So you think you need a dog?

September 29, 2010 at 3:38 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

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THE NEWS

Odd news from around the world

Tiny Chinese jade treasures packed away in hallway cupboard auctioned off for a staggering £1.5 MILLION: “A menagerie of tiny animal ornaments kept in a cardboard box in a hall cupboard for years created a bidding frenzy when they went for auction and sold for a staggering £1.5 million. And a small wooden carving stored in the the same box went for £380,000 as it was proved to once belong to Chinese emperor Qianlong 240 years ago. In all the sale of more than 1,500 items from the home of antique enthusiasts Tim and Fran Lewis fetched more than £4 million. But it was their collection of about 50 pieces of jade amassed over decades and stored in two boxes in a hallway cupboard for the last ten years that set the auction alight. Mrs Lewis recently emigrated following the death of her husband earlier this year and she instructed that a whole host of antiques be sold off. The jade items were unearthed by their housekeeper who showed them to an auctioneer during a valuation visit at the property in Dorset. They were found to date back to between 250 to 800 years and were from Imperial China.”

Poundland. A British success story: “For the uninitiated, Poundland is the bargain discount store that has appeared, seemingly overnight sometimes, on High Streets and shopping malls everywhere – filling the hole left by the collapse of Woolworths in 2008. The chain is actually in its 20th year, and boasts 299 stores throughout the UK with many more planned – much to the annoyance of some snobby town councils. Poundland, which claims to have converted many middle – class dissenters, is the shop where everything costs £1 [$1.50] no matter what the item, shape or size, making it an adventure playground for bargain-hunters and hoarders. It’s also the store that this year, while the recession was still wreaking mayhem and devastation in Britain’s High Streets, boasted pre-tax profits of £19.8 million – up from £8.6 million in the previous year – thanks to three million customers each week and the pound coins burning a hole in their pockets.”

Fumbling fiance drops ring off bridge: “A Florida man fumbled his proposal to his girlfriend, accidentally letting the 0.6-carat diamond engagement ring slip out of his hands and off the span, the New York Post reported. Fortunately for Trey Turner and his fiancee, Kelsey Kramer, instead of plopping into the East River, the ring landed on scaffolding below. Two days later, city transportation workers fetched the bauble from the construction site and allowed the couple’s betrothal to go forward. Mr Turner is also lucky Ms Kramer still said yes. As they strolled the walkway, Mr Turner imagined how awful it would be if he lost his grip. He dropped down on one knee, and then – just as he feared – he dropped the ring.”

Businesswoman catches porter attempting to try on her lingerie: “An alleged cross-dressing porter thought he had hit the jackpot with a resident who owns a trendy lingerie line – until she caught him with his pants down in her Manhattan apartment. BodyRock Sport owner Kelly Dooley, 28, said she was stunned to find building worker Hector Solano half-naked – and crouching over one of her black, nylon, thong bodysuits – inside her luxury loft on Friday, the New York Post reported. But Ms Dooley said that while Mr Solano, 25, portrayed himself as a macho guy from the Bronx at work, “He’s a complete sissy.” He acted like he was “afraid of me. His hands are up, and he’s begging me, ‘Please don’t tell,'” Ms Dooley said.”

Las Vegas hotel guests left with severe burns from ‘death ray’ caused by building’s design: “Guests at a new hotel in Las Vegas have complained of receiving severe burns from a ‘death ray’ of sunlight caused by the unique design of the building. Due to the concave shape of the Vdara hotel, the strong Nevada sun reflects off its all-glass front and directly onto sections of the swimming pool area below. The result has left some guests with burns from the powerful rays and even plastic bags have been recorded as melting in the heat. Chicago attorney Bill Pintas felt the power of the dangerous ray first hand last week. ‘It felt like I had a chemical burn. I couldn’t imagine why my head was burning,’ he said. ‘Within 30 seconds, the back of my legs were burning.”

And don’t forget to catch up with all the Strange Justice before you go.