Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

Britain sells out of bacon chocolate

LONDON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The only British store to stock chocolate bars infused with bacon said its entire stock of the unusual candies sold out within 48 hours of hitting the shelves.

Officials with Selfridges said the department store has ordered a new supply of Mo's Bacon Bar, which features chunks of applewood smoked bacon and smoked salt in milk chocolate, from Vosges Haut-Chocolat with an aim to have the candies back on sale in time for the Christmas holiday, The Daily Telegraph reported.

"Bacon and chocolate sounds like a strange combination, but the execution is fantastic," said Ewan Venters, food and restaurant director for Selfridges. "It's a real explosion of flavors and people love it."

"There has been a real revolution in luxury chocolate, as there was with wine a few years ago. People are much more knowledgeable about it and there is a growing demand for these high quality, exotic products instead of a box of Milk Tray," Venters said.

Vosges Haut-Chocolat, based in Chicago, has a line of other foods mixed with chocolate, including mushrooms, sweet Indian curry and Mexican ancho and chipotle chillies.

Snake found wrapped around car AC fan

ARRAWONGA, Australia, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A mechanic investigating a noise in a car engine in Australia's Northern Territory said he found a carpet python wrapped around the air conditioning fan.

Kit Carson, 59, said he was searching for the origin of the strange noises coming from a woman's car at Cheaper Car Air-Conditioning when he spotted the snake, which the mechanic said may have been wrapped around the car's air conditioning fan for an entire week, the Northern Territory News reported.

"Him and I both got a jump," Carson said of the snake. "He'd been spinning around like a bloody washing machine, but the end of his tail must have been hanging out -- it was all feathered and ratty."

Carson said he loaded the 3-foot-long snake into a bucket and took it to the Ark Animal Hospital in the town of Yarrawonga. Veterinarians said the snake is recovering, but they had to amputate about 2 inches from the end of the reptile's tail.

'Gentleman thief' suspect arrested

MILAN, Italy, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Police in Milan, Italy, said they have arrested a suspected "gentleman thief" who took care not to frighten bank staff or children during his alleged heists.

Investigators said Carmelo Balzari, 33, was arrested at a Milan hotel during the weekend after he allegedly robbed 10 banks in two months, ANSA reported.

Officers said the "gentleman thief" would wait until all children had exited the bank before executing his robberies and took care not to upset clerks. Police said the "sharply dressed and softly spoken" alleged thief once gave up on a robbery after a bank manager reacted "too sharply."

"He was a real gentleman, a kind you don't often see anymore," a police officer said of the suspect.

Pardoned turkey going to Disneyland

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- United Airlines says it will help the turkey that dodges Thanksgiving dinner at the White House make its getaway to Disneyland this week.

The airline will strap the lucky bird into a first-class seat Wednesday for a non-stop flight from Washington to LAX and then on to Orange County and a date as grand marshal of the annual Thanksgiving parade at Disneyland.

President George W. Bush is set to issue the traditional Thanksgiving pardon Wednesday, freeing the bird and a companion for the holidays.

A United spokesman told Crain's Chicago Business Disney annually buys out the entire first-class cabin for the turkey delegation, which includes the caged turkey and a group from the National Turkey Federation.