it was estimated that Steve Jobs net worth was $8.3 billion. However, when he was younger, he may have had questionable hygiene. Steve Jobs used to work at Atari in order to provide himself with a wage so he could survive. Allegedly, Jobs was actually put on the night shift because of his hygiene. It is said that he never bathed, and would walk around the office in his bare feet.

Fencing coach stops robbery

Tennessee – A fencing teacher put his sword to good use, foiling a robbery he stumbled upon during a trip to the local shopping center.
Franco Scaramuzza was pulling into the shopping center’s parking lot when he saw two men attack a couple with pepper spray and take a purse, WSMV.com reported.
“The first thing that went through my head is somebody should do something, and that’s when I got really upset and disappointed with myself, because I realized I had the opportunity to do something.
And I didn’t want to be a hypocrite who just tweeted about it,” Scaramuzza told the station.
The instructor grabbed his epee, jumped out of the car and charged the suspects. More

Attempt to fly phone into prison on pigeon fails

Brazil – A woman’s attempt to fly a mobile phone into a prison on the back of a pigeon failed when the exhausted bird collapsed just after clearing the jail walls.
Cristielli Mansa, 21, had attempted to send the device to her boyfriend, Wagner Machado Rodrigues, 19, who had been arrested for drug trafficking.
Unfortunately for the pair, the pigeon cleared the three-meter high wall of the Central Prison in Porto Alegre, Brazil, but then fell right in front of a patrolling prison officer’s vehicle. More

12 firefighters in 3 fire engines sent to rescue teenage girl stuck in a swing

London - Three fire engines and at least twelve firefighters were mobilized to rescue a teenage girl who was stuck in a child`s swing. The girl slid herself into the swing in Finsbury Park, north London, yesterday afternoon, but was unable to get out without assistance. The large contingent of firefighters, who arrived in three separate fire engines, were eventually able to free her after removing the swing from its frame. A bystander told MailOnline: `She had her hands in her head, embarrassed, and was being filmed by her family and was clearly stuck in the child`s swing.  More

Buckingham Palace seeks timekeeper for queen`s clocks

LONDON - Buckingham Palace announced it is seeking someone to be responsible for winding the queen`s 1,000 clocks for $50,035 per year. The advertisement on Queen Elizabeth`s official website says the Royal Horological Conservator will be based in Buckingham Palace, but will also have to travel to Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Balmoral and Sandringham to make sure all of the monarch`s clocks are wound and set to the accurate time, The Mirror reported Monday. The post-holder will be primarily responsible for resetting the clocks for the time changes in March and October. More

The world’s most extreme camping trip

Germany – Campers craving the ultimate in peace and quiet can now find it 500ft up a sheer mountain face.
Accommodation comes in the form of a ‘portaledge’ – an incredibly strong frame covered in canvas, secured to a cliff face in the German Alps.
Campers have to scale the mountain to get to their bed for the night – and can only bring with them the bare essentials of a sleeping bag, a rope and a basic dinner.
Fearless adventurers sleep alongside an instructor, who takes up the outside position just inches from the 500ft sheer drop.
The two campers wear a safety harness to stop them falling should they roll over in their sleep. More

Deluxe hotel for chickens

UK - A Kent woman has taken advantage of the boom in hen keeping by opening a deluxe hotel for chickens. Fowlty Towers, the plush resort is a home away from home for hens while their owners are on vacation. It is run by Julie Smith, who says she has been inundated with requests for rooms. Dedicated customers even book months in advance to secure a spot for their prized birds. The five star accommodation features 3ft long runs attached to luxury enclosures.

Distressed owl turns out to be garden ornament

Scotland - When animal welfare officers were alerted to a `distressed` owl in a Scottish front garden they were quickly on the case. The Scottish SPCA received a call from an anonymous Aberdeenshire resident with concerns for a bird that had apparently been left tied to a tree all night. When an officer arrived at the scene, however, he discovered the motionless owl was in fact a plastic garden water feature. `I had a feeling as soon as I approached the property that something wasnt quite right,` explained Chief Inspector John Carle. More

