"She got a bite of that taco," Bryant said. "She's up there dreaming about it."

CARNELIAN BAY -- Bears famously fancy honey and picnic baskets. But they dine just fine on day-old tacos.

Melinda Potter was puttering around her Lake Tahoe cabin this week when a black bear smashed through the vestibule and dove snout-first into a garbage bin. The cub rummaged past Coke cans and banana peels before snatching the Taco Bell leftovers.

"I looked over and there she was, all black and fluffy as can be, running away with a taco wrapper flapping from her mouth," Potter said.

Bryant is Lake Tahoe's bear whisperer, even if her form of ursine communication generally involves yelling and stomping her feet. Bryant, the founder of Tahoe's BEAR League, and her army of 150 volunteers are on call 24 hours a day to soothe human nerves or escort bears to the wilderness with a dose of tough love.

Bryant's phone is ringing off the hook these days.

Clashes between humans and bears in Tahoe are at an all-time high, according to Bryant and the California Department of Fish and Game.

The BEAR League -- Bear Education Aversion and Response -- is receiving 150 to 200 reports a day, up from 50 to 100 at this time last year. As of this week, Bryant had documented 21 bear-related traffic accidents. There were just 25 in 2006.

Don't blame the bears, Bryant says.

Food for bears is dwindling in the forest. Thanks to a drought, berries are shriveling on the vine. Water is in short supply. And last month's Angora fire charred 3,100 acres and a lot of bear foraging ground.

Bears have been roaming into populated areas. Like tourists to nearby casinos, they're drawn by the prospect of all-you-can-eat dining.

Black bears have never killed a person in California or Nevada, Bryant said. Yet they are often lumped with their more ferocious cousin, the grizzly.

"People come up here for vacation, to see the beauty, but they forget this is the wilderness," Bryant said. "They see a bear, they panic and want to kill him. ... We're teaching everyone how to coexist."

Tahoe black bears feast on spreads like the one at a house Bryant visited last week, along Ward Canyon Road.

A wooden "Bears Welcome" sign hangs by its front door. Bryant rolled her eyes.

Inside, the refrigerator and pantry had been stocked.

Bryant scared off three bears, but they came back looking for seconds and thirds. They had trashed the house, leaving a gaping hole in the door, condiments strewn across the kitchen linoleum. Pantry doors were ripped from their hinges.

"This is what really worries me," said Bryant, surveying the wreckage. "You have a mother teaching her cubs that this is how you forage. You break down a door, you break into somebody's house, get into the refrigerator."

Bryant said this mama and her two cubs, too comfortable with humans for their own good, will likely one day get struck by a car or become such a nuisance that a property owner will get a permit to kill them.

A gentle vegetarian whose cabin is also home to enough dogs, squirrels and porcupines for a small petting zoo, Bryant traces her love of animals to her childhood in southern Minnesota. Her father was a hunter. Bryant gravitated toward her mother's beliefs.

"Before he'd go out on a hunt, my mother would say, 'Bye, honey. I love you. I can't wait 'til you get back. But remember, I'm on the deer's side,' " Bryant recalled.

After moving to Tahoe, Bryant worked as a wildlife rehabilitator. She came to know bears quite well.

She even raised one.

A decade ago, Bryant took in a male cub and raised him on nuts, produce and crawdads from the lake. The bear's mother and sibling had been killed after repeatedly lunching on the garbage of one of Bryant's neighbors.

"He was depressed," Bryant said of Oliver, as in Twist, the orphan. "I was all that he had."

Bryant taught Oliver all she could, then did what all bear mothers must do: She sent him off on his own into the forest.

"I would see him in the woods sometimes," Bryant said. "He never posed a threat, he never was a nuisance. He never came up to any person -- except me."

"It was a beautiful friendship," she continued. And "every bit of it was illegal."

Bryant isn't one to let the law get between her and her bears. In 2001 she was charged, under poaching laws, for taking a sickly cub from the wild. The case drew global media attention before the charges were dropped.

"Yeah, they've arrested me for all sorts of things," Bryant said. "But they don't anymore. They realize I'm not going away."

Jason Holley, wildlife biologist for the state Department of Fish and Game, doesn't always agree with Bryant's methods, but he's convinced she has the bears welfare at heart.

"We part ways on some things," he said. "But anybody who's getting the message out to keep bears wild is doing a service to the community."

Bryant's BEAR League was instrumental in getting builders to include bear-proof garbage bins with new homes and persuading the state to place "Bear Crossing" street signs throughout the region.

Still, Bryant spends much of her time tracking and coaxing wayward bears.

The taco-eating cub in Melinda Potter's tree finally climbed down, rested and ready to run. She led Bryant and four volunteers on an hourlong chase.

The bear scampered up and down trees, over fences, along the lake shore and through the backyard of a multimillion-dollar resort.

Playing children screamed a chorus of terror and awe.

