February 2002
Kangaroo Court - Aborigines Seek to Ground the Flying Kangaroo
Posted by Anon on Sat 9 Feb 2002 - 08:08http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/australia020208_kangaroo.html
"In a copyright claim currently ruffling feathers - and furs - across Australia, Kevin Buzzacott,
an Aboriginal elder, has claimed that Qantas cannot use the flying kangaroo as a mascot
without the permission of the marsupial's indigenous 'owners.'"
Submitters comment: This is total BS!
New trailers for Lilo & Stich, Ice Age
Posted by Rigel on Mon 11 Feb 2002 - 15:19There's a new crossover trailer for Lilo & Stitch featuring yet another Disney movie:
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/liloandstitch/interstitchals/aladdinmovies.html?movie=QT1500k
If you missed the first Lilo & Stitch crossover trailer, it's at:
http://www.encodethis.net/BVIM/bvim_lilo_stitch_1500.mov
And lastly, the new Ice Age trailer #3 is out. Fetch it and #1 and #2 if you haven't seen 'em at:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/ice_age/
Pawpet Megaplex!!
Posted by Anon on Mon 11 Feb 2002 - 22:32Here is a excuse to come to Florida and enjoy a convention at the same time. Pawpet Megaplex is hosting a con March 8-10th in Orlando, Florida at the Ramada Resort and Conference Center at 7400 International Drive.
Look for many events including mascot costume building, performance, Puppetry, Photography panel, a Variety show and Gaming.
Especially Gaming! I am looking for folks that want to run games or play. Miniatures, Role-playing, card games, Board games or CCG's. If you want to run something just go to the URL and follow the links. A nice bonus for pre-registered games is, RUN just ten hours of gaming and the con admission ($25.00) is free!
What part of a chocolate bunny do you like to eat first?
Posted by Anon on Tue 12 Feb 2002 - 10:46Spongebob Squarepants: The Movie
Posted by Rigel on Tue 12 Feb 2002 - 12:45From the NY Post:
The movie version of "SpongeBob," Nick's top-rated kid's show, will likely hit theaters in late 2003 or early 2004 and will be produced by Paramount, sources say.
Details are sketchy at this point, but there's a chance that SpongeBob and his pals could even leave the safe environs of their underwater home, Bikini Bottom - and venture elsewhere during the course of the movie.
For the full story: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/41124.htm
Icky fossil vomit helps tell about ichthyosaur life
Posted by MelSkunk on Tue 12 Feb 2002 - 12:55Ichthyosaurs aren't dinos, but the headlines are "Dino vomit!" at the BBC News homepage.
Discovered in a quarry in Peterborough, the fossilized 'puddle' of shells is believed to be an example of prehistoric puke, much like sperm whales throw up squid beaks. This new evidence leads some scientist to believe that ichthyosaurs expelled the shells from their prey before digesting to avoid internal damage.
World's oldest koala dies
Posted by Anon on Tue 12 Feb 2002 - 14:16Mike Curtis posted to A.F.F. a link to this CNN story about the world's oldest Koala dying at the San Francisco Zoo. Clarry the koala lived to the ripe old age of 19, as opposed to koalas in the wild who seldom live past 12.
Mexican Cartoon Contest
Posted by Fred on Tue 12 Feb 2002 - 14:23A cartooning contest in Cancun, Mexico has themes of "cloning" and "free theme" (whatever the cartoonist wants) which artists could use to Furry advantage. Deadline: September 30, 2002. Grand prize: $US1,000. Four additional prizes of $US250 each. Humorous photo prize: $US500.
Scotland bans the foxhunt
Posted by MelSkunk on Wed 13 Feb 2002 - 20:20Scotland has taken a bold step in banning foxhunting, the popular, 'traditional' bloodsport. The first part of the UK to pass such a ban, it is nothing if not controversial, pitting animal lovers with supporters of rural sport.
The law bans hunting with dogs, but allows for the shooting of foxes for pest control, and in an odd loophole, the killing of foxes by birds of prey, like trained falcons. It also bans hare coursing, where a hare is chased down by a dog who is theoretically supposed to NOT catch it.
Cat cloned at Texas A&M
Posted by mwalimu on Thu 14 Feb 2002 - 16:14This article from CNN documents the birth of the first cloned cat, adding that species to the list of animals that have previously been cloned successfully, which includes sheep, mice, and cattle.
It mentions the possibility of pet owners someday being able to clone beloved pets. If you found the pet with the perfect personality, would you want to produce a younger genetic twin of it every few years?
Shark Love Baby - Researchers Hope Barry White Songs Will Entice Celibate Sharks
Posted by Anon on Thu 14 Feb 2002 - 23:32Ten resolutely celibate sharks at the National
Sea Life Center are getting a blast of Barry
White in hopes they'll get in the mood for
love.
Kakapo egg marathon may double world population of the bird
Posted by MelSkunk on Fri 15 Feb 2002 - 00:35The kakapo is the cute, dopey, ground dwelling giant parrot of New Zealand. The biggest. The heaviest. And perhaps the most endangered of the parrot species, with only 67 birds. After most of the animals were killed for food or feathers, or eaten by dogs and cats, the remaining population of the species were brought to predator free islands off the NZ coast.
Repopulation has been slow, but the odds have just gotten better! A BOOM of egg laying, sometimes four eggs at a time for a bird that usually lays one or two has produced 47 eggs in the last few days. And it's not over yet. The boom is linked to mass fruiting of the rihu tree. Kakapo tend to eat the rich fruit to build up strength for laying and tending young.