Firefighters save bearded dragon lizard`s life with oxygen mask

UK - A group of hero firefighters did what firefighters do andimprovised to save the life of abearded dragon lizard, who was rescued from his burning container. Thorn was given oxygen using a mask designed to treat humans, following the incident in its basement home in Pedmore Road, Lye, West Midlands. Fire crews responded after a bulb in the two-year-old lizard`s vivarium enclosure overheated and caused a fire that spread throughout. Lucy Evans, a firefighter who attended the scene, said: "Thorn was desperate for air and at first we thought it was dead." More

Firefighters rescue man stuck in chimney

Washington - Firefighters chiseled a hole through bricks early Tuesday to rescue a man who had gotten himself stuck inside a 20-inch wide chimney space at a Washington home that had been converted to apartments.
The young man was not hurt and was not suspected of a crime, but it’s unclear why he apparently climbed into the unused chimney, Tacoma Battalion Chief Dyre Fudge said.
“Stories range from `hide and seek” to `repairing the ceiling. Nobody was able to get the straight story,” Fudge said.
“I’m in my 35th year, and it’s something different every day. You can’t make it up,” he said. More

Grass clippings blamed for police cruiser fire

Florida - A Clay County deputy got quite a surprise when returning to his car during a traffic stop. The deputy`s patrol car had burst into flames. A Sheriff`s office spokesman told Channel 4 that the deputy parked the cruiser on a pile of freshly mowed grass, which reached a very high temperature when it touched the undercarriage of the cruiser. More

Cellphone robbery suspect tripped up by his sagging jeans

New York - A Brooklyn cellphone crook`s poor wardrobe choices led to his arrest when his saggy jeans tripped him up during his getaway attempt and allowed cops to chase him down, police said. Joel Donaldson, 21, allegedly punched his victim in the face before snatching her phone at around 2:30 p.m. at Court and Remsen streets, just steps from Borough Hall. He then tried to get away on foot, but didnt get far. His droopy blue jeans - which left his boxer shorts exposed - kept slipping down as he ran. A cop who was directing traffic nearby spotted the bungling bad guy`s sorry sartorial situation and hurried after him. Donaldson made it only about a block before his pants were completely around his ankles, allowing the officer to tackle him near Joralemon Street. More

Police apologize for dog wedding

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lankan police apologized Tuesday for holding a group wedding ceremony for sniffer dogs after the country’s culture minister condemned the event and demanded an investigation.
Nine pairs of police dogs dressed in shawls, hats and socks were placed on a decorated platform like those used in traditional weddings in the ceremony Monday in the central town of Kandy.
Their marriages were registered by an official in the presence of a crowd of veterinary surgeons, medical doctors, top police officers and the public.
Local television showed the dog couples later being driven away in a decorated police jeep for their “honeymoons.” More

Men pay for items when no employees were around

WAYNE - Four football players from a North Jersey college are being rewarded for their honesty.
The four William Paterson football players paid for items at a store even though no employees were around.
The members of the William Paterson University football team each received $50 gift cards after they were captured on surveillance cameras inside a closed store, paying for some batteries and sunglasses at the counter even though no employees were around.
The lock at Buddy’s Small Lots in Wayne malfunctioned and the lights were on, making it appear the store was open Sunday night when Anthony Biondi, Jelani Bruce, Kell’E Gallimore and Thomas James entered between preseason practice sessions, according to a university website.
Cameras showed them calling out for a clerk. Gallimore and James can be seen depositing cash on the counter. More

Parakeet foils robbery at neighbor’s house

TAMPA – He may have a limited vocabulary, but 21-year old parakeet “Emerald” knows a thing or two about his neighborhood.
When owner Suzette Beesley heard her bird raising cain in his cage one afternoon, she knew something was wrong.
“I heard this bird making this serious squawking,” Beesley said Tuesday.
When she peeked out her back window to check things out, she saw a stranger breaking in to her next-door neighbor’s house. Beesley called 911, as Emerald kept a watchful eye from the confines of his cage.
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies quickly surrounded the home and tackled 31-year old Hans Christensen as he tried to bolt from the Brandon home. More

Will Batman save us?

