Southeastern Virginia firefighters have collected more than 1,300 movie DVDs in an effort to provide soldiers in Iraq some recreational relief. Chesapeake firefighter Mark Snyder organized the drive after his brother, an Army chaplain, exchanged an e-mail mentioning the idea of a morale boost amongst GI's fighting the War in Iraq.

An 80-year-old Italian retiree, who lived alone with seven cats and was adopted by a family, after placing an ad in the classifieds begging for company, skipped out on them, leaving behind a dentist's bill for $2,860. Since taking off, Angelozzi has sent the family two checks to cover the cost; checks later discovered to be stolen from another family that had also taken in the con artist.

Organizers of a memorial for Hunter S. Thompson plan to erect a 150-foot structure to shoot the gonzo journalist's ashes onto his ranch where he kille dhimslef in Februrary. Jon Equis, the event producer working with Thompson's family, says the tower will be 12 feet wide at the base and 8 feet wide at the top, where a cannon will be placed - actor Johnny Depp says he will foot the bill for the structure.

On Friday night, Preston Henn, owner of the popular South-Florida based Swap Shop, was tasered and arrested after tackling a Broward County Sheriff Office command staff member. Police were called to The Swap Shop after receiving several civil disturbance calls involving Henn, who was trying to get a vendor to leave the premises. When police tried to calm Henn down, he walked into his office and locked himself in. Twenty minutes later, Henn walked out and knocked over BSO District Chief George Jarboe.

Researchers in Germany are still trying to figure out what is causing the presumed spontaneous combustion of about 1,000 toads near a pond in Hamburg. Officials say tests are being conducted on the toad's body parts and the pond's water, but no links have been discovered. Analysts say the toads typically swell up prior to exploding, however, scientists are thus far unable to determine if the condition is caused by a virus or bacteria. A local enviornmentalist says, "It looks like a scene from a science-fiction movie. The bloated animals suffer for several minutes before they finally die. " Officials say the toads first began to show up early last month at a pond in the upscale neighborhood of Altona. The animals fill up like balloons until their stomachs suddenly burst. Janne Kloepper, of the Hamburg-based Institute for Hygiene and the Environment, says "It's absolutely strange. We have a really unique story here in Hamburg. This phenomenon really doesn't seem to have appeared anywhere before. " City residents have been warned to stay away from the pond while more testing continues.