Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

Here's how you grow marijuana, officer

CINCINNATI, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- When police asked an Ohio man about the potted marijuana plant in his front yard, he told them how to grow their own.

The first leaf of the story unfolded when a Cincinnati police officer asked Bobby Stevenson to explain the distinctive plant in his front yard, WCPO-TV Cincinnati reported.

Pot plants need 12 hours of sunlight and darkness to grow, Stevenson explained, and watering every three days, the television station said.

In response, the police officer explained to Stevenson that it's illegal to grow marijuana -- and then arrested the budding botanist.

Ariz. man fixated on being strongest

CHANDLER, Ariz., Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A 22-year-old Arizona man has become so enamored with the title of World's Strongest Man he has reoriented his life to reach that goal.

A former high school basketball player, Kevin Nee of Chandler, said he decided to switch his focus and overall lifestyle to become a professional strongman after winning a teen strongman competition, The Arizona Republic reported.

Becoming a strongman means adjusting one's life accordingly, from weightlifting regimen to eating habits.

"When I wake up in the morning, I don't eat because I am hungry. I eat because I have to eat," Nee said. "You wake up in the middle of the night, and all you want to do is go back to sleep. But you get up to have that protein shake."

The 6-foot-1, 275-pounder is preparing for this week's annual World's Strongest Man competition.

"Think about it," Nee, who can lift 865 pounds, told the Republic. "You are the strongest man on the planet."

Woman takes on giant python to save dog

HONG KONG, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A 41-year-old woman in Hong Kong has survived mortal combat with a giant python that attacked one of her dogs.

Catherine Leonard said when she saw a 15-foot-long Burmese python wrapped around the dog, all she could think of was a similar attack that occurred in 2006 involving a large dog in the area, The South China Morning Post reported.

Despite the size of the snake, Leonard said she attacked it until her dog, Poppy, was able to escape.

"I'm not sure exactly what I did but I kicked it and I tried to pull Poppy free," Leonard said. "Somehow Poppy managed to get away and the python slithered away."

Leonard said her natural instinct had temporarily surpassed her better judgment.

"If I'd had the chance to think about it, I wouldn't have done what I did," she said, "but I hear the dog in distress and I just waded in there."

N.Y. drummer denies causing horse's death

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A musician whose drumming allegedly caused a deadly horse rampage in New York's Central Park last week has denied spooking the horse.

Musician James Williams, 47, said his drumming did not alarm Smoothie the horse, sending the animal on a frightening dash that later claimed its life, The New York Daily News reported.

"I don't like to kill flies or roaches,” said Williams. “I don't kill horses.”

Carriage drivers who were in the park at the time of Friday's incident said drumming in the area was so loud it spooked the 13-year-old mare. The animal broke loose from its carriage ran headlong into a tree, suffering fatal injuries.

Horse owners have since been attempting to have musicians banned from areas where horses travel. Williams is against that.

"These guys work and I try to work. Both things have gone on together for years," he told the Daily News. "These horses work in New York. You got fire engines, you got bands in parades. You got construction. It's New York."