Residents in Marseille, France have officially asked for a Batman to come help them with skyrocketing crime.
The mock petition, titled "Will it take Batman to save Marseille?" has thousands of signatures and a Facebook page for the group has more than 4,000 fans.
Europe's current "Capital of Culture" is also considered "Europe's most dangerous place to be young."
More than a quarter of the 800,000 population is living below the poverty line, and there have been 13 gang-related killings so far this year. In 2012, authorities intercepted around 300 Kalashnikovs. More

Chinese zoo disguises dog as lion

China – The rather inventive owners of a zoo in the People’s Park of Luohe, in the central province of Henan, have come under fire for using a dog as an African lion.
The Tibetan Mastiff  was sneakily disguised and then blew his cover after barking in front of visitors.
The zoo has also been accused of some other strange switcheroos.
They incorrectly housed rodents in a snake cage and a white fox in a leopard’s den. More

Missing dog found 10ft up tree

Owners of a missing dog were happy but amazed to hear that it had been found safe and well – up a tree.
Laddy, a seven-year-old border collie, had disappeared from his home in Davenport, Iowa, two days earlier, reports the Quad City Times.
Owner Cynthia Weeks said: “I was beside myself. We went around calling for him, and I drove around. I put it on my Facebook pages, and we put fliers out around the neighborhood.”
Two days later, Ron Stevenson was working in his yard a couple of blocks away when he heard a dog barking and then whining.
He looked around but could see no dog. Finally, he looked up and spotted Laddy – at least 10 feet up a tree near his driveway. He called police but decided to try a rescue attempt. More

Meet the olinguito the world’s newest mammal

A new mammal species has been confirmed by scientists, and it’s already melting hearts.
The olinguito, described as a cross between a house cat and a teddy bear, is the first new carnivorous mammal identified in the Western Hemisphere in 35 years, and it’s considered one of the cutest scientific finds in recent memory.
Researchers first spotted the critter on a trip to Ecuador in 2006.
On their very first night out into the fig tree jungle near Otonga, they saw it, but it has taken seven years to determine, genetically, how distinct it really was from the other furry mammals it resembles.

Pepsi-flavored Cheetos on shelves in Japan

Japan – Pepsi and Cheetos are a natural combo.
Anyone who’s ever indulged in an after-school snack knows they’re made for each other.
There’s even an I Love Cheetos and Pepsi group on Facebook.

The folks at Frito-Lay have caught on too: Pepsi-flavored Cheetos are one of the newest snack flavors to hit shelves in Japan.
We called Frito-Lay for comment but so far no word on if, or when, the flavor will make its way to the U.S. market. More

Chameleon Hat

In 2002, a 17-year-old arriving from Dubai was stopped at the Manchester Airport because of her startling ‘hat.”
She was actually wearing a rare chameleon on her head scarf, a lizard she had purchased at a market in Saudi Arabia.
At first, other passengers thought it was a plastic accessory – until they spied its tongue flicking out.
The creature was her exotic pet and appropriately nicknamed Hattie.
Sadly, Hattie became the property of the fine folks down at Customs and Excise.

Escape artist pulls off locked coffin skydive

Illinois - An escape artist has parachuted safely to the ground after freeing himself from handcuffs and a locked coffin while it was falling from 14,500 feet in the air.
Anthony Martin waved to a crowd after landing softly Tuesday in a field in Serena, Ill., about 70 miles southwest of Chicago.
He says after freeing himself, he watched the box plummet to the ground. He first performed the stunt 25 years ago.
The 47-year-old Wisconsin man was locked in the casket with his hands cuffed to a belt and his right arm chained to the inside of the box. More

4- year- old mayor

Robert "Bobby" Tufts hasn't made it to preschool yet, but he's already been elected twice as mayor of a tiny tourist town in northern Minnesota.

Mayor Tufts' name was picked Sunday during annual Taste of Dorset festival to be mayor of Dorset for a second term. It has no formal city government and has a population of 22 to 28, depending on whether the minister and his family are in town.

Anyone could vote as many times as they like — for $1 a vote — at any of the ballot boxes in stores around town. The proceeds go toward organizing the festival.

