The Museum of Curiosities is auctioning off the works of Victorian taxidermist Walter Potter, which includes some 6,000 stuffed animals.

Potter's first work was his pet canary, which is now 160 years old and is included in the collection which ranges from large animals to exhibits of "kittens taking tea and bunnies learning their alphabet".

By now, everyone in the world must have received one of those annoying, poorly written emails from a "high ranking official" or a "business associate" somewhere in Nigeria. We now have discovered that said Nigerians have a love for Gold Digger and Ninja High School t-shirts. Furries with a store, an auction, or a print sales web site should probably take heed and just not ship to Nigeria. Read more for the rather silly details and e-mails from Rabbit Valley Comics.

News.com.au reports that golf balls aren't the only things being swiped by foxes. In Melbourne, some foxes have taken to stealing shoes and gloves, possibly because of the smell and the leather which they are made from. This habit has been jokingly dubbed "The Imelda Syndrome."

BBC Online reports that Stuart Drummond, who plays H'Angus the Monkey (the town's soccer team's mascot), has been elected mayor of Hartlepool, England on a platform of free bananas. Drummond campeigned both in and out of the suit. Some observers accuse Stuart of making of mockery of the electoral process, though he disputes the claim. Unfortunately twice in recent years he has been ejected from the stadium for simulated sex acts in costume, which does not inspire confidence in many about his judgement.

Dr Joe Rosen, a respected American surgeon says that, within five years, he will be able to graft wings and tails on to human beings. The article can be read here.

Stone martens are making their mark on automobiles all over Germany. They love chewing through rubbery cables and hoses, causing thousands of breakdowns and hundreds of thousands of euros of damage to German cars.

(CNN) -- Artist Sam Easterson's "Animal, Vegetable, Video" project offers a bizarre take on the reality TV craze: the world as seen by a buffalo, tarantula, armadillo or even a lowly tumbleweed. [More.]

Submitted by Blue Horizon

The BBC reports that a flotilla of rubber ducks is approaching
America's Atlantic coast. For details, check out

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3060579.stm

D'Otter

Three mascot pickles chased out a baseball player in revenge of the sausage whackage that occurred. The stunt was done by the minor league team in Kentucky -- no pickles were arrested. Questions as to if they were dill or sandwich pickles were left unanswered.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Randall Simon has been charged with misdemeanor battery for striking a woman dressed in an Italian sausage costume.

The incident took place during a mascot race of human sausages at a Milwaukee Brewers game. Simon struck the woman a two-handed blow from behind, causing her to fall forward and creating a sausage pile-up.

“It was very strange,” Pirates outfielder Reggie Sanders said.

Normally, racehorse names are reviewed for "correctness" by governing bodies, so that they are not derogatory, insulting, or vulgar. Once in a while, however, one makes it through, and the French three-year old filly "Big Tits" is one of them.

In explaining how the name came to pass, trainer Elie Lellouche says "We were having lunch and trying to come up with ideas... My son suggested Gros Nichons, but that wouldn't have got past France Galop, so we decided on the English equivalent."

That equivalent was overlooked by the British Jockey Club, who is in reciprocal agreement to check names for obscenities and the like. Now they are forced to allow the filly to race in the UK, much to the displeasure of "proper" racefans. As Jockey Club spokesman John Maxse said, "We never saw Big Tits."

The Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and other "greenhouse gases" has spawned unusual legislation in New Zealand. Unlike the majority of countries which signed the Kyoto Protocol, New Zealand contributes very little in the way of industrial pollutants, with more than 40% of suspected greenhouse gases in the country being agricultural in origin.

But from what, might you ask? From the country's 45 million sheep and 10 million cattle, who are hard at work day and night converting luscious grass into aromatic methane. It is this by-product of consumption which is being contested for taxation, and which would bring in about $4.9 million a year (ranging between $300 - $10,000 per farmer) to fund research on agriculutural impact minimilization.

KFOR in Oklahoma City has this amazing report (with pics and video) on Faith, a dog born with undeveloped forelegs who's learned to walk upright on her hind legs.

Downtown Racine, WI is full of cats.
But only for the summer.
Painted ones :)

-- puma

An article I had pointed out to me off of the tinker's guild forum of The Whiteboard-
The chicken cannon solution!
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/entertainment/4622662.htm

-Badger-