Celeb B-Days:
1930 Frank Gifford, ABC sportscaster
1953 Kathie Lee Gifford, hostess (Live with Regis & Kathie Lee)
1958 Madonna (Ciccone), singer/actress (Like a Virgin)
1988 IBM introduces software for artificial intelligence
Today in history:
1898 Roller coaster patented
1984 LA fed jury acquits auto maker John Z DeLorean on cocaine charges
1991 The original Shamu the Whale dies at 16, from respiratory failure
Headlines:
1. Welcome to the psychic friends K9 network...
2. Hiker Bashes Animal Nose! Bear in mind it Was Planning To Eat Her...
3. Dog performs sobriety test, owner will be riding shotgun...
4. U.S. Navy brings dolphins back to the Persian Gulf...
5. Whale flatulence stuns scientists...
6. Girl Catches Fish With Horny fish with long legs...
8. 300-Pound Gorilla Escapes Zoo Exhibit...
9. Humans are Closer to Rats Than Cats...
10. Drugged Up Steer Ousted from State Fair
Fun & Games:
1. Trivia A: Min Pin (miniature pinscher)
Now that the psychic dogs have spoken, it's safe to cancel the recall election
In California for governor.
Jacqueline Stallone, matriarch of the "Rocky" brain trust, gave the official
forecast from her clairvoyant canines, Rachel, Hannah and Friday. As you might
recall, in July 2000, the miniature pinschers astounded the political world by
correctly predicting that George W. Bush would defeat Al Gore by a razor-thin
margin of "a couple hundred votes."
Never mind that the prognosticating pooches also said prison inmates would soon
be sent to Mars and guarded by robots. When it comes to politics, they're
golden. So, whom do they pick to win California's recall roulette?
"Arnold Schwarzenegger, by a major margin," said Mama Stallone, interpreting for
the dogs, who speak no English. "If my dogs like him, he's in."
We also wondered whether Gov. Schwarzenegger might introduce legislation to
officially change the pronunciation of California to his Austrian-accented
"Collie-fornia." But Stallone, a veteran astrologer who also practices the art
of "rumpology" which is similar to palmistry but uses the imprint of a person's
buttocks, said her dogs don't answer silly questions. However, they were willing
to predict that Kobe Bryant would go to the slammer.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Amanda Page.
A hiker escaped with minor injuries from a bear that had knocked her to the
ground by bashing its nose with her elbow. The 18-year-old then ran off the
trail and hid behind a tree, but was not yet safe, the bear kept looking for
her, standing on its hind legs, grunting and sniffing the air. It circled the
area she was hiding in and eventually wandered off.
The incident happened while she was hiking alone in a State Park, near her home
in the Highland Lakes section of Vernon Township, New Jersey.
Authorities set a trap in an effort to capture the bear alive. It appears to be
the second unprovoked bear attack on a human in New Jersey this year. The attack
occurred after the woman had crossed a bridge, turned around and saw the bear.
She backed up slowly, but the bear charged. She ran, but the bear tackled her
and grabbed her right side and left leg with its paws. Biologists have said that
this latest attack was a classic predatory attack, it was planning to eat her.
When confronted with a black bear, people should back away slowly, raise their
arms, and make noise by shouting or banging objects. Not run, but in this case
it didn't seem to matter.
The woman, who asked authorities not to disclose her name, is 5 feet 3 1/2
inches tall and 105 pounds. Wildlife officials believe the bear was probably an
adult male black bear, about 400 pounds, based on the description.
State hunting regulators last month approved plans for New Jersey's first bear
hunt in 33 years. The hunt, scheduled for Dec. 8th - 13th, is in response to
increased bear-human encounters and complaints of bears raiding trash.
The state's growing bear population is estimated at 1,500 to 3,000. All are
black bears.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Bob Page
A German man of Polish origin lost his driving licence after failing an alcohol
test but his dog passed with flying colors.
Police said the 47-year-old man failed to perform any of the required actions,
only to be upstaged by his West Highland white terrier who executed all of the
commands given perfectly, including a 360 degree turn as his master staggered
and fell.
At the conclusion of the uneven contest, the officer announced, "Man: fail; dog:
pass."
