“A six-legged calf has defied the odds by thriving despite a vet’s prediction at birth that it wouldn’t survive. Seven-week-old Lilli is now a minor celebrity in her native Switzerland after local media were splashed with images of the calf frolicking across a sunny field. Farmer Andreas Knutti from Weissenburg, which is 19 miles south of the capital Bern, says he couldn’t bring himself to euthanize the animal because she was ‘so full of life.” w/ photos

“When Danielle Parr, a homemaker from Texas, accidentally ejected a tampon from its applicator, the last thing she expected to find were black marks all over it. But on closer inspection, the mother of one found what appeared to be large spots of mould covering the tampon, a discovery that she described as ‘horrifying’ on her blog. ‘I just found a MOLDY TAMPON in a brand new box of Kotex Tampons,’ she wrote on her blog before checking to see if any others were contaminated… And this is not the first time Kotex has found itself in hot water with a potentially dangerous issue relating to their sanitary goods. Kimberly-Clark who manufactures the range of feminine hygiene products recalled 1,400 cartons in November last year after concerns the tampons had been infiltrated by harmful bacteria capable of causing vaginal infections and even some ‘life-threatening’ conditions, according to MSNBC.” w/ photos

“A company dubbed the ‘Walmart of Weed’ is putting down roots in America’s capital city, sprouting further debate on marijuana — medical or otherwise. Just a few miles from the White House and federal buildings, a company that candidly caters to medical marijuana growers is opening up its first outlet on the East Coast. The opening of the weGrow store in Washington coincides with the first concrete step in implementing a city law allowing residents with certain medical conditions to purchase pot. Like suppliers of picks and axes during the gold rush, weGrow sees itself providing the necessary tools to pioneers of a ‘green rush,’ which some project could reach nearly $9 billion within the next five years. Admittedly smaller than a big box store, weGrow is not unlike a typical retailer in mainstream America, with towering shelves of plant food and vitamins, ventilation and lighting systems. Along with garden products, it offers how-to classes, books and magazines on growing medical marijuana. ‘The more that businesses start to push the envelope by showing that this is a legitimate industry, the further we’re going to be able to go in changing people’s minds,” said weGrow founder Dhar Mann.” w/ photos

“Fat cats are known for being greedy but Fifi Bottomley takes the biscuit. The morbidly obese moggy is just one of the family pets hoping to get in shape for a national competition. Weighing in at a hefty 9.3kg (1st 7lb), Fifi is double the size she should be. The 8-year-old piled on the pounds after stealing food from other cats – but now she is one of the finalists in the PDSA’s Pet Fit Club competition. Fifi will be joining other flabby felines and portly pups to receive tailored diet advice and exercise – with the winner receiving a year’s supply of pet food.” w/ photos

“American’s fearing a rise in crime during the economic downturn are buying state-of-the-art gun safes hidden inside their beds. The BedBunker weighs a whopping 1,300lbs empty and features locks used in government high security buildings like the Pentagon. Worried homeowners can now store 35 rifles and 70 hand guns underneath them while they sleep. Product inventor and designer John Adrain, from Heracles Research Corporation, said a number of billionaires have begun buying his product. ‘Home invasions are on the rise,’ he said. ‘More people are looking for secure places to store their valuables and weapons. ‘What better place is there to store things than secretly under your bed.” w/ photo

“Vegetarians are ‘bugging’ out about a change in ingredients by Starbucks, specifically related to its Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino. And chances are, you might bug out too, when you hear why. In an effort to avoid artificial additives in its drinks, Starbucks confirms it is using a natural red dye, made from dried, crushed cochineal beetles. Before you get grossed out, you should know that cochineal is a common additive, considered safe by the FDA, and you’ve probably been eating it for years in items like jams, meats, marinades, cookies and other baked products. The FDA says it does have to be listed by name on the ingredients list.” w/ photo + video

“Movie theaters are inherently awesome places to be on their own, evoking memories of past big-screen adventures and nights spent eating popcorn and candy for supper. For a new film festival in Thailand called Film on the Rocks Yao Noi, an outdoor cinema was constructed in the most unlikely of places: right on top of the water. And it just might be the most amazing place you could ever want to watch a movie. The amazing venue is called the Archipelago Cinema and is tucked away inside a bay surrounded by towering island rocks and lush jungle plants. It’s a natural paradise, and it just happens to be the perfect spot for a floating movie theater.” w/ photos

“The theory of evolution tells us we have quite a lot in common with macaques – unfortunately for them, one of the things they share with humans is the agony of hay fever as these photos show. This Japanese macaque called Monday displays all the symptoms, from the crispy nose to weeping eyes and fits of the sneezes… About 20 others have also been struck with the illness because pollen is sweeping over to them from a cedar tree.” w/ photos

“Brockton High School students learned something new Friday morning – turkeys can fly. At least wild turkeys. Teachers and staff were jolted out of their routine when a wild turkey smashed through a third-floor window into a classroom. The incident happened before students were in class, just before 7 a.m., according to Principal Susan Szachowicz, and was captured on video by a Yellow Housemaster Jean Ryan. ‘It was quite a beginning to the day,’ she said. The classroom was vacant when the turkey made his dramatic entrance, but a teacher in a nearby classroom heard the glass shatter and hurried over. ‘We could see talons, so we thought it was a hawk,’ Szachowicz said.” w/ photo + video

“A man in his mid-50s helped grow a huge forest on a sand bar in the middle of the mighty Brahmaputra in Assam’s Jorhat district, which has caught attention of the government, tourists and film-makers. The 30-year-long effort of Jadav Payeng, known among local people as ‘Mulai’, to grow the woods, stretching over an area of 550 hectares, has been hailed by the Assam Forest Department as ‘exemplary’. Mulai began work on the forest in 1980 when the social forestry division of Golaghat district launched a scheme of tree plantation on 200 hectares at Aruna Chapori situated at a distance of five KMs from Kokilamukh in Jorhat district. Assistant conservator of forest Gunin Saikia, who is presently posted at Sivsagar district, said, Mulai was one of the laborers who worked in our project which was completed after five years. He chose to stay back after the completion of the project as others left.” w/ photo