A hungry dog in Llanfairfechan, Wales set fire to a home and caused £6,000 in damage. Paul Gregson, his wife, and two sons escaped the burning house just after midnight Tuesday.

John Morgan, of North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The family’s pet dog appears to have started the fire by turning on the griddle in the middle of the night. This is why all electrical items not designed to be left on should be switched off at the mains when not in use or overnight.

“The smoke alarm activated and gave this family the opportunity to escape safely. It demonstrates once again that smoke alarms really do save lives.”

The kitchen was badly damaged and there was heat and smoke damage to the rest of the house.

Three-year-old Alfie is a flat-coated retriever, a breed Gregson says is "slow to mature". Link -via Arbroath

Everyone in the family is happy and excited when a soldier comes home after a long deployment, but who is best at expressing that joy? Right, the dog! Mental_floss posted ten videos of dogs welcoming their soldiers home. I dare you to keep a straight face and a dry eye while watching these. Link

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This is the REAL "Odd Couple"! When the cat went for the bird's foot, I thought for just a second that he was going to start eating, but no, the emotion is apparently reciprocal. -via reddit

An unnamed Alaskan bush pilot went on a fishing trip and neglected to wash down his plane afterward. The 1958 Piper Cub was just too much temptation for a bear to bear.

The fishy aroma attracted a passing grizzly bear who, clearly frustrated at not being able to see the lovely “noms” it could smell, took the plane apart in an effort to find it. Aircraft fabric is no match for bear claws. The bear also chomped both tyres for good measure, then departed the scene.

Alaskans are a hardy bunch, however – as tough as the aircraft they fly. The pilot radioed for two new tyres, three cases of duct tape and a couple of rolls of cellophane to be flown in so he could repair his craft and get home.

Duct tape: is there anything it can't do? The story includes a picture of the plane after repair. http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/wanderer/2009/11/10/bears-just-one-more-flying-hazard-in-alaska/ -via Fark

Olympia Le-Tan makes handbags that look like books, with covers embroidered to resemble classics. What a neat way to show off your literary taste! Link to pictures. Link to artist's site. -via Boing Boing

A fairly new website called Kids Eat For keeps a database of family-friendly restaurants and the deals they offer. Find out what day and time kids eat for free or at reduced prices at restaurants near you! Major cities have many listings, and you can search for any in your area as well, or report specials in your area. Link -Thanks, Lisa!

(image credit: Flickr user lindaaslund)

This list from the Discovery Channel might come in handy to give to someone you know who might get too nervous about the 2012 doomsday predictions and the movie about them. Each scenario is debunked with what scientists really know. For example,

1. Changes in the Sun's magnetic field will lead to powerful flares.

So what else is new under the sun? The sun goes though a well-documented 11-year sunspot cycle that is driven by its magnetic field entangling, reforming and flipping polarity. Yes, the peak of the next cycle is in 2012 (or 2013), and some predictions suggest it might be 30 to 50 percent stronger than the last peak.

But experts say it will certainly not be the biggest peak ever recorded.

Link

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Sesame Street premiered on November 10th, 1969, which makes it 40 years old today! The above clip is from a promotional show aired to introduce the series two days before the premiere. Sesame Street was originally intended for inner-city children, but became a hit with the preschool set all over the globe. Many people don't realize how much the show has changed in 40 years. The early seasons are available on DVD with a disclaimer that says:

"These early 'Sesame Street' episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child."

In those early days, Cookie Monster smoked a pipe. He also ate things that weren't edible, much less nutritious. Oscar the Grouch was much grouchier. And children rode bicycles without helmets! You won't see those things on this season's Sesame Street. Link

More Sesame Street Links

Today's anniversary episode features guest star Michelle Obama.

Caroll Spinney, who plays Big Bird, is still going strong at almost 76 years old.

8 Memorable Sesame Street Celebrity Cameos.

Sesame Street videos on YouTube.

The 101 Muppets of Sesame Street.

The Cookie Monster Interview.

Big Bird Sings at Jim Henson's Funeral.

What kind of music do cats like? This charming science fair display follows the scientific method of hypothesis, experimentation, resulting data, and conclusion. The student theorized that the cats would fall asleep to classical music. In this case, the conclusion is what I would call a punch line: "My hypothesis was wrong, because they did not care either way." Flickr user Daniel N loved this display and took a picture for posterity. You can see a larger version at the photo page. Link -via Buzzfeed

The New York Times has an interactive graph that plots the jobless rate for different groups of Americans compared to the average for all those who are unemployed. Mouseover to find lines for different races, ages, and levels of education. In this screenshot, the label refers to the very faint red line above the dotted line which represents the average jobless rate. Link -via Metafilter

At one time or another, everyone wishes they could control a bowling ball after it leaves his/her hand. The RC900 remote-control bowling ball makes that dream come true! A weight in a threaded shaft inside the ball determines its direction, and the user controls the weight. The purpose of the ball is to give young children a bit of success as they learn to bowl, and to help disabled people paticipate in the sport. Don't even think of sneaking the RC900 into a competition! Link (with video) -via Gizmodo

Lifehacker collected ten handy household repair secrets from around the web that may come in handy when you least expect them. For example, a tip for getting your dying hard drive to survive long enough to make the backup you should have made long ago.

If it looks like mechanical failure is the cause, and you need just a bit more data off that drive before it's gone for good, try sticking it in the freezer until it's good and cold, then let it reach room temperature again and give it another try. This passed-around tech geek tip works, as a last resort, because when worn-out mechanical parts fail to connect and align properly, contracting them with cold, then allowing them to expand again, can sometimes restore things to barely-working order just long enough to give you a little more time before the funeral.

You'll also find quick fixes for stripped screw holes, broken light bulbs, and even hangovers! Link -via the Presurfer

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What if The Matrix had been produced in the silent film era? This skit is from the Russian group Bolshaya Raznitsa, which translates to Big Difference. (via Dark Roasted Blend)

Can you distinguish whether a name belongs to a cat litter brand or an actual military operation? That's the challenge in today's Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. I didn't know any of the answers, because they all sounded like military operations to me, but I managed to score 70%. Link

Illustrator Paul Rogers puts together six drawings of iconic images for each classic movie. Your challenge is to name the movies from the drawings. You don't get a clue as to the plot, the dialog, or the actors. I could name most of them; I suspect that the others are movies I haven't seen. Link -via reddit