"Out of the way!" Bryant yelled, as the bear took a detour through a playground. "Bear coming through!"

Eventually, the volunteers managed to chase the bear into a tree in a secluded area, away from traffic and tourists who documented the pursuit with camera phones.

Bryant gazed up at the cub, worried that the fast food had whetted the bear's appetite.

"She got a bite of that taco," Bryant said. "She's up there dreaming about it."

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Milwaukee Brewers offering free rectal exams today at the ballpark. Really, no fucking around.

The Milwaukee Brewers continue to outclass the rest of the National League Central -- particularly that sullen goop currently residing in last place -- but they're not resting on their laurels and ignoring their diehards. The Brewers truly care about their fans' well-being and longterm health, and to show it, today at Miller Park they're offering free rectal exams.

From 7:00 am to 3:00 pm at Miller Park, the free, private, confidential screenings will take place in a mobile clinic vehicle near the TGI Friday's restaurant in the northeast corner of the ball park. No appointment is necessary. All participants who complete the screening will receive a voucher good for two tickets to a future Milwaukee Brewers home game.

So wait ... a rectal exam AND we get two free tickets? Win-win! When's the next flight to Milwaukee?

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Gunman kills 2 clowns in Colombian circus

BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) -- Two clowns were shot and killed by an unidentified gunman during their performance at a traveling circus in the eastern Colombian town of Cucuta, police said Wednesday.

The gunman burst into the Circo del Sol de Cali on Monday night and shot the clowns in front of an audience of 20 to 50 people, local police chief Jose Humberto Henao told Reuters.

One of the clowns was killed instantly, and the second died the next day in hospital.

"The killings had nothing to do with the show the victims were performing at the time of the incident," Henao said in a telephone interview. "We are investigating the motive."

With an entrance fee of under 50 cents, Circo del Sol de Cali attracts mostly poor Colombians. It pitched its tents in Cucuta, near the border with Venezuela, earlier this month.

"The clowns came out to give their show, and then this guy came out shooting them," one audience member told local television. "It was terrible."

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Kentucky Fried Chicken writes to the Vatican to ask for a blessing on their new deep fried fish

In time for the Lenten season, the Kentucky-based company has introduced the Fish Snacker, made of Alaskan Pollack, tartar sauce and a sesame bun. It costs 99 cents.

..> ..>

KFC, a unit of Louisville-based Yum Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM), said company President Gregg Dedrick has sent a letter to the Vatican asking for a papal blessing of the sandwich. According to a news release, the Vatican has confirmed receipt of the letter, but as of yet, no blessing has been bestowed.

KFC has about 5,500 locations across the country, including more than three dozen stores in Greater Baltimore. Yum Brands also owns the Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut and A&W All-American Foods brands.

In other news, Turkey hit with magnitude 5.9 earthquake. Feathers everywhere

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Man, 89, arrested for driving around naked with over 100 photos of himself naked

An 89-year-old man is charged with public indecency after police said he was driving completely nude.Police said this was the third time John Welday was caught driving around naked.Martins Ferry police said a search of the vehicle also yielded over 100 photos of Welday in the nude. The photos had been altered to remove identifying characteristics, such as Welday's face and license plate.Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter said there is nothing illegal about the photographs, but he is worried Welday may have been leaving the photos in public places."We find concern with it when he is traveling past a park where children are known to frequent," Welday said.Friday night a neighbor of Jack Welday's told NEWS9 she is shocked to hear of the arrest.The woman, who did not want to be identified, said Welday would never be a threat to any children."What upset me was when they mentioned the fact he maybe would exhibit himself in front of children," said the woman. "There's no way, like I said, I grew up around him, my children grew up around him, and anybody you talk to that knows Jack, will tell you the same."Anyone who may have found one of the photos is asked to contact police immediately.Welday pleaded not guilty Friday.

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Germans debate labeling Scientology a "subversive organization," keeping close eye on their the
Current mood: calm

New Scientology office revives German concern

15 January 2007

Berlin (dpa) - The opening by the Scientology movement of a seven- story capital-city office in Berlin triggered debate Sunday on whether to monitor the group as a possibly subversive organization.

Police, who kept an eye on the opening ceremonies as neighbours took part in a protest demonstration, said later they counted 1,500 Scientologists from Germany and abroad at the Saturday event, while the Church of Scientology said 5,000 guests had attended.

German authorities have been suspicious of the movement, which does not practise divine worship but promises its devotees mental relief and a world without insanity. Recruiters often hail passers-by with offers of free mental-health checkups.

Neighbours who worry that their children will be lured into the building waved "No Brainwashing" banners during the celebrations.

Ehrhart Koerting, interior minister of the city-state of Berlin, who has previously said he has no power to order state police to monitor Scientology, said he would review whether the legal position had changed. Other German states keep the group under surveillance.

Germany's Greens party said Sunday Koerting's previous stance was beyond reproach, since Scientology had won a constitutional court ruling in Berlin that it was too small to constitute a threat.