Bobby was only 3 when he won election last year. His mother, Emma Tufts, said she and her son, who turns 5 in October, got choked up when his name was pulled for re-election Sunday. More

Talking robot takes off for International Space Station

Japan - When the Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata arrives at the International Space Station in November, a companion will be waiting for him whose eyes will light up in recognition - literally. Kirobo, the world`s first talking humanoid space robot, has already taken off and should arrive at the space station by 9 August to await Wakata`s arrival. It knows he is coming: it has been programmed to recognize his face, and greet him warmly in Japanese. It`s name comes from the Japanese words for hope and robot, and its task is momentous for a kilo of superbly engineered plastic and a bundle of plug leads: nothing less than to supply emotional warmth and companionship. More

Man Hides Turtle in Hamburger at Airport Security Checkpoint

China – A Chinese man was boarding a flight from Guangzhou to Beijing when airline authorities spied something suspicious sticking out a KFC burger he had reportedly packed in his bag.
The Guangzhou Daily reports that local airport authorities handling security were surprised when they found something a little different about the burger – odd protrusions seemed to be showing up on the  X-ray machine.
The man, by all accounts known solely as Mr. Li, was then asked to surrender  the mystery burger for inspection. Although he insisted that there was nothing  to see, authorities persisted.
Li finally acquiesced to an inspection after repeated requests from airport staff, who uncovered the pet turtle hidden inside the burger.
When asked why he  had devised this strange idea, Li said that he had only wanted to travel together with his beloved turtle. More

Toddler buys Austin Healey Sprite on eBay with her father`s smartphone

Oregon - 14-month-old Sorella Stoute has already picked the car she wants. The Portland toddler managed to successfully bid for a 1962 Austin Healey Sprite on eBay after playing with her father`s smartphone last month. The first her father knew of her secret shopping spree was when he received an email from eBay congratulating him on the winning $225 bid. At first, the Oregon couple were not sure whether they could afford to take on the car, which needs a lot of work. However, they have decided to keep it and Mr. Stoute plans to do it up in time for Sorella`s high school graduation or 16th birthday. His wife, Christiana,said: "It comes with two engines. They`re both in the back seat." More

9-year-old girl becomes youngest US chess master

Massachusetts – Only three years or so since first picking up the game of chess, 9-year-old Carissa Yip can already look down at 93 percent of the more than 51,000 players  registered with the U.S. Chess Federation.
She has risen so far up the rankings that she has reached the expert level at  a younger age than anyone since the chess federation began electronic record-keeping in 1991, a new level she reached in recent weeks.
Her father, Percy, who taught her until she began beating him within a year, said she could reach master level in as soon as a year.
She later demonstrated her ability by playing with her back to the board, reading her moves to her father and keeping track of the whole board in her  head.
She has been called an intimidating player in an ironic way, because she’s  far short of even 5 feet tall. More

Bounce house explodes on top of kids

BOISE - An inflatable bounce house at Julia Davis Park exploded Saturday, injuring six children. Ada County Paramedics and Boise Fire Department responded to the park. They say the children were found trapped inside the bounce-house, with the walls folded in on top of them. But paramedics say the children`s injuries were minor and that they were able to treat and release them on scene. More

Giant Corpse Flower with odor of rotting flesh blooms next door to US Capitol

The long wait is finally over for visitors who have been yearning for a whiff of a giant flower that smells oddly like rotting flesh. Titan arum, a giant rainforest plant that has been dubbed the "corpse flower" for its terrible smell, finally started blooming Sunday afternoon at the U.S. Botanic Garden next to the Capitol. Experts had been anticipating its bloom for more than a week and extended the garden`s hours for visitors each night. Garden officials expect peak smell to occur early Monday morning, and the flower to remain open for an estimated 24 to 48 hours. Then it will begin to collapse on itself. The last corpse flower to bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden was in 2007. More

Mysterious hum driving people crazy around the world

It creeps in slowly in the dark of night, and once inside, it almost never goes away. It`s known as the Hum, a steady, droning sound that`s heard in places as disparate as Taos, N.M.; Bristol, England; and Largs, Scotland. But what causes the Hum, and why it only affects a small percentage of the population in certain areas, remain a mystery, despite a number of scientific investigations. Reports started trickling in during the 1950s from people who had never heard anything unusual before; suddenly, they were bedeviled by an annoying, low-frequency humming, throbbing or rumbling sound. More

