The opening weekend for Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron was the best for a 2D animated film since Disney's Tarzan. Pulling upwards of $24 million, it looks to have a smooth run at the box office. The DVD is scheduled for release in November. For the full scoop:

http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34962

My beautiful and talented programming director Susan Parkin (SusanDeer) has informed me that we have a few open spots on our preliminary programming schedule. If you have an idea for a panel, roundtable, or workshop (and particularly if you are willing to run it!) please drop a note to programming@anthrocon.org. Better still, you can submit your idea on our handy-dandy Programming Suggestion Form at
http://www.anthrocon.org/info/progform

And do not forget our INVENTION FAIR! We've already had a lot of inquiries and have heard some very good preliminary ideas. The full
information can be found on our web page at
http://www.anthrocon.org/info/programming. The deadline for entry is June 20, so get those brains in gear. Remember, one of the prizes we're offering to our resident geniuses is a FREE ROOM-NIGHT at the Adams Mark! Cut down on your hotel costs by showing off your cerebral capacity!

And for those who have been asking, the elevator renovation project is on schedule. By this year's con we should have one guest elevator working on the new 21st-century program (and one staff elevator as well, so the maids can get the towels up to you); one elevator will be undergoing renovation, and two will be on the old 19th-century program. We should see a noticeable difference in elevator response this year, and by next year it will not be an issue. Our thanks to "Magic Tom" Hughsted, the Adams Mark's Convention Services Manager, for all of his dilligent help.

-- Uncle Kage

A bill to ensure that the state respects and protects the dignity of humans has passed in Germany with a clause adding animals as well.
Don't know what else to say on the matter, so comment away and read the article here.

1. Info From the Head Mad Hatters

Greetings fellow furs. Well, summer is nearly here and preparations for FC2003 are well on their way. I cant help but to be excited about the things to come. Including out camp-out and picnic listed below. Break out the smores! Mmmmm chocolate.....mmmmm. Anyhow, there is ONE thing that I would like to try to help clarify. FC has been advertising itself as having the first 5 day con. I just wanted to let everyone know that even though the actual convention space and a few events WILL indeed span the course of 5 days, that ALL traditional programming will occur on traditional days. So for those of you who are unable to stay around, you
will not miss out on the quality traditional programming that you have come to expect from FC. So come for 3 or stay for 5, all we are concerned about is seeing your happy faces enjoying our improved schedule of events and the company of your fellow furs at our new, awesome hotel.

Also, take some time to scan over our web pages and be sure to return. Many new exciting things will be appearing in the near future, including our forums, some of our new imaginative interactive events and some surprises thrown in just for fun.

As posted to alt.fan.furry:
From: Dr. Samuel Conway
Newsgroups: alt.fan.furry
Subject: FUR: ANTHROCON hotel announcement
Date: Sun, 26 May 2002 08:45:42 -0400

The Adams Mark has decided to give us the "Run of the house", which means they have released *every* sleeping room.

And naturally, the remaining rooms filled up in a matter of days.

U.S Representative Nick Lampson has introduced legislation aimed at revitalizing America's human space exploration. Full details are available in the SpaceRef article.

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!

According to the fan site "Cosgrove Hall Ate My Brain", and 3D World Magazine, there is a new DangerMouse feature length film in the works. It still seems to be in the planning stages, though.

There's also talk about a DM computer game as well.

The story, transcribed from 3D World, is available here.

By the way, if you look around on the Cosgrove Hall Ate My Brain site, you'll find another story about a "live action" DM movie. That report is so false, it's ridiculous! It was obviously made as a joke.

You know it, I know it, cats love to exploit gulible humans. Now researchers are theorizing that our modern moggies are the best sounding decendents of miaowing wild cats.
Humans respond most to pleasant miaows as opposed to horrible yowls and reward nice sounding felines with food and preferential treatment. Some scientists think this has lead to supercats, vocally best prepared to mooch food and shelter. Others think cats are just damn good at learning what to do to get free chow from us and learn their miaows independantly.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/22/dead.greyhounds.ap/index.html

2000+ dead.

State officials obtained a search warrant Tuesday to search the 18 acres owned by Robert Rhodes after receiving a tip from Florida investigators. Satellite images showed animal bones strewn about the property and investigators used the photographs to convince a judge to issue the warrant.

I dare you to tell me that you're not looking forward to this little PS2 gem from SuckerPunch.

A new species of parrot, known only by one bird viewed at the edge of the forest, seems to have a fully bald head, like a vulture. Scientists are trying to find the species again to study and protect. It was spotted in a piece of Brazillian rainforest slated for development.

CNN reports in a promotional article about the upcoming Dreamworks SKG animated feature "Spirit", Jeffrey Katzenberg is one of the major motivational pushers of the movie, based on his love for horses.

Rather curious.... Try going to www.yiff.net, the web home of the long standing IRC network.... you'll find instead of being sent to their website, a lone mp3 file of some type of farewell-sounding song will begin to Open and play on your machine.

What does this mean?

Considering the popularity at Furry conventions of video compilations of TV commercials featuring cartoon or CGI talking animals, fans may want to check out the website of the FilmTechnarna animation studio in Stockholm: http://www.filmtecknarna.se/ It showcases several of the studio's European TV commercials with funny animals, including two Boddington's Beer commercials with Graham Heffer, Boddington's "suave yet udder-toting spokescow".