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Amanda Page.
The U.S. Navy has once again deployed dolphins to the Persian Gulf region to
protect coalition ships and piers against terrorist attack.
The dolphins, based in San Diego, are trained to find a swimmer or diver and
alert their handlers by knocking a ball suspended from a patrol boat.
The Navy started using marine mammals in the early 1960s, when scientists
studied if dolphins' sleek shape had hydrodynamic qualities that could help
improve underwater missiles.
Dolphins were used during the Vietnam War, and again in the Iraq war to detect
mines at the country's only deep-water port.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Amanda Page.
IT'S one of the unfortunate
consequences of being a mammal - flatulence.
And, more unfortunately for a group of whale researchers, nature took its course
right under their noses - literally.
The researchers claim they have taken the first photograph of a minke whale
letting one go in the icy waters of Antarctica. It was taken from the bow of a
research vessel.
However, the episode did not detract from their mission, which was to collect
DNA from whale dung and attach satellite tracking devices in the first research
of its kind to track where the creatures go and what and how much they eat.
Internationally there is a big push ... saying there are now too many whales
eating too many fish and so we have to kill them.
So It is important that they determine what impact whales actually have on fish
such as krill ... and how that fish interacts with the whale.
Other researchers say that this line of work just stinks... And if you would
like to see the picture of the whale fart, just check out talkinpets.com, look
for the news link and this story.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm, Amanda Page.
8-year-old, Autilla Grason was fishing with her family in Seattle this week when
she caught the strange-looking creature with a visible horn sticking out of its
head. The family thought the 18-inch-long fish was from another world.
Researchers determined that the girl's catch is a spotted rat fish, which is a
distant member of the shark family. A scientist said that the fish's legs are
actually modified fins used for mating.
The species of fish dates back 500 million years.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Amanda Page.
Five pilot whales rescued off Key West with upset tummies made a recovery thanks
to human antacid tablets. The whales were rescued on April 18th by the Marine
Mammal Rescue Team and during their stressful recovery they developed upset
tummies.
But veterinarians at the Marine Mammal Conservancy didn't have to fish around
for a solution, they fed the whales Tums -- about 17,000 tablets in all.
The whale-sized Tums order didn't cost too many fins for the rescue crew because
the makers the antacid, donated 10 cases to help ease what turned out to be a
whale of a problem.
But Tums isn't the only stomach-churning solution to save the whales. The whales
were also given lots of a baby product called Pedialyte to help them avoid
dehydration.
The whales were released back into the ocean earlier this week, and scientists
are tracking their path through implanted transmitters.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Bob Page.
Where does a 300-pound gorilla go? In Little Joe's case, anywhere he wants. At
least for a few minutes.
Officials at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston say Little Joe had a taste of
freedom this week. The gorilla managed to climb out of the moat that surrounds
his exhibit just after the zoo opened.
A group of teens on a summer work program spotted Little Joe. Zoo officials say
the teens and a family were quickly evacuated from the area.
But the gorilla in their midst didn't last long. Zoo officials say after about
10 minutes, Little Joe climbed back into his enclosure.
Officials are now investigating how the gorilla was able to make a monkey out of
the zoo keepers.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Bob Page.
A comparison of human DNA to 12 other animals shows we share more than our genes
and helps show that people are more closely related to rats than to cats.
The research team at the National Human Genome Research Institute and several
universities compared the same stretch of DNA in a chimpanzee, baboon, cat, dog,
cow, pig, rat, mouse, chicken, zebrafish and two species of pufferfish with
human DNA.
It provided some pretty definitive evidence that we are indeed closer to rodents
than we are to carnivores.
The data really puts the nail in the case. In the sequence you can find changes
in the genome that clearly occurred in both humans and rodents but did not occur
in others.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Bob Page.
In a doping scandal worthy of the Tour de France or the Olympics, Mongo, a
1,294-pound Maine-Anjou steer, was stripped of his title... champion of the
junior division.
Mongo was disqualified because he tested positive for an anti-inflammatory drug.
The runner-up Scooby, a 1,315-pound cross-breed, was then crowned at the
Illinois State Fair in Springfield.