China deploys elite gaggle of geese police

China - Police forces in rural corners of Xinjiang province have been sending geese officers out on patrol since earlier this year, according to a report on the Chinese language website of the state-run People`s Daily newspaper. The People`s Daily said the "sharp, keen and brave" animals were proving an invaluable tool in Xinjiangs war on crime and were now being actively promoted across the region. Law enforcement agents described the geese as a new "highlight of stability maintenance work" and said they had proved themselves "better than dogs" in tackling crime. "Geese are very brave. They spread their wings and will attack any strangers entering someone`s home," said Mr Zhang, the local police chief. More

Lawn mower backfires - Sets house on fire

Maine - A house owned by a local high school teacher was significantly damaged Tuesday after a fire broke out in the basement while a 16-year-old boy, Lucas Ashmore (Picture),was trying to start a riding lawn mower. Craig Bowden, chief of the local fire department, said Tuesday that the lawn mower backfired in the basement as the boy, who does not live at the home, was trying to get it started a few minutes before 1 p.m. As the fire spread, the boy went outside, closing the basement door behind him, and then quickly walked around the house to the front door and back inside to make sure all the doors and windows upstairs were closed before going back outside again, the fire chief said. The boy told firefighters who arrived at the house a few minutes later that he did this to help deprive the fire of oxygen. The fire chief said the teen`s actions seemed to have the desired effect and limited the spread of the fire. More

Dog Lover Will Live in Animal Shelter for 35 Days

England – Sean Le Vegan, a dog lover from Manchester, England, will spend over a month in an animal shelter enclosure  to raise awareness about the plight of stray dogs and encourage people to adopt rather than buy canine pets.
Sean, a 35-year-old web-designer and volunteer at the Manchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Home, believes spending 35 days and nights in a cage is a good way to attract attention to the hideous plight of homeless dogs.
It’s also a great way to raise some much-needed funds for the dog shelter, as he plans to broadcast his challenge on the internet with webcams and charge $7.50 per subscription.

House has neighbors green with envy

China - Agriculture expert Sheng Xiugi has his neighbors green with envy - after converting the outside of his house into a five-story orchard. Sheng, 55, started growing a couple of tomato plants on his balcony but now harvests whole crops of grapes, eggplants, plums and vegetables around the house. "It is all organic and delicious." Sheng said. "If I want some fruit or vegetables all I have to do is open a window and pick some." More

A 4-year-old was saved by a woman from drowning - 9 years later that boy saved the woman's husband at the same beach

When Roger Lausier was four years old, he wandered off from his mom at the Salem, Massachusetts beach. He paddled around for awhile, but then a powerful undercurrent pulled him out.

He would have drowned, but a woman swam out and pulled him back to shore. She revived him and saved his life. She also refused all rewards for her heroic act and left happy to have helped. Nine years later, Roger was thirteen and a very experienced swimmer.

He was tracking a shoal of bluefish when he heard a woman screaming her husband was drowning. Roger saw the woman's husband floundering in the water after falling from his boat. Roger paddled his inflated raft over to the well-built guy and grabbed his hand.

He held him above water until another boat got to them and was able to help bring the guy to shore. It wasn't until a presentation later that Roger found out that the man he saved was the husband of the woman who saved his life nine years earlier at the same beach.

Alligator crashed picnic, ate all the burgers

Florida – Photographer Rodney Cammauf had just settled into a spot near the water in Homestead, Florida, when an alligator crashed his picnic and ate all the  burgers.
The 68-year-old and his friends were apprehensive when the alligator came up  out of the water and headed right for them, and so they ran.
But once the gator  started snapping up the burgers, Cammauf slipped back and started snapping photos.
In Florida, feeding alligators is illegal, not only because they develop a taste  for burgers, but because they lose their fear of approaching humans, especially  in areas where people commonly go. More

New social ‘petwork’ for your dog or cat

UK – There’s a new social network in town and it’s for pet-lovers only.
Yummypets aims  to bring pet owners together and become the social network, or “petwork,” for  pets.
Launched in the UK in May this year, Yummypets was founded in France in January 2012 and now boasts more than 150,000 French members and some 20,000 in  the UK, with 600 brands and organizations interacting on the site.
With an  anticipated launch in the U.S., Canada and Brazil in the next 12 months,  Yummypets expects to bring features like partnerships with local merchants and  vets to the rest of the world. More

