I wasn’t as proactive as I thought I would be, and I’m pretty sure I missed a couple posted during the first of September, so apologies there. Otherwise, here was last month’s Newsbytes.

Anthrocon announced Friday night that next year's convention had been moved up a week to accommodate a mystery event, at the request of the City of Pittsburgh.

The new dates are June 14–17, 2012. Anthrocon was duly rewarded for its flexibility:

Pittsburgh has been given a very rare opportunity to host an event that they have been wanting to host for many years. The only trouble was that the proposed event (and we won't say what it is until it is officially announced) would lie in part over Anthrocon's planned weekend. [...] As much as we love our adopted home city and would do anything in our power to support them, we were hesitant to change the date of our convention after having announced it.

Pittsburgh replied with, "What if we got you another hundred hotel rooms within walking distance of the Convention Center?" — We said, "Where do we sign?"

While the event has not been announced, it has been rumoured that the NHL Entry Draft, convened annually in late June, might be coming to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1997.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has a history of doing strange things and not taking itself completely seriously.

Now one wrestler, Jack Swagger has got himself a mascot: Swaggers Soaring Eagle.

Stretching the bounds of anthropomorphism today were Wenlock and Mandeville, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic mascots.

The characters are purportedly forged from the "last drops of steel" from the Olympic stadium support girders. Each is equipped with a giant camera lens for an eye – a fitting match for the UK's surveillance-friendly streets. [tip: bunnywarez]

As reported on the Journal Sentinel's blog, Milwaukee Bucks mascot Bongo successfully dunked a basketball while doing a backflip from a 16-foot ladder.

Perhaps more impressively, Chelsea F.C. mascot Stamford and Millwall's Zampa the Lion ran the London Marathon, each raising over £10,000 for charity. [freakylynx/furrymedia]

NitroShep and other local furs take a trip to the Olympic clock in downtown Vancouver:

See also: More photos from the event

BC tabloid The Province has caught on to the fact that Polish newspaper Gazeta Olsztynska used an image including 4chan meme Pedobear in a story on the Winter Olympics.

The modified image's author, Michael Barrick, says it was also used by a Spanish sports blog.

Pedobear made an appearance at Anthrocon last year, handing out free candy.

BBC Sport has unveiled a title animation featuring several anthropomorphic animals as part of their coverage of the Beijing Olympics.^[1]

Created by Jamie Hewlett, illustrator of the virtual band Gorillaz and with music by Gorillaz creator Damon Albarn, the animation is based on Journey to the West; an ancient Chinese tale of pilgrimage to retrieve Buddhist scriptures which mixes adventure, allegory, and spiritual enlightenment. Both band members were born in the Year of the Monkey, and were fans of the British TV series Monkey.^[2][3]

Depicted in the animation are lead characters Sūn Wùkōng, the Monkey King, and his golden-banded staff; Xuánzàng the monk; Zhū Bājiè (or Pigsy), once field marshal of the Milky Way, wielding his rake; and Shā Wùjìng (Sandy), an immortal banished from heaven for smashing a crystal goblet, with his monk's spade.

The same story inspired elements of manga and anime such as Dragon Ball, InuYasha, and Ranma ½.

Yet another busy month for furries in the media is upon us, fronted by the Furries vs. Klingons bowling tournament; which gained internet-wide attention after being featured on Boing Boing and Fark TV.

Blogs went wild for this clash of the subcultures and someone even set up a poll on who they thought would win. From the start of the poll right up to weeks after the tournament the furs and Trekkies were neck and neck, each taking their turn to inch forward and fall back again. This was hyping up to be the subcultural clash of the year!

The hype was immense! Every furry, Trekkie and simply internet-centric website was reporting the event. Even Anthrocon caught up - bowling at the next Anthrocon anyone?

Apparently foxes find golf balls irresistable...

Click here for story

-Badger-

Some local news... A golf ball stealing fox is back in action on a Winnipeg golf course. No one is quite sure why the fox waits in ambush, waiting to steal a ball off a green, and no one knows where it's hiding them. Golfers beware!

At the recent RoboCup, Sony's AIBOs played soccer. Sort of a more civilized version of the Robot Wars program on TV. It's worth going to MSNBC just to see the pictures of the dogs splayed on the playing field. Anthropomorphics in its most literal form!

It makes sense... After all, the dear little critters already have a natural racing stripe. Read all about county fair skunk races at boston.com.