Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

Four giant pandas born at center in China

CHENGDU, China, July 28 (UPI) -- Three giant pandas gave birth to a total of four cubs, all delivered within 14 hours of each other, at a breeding base in southwest China, experts said.

Nine-year-old panda, Magic Luck, delivered twin female cubs Saturday at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center, said Yang Feifei, an expert at the base.

Eight-year-old panda, Success, delivered a cub Saturday before Pearl, 8, delivered a cub early Sunday, Feifei said.

The base is home to 71 giant pandas, Xinhua, China's state-run news agency reported.

Giant pandas have become endangered because their habitats are disappearing.

Xinhua said about 1,590 pandas exist in China's wild, the majority of which are in Sichuan province and the provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi in the country's northwestern region.

Food lovers gather for cheesy conference

CHICAGO, July 28 (UPI) -- Scores of self-proclaimed cheese buffs gathered in Chicago this weekend for the 25th annual American Cheese Society conference, organizers said.

Cheese lovers started arriving Wednesday at the Hilton Chicago for the four-day curd conference, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Cheese admirers even got a chance to purchase dairy items featured at the conference Sunday at Chicago's Kendall College.

"Specialty cheeses are on the rise in the U.S. People want flavor," said Bruce Workman, 54, a longtime cheese-maker and Wisconsin native. "And we're trying to fill that need."

Another Wisconsin cheese-maker, Sid Cook, known as the "Jimi Hendrix" of cheese, said he's been so creative with his cheese exploration he's even used vanilla as flavoring.

Trainer: Motivation key to cat training

HOUSTON, July 28 (UPI) -- A 23-year-old woman in Houston says she has trained cats to respond to simple commands by learning what motivates felines.

Kitten Kindergarten teacher Dulce Garcia says she has been able to train her own cat to obey certain commands and is confident any cat be trained simply by finding the right reward, the Houston Chronicle reported.

"Cats don't have the best attention spans," Garcia said. "But you can train any cat. You just have to find out what motivates them."

Garcia's class is offered through the Houston branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She says its main focus is in socializing the animals.

She told the Chronicle that, just like human beings, cats must be approached at an early age for education efforts take hold.

"It's important to start when they're smaller because that's when they'll learn more," Garcia said.

Deli clerk finds stardom with yo-yo

SOMERVILLE, Mass., July 28 (UPI) -- A 22-year-old delicatessen clerk in Massachusetts says he has earned Internet fame through his passionate dedication to yo-yos.

Guy Wright of Somerville said ever since he saw how a skilled player can handle the children's toys, he was enamored with yo-yos and dedicated himself to mastering the ways they can be manipulated, The Boston Globe reported.

Wright said he parlayed his skills to become an Internet sensation, as videos of his yo-yo prowess grew in popularity.

"The appeal is physical manipulation," he said. "You're controlling something, and being in control is what everyone wants."

Another yo-yo sensation, Steve Brown, who earned popularity in the 1990s, said fans' adoration only goes so far but it's still a thrill.

"It pulls you out of your everyday experience," he told the Globe. "It makes the world more interesting. I'd rather see the world remain a more interesting place than everybody know about all this stuff and none of it be special to anyone."