Susan Gray, the mother of Mongo's 14-year-old owner, admitted she had not read
the state fair's rules barring such performance-enhancing substances. She
acknowledged the steer was given a drug for pain and swelling after he injured a
leg when he slipped at an earlier showing.
The payoff for Scooby's owner, 17-year-old Brad Moritz, was $17,200 out of the
$21,500 that it sold for at an auction of the winner held every year. So, for
Scooby, it means a date with the slaughterhouse.
Reporting for Talkin Pets I'm Bob Page.
Q:
In an earlier Talkin
Pets news brief you heard how Sylvester Stallone's Mom claims to have three
psychic dogs, they predicted the last pesidential election, and now have picked
Arnold to win the goverorship in California, but did you know this about her
dogs? This breed is known as the "King of Toys", and while they are considered a
miniuture breed and they look like exact replicas of the larger breed they share
a name with, they are not! These guys originated in Germany and have been said
to be a mix between their name sake and another small breed of dog or terrier.
They range in size between 10 & 12 1/2 inches. They also come in several colors:
black and tan is most common. They live long and healthy lives.. They are
beautiful dogs that have huge personalities. They can be showoffs, love
attention, and will protect you with their life. They are also referred to as
"Tiny Tyrants."
Can you name the breed of Rockies mom's dogs?
A: Min Pin
Additional Min Pin Facts:
Usual Pluses: Bold, alert, active, creative, and athletic - quite a big dog
stuffed in that petit package. This dog is always on the go; you will never be
bored with a Min Pin! These dogs attach to you with a vengeance and have little
use for strangers. A mighty defender that will give his life for you.
Possible Drawbacks: This breed barks. This is not a lap dog. Can be dog
aggressive, and hard to housebreak, especially the males. Neuter males early to
avoid the leg lifting problems common to this small dog with a big opinion of
himself. Because they are athletic and fearless, containing them can be a
challenge. Socialize - the more, the better!
Height: 10-12.5 inches. Weight: 9-10 pounds. Colors: black and tan, chocolate
and tan. Grooming: Minimal. Shedding: Minimal to moderate.
Training: Absolutely. Start early and keep going! Socialize, educate, direct and
supervise if you hope to have some control over a Min Pin.
Exercise: Yes, though much of their needs can be met with indoor romping.
Children: Not recommended. Few will tolerate rough handling or being hurt.
Other Pets: Okay, if raised with and taught to be respectful. Avoid putting dogs
of the same sex or age together. Although we do not recommend placing larger
breeds with toys for safety reasons, we know of several Min Pins that live well
with larger dogs because of their "don't tread on me" attitudes. Min Pins aren't
usually tolerant of strange dogs.
Bite Potential: Moderate to high.
Possible Health Concerns: A hardy breed. subluxating patellas, diabetes, some
progressive retinal atrophy and Legg-Perthes disease.
Special Comments: Can be one-person dogs, over-protective and nuisance barkers.
Sensitive to the cold, will need a coat for outdoor excursions in cold climates.
Generally long-lived, expect twelve-plus years.
MAleutian
Islands, Alaska - Scientists say they've discovered the first undersea volcano
in the Aleutian Islands region. The volcano rises more than 1,900 feet from the
floor of Amchitka Pass. A strong eruption with a lot of lava could surge above
the waves and create a new island, though no one knows when the volcano might
erupt again.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Six more people in Caddo Parish have been diagnosed
with the West Nile virus. Health officials say the total number of human cases
in the state this year stands at 21. Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana has
the most cases: 13.
Sand Harbor, Nevada - U.S. Sen. John Ensign said he has the Bush
administration's support to spend $30 million a year on restoration projects at
Lake Tahoe. The projects would be funded by the sale of federal land in southern
Nevada and would aim to protect the water and the ecology. Environmental groups
have sought protection of the lake for years.
Longview, Wahington - Eight bull trout died in a Lewis River hatchery while
attempting to escape the biologists trying to save the threatened species,
officials said. The fish broke through a screen covering a hatchery raceway and
bypassed automatic alarms, water monitors and clamps to leap to freedom. They
suffocated on land.