Black bear scales 10-foot fence to visit Zoo

The Knoxville Zoo had an unexpected break-in Monday night from a wandering black bear.
While zoos are always alert to keep their exotic animals safely inside their habitats, they rarely experience a wild animal the size of a bear wanting to get inside their boundaries.
It was about midnight when a zoo ranger spotted a young black bear scaling the 10-foot-high chain-link and barbed wire of the zoo’s perimeter fence.
A neighbor had alerted the zoo a bear had been seen in the Chilhowee Park area, zoo spokeswoman Tina Rolen said. More

Couple gather wild weeds for a picnic salad

Vermont - For one Vermont couple, "local" doesn`t mean heading to the farmers market. It means finding a natural salad bar at your picnic spot - or maybe even inyour backyard. Nova Kim and Les Hook live on a lush farm between a large lake and the Connecticut River near the Vermont-New Hampshire border. Over the decades, they`ve become skilled gatherers of edible wild foods, which they sell to high-end restaurants. The couple`s wild salads tend to be finely minced. Each crunchy bite of this one tastes a little bitter, a little sweet and a little sour, especially after adding the tangy ginger-root dressing. If you aren`t good at identifying plants, or knowing which ones are safe, pack a reliable field guide. More

Upset at World`s Ugliest Dog contest

PETALUMA, California - A huge-headed, duck-footed mix of beagle, boxer and basset hound was the upset winner at the 25th annual World`s Ugliest Dog Contest. Walle, a 4-year-old mutt from Chico, Calif., who was entered at the last minute, was judged most unsightly of 30 dogs at the Northern California competition. "This dog looked like he`s been photo-shopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals," judge Brian Sobel said. Walle overcame the dominance in recent years by nearly hairless Chihuahuas, Chinese Cresteds, or combinations of the two. More

Woman saves deer with plastic jar stuck on its head

HERMANTOWN, Minnesota - A whitetail deer got its head stuck in a clear plastic jar that prevented it from eating or drinking for several days, until a resourceful Duluth-area woman managed to pop the jar off. The deer kept showing up around Janet Murphy`s Hermantown home, the jar covering its head just below its ears, the Duluth News Tribune reported. Murphy tried calling to 911 and the state Department of Natural Resources for help but got nowhere, she said. Farzad Farr, a Wildwoods volunteer, came to Murphy`s home bearing a 10-foot catch-pole. The contraption consists of a long, metal rod with a cable noose at the end that can be slipped over an animal`s head and cinched. More

Bank employee falls asleep on keyboard, transfers $293 million

Germany – An obviously tired German bank employee fell asleep on his keyboard and accidentally transformed a minor transfer into a 222 million euro ($293 million) order, a court heard Monday.
The Hessen labor court heard that the man was supposed to transfer just 62.40 euros from a bank account belonging to a retiree, but instead “fell asleep for an instant, while pushing onto the number 2 key on the keyboard” — making it a huge 222,222,222.22 euro order.
The bank discovered the mistake shortly afterwards and corrected the error. More

Dog shoots man with a .380 handgun

Sebring, Florida – A Highlands County man is recovering after police say he was shot by an unlikely suspect: his pet dog.
35-year-old Gregory Dale Lanier was driving with his pet pooch when the dog kicked a .380 pistol that was on the truck’s floor.
Lanier thought the gun was unloaded, but quickly learned otherwise after hearing a “boom, saw smoke and felt a burning in his leg,” Highlands Today reports.
The gun had discharged, firing a single round into Lanier’s leg.
He was not seriously injured.
No attempted murder charges are expected for Fido – police have ruled the shooting accidental. More

Order mistake leaves Girl Scout troop with 6,000 boxes of cookies to sell

San Antonio, Texas - A Texas Girl Scout troop has bitten off more than it can chew. Troop 1497 of San Antonio faces looming debt after its leader accidentally ordered 500 cases of Girl Scout cookies instead of 500 boxes, KENS 5 reports. A letter from the Girl Scouts organization says the troop has until June 3 to fulfill payment of the order, or else the debt will be handed to a collection agency. The troop leader resigned after making the order, leaving the San Antonio Girl Scouts with 6,000 boxes of cookies to sell. More