MUENSTER — Petra the black swan has been reunited with her beloved swan-shaped paddleboat after a failed romance with a real bird.
Officials at a Muenster zoo where Petra has been spending the winter took her to a nearby lake Friday and released her next to the paddleboat — shaped like a giant white swan.
Petra became so attached to the boat back in 2006 that she refused to leave its side. When winter came around, she and the boat were taken into the zoo.
In recent months, Petra had struck up a relationship with a real white swan. However, he abandoned her last weekend — and officials decided to reunite her with the boat, which was returned to its owner only last week.
Zoo director Joerg Adler said it was too early to tell whether Petra will stay with the boat this time.
Petra is kind of a swan-stalker, really.
And much like human females, she's gone back to her plastic friend since the real thing didn't quite do it for her.
I'm so glad this made the front page. : / Although, sadly, I knew exactly what this whole thing was about beforehand...
LOL @ plastic, you are silly :)
And much like human females, she's gone back to her plastic friend since the real thing didn't quite do it for her.
HILARIOUS!
Best. Comment. Ever!
Ahhhhhhhh, cute
Ahhhhhhhh, cute
I thought the same thing
"my boyfriend is the biggest swan around. nobody can beat him. plus he's the strong silent type"
The swan brain is a complicated thing indeed...
Meanwhile, in other Not News.... Wow, AP.
Meanwhile, in other Not News.... Wow, AP.
Oh, I thought this was the Onion...
Lol, nope. This piss-in-the-wind is being put forth as real news on the AP wire. I wouldn't be surprised to see it on every morning news show now.
Lol, nope. This piss-in-the-wind is being put forth as real news on the AP wire. I wouldn't be surprised to see it on every morning news show now.
I think I'll become a journalist just so that I can write this sort of junk. Ahh, look at the cute plastic swan!
It's hardly earth-shattering news but it's of interest to some.
Plus, all these extra "it's not really news" posts are just making it even more likely for it to stay on the front page ;-)
That's actually fine, David. That means even more of us get to rail at it, and there's less of a chance of it happening again if a lot of people continue to call it for what it is.
I hope.
This piss-in-the-wind is being put forth as real news on the AP wire
SteveHouse, it is real news, the point is that in your opinion it is not newsworthy enough to be on the front page.
If you are really concerned and looking for answers as to why AP would run this kind of story, you could go to their website and ask them.
Oh, I guess it's okay to have "news lite" to give us a breather from all the heavy stuff. The point is, this is the AP. They should be focusing on something a bit more in depth...
I've often felt the same way about boats shaped like women... sadly, it never works out.
You need to stop letting people smash champagne bottles against your girls. That's the problem.
...so why is this front page news? Are all and every persons with editorial function dead? Does my comment make this more important because that isn't what I mean... What exactly is the tie-in with AP and NewsVine? ...'cause this is just crappy.
Mark this time and date as the point where NewsVine jumped the shark. Peace out.
...so why is this front page news?
I thought the same thing when I first read it... but upon a deeper inspection, the 'swan' appears to be a metaphor for America, while the 'beloved paddleboat' would represent the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
When our founding fathers initially released America next to her foundation of freedom and democracy, the two quickly became inseparable. Then came George Bush who briefly occupied America's attention, but ended up being just another ugly duckling. So, now we're coming back to our paddleboat of ideals, and I think the relationship will be much stronger as a result.
Anyways, I think that's why this article hit the front page.
...and that is funny, funny funny because it is so true.
Why am I suddenly thinking of Flanders and Swann's "Armadillo Idyll?"
"Then I saw them, in the hollow of a yellow, muddy bank:
An armadillo singing -- to an armor plated tank.
Should I tell him? Gaunt and rusting, with the willow tree above
This, abandoned on maneuvers, is the object of your love?
(Sigh)
I left him to his singing, cycled home without a pause.
Never tell a man the truth about the one that he adores.
On the breeze that follows sunset, I could hear that sad refrain
Singing willow, willow, willow down the way
And I seem to hear it still, "Oh! Vive l'amour! Vive l'armadillo,
Be my darling armadillo all the day!"
Ah, the swans and Commons have a huge soft spot in my heart. In about 1976, possibly after the womens rowers had won the Olympic gold, some women rowers challenged the city's rule of hiring only male peddlers. Whether it's true or lore that there was an endurance challenge to get the jobs is hard to know, but women did begin peddling and probably still can based on ability alone. Go ladies!
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