Gardiner, Monatana - The Colorado office of the National Wildlife Federation
accused the U.S. Department of Agriculture of deliberately withholding
information from the public and Yellowstone National Park officials about a
program to test contraceptive methods for bison. The USDA said there is nothing
secretive about the two-year study of brucellosis, which affects buffalo in
Yellowstone. A Yellowstone spokesman said USDA didn't tell park officials about
the experimental facility before it started operating.
Stanley, Idaho - The Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition is raising funds to sue federal
officials for what it calls an illegal introduction of the Canadian gray wolf.
The coalition says the wolves threaten both big game and livestock herds in
central Idaho. The wolf was listed as endangered in 1967 and reintroduced to
Yellowstone National Park in 1995.
Danielson, Ct. - Ten people were left homeless when a fire tore through a
six-unit apartment house, fire officials said. The blaze may have been arson,
they said. The tenants escaped without injury after they were alerted by smoke
alarms and two passersby. They carried a cat and an iguana out with them.
Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey - Environmental officials pushed a
mysterious, globular substance that appeared in a lagoon off Tuckerton Creek out
into the Great Bay. State environmental officials believe the mass, which was up
to 16 feet wide, was some kind of algae. They said it wasn't toxic. Neighbors
dubbed it The Blob after the 1958 movie starring Steve McQueen.
Athens, Georgia - About 6,000 gallons of petroleum waste products leaked from an
Athens oil company into a nearby creek, and some ended up in the Middle Oconee
River, officials said. Officers traced the leak to David Oil Co. The company's
owner said vandals caused the spill by removing plugs from four storage tanks.
Charleston, West Virginia - Peter Cuffaro, a hunter who's paralyzed from the
waist down, is challenging West Virginia's crossbow hunting ban. He says it
violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. State wildlife officials say
archery season is intended for primitive weapons, which doesn't include
crossbows.
Augusta, Maine - State health officials reported that four birds have tested
positive for the West Nile virus. They're the first cases reported in Maine this
year. They include blue jays found in Lewiston and Stonington and crows found in
Brunswick and York. Maine has recorded no human cases of the illness since the
disease was first detected in the USA in 1999.
Lahaina, Hawaii - A 100-pound green sea turtle was found dead on a Maui beach
with a noose around its neck. The rope was tied to a metal spike in the sand on
a Lahaina beach. Sea turtles are a threatened species, protected by state and
federal laws. Anyone found guilty of committing a criminal act against a turtle
could face fines of up to $5,000 per violation and administrative fees as high
as $10,000.
Seward, Alaska - Vicky Williams is $50,000 richer after landing a tagged silver
salmon during the annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby. Williams was fishing with
her son and grandchildren when she caught the fish with the tag near the cruise
ship terminal. Williams plans to split her winnings with her family.
Ketchum, Idaho - The number of mountain goats in Boulder and White Cloud
mountains is less than half of what it was in 1988, possibly because of stress
from human contact, experts say. The National Forest Service may close the
mountains to winter recreation as a way to rebuild the herds. Experts estimate
that only 120 goats are left.
New Orleans, Louisiana - Shrimpers debated the state's decision to open the
white shrimp season a week earlier than usual. Some fishermen said the shrimp
need another week to grow large enough for harvesting. State officials said
recent samples show large-sized shrimp already migrating from inshore waters to
spawning grounds in the Gulf of Mexico.
Portland, Maine - Maine lobsters are fattening up on the herring that lobstermen
use as bait, a study showed. Herring bait is the main food in a lobster's diet,
the study showed. It bolsters the long-held belief that lobster traps
essentially act like fast-food restaurants for lobsters off the Maine coast.
Seaside, Oregon - A 33-foot Baird's beaked whale died after washing ashore near
a volleyball tournament, officials said. Beachgoers and some tournament
spectators tried to push the whale back into the water. Police eventually
stopped them out of fear that the thrashing animal would injure someone. The
species typically spends summers close to shore.
Annapolis, Maryland - A third case of West Nile virus was confirmed in a horse,
state officials said. Maryland Agricultural Department officials also said that
a pool of mosquitoes near Preston tested positive for the virus. The horse was
the second to die in Caroline County.