Critics charge that Scientology's therapists seek out psychologically weak devotees and manipulate them to obtain funds.

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Europeans rushing to Bulgaria to buy "Breast-Boosting Beer"

Sofia, Bulgaria (AHN) -- European men are rushing to Bulgaria to buy Boza beer, which is said to boost women's breasts, after Bulgaria's accession to the EU abolished prohibitive customs duties on the drink.

The Bulgarian Boza beer, which is made from fermented wheat flour and yeast, has become popular among bar owners, shopkeepers and shoppers across Europe. The beverage is popular among men as gifts for their wives and girlfriends to benefit from its reported ability to make women's breast grow bigger.

One buyer from Romania said he traveled to Danuebe so he could buy the famous beer in the Bulgarian town of Ruse, according to Ananova news reports.

Ananova reported he said, "I've bought a case for my wife to try out. I really hope I see an improvement."

And Klaus Smith, who owns a ski resort in Schladming, in Austria said he is planning to travel to Bulgaria to make his own purchase of Boza.

He said, "I had heard of Boza before but it was always so expensive once the tax was added. But now that's gone I'm going to start offering the drink to my aprčs-ski customers," Ananova reported.

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holy crap

SAN AGUSTIN, El Salvador (Reuters) - Friends and relatives of Cruz Hernandez's gathered on Wednesday to celebrate her 128th birthday, a milestone that might make her the world's oldest person.

Hernandez, who relatives say spends most of her time dozing and no longer speaks, was surrounded by some 200 people at her party, some bearing a cake and others dressed as Salvadoran mythological heroes.

According to national records, Hernandez was born on May 3, 1878, in one of the country's central provinces, where she gave birth to 13 children. She now has 60 grandchildren, 80 great-grandchildren and 25 great-great grandchildren.

National birth registry officials sent Hernandez's documents to the Guinness World Records organization last year but have yet to hear whether the case was accepted.

Guinness claims Ecuadorean Maria Esther de Capovilla is the world's oldest living woman at age 116.

According to the organization, the longest any woman has ever lived is 122 years. The oldest man was 120 when he died in 1986.

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would you pay a $1.40 for a hundred pennies. Yes, you would.

At 1.4¢, that's a pretty penny

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50cent digs up grenade in backyard

Fifty the dog likes digging. Digging for bugs, digging for trash, digging for the pure joy of digging.

On Wednesday, the pit bull's favorite pastime yielded a possible World War II-era grenade.

Owner Vivian Rogers spotted the explosive as she raked the backyard of her west Orlando home.

"I was putting the leaves in the trash and it landed right there," said Rogers, 30. Fifty, named after famous rapper 50 Cent, is an 8-month-old white-and-tan puppy. Since January, when Rogers bought the Aqua Court house, he has resided in the backyard. His hobbies are burrowing and chewing.

"He's a digger, an ant lover," Rogers said.

Therefore it was no surprise Tuesday when he dug through the garbage and scattered it across her backyard.

Rogers, a mother of three, surveyed the mess late that night and decided to go to bed.

"I was too tired," she said.

Wednesday morning began typically. Rogers fed Fifty, grabbed a rake and started cleaning up. Among the usual waste was a rusted, greenish object with what appeared to be a pin at the top. It was small enough to fit in your hand.

Rogers thought it was a smoke bomb, but called her father to make sure. Using expertise developed through years of viewing war movies, he surmised it was a grenade and told her to call 911.

Firefighters arrived shortly after 10 a.m., saw the device and told her to leave immediately.

Rogers brought the dog inside the house and put shoes on her children, ages 12, 7 and 3. The kids were still wearing their pajamas as they drove to the home of Rogers' grandmother.

Fifty remained at Rogers' house, which caused her grandmother much distress.

"It was like she was more worried about the dog than me," Rogers said.

The device may have been a replica of a grenade, but Orlando firefighters treated it as an actual one as a precaution, Assistant Chief Greg Hoggatt said.

"For our purposes, if it looks like one, it is one," he said.

Firefighters evacuated the neighborhood and called out the bomb squad, which lowered the object into a "bomb trailer," which is something like a giant soup pot, but made from steel, Hoggatt said.

If the device were to explode, the bomb trailer would prevent shrapnel from flying.

Firefighters gave the possible grenade to military officials, who typically destroy explosives by blowing them up.

It's not clear how the device arrived in Rogers' Carver Shores backyard.

Rogers moved in only four months ago, and the house has changed hands four times since it was built in 1968, according to Orange County property records.

"There's a lot of investigation that has to be done because we don't like those hand grenades just popping up anywhere," Hoggatt said.

Rogers said she has been shaken by her dog's discovery. Firefighters assured her that there are no more grenades in her backyard, but Rogers can never be too careful, she said.

"I don't think anyone's going into the backyard for a while," she said.

Fifty isn't going there, either.

"He's a front-yard dog now," Rogers said.

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