"Like Fur"

Al Machado rescued a cat from a burning apartment Tuesday, telling The Standard Times of New Bedford that he saw immediately that it needed air. Machado began performing mouth to mouth on the animal as he carried it outside.

Video shot at the scene shows Machado bent over, breathing into the cat's mouth several times. The cat, a tiger angora, was revived and resting comfortably soon after.

No humans were injured in the fire.

Alvin Warren Niles, 43, and Joan T. Perreira, 44, who live in the apartment, were arrested and charged with arson. Police allege the pair set the blaze to cash in on renter's insurance, but Prevost said he doesn't believe they had any.

Two other cats died in their second-floor apartment, but emergency personnel rescued four dogs, three cats, a chinchilla, a ferret and some frogs from the three-story building.

Asked what it tasted like to give mouth-to-mouth to a cat, Machado laughed, grimaced and said: "Like fur."

Bear Hug

Salmon fishermen are no longer throwing fish guts on shore for black bears around Port Renfrew, British Columbia after one climbed onto a dock, jumped into a man’s boat and mauled him.

He said he first thought the bear attack call received by his department and an ambulance crew was a “miscommunication.” “But sure enough when we got on scene there was a man who had some deep lacerations on his right shoulder and scratches all over his body,” said Tennant.

The man was conscious and in shock, but that his wounds did not appear to be life threatening, he said.

Gordon Hitchcock, a B.C. conservation officer, said the bear swam across Gordon River and climbed onto a dock before jumping into the man’s boat and mauling him.

Witnesses told him it was difficult to get the bear off the victim. ”Individuals that came to the aid of the victim used a combination of (fishing) gaffs, knives and a hammer to remove or pull the bear off the victim,” he said.

The man’s friends managed to kill the bear, said Tennant.

“Initial findings indicate that it was a very old bear in very poor health,” said Environment Ministry spokeswoman Kate Thompson.

"Natalie Dylan"....For Sale

A 22-year-old college grad looking to pay off her student loans will auction off her virginity at Nevada's infamous Moonlight Bunny Ranch, Us magazine reported.

The Sacramento State grad, who uses the pseudonym "Natalie Dylan," told "The Insider" she is "ready for the controversy." "I don't think auctioning my virginity will solve all my problems, but it will create some financial stability," she said, according to the magazine.

Dylan was turned down by eBay, and shock-jock Howard Stern denied reports he has a hand in the stunt.

"Through this process I'm not just looking for the highest bidder," she said, Us magazine reported. "I'm looking for someone who is a genuine, overall nice person."

Dylan said she is willing to undergo a medical exam, and took a polygraph to prove she is a virgin.

Krazy Kanye

Airport police arrested West and his road manager, Don Crowley, who also serves as a bodyguard, on suspicion of felony vandalism shortly before 8 a.m., LAX spokesman Marshall Lowe said. He said early reports indicated that a camera valued at more than $10,000 was broken.

A Nice Little Car Chase....

A car chase on Route 28 leads to the 31st Street Bridge in Pittsburgh. Along the way, a police car goes off the road and flips over. Officers corner the car and hit the suspect before taking him into custody.

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You Must Be This Tall To Be Interrogated

Attendants in a British park have been told to confront adults who enter without children, in hopes of catching any suspected pedophiles.

Wardens in Telford Town Park in Shropshire, will stop and question anyone who is not accompanied by kids. The park council calls the policy a “commonsense approach” to protect children within the 420-acre recreational area.

Some park goers have accused the council of “authoritarian madess,” saying the policy will unnecessarily panic parents about the dangers their children face.

David Ottley, recreation manager for the park council, said in a letter to the public: “Our town park staff approach adults that are not associated with any children in the park and request the reason for them being there. In particular, this applies to those areas where children or more vulnerable groups gather.”

Edmond Dantes

A southwest Ohio judge has ruled that a man acquitted of rape cannot adopt the name of the lead character in a famous novel about wrongful imprisonment and revenge.

Former Miami University student Jason Landis wanted to legally change his name to Edmond Dantes, the character who becomes "The Count of Monte Cristo" in the 19th century book by Alexander Dumas.

Miami County Probate Judge Lynnita Wagner rejected Landis' request in documents filed Tuesday. She said his desire to distance himself from the 2005 rape charge is trumped by the right of the public and officials to easily connect him to convictions he has on felony drug charges and a misdemeanor sex offense.

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Eli Mattson

Nuttin But Stringz