Flint, Michigan - A damp growing season and a lack of hot days have combined to
stunt production of tomatoes, agricultural experts say. Plants are dying off
early or producing less fruit, and the harvest is weeks behind schedule.
Kansas City, Missouri - Four bison were found shot to death at a Jackson County
park. County officials doubled a reward fund from $1,000 to $2,000. Those
responsible could face felony charges, officials say. The animals were killed in
Fleming Park.
Purcell, OK - A Russian animal trainer found a year ago with three malnourished
Siberian bears was ordered to perform community service at a zoo and serve six
months probation. Alexsander Shelkovnikov pleaded no contest to animal cruelty.
The bears have recovered at an animal park.
Great Falls, Montana - The sheriff's office wants Cascade County commissioners
to approve new rules for owners of wolf-dog hybrids. The rules would require
owners to have county-approved kennels. The proposal follows at least two
incidents in which wolf hybrids escaped. In one instance, two of the animals
were killed after they attacked livestock
Richmond, Virginia - An unidentified Botetourt County man is believed to be the
state's first human case of West Nile virus this year, health officials said.
The man, in his late 40s, was hospitalized with encephalitis and flu-like
symptoms. He has been released and is recovering. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention is expected to confirm or deny the diagnosis in a few
weeks.
Glocester, Rhode island - A 14-foot-long python that escaped July 4 from his
350-gallon tank and out a window has been found. Slick was retrieved by his
owner in a field more than a mile from his home after an anonymous caller
alerted police. The albino Burmese python had eluded searchers who were using
night-vision goggles.
Ogallala, Nebraska - The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is investigating a
large fish kill at Lake McConaughy. Biologists counted 385 catfish averaging 16
inches in length along a 5-mile stretch of the lake's south shore. A
stress-related disease outbreak is considered a potential cause. An extended
drought has left the reservoir at about one-third its capacity.
Farmington, New Mexico - For the second time in five days, the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation increased the amount of water released from Navajo Dam into the San
Juan River. The agency must keep the river running at a rate of at least 425
cubic feet per second in the critical habitat for two endangered fish species.
Fargo, North Dakota - North Dakota beekeepers say they hope to lead the USA in
honey production for the second consecutive year. Last year, the state produced
24 million pounds of honey worth more than $34 million. Dry weather and alfalfa
weevils could reduce production this year, beekeepers say.
Pineville, S. Carolina - Thousands of fish have congregated in a no-fishing zone
below the Santee River Dam, and officials are finding it difficult to move them
into fishing waters. It's not easy to herd fish, said biologist Miller White of
the Natural Resources Department. He said he couldn't explain the phenomenon.
Sioux Falls, S. Dakota - About 160 cattle were quarantined on a ranch where 16
have died of anthrax. State officials said the deaths mark the first cases of
the disease in livestock this year. The cattle likely got it because dry weather
has kept grass short, officials said. That forces cattle to eat closer to the
ground, where anthrax occurs naturally in soil.
Salt Lake City, Utah - Hogle Zoo, the state's largest zoo, will stay put for now
but will later be allowed to expand across the street into This Is the Place
Heritage Park. The zoo's new plan won't necessarily mean an end to efforts by
other communities to have the 41-acre zoo moved to a nearby town..
Lander, Wyoming - The U.S. Forest Service agreed to reduce the area covered by a
food storage order in Shoshone National Forest. Officials said an existing order
will be expanded only into existing grizzly bear habitat, not black bear
habitat. Local officials had opposed the original order. The order requires
hunters, hikers and campers to keep their food out of the reach of bears.
Jackson, Wyoming - The state Game and Fish Commission increased mountain lion
hunting quotas around Jackson for three years despite opposition from wildlife
advocates. The commission split the Jackson hunting area in two and increased
the number of mountain lions that can be killed each year from 12 to 16.
Harrisonburg, Virginia - Poultry farmers who lost money during last year's avian
influenza outbreak have until Sept. 19 to apply for state aid. The Legislature
appropriated $1.5 million for a program to compensate farmers. It will pay a
percentage of income lost because of down time while farms were under
quarantine.